Keynote Speaker

​​Bert Brokaw ’13, senior director of sales development at Rippling, kicked off Sales Week as part of the Chandler Center Speaker Series with his talk, “Breaking into Venture-Backed Tech Sales.” He shared insights from his career in sales leadership and his journey from ������Ƶ to the tech industry.

“It took me a really, really long time to figure things out,” said Brokaw. “For those of you who feel like you need to have everything figured out right now, you don’t.”

Brokaw opened Sales Week by reflecting on his own path after ������Ƶ.

“I graduated without a job. I was going up and down the East Coast interviewing, and it just wasn’t what I was looking for,” he said. “So I took a risk, moved to New York City, and got a job in media sales, where I quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit.”

That experience, he explained, shaped how he now thinks about early career decisions.

“It really took me a long time to figure out what I actually wanted to do,” Brokaw said. “You’re at a point where you can take some early risk, but not all risk is created equal. Those first two years are pivotal. They can set you on a launch pad or limit your opportunities.”

When it comes to breaking into tech sales, Brokaw was direct about the realities of the job market.

“Applying online is more likely than not going to work against you,” he said. “You’re competing with hundreds of applicants.”

Instead, he encouraged students to approach the job search like a sales role itself.

“You need to sell yourself before you actually have a job,” Brokaw said. “You’re not just saying you can do the job, you’re showing it.”

That often means going beyond traditional methods and taking initiative.

“Pick up the phone. Cold call hiring managers. Try your pitch,” he said.

For Brokaw, that willingness to act is what ultimately sets candidates apart.

“Differentiation is a function of doing what others refuse to do.”

Young Alumni Panel

The week also featured a young alumni panel, moderated by Chris Nelson, associate professor of marketing and director of the Chandler Center.

The panelists included:

• Gabi Drumm-Schwartz ’23
• Cassidy Perkins ’23
• Kylee Herbert ’22
• Jack St. Pierre ’22
• Macklin Williams ’23

They shared advice on breaking into the industry and navigating early careers:

• Networking starts early. Build real relationships, not just job asks. One connection can move you from hundreds of applicants to a shortlist, and it pays off over time.
• Resilience matters early on. Entry-level sales come with rejection. Don’t take it personally. Stay consistent, learn quickly and focus on what you can control.
• Communication sets you apart. Be prepared, follow up, and make people feel heard. Strong communication and organization build trust and leave a lasting impression.

Coffee with a Sales Leader

Students also connected during Coffee with a Sales Leader on March 13, engaging with sales leaders through one-on-one and small group conversations focused on career advice and networking.

Participants included Bob Chandler and alumni Ryan Byrnes, Meg Hewitt, Dave Brown and Katie Chung, all members of the center’s advisory board.

Hands-On Sales Experience

Around 70 current students had the opportunity to put classroom knowledge and speaker feedback into practice with the Grainger Sales Challenge.  Students practiced cold calling Grainger employees to sell products. The top 10 students were selected to go to Grainger headquarters in Chicago for a second round.

• Caden Cerminara ‘27
• Leah Misicko ‘26
• Colin O’Connor ‘27
• Jacob Balizer ‘27
• Ethan Perry ‘27
• Luke Prince ‘27
• Daniel Pawl ‘27
• Ridgely Bryer ‘28
• Ava Matikowski ‘27
• Coco Kouyoumjian ‘27

Additionally, students and Chandler Center partners gathered at Topgolf for a networking event, offering a more relaxed setting to connect with industry professionals.

Attending Chandler Center partners included:

• AlphaSights
• Brightly Software
• Grainger
• Group Management Services

“Sales Week represents everything I love about ������Ƶ’s culture,” said Nelson. “Students learning and growing outside the classroom while engaging with successful alumni who are passionate about investing in their success.”

The school improved five spots from last year’s No. 38 ranking.

Among the individual components of the 2026 ranking, ������Ƶ:

• Improved its career outcomes ranking to 18, up from 24 last year
• Ranked 21 among private universities, up from 24 last year

Additional rankings include:

• Maintained its admissions standards ranking at 54
• Ranked 26 in academic experience

The continued rise reflects the school’s focus on preparing students for meaningful careers through hands-on learning, mentorship, and real-world experiences that lead to strong postgraduate outcomes.

“Our continued rise in the rankings reflects the intentional work behind our programs,” said Haya Ajjan, dean of the Love School of Business. “The strength of our career outcomes is one example of how mentorship, hands-on learning, and strong industry connections are preparing students for meaningful careers.”

