Dean Thomas Robertson has appointed H.E. Chanthol Sun, WAM’97, as the first-ever chair of Wharton’s Executive Board for Asia.

Following a comprehensive review, Robertson determined this year that the Board, founded in 1988, would be even more effective under the leadership of an established chair.

Sun, Senior Minister and Vice Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, was the perfect selection.

His more than a decade of involvement with Wharton and Penn includes seven years of service as a member of the Asian Executive Board and several speaking engagements at Wharton Global Alumni Forums. In accepting the dean’s invitation, Sun pledged to “do his utmost” to serve the School and to help Wharton grow as an institution of excellence.

Sun’s acceptance also marks the first time that a graduate of Wharton’s Advanced Management Program—the School’s development program for senior-level managers—has served as chair on any of the School’s Executive Boards.

As chairman, Sun will work with Dean Robertson to create a focused agenda for the Board and to support Wharton’s strategic initiatives throughout Asia. Wharton’s Advisory Boards—the Board of Overseers, the Graduate Executive Board, the Undergraduate Executive Board, and the Executive Boards for Europe, the Middle East and Africa; Latin America; and Asia, and the Wharton Alumni Association Board—help to define and implement Wharton’s mission and goals each year.