Women Leaders Headline 2018 MBA Commencement Addresses
With spring fully in sway, classes have come to an end on many leading business school campuses, and commencement activities fill weekend after weekend from now through June. The roster of speakers top schools invite to send their MBA graduates off into the world can be revealing.
Graduation speakers are typically invited to impart hard-earned wisdom and present words of encouragement to MBA classes, and this year is no exception in that regard. More exceptional, though, is the number of women delivering the headlining speeches.
Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest at NYU Stern
NYU’s Stern School of Business selected Sallie Krawcheck to headline its 2018 Graduate Convocation ceremony on Friday May 18.
Krawcheck is currently CEO and co-founder of Ellevest, an investment firm designed for women, which “aims to serve women [investors’] needs…using an algorithm tailored specifically to women’s incomes and life cycles.”
Sallie Krawcheck / Photo Ellevest
The company has racked up a slew of accolades, among them inclusion in both Nerdwallet’s “Best Robo Advisors of 2018” and Entrepreneur Magazine’s “100 Brilliant Ideas of 2017.”
In a preview of her speech, Krawcheck spoke about our “tumultuous and confusing times,” challenging individuals to evaluate their own personal “ideas of ethical leadership and who we really are,” as well as the ways in which we consider our careers as they relate to our responsibility to the world around us.
“We have to decide if we’re going to be that person who does the right thing. We have to decide if we’re going to commit to equality, to diversity, and to using the power of business to make the world a better place.”
Vice Chairwoman of Morgan Stanley Carla Harris at Harvard Business School
On May 23, Harvard Business School welcomed Morgan Stanley Vice Chairwoman Carla Harris, whose distinguished career spans three decades.
Carla Harris / Photo via Fast Comapny
Harris has been named to Fortune’s list of the “50 Most Powerful Black Executives in Corporate America” and its “Most Influential List” and appeared in similar lists in wide-ranging publications including U.S. Banker, Black Enterprise, Essence Magazine, and Ebony.
Harris has also received honorary doctorates from seven different institutions including Marymount Manhattan College, Jacksonville University, and Simmons College.
Instagram COO Marne Levine at Michigan Ross
One of the first commencement addresses of the season took place on Friday, April 27, at Michigan’s Ross School of Business, where Instagram’s Chief Operating Officer Marne Levine delivered a rousing headlining speech.
Ross Dean Scott DeRue introduced Levine with remarks about her inspirational career and commitment to her work’s impact on society. DeRue added that he sought to invite someone “who role models the leadership we aspire to.” He also praised Levine’s “transformative and positive impact on how we live, work, and interact with each other.”
Marne Levine / Photo via Collective Hub
With more than 700 million users worldwide, Instagram has become an iconic brand due in no small part to Levine’s efforts to scale the company’s business and operations at a global level.
She has been COO at Instagram since 2014 and before that served as VP of global public policy with parent company Facebook. Levine’s roots, however, are in the political arena: She worked in the Obama administration as chief of staff of the National Economic Council, worked under Harvard President Larry Summers, and began her career in the Department of the Treasury during Bill Clinton’s presidency.
You can watch Levine’s speech below.
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Simmons Holds MBA Showcase
The next MBA showcase at the Simmons School of Management will be held March 26. The event will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Simmons School of Management. During the event, prospective students will have the opportunity to hear firsthand how the Simmons MBA has opened up possibilities for women through its innovative curriculum, find out more information on the flexible full-time and part-time options career placement opportunities for students, and get details about the application process and financing options as well as other information needed to start the program in the Fall.
The event is free to attend and is open to all prospective students, alumni and current undergraduate students. Those interested in attending the event should complete an online registration form. Free parking is available for those who attend.
Simmons Ranked No. 1 Opportunity for Women by Princeton Review
The Princeton Review has ranked Simmons School of Management no. 1 for Greatest Opportunity for Women. The Princeton Review tallied its lists based on its surveys of 41,100 students overall attending the schools profiled in the books for each of their review categories. The 80-question survey asked students to rate their schools on several topics and report on their experiences at them.
Simmons is a leading center for innovative teaching, research and discourse on women, leadership and management. The School of Management (SOM) offers a demanding management education to women MBA and undergraduate students as well as a newly launched Health Care MBA and a Master of Science in Management. The SOM is also a leading-edge provider of executive education, consulting services and applied research to senior management in business, government, and the nonprofit sector.
VP for Enrollment Management Named at Simmons
Simmons College announced the appointment of John F. Dolan, Ed.D., an experienced higher education enrollment professional, as its new Vice President for Enrollment Management.
“John’s expertise will assist Simmons College as we position ourselves for future success and adjust to the many changing aspects of enrollment management in higher education,” said Simmons College President Helen Drinan.
The new Vice President for Enrollment Management is responsible for undergraduate admission, graduate admission, and student financial services. Dolan was previously Vice President for enrollment management at Le Moyne College in New York, where he led the work to acquire the largest class in the college’s history, while also improving the academic profile of the class.
Regina M. Pisa Elected Chair of Simmons Board of Trustees
Regina M. Pisa has been elected the new chair of Simmons College Board of Trustees. Pisa is chairman of Goodwin Procter LLP, a leading Global 100 law firm. As Simmons’ chair, Pisa will lead the Board of Trustees as it positions the College to meet the challenges for higher education in the 21st century and sets the strategic framework to continue the College’s trajectory towards national prominence.
Pisa succeeds Lauren Brisky, former vice chancellor for administration at Vanderbilt University, who served in the position for six years.
The Simmons School of Management Receives Recognition from AACSB
The Simmons College School of Management announced that it continues to maintain its prestigious business accreditation from The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB). AACSB accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education and fewer than five percent of the world’s business programs have this distinction.
“We are delighted to receive this external recognition for the quality of our business school, ranging from the rigor of our academic programming and our exceptional faculty, to the cutting edge research we produce,” said Cathy Minehan, dean of the Simmons School of Management. “The Simmons MBA program offers a powerful combination of high quality academic instruction and a crucial education in the gender dynamics that exist in organizations, in order to prepare our graduates for success.
Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in business and accounting. 694 institutions, representing 45 countries and territories, currently hold accreditation.
