Thunderbird Announces New Name as Part of 2010 Strategic Plan



    The Thunderbird Board of Trustees announced today that as part of
    its Thunderbird 2010 strategic plan, the School is changing its name
    to Thunderbird School of Global Management.

    Previously known as Thunderbird, the Garvin School of
    International Management, the School recently conducted a strategic
    review which proposed the name change. The naming recommendation was
    made in order to improve the school's marketing and brand recognition
    and to allow the School to seize new growth opportunities under the
    Thunderbird 2010 vision. The review concluded that the new name would
    allow the School to better leverage its brand recognition and trio of
    No. 1 rankings in "international business" (from the Financial Times,
    Wall Street Journal, and U.S. News and World Report) as it expands its
    offerings around the world.

    The new name will focus the School's official name on its widely
    recognized brand and historic name, Thunderbird. "Our strategic review
    was unequivocal in concluding that we should focus on 'Thunderbird' as
    our core brand," said Thunderbird president Angel Cabrera. "We also
    concluded that 'global' was a more accurate descriptor of our unique
    expertise in developing the broad cross-cultural mindset that is
    critical to success in today's global economy."

    "Thunderbird 2010 lays out an exciting array of strategic
    opportunities for the School," said Mr. David Roberts, chairman of the
    board of trustees. "Over the past year, our top rankings, our new
    program offerings, and our overall positive momentum have generated
    further options. The new naming structure will more easily accommodate
    additional major gifts to support the centers, programs, and
    initiatives that we have identified as part of our growth strategy.
    The Garvins' gracious agreement to this change and their full support
    of the school's long-term strategic goals says a lot about their
    generosity and dedication to Thunderbird."

    Thunderbird alumnus and Trustee Samuel S. Garvin '88, for whom the
    school was named after he and his wife Rita pledged $60 million in
    2004, endorsed the naming decision, saying: "I wholeheartedly support
    the results of the strategic review, which should improve the School's
    name recognition and help Thunderbird raise funds for future strategic
    initiatives. Thunderbird needs to be aggressive and capitalize on its
    position as the leader in global management education. I encourage
    other donors who will support Thunderbird through investments in this
    top-flight institution."

    Thunderbird also announced that the Garvin name will now be used
    for a newly-established position, The Garvin Distinguished Professor
    of Global Management Research, which will add to the already existing
    Garvin Center of Cultures and Languages of International Management
    and the Garvin Professorship of Entrepreneurship. The new position
    will allow Thunderbird to launch the Research and Knowledge Network, a
    new strategic unit established by the Thunderbird 2010 plan, that will
    provide new insights in global management and cutting-edge
    breakthrough research in collaboration with leading businesses from
    around the world.

    "I am pleased to be able to help Thunderbird launch the research
    network, a key strategic initiative which will enhance Thunderbird's
    position as a source of new, breakthrough knowledge in global
    business," said Sam Garvin.

    About Thunderbird

    In 1946, Thunderbird was founded as the first graduate management
    school focused exclusively on global business. It is regarded as the
    world's leading institution in the education of global managers and
    has operations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Russia and
    Asia. Ranked No. 1 in international business by U.S. News and World
    Report, the Wall Street Journal survey of corporate recruiters, and
    the Financial Times, Thunderbird is dedicated to educating global
    leaders who create sustainable prosperity worldwide. The school's
    programs facilitate the development of the global mindset which is
    critical to managing effectively in different social, economic and
    political environments. More than 38,000 students have graduated from
    Thunderbird, and its alumni live and work in more than 140 countries.
    For more about Thunderbird, please visit: www.thunderbird.edu.