Poets&Quants for Undergrads compiles its rankings based on school-reported data and . The considers three primary components:

• ������Ƶ Standards: student quality and diversity, including acceptance rates, academic performance and representation of first-generation and underrepresented students
• Academic Experience: how effectively a business school challenges and supports students, based on alumni feedback and major learning experiences
• Career Outcomes: how graduates perform in the job market, including internships, employment rates, and starting salaries

The rankings include 110 business schools and are designed to provide a comprehensive view of undergraduate business education in the United States.

About Poets&Quants

Poets&Quants is led by Editor-in-Chief John Byrne, founder of C-Change Media and former executive editor of Bloomberg Businessweek, Businessweek.com and Fast Company. Byrne originated the first regularly published rankings of business schools in 1988 and has authored several business school guidebooks.

The conversation was moderated by Jose Cerecedo Lopez, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.

Niven, who majored in English while at ������Ƶ, now leads the Greensboro-based, family-owned restaurant company founded in 1966 that operates locations across North Carolina and Virginia.

Niven said her path to the restaurant industry was not a straight one. She originally planned to attend law school, but an unexpected opportunity to help rebuild a struggling restaurant changed her perspective.

“A family friend bought a defunct restaurant and asked me to help get it running again,” Niven said. “I quickly realized it was like a mini-MBA. There was nothing she didn’t trust me with. I was running operations, figuring out inventory and even helping with advertising.”

The experience gave Niven an inside look at nearly every part of the business. Within several years, the restaurant had become one of the top-performing locations in the brand.

That early opportunity helped launch her career in the restaurant industry. She later held leadership positions with brands including Krispy Kreme, Burger King and Quiznos before joining Biscuitville in 2011.

Niven said she quickly saw something different in the company’s values and culture.

“What stood out to me was the integrity of the leadership at Biscuitville,” she said. “They source their products locally, make everything from scratch and are committed to doing things the right way.”

That commitment to authenticity and long-term thinking continues to shape how Niven approaches leadership today.

“Culture comes first,” Niven said. “If you want to grow without losing what makes your company special, you have to start there.”

One of Niven’s proudest accomplishments has been helping define Biscuitville’s culture through a set of shared norms developed with employees across the company.

“Until you put your money where your mouth is on culture, you don’t really have a culture,” Niven said. “It only works when leaders are willing to uphold those values consistently.”

Niven also shared advice for students preparing to launch their careers.

“You don’t walk in the door and say, ‘trust me,’” she said. “Trust builds slowly through consistent decisions and actions over time.”

She also reflected on leading through the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that brought significant challenges across the restaurant industry.

“We didn’t know what was going to happen,” Niven said. “But we decided that if we went down, we were going to go down taking care of our team. That meant showing up for our employees and supporting them the best we could, even in the middle of so much uncertainty.”

As the event concluded, Niven encouraged students to think carefully about the organizations they choose to join.

“Interview companies more than they interview you,” she said. “Make sure their values align with yours.”

About Lessons from Leaders

Launched in 2017 by Dean Emeritus Raghu Tadepalli, Lessons from Leaders brings senior executives to campus for open talks, small group discussions, and purposeful one-on-one networking that connects students with mentors. The program helps bridge classroom learning to real-world decision-making and strategy, and aims for every student to leave with a new contact and meaningful career insights.

The conversation was moderated by Jack Ryan P’17, owner and principal at Jack Ryan Advisory and chair of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Board of Advisors.

O’Leary leads , an aerospace company developing a blended wing aircraft design aimed at rethinking what commercial aviation can be. In 2025, JetZero announced plans for a at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, projected to create more than 14,500 jobs with an average wage above $89,000.

Ryan opened with a lightning round to introduce the person behind the title.

Favorite place as a kid? “Waterfalls.”
First job? “Paperboy.”
Best part of being a CEO? “Bringing a dream to reality.”
Worst part? “Resistance.”
One word for leadership? “Vision.”

That theme resurfaced as O’Leary reflected on his undergraduate years.

“I wrote my political science thesis that the media will be diffused by technology,” O’Leary said. “We will retreat into echo chambers where we get the information that will reinforce our faith quickly. I received a C-,” he said, because the professor noted there were no citations.

O’Leary credited his liberal arts education with preparing him to move across sectors, from education and sales to automotive, technology and aerospace.

