In 2007, Claude Lilly was named dean of Clemson University’s College of Business and Behavioral Science. He also is a professor of finance at the school.

Previously, Lilly was dean of the Belk College of Business and James J. Harris Chair of Risk Management and Insurance at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. His early career included serving as professor of risk management and insurance and director of the Center for Risk Management and Insurance Research at Florida State University. He also was a faculty member and director of the Center for Insurance Research at the University of Southern California.

His professional accomplishments include editing several journals, such as the Risk Management and Insurance Review, the CPCU Journal, the Journal of Insurance Regulation and the Journal of Reinsurance. 

Lilly earned a doctorate at Georgia State University, where he majored in risk management and insurance and minored in international finance. He holds CPCU and CLU underwriting certifications and is a member of numerous professional associations.