Tom Arnold (BSBA ’80, JD ’83, DBA ‘17) | April 2024
Arnold (BSBA 1980, JD 1983, DBA 2017) was recently appointed as the founding dean of the Patty Arvielo School of Business and Management at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California. He will begin on June 1.
As founding dean, Arnold will serve as the chief academic and administrative officer, as well as the primary ambassador for the Patty Arvielo School of Business and Management, continually advancing the school forward in educational impact, internal health and innovative growth. He will assemble and continually develop a first-class faculty and develop and ensure current, pertinent and rigorous programs that align with Vanguard’s identity and mission. He will lead the school in cultivating relationships with business and community leaders to extend the School’s reach, enlarge the school’s network, and expand institutional support.
Arnold is recognized as a top global professional with roles as assistant dean of the Argyros College of Business and Economics at Chapman University, senior advisor at McKinsey & Company and global head of real estate at Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). Building upon VU’s business program’s 50-year legacy, Arnold will lead the next chapter in the university’s history as the Patty Arvielo School of Business and Management launches in Fall 2024 to house the accounting, business administration, communication, management, marketing, organizational psychology and people operations programs.
From private equity on Wall Street to sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East to the halls of academia, Arnold brings extensive academic achievement, an impressive business background that has made him a sought-after real estate consultant and a demonstrated ability to strengthen and grow university programs. For more than 10 years, Arnold oversaw one of the world’s largest real estate investment platforms, where he tripled AUM and internalized management, successfully hiring 124 professionals and managing direct reports from 32 nationalities. He has also led private equity funds, real estate and portfolio management at several investment firms in New York City.
