With over 25 years of leadership experience as an international executive in both industry and academia, Dr. Susan E. Saxton is the Founding President of the American University of Bahrain (AUBH). She has held key leadership roles with Laureate Education (the world’s largest private higher education network) including Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Academic Officer, Global Products and Services. She has also served as the Chief Strategy & Development Officer for the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) in The Hague.

Dr. Saxton has played an integral role starting and transforming university campuses across the world to higher levels of academic quality and fiscal sustainability. During her distinguished career, she served as Interim Chief Executive Officer and Senior Vice President, Innovation and Emerging Strategies, at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, part of Laureate Education. Prior to working with Laureate Education’s universities around the world, she held the roles of Vice President of Strategy & Product Development and the Dean of Students at Kaplan University, Founding Dean of the College of e-Learning at Lynn University, and Founding Dean of the School of Business & Technology at Capella University.

Dr. Saxton has two Doctors of Philosophy (Ph.D.s), one in Organization and Management, and the other in Human Services/Psychology; a Master of Laws in International Business from the University of Liverpool; a Master of Science in Business Administration in Finance from Boston University; and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Wellesley College.