“I’m a huge fan of liberal arts,” he said. “I think you all are making an incredibly wise decision coming to ������Ƶ.”

He told students that a broader education can make it easier to adapt when industries change.

That adaptability became critical when he transitioned from automotive leadership roles, including time at Tesla, into aerospace. He described immersing himself in the industry during JetZero’s early days, dedicating hours each morning to study and spending afternoons and evenings learning directly from seasoned engineers.

“I’d get a quad shot from Starbucks to power up, and from about 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., I was deep in the matrix,” O’Leary said. “At 1:00 p.m., I’d get on the phone or on Zoom with some of the best aerodynamics experts and basically get a PhD in aerodynamics from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., then continue those conversations with experts on the West Coast. That was the first two years of JetZero.”

Throughout the conversation, O’Leary urged students to question assumptions.

“The first principles of business are not settling for, ‘This is the way things are always done,’” he said. “Have the audacity to question why.”

Students asked why JetZero chose Greensboro. O’Leary pointed to workforce potential, infrastructure and alignment of long-term vision across state and local leaders.

“We can’t underestimate the power of a vision,” he said.

He also encouraged students to expect setbacks and keep moving forward.

“Buckle up,” O’Leary told students. “You are going to fail at something, and you may as well embrace that.”

As the event concluded, he encouraged students to seek perspectives beyond their own.

“If you want to know the future and predict change for the market,” he said, “have diverse and oftentimes uncomfortable perspectives.”

About Lessons from Leaders

Launched in 2017 by Dean Emeritus Raghu Tadepalli, Lessons from Leaders brings senior executives to campus for open talks, small-group roundtables and purposeful one-on-one networking that connects students with mentors. The program bridges classroom learning with real-world decision-making and aims for every student to leave with a new contact and an actionable career insight.

Smaraki Mohanty, Doherty Emerging Professor of Entrepreneurship and assistant professor of marketing, teaches the course to immerse students in a client-facing consulting experience that pairs academic theory with meaningful community engagement. Most digital marketing courses deal heavily with case studies; however, with the course structure, students collaborate directly with local businesses and organizations throughout the entire semester. The course is designed to strengthen students’ understanding of digital marketing fundamentals, including website usability, search engine optimization (SEO), social media strategy, and customer engagement, while requiring them to apply these concepts in professional, real-world contexts.

“Community partnerships are a core component of the Digital Marketing course and are integrated through a semester-long, client-based consulting project,” Mohanty explained. “It begins with students being placed into small consulting teams, which are paired with a local organization. This allows them to analyze each partner’s digital presence and develop data-driven marketing recommendations to help promote their organizations to the community.”

This semester, the community partners included Empirical Wellness Center, Upside Aerial Arts & Fitness, Odessa’s Pots and Prayers, Haand, 64 Harvard, and Fjord, Inc. Through these local partnerships, students engaged directly with business owners and managers, tailoring their work to each organization’s goals and resources.

Students gained increased confidence in applying SEO strategy, understanding keyword relevance and adapting best practices to fit unique client contexts.

“This experience relates directly to my goals after ������Ƶ, because with my marketing major and communications minor, I hope to specialize in social media marketing and digital work,” said Skylar Zimmerly ’26. “Being able to make these changes for Upside Aerial as a company, and watch their target audience, engagement and online presence all grow significantly due to my efforts, not only prepares me for working with other clients in the future but also prepares me with the confidence to know I’m capable of succeeding in my field.”

For community partners, the course provides access to research-backed digital marketing insights that many small businesses and organizations may not have access to. These recommendations have the potential to increase website traffic, improve discoverability and support long-term business growth.

“Upside Aerial was missing out on an entire audience to connect with on a new platform,” said Zimmerly on working with Upside Aerial on making a TikTok account. “Soon after creating their account and sharing their story/videos, we saw a large change in engagement. Additionally, as a marketing major, it was most insightful for me to gain hands-on experience with an actual client, mimicking what the future could look like in my career. With this, the client being a Burlington local just goes above and beyond my ������Ƶ experience, allowing a positive relationship to grow between the community we’re surrounded with. “

Through its community-engaged approach, the Digital Marketing course demonstrates how academic learning can create tangible benefits for both students and the local community. This course aids in the creation of future professionals while supporting the businesses that help make Alamance County thrive.

