World-renowned marketing expert Dr. Sourav Ray has been named the Lang Chair in Marketing at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph.

Ray, a highly sought-after expert whose research aims to understand strategic issues in business-to-business marketing, distribution channels, pricing, emerging technologies and technology-intensive markets, will commence the role July 1 in the Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies.

Earlier, Ray was the Michael Lee-Chin and Family Professor in Strategic Business Studies, professor of marketing and research director of the Marketing and Supply Chain Analytics lab at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. He earned his PhD in marketing from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

“It is clear to me that there is a sense of purpose and excitement in the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, which is well poised to be a leader in this emerging new age and offer the superstructure where students can engage and experiment in the sandbox of ideas that will shape our tomorrow,” Ray said. “I am excited to contribute to this journey.”

Marketing, tech, B2B expertise will advance Lang’s mission

Dr. Sourav Ray stands in blue collared shirt and suit jacket against white background.
Dr. Sourav Ray

Ray has taught undergraduate, graduate and executive courses for more than two decades. His research has been published in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Science, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Monetary Economics and The Journal of Law and Economics, among others.

“Dr. Ray’s expertise in marketing and emerging technologies will help advance Lang’s mission of developing future-focused business leaders who will shape tomorrow’s business world,” said Dr. Sara Mann, dean of the Lang School.

“I am confident that he will continue to publish impactful research in top-tier journals. I look forward to the leadership and collaboration he’ll bring to the Lang Chair position.”

Ray is senior editor of the E-Commerce Research and Applications (ECRA) journal and supervises several doctoral students. In international seminars for academics and practitioners, he has contributed to media and industry associations with his expertise on marketing trends.

“As the spectrum of customer experiences and expectations evolve with the advances in technology, businesses are increasingly looking to harness new-found capabilities in connectivity and analytics for commercial purposes,” Ray said.

“For marketers, these create numerous opportunities for curating value-added customer experiences that are also sustainable and equitable. Nevertheless, these often come at a cost and unforeseen business challenges that require rethinking of traditional models and objectives.”

Dr. Ray becomes fourth Lang Chair at U of G business school

Ray is the fourth Lang Chair at U of G’s business school, joining highly acclaimed research leaders Dr. Laurie Barclay, Lang Chair in Leadership; Dr. Ann Pegoraro, Lang Chair in Sport Management; and Dr. Ilias Tsiakas, Lang Chair in Finance.

The goal of the Chairs is to advance Lang’s position as a globally focused business school dedicated to improving life through purpose-driven management education. The Lang Chairs are funded by a $21-million gift from Stu and Kim Lang in 2019.

Contact:

Dr. Sourav Ray
s_ray@uoguelph.ca