Brian P. Brown Ph.D.

Dean, VCU School of Business

Media Strategist & Visual Storyteller

Brian P. Brown, Ph.D., is the dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business and is a professor in the Department of Marketing. His research focuses on brand strategy, business-to-business marketing and product management.

Dr. Brown’s work has been published in several leading marketing academic journals, including the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Brand Management and the Journal of Business Research, where he also serves on the editorial review board.

Before entering academia, Dr. Brown spent more than 15 years in marketing, management, and consulting roles. He held leadership positions at The Coca-Cola Company, including brand manager of Coca-Cola Classic, and later served as vice president of marketing at Snapper Power Equipment.

He holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia, an M.B.A. from Duke University and a Ph.D. from Georgia State University.

  • Dr. Brown was recognized for his excellence in scholarship, teaching and service by receiving the VCU School of Business 2019 Award of Excellence. He has also received teaching excellence awards at VCU and UMass Amherst. 

    Prior to embarking on his second career in higher education, Dr. Brown worked in corporate roles for 15 years. His corporate experience includes leadership roles such as Brand Manager at The Coca-Cola Company and Vice President of Marketing at Snapper Power Equipment. He has also worked in banking, and for AT&T and a “dotcom” startup enterprise.

    Dr. Brown has been married for over 25 years. He has a son who is a Fulbright Scholar in Spain and a daughter who is a sophomore at Duke University.