Get to know the research fellows in the Engaged Practitioner Scholar program in Weatherhead School of Management’s Doctor of Business Administration program.
George Awad, DM
Founder & Principal
Gibraltar Capital
George Awad is the founder and principal of Gibraltar Capital Corporation, a wealth management and advisory firm providing investment and business advice to wealthy, internationally based families. Awad has extensive operating experience in running large, global businesses across the full suite of consumer financial services products. As the Chief Sales and Marketing officer for GE Money, Awad was the architect of the growth of GE Money to a $20 billion company by introducing hundreds of financial products in more than 50 countries. Awad served as CEO, Consumer Finance for Citigroup, with prior positions as CEO, North America Cards and CEO, Global Consumer Group Europe Middle East and Africa. Awad was instrumental in leading transactions that generated over $30 Billion in capital for Citi during the financial crisis. He serves as a director of TransUnion and has served as Chairman of the Board of Walter Investments and on the board of Ditech. Awad Earned a Doctor of Management from Case Western Reserve University as well as an MBA in Finance from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania and holds a BS in Civil Engineering from the American University of Beirut.
Awad’s research is focused on operational excellence and organic revenue growth.
Michael C. Bellissimo, PhD
Founder
BarBell Ventures
As founder of BarBell Ventures, Michael Bellissimo mentors, advises, and invests in health-tech startups that are at the leading edge of innovation in healthcare such as access, behavioral health, operations and community health. Before BarBell, Bellissimo spent the past decade in senior leadership roles in IT, operations and finance at Humana and The Cleveland Clinic working to help solve current challenges to healthcare access, efficiency and effectiveness.
Bellissimo’s dissertation: “Reliability and Resilience at U.S. Hospitals During the Global COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Study on the Effect of Leader and Team Behavior on Crisis Response” included qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey of hospital leaders and teams across the U.S., and a case study on the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) approach to the extreme crisis of the pandemic.
Bellissimo’s proposed research project(s) include: Applying the principles of QCA on the qualitative data already gathered to understand which theory or theories of management are most salient to extreme crises. Developing a case study on the largest U.S. private healthcare system’s (Common Spirit) pandemic response in order to facilitate a compare and contrast opportunity with the study of the VHA already completed. Studying other country’s pandemic response where public health is the norm such as the UK (NHS), Canada and the Nordic region.
Prior to receiving his PhD from Case Western Reserve University, Bellissimo received his MBA from Northeastern University and BA from The University of Pennsylvania.
Jennifer R. Bishop, PhD
Senior Business Risk and Control Manager
Wells Fargo Bank
Charlotte, NC
Dr. Jennifer R. Bishop holds the distinction of PhD of Design and Sustainability, Fowler Center Fellow and Non-Profit Management Fellow from the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University. A result oriented, senior executive with over 20+ years of global management consulting, client relationship management, leadership coaching and technical experience across a variety of industries with main focus in financial services.
Dr. Jennifer R. Bishop is the founder of Triumphant Steps, a non-profit organization with a mission to break the cycle of poverty for women and their children by empowering them to transform their lives and excel to create prosperous and self-sustainable futures.
Her interests are in accentuating the strengths of people, specifically African American women in Corporate America through career advancement and success through non-traditional methods. Dr. Jennifer R. Bishop's research goal is to impact the traditional mindset that prevents the success of African American women in middle and senior management positions with foundational skills but not the opportunities in Corporate America. She seeks to create spaces to promote the uniqueness of individuals and encourage authentic participation. The primary stakeholders are African American women in middle and senior management positions and C-Suite executives and investigating these disparities to construct sponsorship programs that not only focus on profitability but also on the social well-being of the individual. Her vision is to investigate and open the “unspoken” dialogue that incorporates inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness. While at same time understanding the differences and behavioral impact of these women to gain knowledge on some of the challenges, they encountered different to their colleagues, as well as success factors that enabled them to continue to advance to Senior Level Management positions.
