At a Special Meeting of the Board of Governors, Dr. David Wheeler was confirmed as Cape Breton University’s next President with installation planned for April 2013.
Board of Governors Chair, Dr. Hayes MacNeil, states “The Board is extremely pleased that David Wheeler will be taking on this key leadership role at CBU. As a result of a transparent and professional process, the Search Committee has recommended David Wheeler to be CBU’s next president based on his many relevant and outstanding capabilities. His experience as an academic, a researcher and a corporate business manager, combined with his years of international, sustainability and renewable energy expertise, make him an excellent candidate to continue CBU’s evolution and growth.”
Dr. Wheeler, a former international business executive, brings a wealth of experience in public health science, international development, corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship and sustainable energy policy to his new position. He has advised international agencies such as the UN, the World Bank and numerous governments and corporations as well as publishing his research in leading academic, medical and business journals. He holds a PhD and a Bachelor of Science (Honours), Microbiology, both from the University of Surrey.
His academic and business career spans three decades and he is perhaps best known in Nova Scotia as the Dean of Management at Dalhousie University (2006-2009) who established multi-stakeholder consensus on energy efficiency and renewable electricity policy reform for the province. He is currently Pro Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability) and Executive Dean of Business at the University of Plymouth (UK).
Dr. Wheeler has an outstanding academic and leadership background. He has held senior leadership positions within universities, has strong business experience both locally and nationally and an extensive business network. He also spent several years as Vice-president of Body Shop International.
David Wheeler and his partner, Dr. Michelle Adams, have a son, Caleb, who is 15 months old. The family is looking forward to moving to Cape Breton and having an active role in the community.
Visit www.cbu.ca/news for CBU’s media release and link to Dr. Wheeler’s bio. Dr. Wheeler may be followed on twitter at @drdavidwheeler1.