Ian H. Solomon has been dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy since September 2019. He comes to Batten with more than 20 years of experience as an educator, policymaker, diplomat and businessman in more than 40 countries. The Batten School has the distinction of being the only school of public policy administration in the U.S. that is explicitly committed to teaching leadership. The School’s programs inspire students to act vigorously, effectively and ethically on behalf of the common good. 

Previously, Solomon was the founder and CEO of SolomonGlobal, LLC, an advisory firm specializing in negotiation, collaboration and conflict management. Solomon created SolomonGlobal to advance the art and science of cooperation, offering unique learning experiences and strategic advisory and facilitation services to individuals, organizations, governments, and partnerships worldwide. 

Prior to SolomonGlobal, Solomon was Vice President for Global Engagement at the University of Chicago, where he led teams in Chicago, Beijing, New Delhi and Hong Kong to support international programs, overseas centers and campuses, research collaborations, and innovative global education opportunities. 

From 2010 to 2013 Solomon served as the U.S. Executive Director for the World Bank Group. Nominated by the Obama administration and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. senate, Solomon represented the United States in multilateral diplomacy and multi-stakeholder agreements. 

Prior to his role at the World Bank, Solomon worked as Senior Advisor to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Before joining the Treasury team, Solomon served as Legislative Counsel to then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama for four years. 

From 2002-2005, Solomon was Associate Dean of the Yale Law School. Solomon began his career as a consultant at McKinsey & Company and has been a Visiting Lecturer in Law for the University of Chicago Law School and Yale Law School. 

Solomon is originally from New York City. He earned his AB magna cum laude from Harvard University and his JD from Yale Law School. He has traveled extensively in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, and has also lived in South Africa. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a non-resident Fellow on Africa for the Chicago Council of Global Affairs.