Philip Cola, PhD
Phil Cola is an associate professor of management and adjunct assistant professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). He teaches qualitative and quantitative research methods, leadership and research dissemination. Presently, he is also the associate director of academic affairs for the Doctor of Business Administration program at Weatherhead as well as the director of the Regulatory Knowledge and Support core of the CWRU Clinical Translational Science Award.
His research interests include the responsible conduct of research, factors influencing success of physician scientists in academic medical centers, the translational science paradigm, workforce development, physician identity and nonprofit organizations. As a research fellow, Cola is investigating the life cycle of mentorship in the translational sciences and the importance of intergenerativity in knowledge creation.
Cola earned a PhD in Management at Case Western Reserve University and a master’s degree in experimental psychology and research method and design from Cleveland State University.
Beth Fitz Gibbon, DM
Founder and Principal
Pathfox Venture Development
Beth Fitz Gibbon builds new business ventures and economic development initiatives. She provides technical assistance for companies seeking to diversify, and states working to enhance advanced manufacturing and talented labor pools. Her unique combination of public/private enterprise experience includes Chief Operating Officer and Sr. VP positions in Research, Product Development and Strategic Planning.
She has a BA from Rutgers University, an MBA from Emory University, and a Doctorate in Business Management from Case Western Reserve, where she taught Entrepreneurship Strategy at the Weatherhead School of Management. Fitz Gibbon’s research into practical solutions supporting applied R&D for advanced manufacturing in high value sectors, has been presented at the Academy of management.
Learn more about her at www.pathfoxpartners.com.
Ronald G. Fountain, DM, MBA, MSPOD
Founder & Managing Partner
The CommonWealth Group
Cleveland, OH
Ronald Fountain has more than 60 years of business experience including commercial banking, executive financial and operating management, as a graduate school of business faculty and Dean, consulting, active investor, and leadership development coach. He has served on more than 20 not-for-profit as well as private and public company boards as a board member or as Board Chair. He is a committed life-long learner who believes that service is the obligation we assume when we are empowered with knowledge and currently is a coach, consultant, entrepreneur and teacher.
Fountain earned his BS from Valdosta State University in GA and his DM, MBA and MSPOD all from the Weatherhead School of Management. He completed the Corporate Finance Program at the Harvard Business School and holds several coaching certifications.
Fountain’s DM Applied Research Project research was on exploring why errors, once confirmed, are repeated by individuals and organizations. His current research interest is related to his ARP and is on how Cognitive Dissonance limits professional coaching outcomes, organizational change efforts and limits the success of enterprise decisions and actions such as mergers, acquisitions and divestitures.
Yolonda Freeman-Hildreth, PA-C, PhD
Research Fellow
Assistant Professor
University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, Michigan
Yolonda Freeman-Hildreth is an assistant professor at the University of Detroit Mercy. She teaches in the graduate Physician Assistant (PA) program preparing students to become licensed, practicing PAs. Prior to teaching, she practiced as a PA for over 16 years, specializing in Internal Medicine. Additional roles include managing a Coumadin clinic and practicing outpatient internal medicine. She was awarded the Internal Medicine Physician Assistant of the Year for overall service.
Freeman-Hildreth's research centers around gaining a further understanding of the relationship between social interactions and Type 2 diabetes outcomes. She wishes to explore which types of social interactions and relationships facilitate behavioral change in individuals with T2DM. Her research has been published in PLOS One and presented at AOM, American Academy of PA's conference, and The Annual Conference on Diabetes. Her goal is to provide healthcare professionals and healthcare management with greater insight into the burdens and challenges impacting patients with chronic disease.
Freeman-Hildreth earned her PhD in Management from Case Western Reserve University, Weatherhead School of Management, in May 2019. She holds an MBA from Northwood University in Midland, Michigan in 2014, a Master of Science (MS) in Physician Assistant Studies at the University of Detroit-Mercy in Detroit, Michigan in 2003, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan in 1998.
