Scott C. Beardsley
Scott C. Beardsley is an American–French professor and academic administrator. He is the dean of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, where he is also the Charles C. Abbott Professor of Business. As of December 19, 2025, he has been named as the tenth president of the University of Virginia, a role which he assumed on January 1, 2026.
Early life
Scott C. Beardsley was born in Maine and grew up in Vermont and Alaska. He is of British descent.Beardsley graduated from Tufts University, where he earned a BS in electrical engineering. He subsequently earned an MBA from the MIT [Sloan School of Management]. He earned an EdD in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania in 2015. As of 2024, he is completing a part-time master of studies in practical ethics in the Department of Philosophy at Pembroke College, University of Oxford.
Career
Beardsley worked for McKinsey & Company for twenty-six years. He joined their New York City office in 1989, and was transferred to their office in Brussels, Belgium in 1991. He became a partner in 1995, and a senior partner in 2000. He served as McKinsey's head of talent development and co-founder of the McKinsey Academy.Beardsley succeeded Robert Bruner as the dean of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia in August 2015. He is also the Charles C. Abbott Professor of Business at the school.
Beardsley is the former chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in Belgium.