Suggs shares what he hopes to accomplish in his new role and how ������Ƶ students can benefit.

What was your most recent role with Toyota?

My most recent role was president of Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina, where I led the startup and operations of Toyota’s first in-house battery manufacturing facility in North America, a $14 billion dollar investment. In this position, I was responsible for organizational development, talent cultivation and managing extensive manufacturing operations aligned with Toyota’s long-term electrification strategy.

How would you describe your career path?

My career path has been progressive leadership roles within manufacturing and operations, with a strong focus on people development, operational excellence and continuous improvement. Over time, I have had the opportunity to lead increasingly complex organizations and projects, culminating in launching and leading a transformational manufacturing facility.

I started on the shop floor, so I learned not only how to lead but also how to be brilliant at the basics. My eight years of military service also played a big part in shaping my leadership style and approach to teamwork.

What does serving as an Executive in Residence at the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business mean to you?

Serving as an Executive in Residence is a meaningful opportunity to share real-world leadership and innovative manufacturing experiences with students and to help them connect academic learning with practical applications. It also allows me to give back by mentoring, coaching and developing students as they think about their careers, leadership styles and professional goals.

What kinds of conversations and experiences do you hope to create for ������Ƶ students during your time on campus?

I hope to foster honest, engaging conversations about leadership, teamwork and decision making in complex organizations. I want students to gain insight into what it takes to lead large teams, manage uncertainty and balance technical, operational and human challenges in significant business settings.

What perspectives from your work in manufacturing and battery production are you most excited to share with ������Ƶ students?

Battery manufacturing is at the center of innovation, sustainability and global competitiveness. I am excited to share perspectives on building operations from the ground up, developing a skilled workforce, managing risks and leading through change, as well as how manufacturing plays a critical role in the future of mobility.

What advice would you offer students who are interested in leading teams or managing large, complex projects in their careers?

My advice is to put people first with passion, communicate clearly and stay curious. Strong leaders create environments where teams can succeed, learn from mistakes and continuously improve. It is also important to seek out challenges, be patient with your growth and remain adaptable as industries evolve.

Beyond your résumé, what should people know about you and what you enjoy outside of work?

Beyond my professional background, I value family, my wife, Janet, our six children and five grandchildren along with mentorship and lifelong learning. Outside of work, I enjoy playing golf. I have now played in all 50 states and on six continents, which helps keep me grounded and energized. I am also the on my life story, my golf journey and leadership.

Students may reach out to Suggs through . His contact information will be added to the next edition of the Love School of Business newsletter.

Your favorite brand changing its profile picture for an awareness month.

A music app suggesting a song you might like.

Where most people glance and move on, ������Ƶ’s Doherty Emerging Professor for Entrepreneurial Leadership Smaraki Mohanty looks closer. She sees questions worth testing.

Her research has revealed that:

• A potato chip is still a potato chip, yet adding a label about renewable energy makes it suddenly seem healthier.
• Political ideology influences whether someone accepts an artificial intelligence suggestion.
• Subtle visual cues, like a temporary profile picture, may convince consumers of a brand’s authenticity more than lengthy statements.

“These are small signals,” says the assistant professor of marketing, “but they change behavior in big ways.”

Mohanty grew up in eastern India, where curiosity and creativity shaped her world. By day, she studied electronics engineering. By night, she performed in classical dance, training from age 3 through her undergraduate years. Performances often meant hours of rehearsal in colorful costumes, precise footwork in intricate rhythms and the challenge of holding an audience’s attention with a single raised eyebrow or sweep of the hand.

The discipline demanded precision, but it also taught her how the smallest gesture could change the way an audience responded. “Dance taught me to notice how people react to details,” Mohanty says. “That same curiosity is what I bring to research now.”

She carried that mindset into her graduate studies, where she first encountered marketing research. The idea that she could ask questions, gather data and test her predictions excited her. “The first time the results matched what I had predicted, I thought, ‘this matters,’” Mohanty recalls. “The questions are not vague. They have answers we can find.”

That instinct to pay attention to subtlety has carried throughout her career. Mohanty’s research explores how people interpret brands, technology and causes through cues that are easy to overlook but powerful in effect.

In so many cases, the tiniest cues
are doing the heaviest lifting.
That’s what makes them worth studying.