Carl Greppin, PhD
Managing Partner
Transpac Access
Cleveland, OH
Carl Greppin is Managing Partner of Transpac Access, a supply chain management consulting firm. He is also an adjunct professor at John Carroll University.
Greppin’s research interest is corruption. His dissertation examined how executives decide to bribe, and whether bribing is beneficial or harmful to the bribers and their firms. For his fellowship, he will use World Bank Data to explore how external factors affect bribing activity and how bribing activity affects firm performance in highly corrupt countries across the world.
Greppin presented How U.S. executive expatriates work in environments of pervasive corruption at the Academy of Management Proceedings (2017). He published How expatriates work in dangerous environments of pervasive corruption in the Journal of Global Mobility (2017). He was selected to present What Motivates Participation in Corruption and How Does Such Participation Affect Firm Performance? at the Academy of Management Proceedings (2020).
Greppin received an AB in Political Economy from Princeton University (1987), an MBA from University of Chicago (1991), and a PhD in Management from Case Western Reserve University (2020).
Matthew J. Gymer, DM
Matthew Gymer is Senior Product Manager for SAS Global Health & Life Sciences. SAS Health Viya is a cloud native AI, analytic and data management platform used by leading global health & life science organizations.
His applied research interests include product and business model design for the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. As a research fellow, Gymer is investigating the implementation of various technology innovations within healthcare settings and their impact on clinical quality and safety outcomes for patients.
Gymer earned a Doctor of Management from Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management and Master of Liberal Arts from Harvard University.
Susan Johnson, PhD
Research Fellow
Susan Johnson has over 20 years of experience leading project teams for global Fortune 100 companies.
Johnson research's team communication and the challenges of maintaining alignment across multiple disciplines on complex projects. Through this fellowship, Johnson is continuing her study of how identity and social reality affect team performance.
Johnson has presented her research at the PMI Global Conference (2019), Engaged Management Scholarship Conference (2019), OCIS Doctoral Consortium (2019) and she will present at the Academy of Management Proceedings (2020).
Johnson earned her PhD in Management from Case Western Reserve University, an MBA in Finance from Northeastern University and a BA in Operations Management from Boston University.
David Klossner, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
KDA Industries
David Klossner creates new businesses, including industrial real estate development, and engineering, and heavy manufacturing operations. Klossner’s industrial developments include facilities compliant with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), which considers key sustainability standards such as energy conservation, and material recycling. Klossner has developed business in North America, Asia and Europe, specializing in process enhancements, optimizing efficiencies and implementing financial improvements. Klossner has earned a PhD in Designing Sustainable Systems (Case Western Reserve University), an MBA (Northern Illinois University), and a Mechanical Engineering Degree (Missouri University of Science and Technology). Klossner’s research interest centers around factors that improve a firm’s environmental performance.
Ted Ladd, PhD
Dean of Research and Professor of Entrepreneurship
Hult International Business School
Ted Ladd is the Dean of Research and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Hult International Business School, and an Instructor of Entrepreneurship at Harvard University. He has founded, led and participated in several venture-backed high-tech start-up ventures. The most was acquired by Google as the foundation for its smartwatch WearOS. He serves on the boards of several public, private, and nonprofit boards for energy generation and economic development in his home state of Wyoming. Ladd holds a PhD from Case Western Reserve, an MBA from Wharton, a masters in international economics with honors from Johns Hopkins University, and a BA cum laude with distinction from Cornell as a triple major in biology, government, and technical sociology.
His research focuses on best practices for entrepreneurs to design new business models, especially multi-sided platforms, and has appeared in several academic and practitioner channels, including the Harvard Business Review, Stanford Social Impact Review, Academy of Management's annual and specialized conferences, USASBE, Wharton Business Radio, and Forbes, where he is a regular contributor. His full publication record is available on ORCID. The project at the heart of his fellowship is an examination of the specific cognitive drivers for buyers to find the ideal seller on a platform, and then bypass the platform to consummate the transaction. The project is titled, “The Determinants of Disintermediation."
