Representation matters to Sue Guinan Griffith ’80. She experienced a flourishing finance occupation with various leadership positions at JP Morgan Chase. But by these many years, specifically in her before days, she had to battle for a seat at the desk.
“It’s crucial for everybody,” Griffith said. “I was the youngest particular person in the area, and I was the only lady in the room, for really a handful of yrs all over my vocation. It was hard. You truly had to be tough.”
Griffith constructed an unfaltering self esteem in herself on leading of continuing her schooling at UD to make her MBA. These grew to become the core components that led to her successful 25-12 months vocation keeping CFO positions and foremost mergers and acquisitions.
Now she is translating those elements as a donor to a new mission, 1 that serves young women of all ages in the Dayton area by the University’s new Feminine Aspiring Business enterprise Scholars software.
“I have to credit score UD for my schooling and I imagined that would be a very good way — a great way — to pay again and help the next technology of youthful females attempting to get started off in organization,” Griffith explained. “I know what my knowledge was like, I know what the choices are and I’m attempting to enable the following group of females to do the same.”
For a person 7 days in July, the FABS system hosted soaring feminine superior university juniors and seniors on campus to dwell and understand in neighborhood. The students gained 3 hrs of higher education credit score, participated in seminars with UD college and small business specialists, networked with alumni and business enterprise leaders, and acquired experienced capabilities. Nancy Haskell, economics assistant professor Erica Neuman, accounting assistant professor and Kathrin Hanek, administration assistant professor led the system.
“The vision powering this is to enhance the selection of girls who are intrigued in expert occupations in company,” reported Marsha Keune, affiliate professor and affiliate dean of undergraduate applications. “We are furnishing them publicity to the lots of alternatives that are out there through careers in business enterprise. And due to the fact of the generosity of the donors, we are in a position to supply an available working experience.”
This calendar year FABS is funded many thanks to Griffith and another alumna, Jessica Holscott ’97, government vice president and CFO for the studio and content generation at Warner Bros. Discovery. Unlike Griffith, Holscott started her school career as a pre-med scholar right before transitioning to business enterprise.
“Providing this small business expertise at an before phase in these students’ life can be very worthwhile.”
“This basis was not a thing I had going into my freshman 12 months. I can only visualize how this would have shaped my vocation aspirations earlier on,” Holscott explained. “Providing this enterprise working experience at an previously phase in these students’ life can be unbelievably useful.”
It’s anyone’s guess where any of the FABS pupils will land in their occupations, but Griffith expects massive factors for them.
“I hope it impacts 1, two, as many younger females who want to get a very good education and discover some skills to go be the president of a financial institution or a CFO of some corporation or a great chief or
manager,” Griffith reported. “That’s what I hope arrives from it. That is what I feel will take place.”
