Richard Phillips

Dean, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University

Richard D. Phillips is the seventh dean of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business and holds the C.V. Starr Professorship in Risk Management and Insurance. Before becoming dean in 2014, he held leadership roles as associate dean for academic initiatives and innovation (2012-2014) and as the Kenneth Black, Jr. Chair of the Department of Risk Management and Insurance (2006-2012). In 2023, the department was renamed the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Science.

The Robinson College of Business challenges the traditional business school model by incorporating perspectives from non-business disciplines to address modern challenges. With a focus on entrepreneurship and emerging technologies, the college encourages its faculty and students of all backgrounds to find solutions to complex problems that impact both business and society.

Under Dean Phillips’ leadership, the Robinson College of Business has gained recognition as one of the most innovative business schools in the United States. In 2024, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) presented the college its fourth “Innovations That Inspire” award, making Robinson the most honored business school for innovation in education and research over the past decade.

An economist by training, Phillips is a leading expert in risk management. He has authored over 60 scholarly articles, contributing to key advancements in financial intermediation, risk management, and insurance economics. His work has earned multiple awards, including two Robert I. Mehr Awards for research that had the most significant impact on insurance economics a decade after publication.