Michael D. Johnson has been named dean of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, President Jeffrey S. Lehman and Provost Biddy Martin announced May 3. Johnson currently is the D. Maynard Phelps Collegiate Professor of Business Administration and professor of marketing at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

"President Lehman and I are delighted that Michael Johnson has agreed to lead the School of Hotel Administration," said Martin, who served as co-chair of the search committee. "Michael brings to the position considerable experience, foresight and keen intellect, and an impressive ability to communicate his vision for the future. The announcement of his appointment today was greeted with enthusiasm by the Hotel School faculty."

Johnson will take over as dean July 1, 2006. He succeeds David W. Butler, who will be retiring after serving as dean since 2000. Sheryl Kimes, Cornell professor of hospitality facilities and operations, the Richard and Monene P. Bradley Director for Graduate Studies and a member of the search committee, will serve as the interim dean of the Hotel School for the 2005-06 academic year.

Johnson has been a member of the marketing faculty in the Ross School since 1982. He has served as a member of the executive committee of the school and currently serves as the director of the Center for Customer-Focused Management in Executive Education. 

His research focuses on the development of customer information systems and how they can be utilized to craft strategy and manage customer relationships. This work includes efforts to understand how to manage customer portfolios over time, to learn how customer satisfaction and loyalty models change as customer relationships grow, and how managers can use customer information to make more informed resource allocation and strategy decisions. He has worked with many major U.S. and international corporations, including Dell Computer, Galgano and Associates (Italy), the National Association of Convenience Stores, Northwest Airlines, Promus Hotel Corp., Schering Pharmaceutical (Germany), Telia (Sweden) and Volvo.