She is fascinated by the gap between what something is and how people perceive it. Her studies have shown that sustainability signals create a kind of “halo effect,” where the goodness of green energy appears to transfer to the food itself. She has found that in a polarized world, a small design choice can sometimes carry more weight than a long public statement. And she has observed that political identity can shape whether people trust an AI recommendation, with conservatives more likely to embrace the familiar patterns an algorithm reinforces.

“In so many cases, the tiniest cues are doing the heaviest lifting,” Mohanty says. “That’s what makes them worth studying.”

Mohanty joined ������Ƶ’s faculty in 2021 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. She had never visited North Carolina and wondered how she and her husband would find their footing. The first year was full of questions, but it also brought answers in the form of community.

A Diwali celebration hosted by the university was one of her first glimpses of belonging. In a room filled with music, food and laughter, she met fellow faculty and staff who shared her cultural traditions. “That was when I realized we could build a home here,” Mohanty says.

Friendships grew from that night, and Burlington soon began to feel like home. Her family has since bought a house in town, and her young son, born after the move, now attends Acorn Academy, ������Ƶ’s on-campus employee child care center. For Mohanty, those connections mirror her research in a personal way. “Just as I study how people look for signals of belonging, I was looking for those signals myself when I came here,” she says. “Now I feel them every day.”

This August, Mohanty’s work was recognized in a moment she will never forget. One afternoon, a local number flashed across her phone. Busy settling her toddler for a nap, she let it go, assuming it was one of his doctors. A text followed. When she finally picked up the return call, she was startled to hear the voice of President
Connie Ledoux Book.

For a moment, Mohanty thought she was in trouble. Then came the news: she had been named the Doherty Emerging Professor for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

“I honestly did not hear much after that,” she says with a laugh. “I was just giggling, so happy.”

Her in-laws, visiting from India, were in the audience at the ceremony when she was honored. It was the first time they had seen her recognized in person. Seeing their pride, she says, was as meaningful as the title itself.

Mohanty continues to expand her research while mentoring undergraduate students and creating projects that connect them directly with local businesses. She founded the Consumer Research Behavioral Lab and designs classes in digital marketing, marketing analytics and consumer behavior that give students the chance to test ideas in real-world settings.

What she hopes for the future is simple. “I still feel new every year because there is so much to learn,” Mohanty says. “Questions lead to better answers. That is what I want to model for my students — stay curious, stay kind, keep learning.”

Snell oversees Delta’s end-to-end customer journey, including airport customer service, flight service, reservations and customer care, and about 60,000 employees across those divisions.

“This is an awesome place that you are super lucky to be in,” Snell told students. “Take advantage of every moment you have.”

After graduating with a major in economics at ������Ƶ, Snell attended Emory University to complete his MBA. A required internship between his first and second year led him to Delta Air Lines.

“I spent the summer at Delta and traveling around and got kind of addicted to travel, addicted to the industry. And I’ve stayed ever since,” he said.

Snell shared how moments of rejection turned into opportunities. As a student, he tried out for the ������Ƶ basketball team and did not make the roster.

“I was very sad about that,” he said. “It turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me, because I turned that competitive, athletic focus into wanting to do better and improve every year.”

Years later, he was turned down for his first general manager promotion at Delta.

“I ended up getting a different offer six months later,” Snell said. “That led to many more doors opening and opportunities than I ever would have had I accepted the first one. If a door closes, other doors will open.”

Early in his career, Snell tried to map out every step. Over time, he learned that rigid planning can get in the way of growth.

“My best plan for success is to throw out the plan that I created,” he said.

Moving from finance and analytics into operations and customer roles pushed him out of his comfort zone and gave him experience leading across the business.

Snell said that in the commoditized airline industry, Delta has differentiated itself with a model centered on people and reliability.

“Brand loyalty for us really rests on four pillars,” Snell said. “First are our people and the empathy they bring. Second is reliability, getting you there safely and on time with your bags. Third is premium products. And fourth is personalization as we move from a one-to-many model to a one-to-one relationship with our customers.”

Snell said he prefers to think about “augmented intelligence” rather than artificial intelligence and expects AI tools to help speed up airport journeys, support recovery after disruptions and answer routine questions so employees can focus on complex issues.

When students asked what matters most for their own careers, Snell highlighted curiosity, energy, passion, communication and collaboration, and cautioned them not to get stuck simply reporting information in their roles.

“Do not report the news,” Snell said. “Create the news.”

Two phrases guide his approach to leadership and change.

