The Ali Dastmalchian Memorial Fund

“Those who were fortunate to work with Ali remember him as a brilliant, kind and devoted colleague, always ready to mentor and advise” - Andrew Petter, former SFU President and Vice-Chancellor.

Ali Dastmalchian was widely respected in Canada and internationally for his extraordinary leadership and research abilities. As dean of the Beedie School of Business, he championed a vision for SFU Beedie of teaching and learning powered by world-class research, meaningful community engagement, and a global outlook. Ali dedicated his career to promoting excellence in management education globally.

Prior to joining Beedie, Ali was founding dean of the Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria and was dean of the Faculty of Management at the University of Lethbridge. He was well known across Canada and around the world through his tireless service on many boards, including the Canadian Federation of Business School Deans and the EQUIS Accreditation Board.

A distinguished researcher, Ali was president and chair of the Global Leadership & Organizational Behaviour Effectiveness (GLOBE) Foundation – a world-renowned, international research project focused on societal culture and leadership conducted by over 200 researchers from 62 countries.

He was deeply committed to making business education relevant, innovative, enjoyable and rewarding. Above all, Ali encouraged students to have self confidence, trust in themselves, and have fun.