David A. Griffith is appointed department chair of marketing

David A. Griffith, a widely recognized teacher and scholar in the field of international marketing, has joined the College of Business and Economics as department chair and professor of marketing.

His appointment takes effect July 1.

Griffith comes to Lehigh after nine years at Michigan State University, where he served as the John William Byington Endowed Chair in Global Marketing and as director of the Ph.D. program in the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management.

Previously, he served on the faculty of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the Japan-American Institute of Management Science, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien in Vienna and the University of Oklahoma.

“The business college strives to prepare students for today’s global business environment,” said Paul R. Brown, dean of the College of Business and Economics. “It is essential that we offer students academic opportunities that enable them to experience that environment from an international perspective.

“We believe David is uniquely qualified to help advance the college’s mission and we are excited about the expertise and international experience he brings to Lehigh. Marketing as a field of study is core to the college’s plate of student offerings and employment opportunities, and having David place his marketing expertise in a global context is perfect for Lehigh and the college.”

A specialty in international marketing strategy

Griffith earned his Ph.D. in marketing with a specialization in international business from Kent State University, where he also completed an M.B.A. with a concentration in general management.

He is widely regarded as a leader in international marketing strategy development and implementation, which examines how businesses develop and introduce products in different markets.

His research interests include marketing strategy, governance analysis, international marketing strategy, marketing manager decision making and retailing, and he has contributed more than 100 journal articles to the scholarly literature.

Griffith travels frequently to consult with businesses on strategy, work with peers in his fields of interest, and deliver presentations.

He calls Lehigh a “perfect fit” and says he was attracted by the faculty-student dynamic at the university, the energetic research environment in the CBE, and the college’s focus on global business education and research.

“The faculty at Lehigh really work to give students insight into what’s going on in business,” he said. “When I interviewed, I met with a number of students over lunch. I was impressed not only by what they were doing in the classroom but also by the opportunities they had to connect with businesses and to apply their knowledge through internships.”

After earning a B.S.B.A. in finance from the University of Akron, Griffith worked for Paine Webber and Co. Securities as a technical and fundamental analyst and for Hampton Pension Securities as pension plan consultant and administrator, where he was responsible for the administration and qualification of defined contribution plans.

He has served as editor-in-chief of the American Marketing Association’s Journal of International Marketing since 2008, and sits on the board of directors of AMA’s Global Marketing Special Interest Group. He has contributed to four books, including the Handbook of International Marketing Research and the Wiley International Encyclopedia of Marketing: International Marketing, and he has been invited to deliver presentations at numerous universities around the world.

His teaching awards include the John D. and Dortha J. Withrow Teacher-Scholar Award (Michigan State), the Dennis Ching Teaching Excellence Award (Hawaii), the Excellence in Leadership Award (Oklahoma), the Excellence in Teaching Award (Kent State), and the Outstanding Marketing Ph.D. Teaching Award (Kent State).