Chris Lamb, PhD
Adjunct Professor of Management
Fairleigh Dickenson University
New Jersey, USA
Chris Lamb has over 30 years of experience operating in a dynamic, international competitive business environment with responsibility for: complex transactions, business development, R&D, operations, sales & marketing. Chris currently consults biotech startups through his consultant company, BioSolutions Services LLC. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Management at Fairleigh Dickenson University.
Lamb earned his PhD in Management from Case Western Reserve University, Weatherhead School of Management, in May 2018. His research has focused on the management of chronic diseases and the role of teams in successful Biotech start-ups. His current research is to explore the link between health outcomes, cost, shared decision making and improved quality of chronic care.
Stephan Lizou, PhD
Chief Value Officer
Thales Group
Chief Marketing Officer
Thales, Inc. USA
Stephan M. Liozu is Chief Value Officer of the Thales Group (www.thalesgroup.com) and Chief Marketing Officer of Thales Inc. in the USA. He is also an adjunct professor and research fellow at the Case Western Research University Weatherhead School of Management. Lizou holds a PhD in Management from Case Western Reserve University (2013), an MS in Innovation Management from Toulouse School of Management (2005), and an MBA in Marketing from Cleveland States University (1991). He is a Certified Pricing Professional (CPP), a Prosci© certified Change Manager, and a Strategyzer Business Model Innovation Coach. Over the past few years, Lizou published academic articles in the Journal of Revenue & Pricing Management, Business Horizons, MIT Sloan Management Review, and Industrial Marketing Management. He has also written several articles on strategic pricing issues for the Journal of Professional Pricing and is a regular presenter at Professional Pricing Society conferences in Europe and North America as well as the Strategic Account Management Association conferences. He authored three books, Dollarizing Differentiation Value (2016), The Pricing Journey (2015) and Pricing and Human Capital (2015). He also co-edited three books, Innovation in Pricing – Contemporary Theories and Best Practices (2012) and The ROI of Pricing (2014), and Pricing and the Salesforce (2015). Lizou sits on the Advisory Board of LeveragePoint Innovation and of the Professional Pricing Society. He is a Strategic Advisor to 360pi, The Kini Group, and PriceSenz.
Angel López Mutuberría, DM
Pamplona, Spain
Angel M. Lopez Mutuberria graduated in Law (Universidad de Navarra, Spain), but soon after, he decided to pursue an MBA at the University of Houston, Texas, where he graduated in 1995. After a few years working in Human Resources for different corporations, he realized that Law only provided him with a limited framework of reference to manage people, so he graduated in Psychology years later to better understand human behavior’s labor dynamics. He has been working in International Human Resources for 20+ years. Currently, he is the head of People, Culture, and Sustainability at CIDACOS Group.
Once, he was told that he is an old soul in constant search of new learnings. It might well be why he started his Doctorate at Case Western Reserve University. He graduated in 2020 with a mixed-methods dissertation about how congruence with the authentic self eases to assess life meaning in a business context. He continues to research life meaning and spirituality within the need of a new cosmology for the XXIst century.
He is the proud father of three beautiful kids: Luís, Lucas, and Laia. Marta, his wife, his kids, and in general, his family are his passion. He also finds joy remembering childhood when he meets with his old-time buddies from school and neighborhood for their traditional monthly dinner in Pamplona (Spain), where he lives.
Karen R. Nestor, EdD
Karen Nestor, EdD is an educator, consultant and community activist, who uses qualitative research to support non-profit organizations and philanthropy in northeast Ohio to advance their missions. She is a research consultant for Books@Work and conducts context specific biographical research in a variety of educational settings.
