Jamshedpur, Dec. 24: It is now official. Fr E. Abraham, the director Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, would replace Fr N. Casimir Raj as the director of XLRI from January 1.

This move would mark E. Abraham’s return to his alma mater. Abraham is part of the class of 1978. Moreover, he would be taking over the director’s chair for the second time here. Prior to this he has already served as the XLRI director from 1989 to 1994.

Senior members of the XLRI board of governors confirmed this to The Telegraph.

“Most board members have agreed that Fr E. Abraham should be the next director of XLRI and a resolution has already been passed in this regard. The official announcement would be made soon,” said P. Venugopal, the secretary of the XLRI board of governors and the dean of academics at the B-school.

The board of governors, which is the apex body of the institute, comprises 18 members.

While speaking to The Telegraph from Bhubaneswar, Abraham said: “I have shared a long standing relationship with XLRI and Jamshedpur. I had joined the institute as a student for the personal management and industrial relations course. I was also a research associate and co-ordinator at the Centre for human resource development and later was the director for almost seven years. I am looking forward to the second term with my alma mater.”

Born and brought up in Kerala, 57-year-old Abraham is an alumnus of Hindu College, New Delhi, and has completed is PhD from Gujarat University.

Fr Casimir Raj would return to his Jesuit province in Chennai once he retires from his services. “I was here for only three-and-a-half years but it was a meaningful association and I would cherish the experience forever,” he said.