Globally, more women than ever took the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) in 2011. Diana Bilimoria, the first KeyBank professor of organizational behavior at Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management, believes this increase in women management students will bring new energy and a new set of value imperatives to management education.
“These women will require management programs that address their values while preparing them to be leaders who can operate organizations effectively as well as improve business and society economically, socially and environmentally,” Bilimoria said.
KeyCorp Chairman and CEO Beth Mooney, the first woman to lead a Top 20 U.S. bank, added, “At Key, we know that harnessing strength from a variety of experiences, backgrounds and perspectives drives a richer and deeper approach to business decisions and customer service.”
The importance of this viewpoint is a major reason why Bilimoria will be officially installed as the KeyBank Professor at a ceremony at 4:30 p.m. May 10 in the George S. Dively Building. “It’s a great honor to hold the KeyBank Professorship as part of my role in nurturing women leaders in business and organizations,” said Bilimoria. “What’s more important is how we draw on the talents and contributions of individuals to build organizations that are inclusive of everyone—and that drive business success.”
“Diana Bilimoria combines groundbreaking research with truly engaging teaching,” President Barbara R. Snyder said. “She has deepened our understanding of the importance of diverse leaders to business and the larger community. We are deeply grateful to KeyBank Foundation for recognizing the importance of these issues by endowing this professorship.”
An expert on how leadership development can transform individuals, groups and organizations, Bilimoria has conducted research that has helped corporate, educational and nonprofit organizations strengthen themselves and establish practices that attract and retain a high-performance, diverse workforce.
A native of India, Bilimoria received her Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Michigan. She has published extensively in leading journals and is the co-author of Gender Equity in Science and Engineering: Advancing Change in Higher Education (Routledge, 2012). She is the 2011-12 Chair of the Gender and Diversity in Organizations Division of the Academy of Management.