Nestor earned a Doctor of Education in Human and Organizational Learning from George Washington University in 2015. Her research focused on factors that support individuals to shape and reshape their lives amidst challenging social and economic conditions. Her current research is two-fold: 1) exploring the development of high-quality connections in Books@Work programs in the workplace; and 2) advancing new approaches to engaged practice-based research methodologies.
Emmanuel Quansah, PhD
Assistant Professor of Management
University of Houston – Victoria
Emmanuel Quansah is an assistant professor of management at University of Houston – Victoria. He teaches leadership and strategy at the undergraduate and graduate level. He is a research fellow at Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. He has over 10 years of executive management experience.
Quansah’s research interest is in Leadership and Practices for Strategic Adaptation in Small and Medium-Sized Businesses. His research focus on (1) Leading Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in a Difficult Period: What Differentiates Success from Failure, (2) Promoting Adaptive Leadership: The Role of Employee Feedback in Small and Medium-Sized Companies, and (3) Strategic Adaptation in Small and Medium-Sized Companies: Which Practices Produce Successful Adaptation? As an Engaged Practitioner Scholar (EPS) Research Fellow, Emmanuel continues his research in Leadership and Practices for Strategic Adaptation.
Quansah earned a PhD in Management from Case Western Reserve University, a master's degree (MBA) in Finance and Management from the University of Houston – Victoria, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Ghana.
Mary E Reidy, PE, DM
Principal Engineer
National Grid
Waltham, Massachusetts
Mary Reidy is the principal engineer at National Grid and an engaged practitioner scholar research fellow at Weatherhead School of Management. She received her Doctor of Management degree from Weatherhead School of Management, Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from Case Western Reserve University, Master of Science in Engineering degree from SUNY at Buffalo and a Master in Business Administration degree and Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree from Canisius College. Reidy is a New York licensed professional engineer and a course evaluator for the New York State Professional Institute of Engineering. She authored chapters for the Investing in America's Workforce - Improving Outcomes for Workers and Employers, Volume 1 Investing in Workers, as well as Career Development in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. She is vice chair for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Smart Grid Marketing Committee, member of IEEE Energy Policy Committee and past vice chair of IEEE p1809 Working Group on Impacts of Global Climate Change. She is a member of the Biomimicry Institute and has participated in the New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA)'s Energy in Trade Exposed Industries (EITE) discussion.
Reidy's research interests include policy implications on fixed location enterprises, impacts of venture capital injections on organizational changes and emerging approaches of biomimicry practices to organizations.
Ellen Schmidt-Devlin, PhD
Executive Director, Portland Programs
Lundquist College of Business
University of Oregon
Ellen Schmidt-Devlin is currently the Executive Director, Portland Programs Lundquist College of Business, at the University of Oregon and previously held a 27-year career at Nike, Inc. with assignments in Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong. She completed her PhD in Designing Sustainable Systems from Case Western Reserve University in 2020. Her research focus is global branding/paradox theory. Her academic career includes EMS Research at CWRU. A mixed methods approach to investigating glocal or hybrid brands paper was accepted and presented at the 10th Annual EMS International Conference, Fall 2020, and a Teaching Assistant Appointment for MGMT/EDMP 646 Advanced Analytical Methods, Fall 2020.
Ann Kowal Smith, DM
Ann Kowal Smith serves as founder and executive director of Books@Work, a nonprofit workplace-based learning initiative. Books@Work uses literature discussions, led by a professor, to break down barriers, build connections and foster inclusion, trust, respect and well being. The program works with employers, inviting their workforce—from the shop floor to the management suite—to uncover the issues that unite rather than divide them.
Prior to Books@Work, Kowal Smith spent the majority of her career in client service: as a corporate and securities lawyer, a management consultant and knowledge manager at McKinsey & Company and a principal at Heidrick & Struggles.
