John Quelch says one of the biggest hurdles hindering the Chinese economy is the shortage of top business executives. Liu Zhe / China Daily

A veteran academic keen to push one of China's best business schools onto the world stage

John Quelch is not exactly dripping in the star status of a pop, sports or film idol, so there was no turning of heads as he walked into the lobby of the exclusive Sofitel Wanda hotel in Beijing.

But in academic circles the former senior associate dean of Harvard Business School and dean of London Business School is a big fish indeed.

So, his recent appointment as dean of China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) is being seen as a remarkable catch for the Shanghai institution, which is part funded by the European Union and the Shanghai municipal government. It is rare for a Chinese academic institution to be led by someone with such a weighty international reputation.

Quelch's acceptance of the post attracted a welter of media attention, including lengthy articles in The Economist and The Financial Times.

In China, business education is itself big business, with thousands doing MBA degrees, and there has been much talk about whether people like Quelch can advance the quality of Chinese management.

Quelch, a Briton with an Australian accent, which he was left with after spending part of his childhood Down Under, is enthusiastic about his appointment.

"I was contacted in the latter part of 2010. So it all happened very quickly," he says.