The American University of Bahrain (AUBH), has announced the appointment of Mr. William D. Hurt, as the institution’s Chief Operating Officer. He joins the team with more than 10 years of regional operational and strategic experience and will oversee all business operations and development for AUBH.

Speaking on his appointment, Mr. Hurt commented: “I am excited to work with the AUBH team to deliver on our mission and to develop AUBH into an internationally renowned brand of quality education. During my previous roles, I have thrived on seeing institutions grow in talent, profiles, and outcomes for students. At AUBH, I hope to realize the vision of a university community that leads by integrity and continuously strives to provide students with the tools to reach their full potential”.

Mr. Hurt began his career as a management consultant in the U.S. and executed projects for clients in a variety of sectors including education, defense, and pharmaceuticals. He focused on solving complex financial and procurement challenges in a variety of transactional and operational contexts, often bringing businesses out of crisis, or through developmental stages. Prior to his appointment at AUBH, Mr. Hurt served as Managing Director of Middle East Operations for U.S.-based Laureate Education Inc. In this role, he helped develop from start-up and lead eight educational institutions across Saudi Arabia and their shared service offices in Riyadh and Dubai. In addition, he has had the opportunity to work on educational projects in Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, UAE, and Lebanon. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Commerce with specializations in Finance and Information Technology from the University of Virginia in the U.S.

Mr. Hurt will work closely with AUBH’s Founding President, Dr. Susan E. Saxton, and will help lead the collective management team. Dr. Saxton commented: “I have tremendous confidence in William’s leadership and his ability to set direction and drive, in operational outcomes. He has already made invaluable contributions in a short amount of time and will continue to play a vital role in the success of AUBH and our students”.