The Sanger Leadership Center at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan has created a new group of industry leaders to advise the Center in the years to come. The Sanger Advisory Board, which eventually will have up to 20 members, is made up of accomplished and motivated executive leaders who are passionate about developing the next generation of leaders.
Members of the board include:
- Karim Bitar, MBA ’92, Chief Executive Officer, Convatec
- Tamika Curry Smith, BBA ’95, Chief Diversity Officer, Arm, Ltd.; President, The TCS Group, Inc.; Operating Advisor, Goldman Sachs Asset Management; LEO Lecturer, Michigan Ross
- Kristin Glazner, General Counsel & Chief Human Resources Officer, Wabash
- Eddie Hall III, MAcc ’10, BBA ’09, Partner & Chief Financial Officer, Northland Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
- Omer Ismail, BBA ’10, Partner, Trinity Life Sciences
- Edward Hightower, MBA ’95, Chief Executive Officer & President, Lordstown Motors Corp.
- Matthew Kaufman, MAcc ’93, BBA ’93, Managing Partner, Validor Capital
- David Pettrone-Swalve, Senior Vice President, Workforce Inclusion and Learning Development, Life Time Inc.
- Steve Sanger, MBA ’70, Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, General Mills; former chairman of Wells Fargo; former director of Target Corporation; former director of Pfizer
- Dave Webb, MBA ’03, Vice President and Treasurer, Ford Motor Company
The Sanger Leadership Center was established in 2015 with generous endowed funding from Michigan Ross alum Stephen W. Sanger, MBA ’70 and his wife Karen Sanger. The Center seeks to accelerate leader development in three key areas: bold ideas, transformative experiences, and inclusive communities. It offers action-based learning programs to University of Michigan students, such as the Leadership Crisis Challenge, where students roleplay C-suite members in the midst of a simulated business and media crisis. The Center also runs several supportive communities where students learn evidence-based leadership skills from peers, professional coaches, and faculty.
“Our vision for the Sanger Leadership Center is to be known as the best center for leader development experiences, ideas, and tools which make a better world. To do that, we need to understand the opportunities and challenges organizations are facing as they develop their people. We want to ensure our students leave Michigan prepared to lead in any situation,” said Jeff Domagala, the Center’s managing director. In addition to meeting regularly with the Sanger team, Advisory Board members will also engage with U-M students during programs, such as Women in Leadership or Leadership Crisis Challenge.
The Center’s position within a world-class research university means that its team can also learn from research generated by its innovative faculty.
“We have the opportunity to pair insights we gain from listening to our talented Advisory Board with the science coming out of our Sanger Leadership Center Research Lab,” explained Lindy Greer, faculty director and professor of management and organizations. “We can help ensure with this partnership, students get access to the most cutting-edge developmental experiences that help them gain the evidence-based tools they need to lead future-ready teams and organizations.”
The Advisory Board had its first meeting on November 18, 2022, where members shared their key strengths, what they desire to contribute to the board, and their insights on the leadership skills most needed in future-ready companies. In January, several of the board members will participate in Leadership Crisis Challenge, where they will have the chance to network with students.
Sanger Advisory Board members