Azusa Pacific University provost Anita Fitzgerald Henck, PhD, announced the appointment of Steve Harden as the Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships for the School of Business and Management (SBM) and the Leung School of Accounting (LSA). Harden has served as the SBM’s Executive in Residence for the past year, having brought more than 35 years of corporate executive experience to the role with expertise in brand development, marketing, and entrepreneurship, including serving as CEO/President of K-Swiss and other global sports apparel companies.
“Steve Harden is helping to bridge APU’s School of Business and Management and the Leung School of Accounting's relationships with industry—by bringing industry into the classroom and taking our students to industry,” Henck said. “His leadership, experience, and passion for developing future business leaders will continue to strengthen our students' academic, professional, and spiritual formation for years to come.”
In Harden’s expanded leadership role, he will partner closely with Henck and Matthew Elofson, PhD, interim dean of the SBM and vice provost for academic effectiveness, to identify and activate high-impact business partnerships, increase internship and career-pipeline opportunities, accelerate new program launches, and engage donors. Harden will also play a critical part in shaping and enhancing upcoming curriculum changes and strategic pathways that will give APU students the strongest classroom-to-career runway possible.
My mission is to connect world-class partners with world-class students so APU becomes the launchpad for tomorrow’s business leaders. We’re building something special in the School of Business and Management, something that is fueled by a great purpose.Steve Harden
Since joining APU as Executive in Residence in January 2025, Harden elevated the SBM and LSA experience by creating connections between APU’s campus and the corporate world, while also teaching undergraduate courses grounded in real-world leadership, ethics, brand strategy, and crisis communications, infused with corporate playbooks, global case studies, and executive insights. Harden created and hosts the Transformative Talks series, bringing world-class leaders from Chick-fil-A, Disney, Marvel Studios, Adidas, Rawlings, JM Smucker, and Oakley to campus. These sessions inspired, challenged, and prepared students for real-world business leadership. In Summer 2025, Harden co-led the L’APEU study away program, orchestrating senior-level executive briefings with Audi AG, Adidas World HQ, The LEGO Group, and Starbucks EMEA. APU students engaged directly with global decision-makers, gaining first-hand exposure to international strategy, innovation pipelines, and cultural leadership. Through ZuVenturez, APU’s Shark Tank style pitch competition, Harden expanded the innovation ecosystem at APU by opening competition tracks to students from every major and securing external industry mentors to coach and guide student teams. This initiative is quickly becoming a university-wide engine for creativity, entrepreneurship, and experiential learning.
“I am thrilled that Steve Harden has agreed to expand his role in the School of Business and Management at Azusa Pacific University,” Elofson said. “We will benefit greatly from the practical knowledge he brings from his extensive professional experience, the vast network of contacts he has cultivated over the years, and his energy and commitment to developing undergraduate and graduate students in SBM.”
Harden runs his own consulting firm, Harden Strategic Solutions, which helps new businesses launch successfully and established global brands grow their sales with synergy and increased profitability. Previously, Harden served as an executive at several sports apparel companies. In addition to K-Swiss, he served as the Global Brand CEO/President of Axion Footwear from 2020-2024, Senior Vice President of Wholesale Marketing and Operations (2013-16) and Senior Director of National Accounts (2011-13) for Oakley, GM/Brand Manager of VF Corporation (the parent brand of major companies including Vans, The North Face, Dickies, Timberland, and Jansport) from 2009-2011, and Vice President and Senior Director of Sales for Adidas from 2004-2009. Harden has also served on the boards of the SBM, Progresando, and Authentically American. He is a Maxwell Certified Leadership Coach and a DISC Consultant. A renowned Christian business leader, Harden looks forward to integrating his faith in his new role.