Tim Baxter ā83 Elected Chair of 91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× Board of Trustees
Baxter, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics, will be the first 91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× graduate to lead the board
BRISTOL, R.I. ĀĀā Tim Baxter is the new chair of the 91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× Board of Trustees, the board announced on Monday. Baxter, who served as vice president of the 91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× Alumni Association, will be the first alumnus to serve as chair of the Board of Trustees.
Baxter, , will become the seventh Board of Trustees chair in 91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× history, succeeding Richard L. Bready, the former Nortek Inc. CEO and Chairman who just stepped down after 11 years as board chair.
āTim Baxterās election as chair of the Board of Trustees inaugurates an exciting new era in the development of 91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ×,ā 91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× Interim President Andy Workman said. āHis perspective as an alumnus and his experience at the helm of a major technology company will inform our work to continue the dynamic development that has characterized the University since its inception. I very much look forward to working with him in the coming year.ā
āGiven my longstanding history with Roger Williams University, I am honored to serve as chair of the Board of Trustees,ā Baxter said. āI am committed to the success of the university as it undergoes an innovative transformation with a new campus in Providence and with the construction of a new laboratory building for the School of Engineering Computing and Construction Management. I am personally excited to be involved as 91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× provides high-tech and high-impact education that the next generation of students require to be competitive and successful after graduation.ā
As President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America, Baxter is responsible for the continued growth and success of Samsungās more-than-$30 billion consumer and enterprise businesses across Samsung Electronics America and Samsung Electronics Canada. He is an industry veteran with more than 30 years of sales, marketing and leadership experience in consumer electronics, IT and mobile. He joined Samsung in 2006 as executive vice president of sales and marketing for the consumer electronics division of Samsung Electronics America and has held a series of executive leadership positions with Samsung during his tenure.
Prior to joining Samsung, Baxter spent 10 years at Sony Corporation of America, where he rose to become Senior Vice President of strategic marketing. He also spent 13 years at AT&T and Lucent Technologies leading marketing, product management and sales for various categories in their residential phone businesses.
91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× Board of Trustees Chair Tim Baxter '83
While the role of board chair will be new to him, Baxter has a long relationship with 91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ×. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing in 1983, he is the father of a 2013 91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× graduate, and he received an honorary degree from 91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× in 2015.
āThis university took a chance on me as a student, offered me many opportunities and then gave me the post-graduation confidence I needed to be successful,ā Baxter said. He said he looks forward to working with the Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, and the new 91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× President, who will be selected in the coming year.
In 2012, 91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× and Samsung partnered to set new standards for āaffordable excellenceā in higher education. By developing collaborative learning environments, the initiative reduced technology costs for students in the School of Architecture, Art and Historic Preservation and the School of Continuing Studies while providing access to 27-inch LED monitors, Samsungās cloud access technology and interactive whiteboards.
āBy embracing innovative partnerships, 91ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× is driving the high-tech, high-impact education that prepares the next generation of learners to be the next generation of leaders,ā Baxter said. āIt is this leadership and collaboration that makes me confident in Roger Williams Universityās bright future.ā