“These challenges are what drive the Fox Executive DBA program, where leaders expand their decision making and approach problems by learning how to research, collect, analyze and understand data.”
Tiffany Sumner, director of communications at the Fox School, host of Catalyst
In the spirit of Women’s History Month, this episode focuses on women who transitioned from leaders to thought leaders by way of their research and are now changing perspectives on business, inclusion and culture.
Each of our guests is a graduate of the Executive Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) program at the Fox School of Business. The part-time, three-year program reaches a milestone this May when its 100th student graduates.
The DBA program is designed to equip senior managers and executives with the power to transform today’s business environment. Each of our guests has chosen a particular area of the business world to explore.
First, Jodi Detjen, DBA ’21, associate professor of practice and academic director of the MBA program at Suffolk University, shares her research which focuses on the barriers to women’s leadership acquisition. Her work earned the Award for Excellence in Research by a DBA Student in November 2020.
“Personally, it felt very gratifying that my research was considered quality, and professionally it gave me credibility—it’s like a stamp of approval,” she said.
Next, banking executive Sherry Williams, DBA ’19 and chief risk officer at Amalgamated Bank, discusses her research into determining what factors and/or combinations of banking features determine how someone chooses a financial service provider.
Williams believes that having a better understanding of the consumer journey might help policymakers and the financial industry consider options that will break down, rather than create, barriers to financial inclusion.
Finally, Maggie Jordan, DBA ’18, vice president of marketing operations at MNG Health and founder and CEO of LAIR Entertainment, shares her insights into what people’s approaches to video game character design mean for the metaverse.
Her research journey also helped her make a career change – an outcome she didn’t expect.
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