Kowal Smith earned a Doctor of Management from Weatherhead School of Management in 2010. Her doctoral research focused on leadership approaches and their impact on organizational learning and performance. Her current work focuses, in practice and in theory, on the individual, collective and organizational outcomes of the social connections occasioned by Books@Work.
In addition to the DM, Kowal Smith holds a BA in History of Art from Bryn Mawr College, an MA in History of Art from the University of Michigan, and a JD from Case Western Reserve University.
Candace Steele Flippin, DM, MBA, APR
Research Fellow
Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer
First Horizon National Corp.
Memphis, TN
Candace Flippin researches the multigenerational workplace and enhances the leadership development of women. Her research has been published in the Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner and presented at ARNOVA. She authored two books Generation Z in the Workplace (2017) and Millennials in the Workplace (2017). Moving beyond well-known workplace barriers for women such as gender bias, exit due to family planning, and glass ceiling limitations, her current study is designed to understand key factors that help develop leadership-ready Gen X and Gen Y females to provide empirical findings and actionable frameworks to accelerate women moving into leadership roles.
Flippin earned her Doctor of Management at Case Western Reserve University, an MBA from Johns Hopkins University and her BA in History of Art from the University of Michigan. She also holds an Accreditation in Public Relations. Learn more about her work at www.candacesteeleflippin.com.
Karen Stock, DM
Associate Professor
DeVille School of Business
Walsh University
Karen Stock is an associate professor at Walsh University and teaches organizational behavior, ethics and leadership at the undergraduate and graduate level. Prior to teaching, she worked for multinational organizations in marketing and product development.
Her research interests center around experiential learning through the exploration of experiences that bring about deeper learning and application, both in the classroom and at the workplace. She has presented her work at both the Annual and Regional Academy of Management Conferences, Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Conferences, and has published her work in OD Practitioner and Management Teaching Review. She is also a member of the Experiential Learning Community of Practice.
Stock earned a Doctor of Management at Case Western Reserve University, Master of Arts in Management at Walsh University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree at Miami University where she majored in organizational behavior.
Avi Turetsky, PhD
Director of Quantitative Research
Landmark Partners
Avi Turetsky earned his PhD in Management from Case Western Reserve University in 2018. He is director of quantitative research for Landmark partners, which is a private equity ‘secondaries’ firm that acquires interests in private equity, real estate, and real assets funds. His current research examines the implications of statistical distribution shapes and parameters for management theory, with a specific focus on the predictors of private equity performance differentiation. Earlier work has examined the competencies that distinguish ‘right tail’ outperforming private equity investment professionals. Turetsky is also an Advisory Board Member of the Private Equity Initiative at INSEAD.
Montressa L. Washington, PhD, MBA
Research Fellow
Assistant Professor
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia
Montressa Washington is an associate professor at Shenandoah University and Director, Shenandoah University Institute for Entrepreneurship. She teaches courses in entrepreneurship, human resources and international business, at the undergraduate and graduate level. Prior to teaching, Washington has over twenty years of management consulting experience with corporations such as IBM’s Global Business Services, James Martin & Co., and Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting). Washington’s expertise enriches her extensive consulting background adding nuance, cultural understanding and innovation to her vision and work in organizational transitions, knowledge management, change management, and strategic transformation.
Washington thought leadership is evidenced through the research she conducts in the areas of entrepreneurship, human resources, technology, innovation, and organizational leadership. Washington presents her academic research at conferences such as the Academy of Management (AOM), United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE), EuroMed Academy of Business, Southern Academy of Management Association (SMA) and International Association for Computer Information System (IACIS).
Washington earned a PhD in Management at Case Western Reserve University, an MBA from Johns Hopkins University and her BA in English from the University of Maryland. She also holds an Accreditation in Public Relations. Washington holds these certifications: Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), Certified Scrum Master – ScrumAlliance, The Weatherhead Executive Coaching Certificate (CWRU), ACT! (Accelerating Change Together) – IBM Facilitation Method.