SSU names new Dean of School of Business and Economics

December 4, 2019
Dr. Jean-Francois Coget

(Rohnert Park) — Dr. Jean-Francois Coget, an associate dean and professor at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, has been named the new dean of the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State, the university announced today.

Coget currently serves as associate dean for academic programs at the Orfalea College of Business at Cal Poly where he manages all of OCOB’s undergraduate and graduate programs and oversees 110 faculty, 15 staff members and an annual budget of $22 million.

“Jean-Francois offers a wealth of experience as a committed educator and leader in the California State University system,” said Sonoma State Provost Lisa Vollendorf. “He will be a great addition to our academic leadership team and to our campus community."

Before assuming the role of associate dean in 2018, Coget served in a number of administrative roles including as chair of the Management, Human Resources, and Information Systems area and coordinator of the Management and Human Resources concentration at Cal Poly. Jean-Francois had been a member of the university’s faculty since 2006. Prior to that, he had served as a professor of Management and Organizational Behavior at HEC Paris.

JF earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in management from HEC Paris and his Ph.D. from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA. In addition to teaching Organizational Behavior and Human Resources, Coget also taught a course on wine business consulting.

A native of France and former officer in the French Navy, Coget has made California his home for the past 20 years. In his spare time, he said he enjoys spending time with his wife, two boys, running, cooking, traveling and foraging for wild mushrooms.

"I am thrilled to be joining the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State as dean,” said Coget. “This region is incredible, and I look forward to cultivating connections between the school and wider community, maintaining SSU’s world-class wine business programs and exploring growth areas in other programs. My family and I are excited to be joining the Seawolf community.”

Coget will begin his new position at Sonoma State on July 1, 2020.

ABOUT US: With a student population of 9,200, Sonoma State is a regionally serving public university committed to educational access and excellence. Guided by our core values and driven by a commitment to the liberal arts and sciences, Sonoma State delivers high-quality education through innovative programs that leverage the economic, cultural and natural resources of the North Bay. See more news from SSU at http://news.sonoma.edu/

Media Contact

Paul Gullixson