After a national search that attracted over thirty applicants, Mike Willoughby has been selected to start as the new dean of the College of Business Administration on Jan. 2, 2025.
“I was a late participant in the process after it became apparent the expansive requirements of the position would likely be most effectively accomplished by a partnership of two people,” Willoughby said. “I will be leading COBA as the dean, but I will be working in partnership with the Dean for Academics to ensure we accomplish our visionary and strategic goals while also maintaining world-class business and technology academic programs.”
Before this position, Willoughby was the Chief Executive Officer and Board Member for PFSweb from 2013-23. He guided the 2,500-employee public company with up to $340 million in annual revenue through difficult changes that required realignments of the organization.
“For the last year, I have been helping companies and private equity firms with strategic advisory services through my consulting company, Three Creeks Advisors, LLC,” Willoughby said. “I also was honored to be able to serve on the COBA Dean’s Counsel from 2012-23 for Dr. Rick Lytle and Dr. Brad Crisp.”
Willoughby was the leader of the plans to raise growth capital, and he completed the five key acquisitions to build out PFSweb’s LiveArea digital agency subsidiary while growing the core logistics business. The substantial increase in value to PFSweb’s shareholders through the 2021 sale of LiveArea to Merkle for $250 million which is around 2.5 times the expected 2021 annual revenue, and the 2023 sale of the remaining company to GXO Logistics for $181 million which is around 12 times the 2023 expected adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. For Willoughby’s leadership in this, he won the D CEO Magazine’s Mergers and Acquisitions Award in 2024. He retired from PFSweb after they sold the company to GXO, the world’s largest pure-play logistics company.
Dr. Susan Lewis, provost, said due to Willoughby’s expertise, he will do great things for COBA.
“I’m confident that Dean Willoughby’s expertise and his passion for ACU’s mission will be an excellent addition to our academic team,” Lewis said. “I’m looking forward to the new energy and opportunities for growth his leadership will bring to COBA.”
Willoughby’s responsibilities will include leading the college’s strategic direction, engaging with stakeholders and driving substantial growth in endowment and institutional impact. His role will also work alongside the COBA Dean for Academics regarding student recruitment, external engagement and mission, vision and strategy alignment. Lewis said they are currently seeking applications for the COBA Dean of Academics.
“[The position] will be an internal hire from among the faculty in COBA,” Lewis said. “The COBA Dean for Academics will have oversight of academic programs and faculty, including faculty hiring and development, tenure and promotion, internal engagement, budget and operations management, student recruitment, external engagement and mission, vision and strategy alignment.”
Willoughby plans to spend most of 2025 immersing himself in the ACU COBA community so that he can glean all the information about opportunities and challenges students, faculty and staff experience in the department. While doing this, he plans to engage with alumni, current and potential corporate partners, prospective students and their families and donors who are seeking to invest in COBA.
“I aspire to build on the strong foundation already in place at COBA due to the work of the previous deans, faculty and staff to lead COBA to new heights as a nationally recognized faith-based College of Business and a top leader among Colleges of Business in our region,” Willoughby said. “I passionately believe in the COBA mission to educate business and technology professionals for Christian service and leadership throughout the world, and I hope to be able to advance COBA’s vision to connect, inspire and equip business and technology professionals, both student professional and workplace professionals, who honor God and bless the world.”
Willoughby’s office will be located in the newly renovated COBA building. He will be present in his office Monday through Friday during normal class hours.
“I’m looking forward to engaging students and colleagues outside the office environment across our campus and in many of the new eateries and open spaces around campus,” Willoughby said. “Whatever I accomplish for the university will be through the power of God and the moving of the Holy Spirit. To God be the glory.”