“If I had tattoos, one of them would say ‘speed wins,’” he said. The other is a reminder not to let fear of mistakes stall progress: “Perfection is the enemy of progress. If you wait for anything to be perfect, you will never improve.”

About Lessons from Leaders

Launched in 2017 by Dean Emeritus Raghu Tadepalli, Lessons from Leaders brings senior executives to campus for open talks, small-group roundtables, and purposeful one-on-one networking that connects students with mentors. The program bridges classroom learning with real-world decision-making and aims for every student to leave with a new contact and an actionable career insight.

The program featured three panel discussions on entrepreneurship, leadership and young alumni career journeys.

For Elizabeth Shum ’27, an accounting and finance major from Shreveport, La., hearing those stories in person helped her picture what her own path might look like after graduation.

“Hearing the panelists talk about their career paths and challenges was very inspiring,” Shum said. “Their stories about being first generation and always learning reminded me to keep growing and to be intentional in whatever role I am in.”

������Ƶ alumni were well represented throughout the program. Alumni panelists included:

• Entrepreneurship Panel
  • Andy Lund ’96, CEO, Vision Stairways and Millwork

• Leadership Panel
  • Kathie Niven ’89, president and CEO, Biscuitville
  • Kristen Yntema ’95, president and CEO, AuthoraCare Collective

• Young Alumni Panel
  • Taylor Casey ’16, founder, Kahmino
  • Megan Hussey ’20, market development representative, Sazerac

Alongside other regional executives, the alumni spoke about launching companies, leading teams, taking smart risks and learning from setbacks.

“I especially connected with the Young Alumni Panel,” Shum said. “Hearing graduates only a few years ahead of me, especially Megan Hussey’s path from the Carolina Hurricanes to the beverage industry, made it easier to picture my own next steps. It showed me I can stay curious, say yes to opportunities and carry my strengths into different fields.”

The event was hosted by Rich Nowalk ’97, chief strategy officer, and Courtney Humphrey, CEO at Opex Technologies.

Poets&Quants, a leading publication focused on undergraduate business education, selects just 50 professors each year from more than 1,000 nominations submitted by students, alumni, colleagues and school leaders around the world. Professors are chosen for their impact on students, contributions to their disciplines and distinctive approaches to teaching and mentoring.

For Akben, who joined the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business in 2022, the recognition reflects both what happens in his classroom and the work he leads across campus as ������Ƶ’s director of artificial intelligence integration.

“Mustafa represents the future of business education at ������Ƶ,” said Haya Ajjan, dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. “He advances AI research, helps our community use these tools thoughtfully and ethically, and creates learning experiences that build confident, compassionate leaders. This recognition reflects what our students already know when they step into his classroom.”

Akben teaches Principles of Management and Organizational Behavior and Human Resources for Competitive Advantage, courses that introduce students to foundational management concepts and the realities of leading people at work.

His classes are designed to feel more like labs than lectures. Students may find themselves working through an escape-room style challenge to practice teamwork, building and selling cardboard “houses” to see how organizations coordinate across roles, or pitching final projects to local leaders in a Shark Tank style event.

“My classroom is a place where students experiment, reflect and grow,” Akben said. “There is no textbook for life or work. You must improvise and use critical and creative thinking to find an answer, and watching students grow into that mindset is one of the greatest joys of teaching.”

Akben’s research focuses on generative AI, managerial cognition and organizational psychology. He studies how AI tools influence creativity, proactive behavior and decision making at work and how organizations can design human and AI partnerships that bring out the best in both.

Beyond his teaching and scholarship, Akben serves as ������Ƶ’s director of artificial intelligence integration, helping academic and administrative units develop responsible AI strategies and hands-on learning experiences for students.

Before entering academia, Akben worked as a general manager in Turkey and completed mandatory military service.

“Those experiences made it impossible for me to treat leadership as abstract theory,” Akben said. “Leadership is never just about performance metrics. It is about people’s lives, and that realization is what guides my research and my teaching today.”

He went on to earn an M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Temple University. His work on social networks and information sharing has earned recognition including a Best Paper Award from the Managerial and Organizational Cognition Division of the Academy of Management. He is also a two-time award recipient in the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology’s Machine Learning Competition for his AI-based workplace solutions.

“I am grateful for the colleagues, mentors and students who have shaped my journey, and for my family, who believed in me not just as a professor but as a person,” he said. “This honor belongs to all of us who care about making leadership and work better for the future.”