SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business’ incoming Dean Professor Gerard George has a grand plan: to make his business school one of the top 20 in the world. "The better your ranking, the better the opportunities your students get," said Prof George, whose five-year term as Dean will begin on January 1. He will replace current Dean Professor Howard Thomas, who has completed his tenure and is staying on in the business school as a Distinguished Professor. SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer said that he recommended Prof George to the Board of Trustees because of his ability to translate research into practical programmes, his talent as an editor, and his experience in leading education institutes. He also highlighted Prof George's expertise in growing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – something of especial relevance to Singapore, where scores of small businesses have sprung up in the past 10 years but then struggled to expand.