Georgette Phillips, Dean of Lehigh University College of Business and Economics, was recently profiled in Financial Times. Since becoming the Dean of the College in July 2014, She has since campaigned for a masters in management program, which will launch in August. Phillips studied at Harvard Law and built a law practice before joining The Wharton School where she stayed for more than 22 years and served as vice dean for the undergraduate division.
In her interview with FT, Phillips explains why she came to Lehigh, the issues she faces being a woman in a male society and her proudest academic achievements. Read an excerpt from the original FT interview below:
FT: Why did you choose Lehigh College of Business and Economics?
GP: As I was receiving calls from recruiters, schools generally fell into two camps. On one side were schools that were functioning quite well at their highest level and all I could do was either maintain or (worse) mess it up. On the other side were schools that, no matter what I could bring, lacked the necessary resources (economic and/or human capital) to make a move.
Lehigh College of Business and Economics was neither. They had all the necessary ingredients for upward trajectory (talented faculty, smart students, dedicated staff and commitment from university partners and alumni). I saw the opportunity to take a very good business school and make it great.
FT: How do you deal with male-dominated environments?
GP: I am not easily offended but neither do I hesitate to voice my displeasure in the face of sexism. I maintain my feminine side because that is who I am, but some would describe me as an iron fist in a velvet glove. Being an African-American woman is a double-shot of difference. For most people, this is the first time they have worked for an African-American woman. I use this lack of context to my advantage by quickly establishing the ground rules of what I need from my team to get the job done.
Read the rest of Dean Phillip’s interview, here. Learn more about the Lehigh University College of Business and Economics at metromba, here.