Kathy Smith was raised by her mom ― a single parent ― who dedicated her life to helping others as a nurse. When her mom, who was part of a union, went on strike it left a lasting impression on Smith.
“It was the first time I saw hundreds of people gather together to make a change ― and all of them were women. I remember how somber it was, that something was so wrong that those who had dedicated their lives to supporting and caring for others walked away,” said Smith (MBA ’02). “I thought there has to be a better way to make change and I wanted to be in control of that change.”
Years later, Smith saw parallels of that display of empowerment as she joined the trailblazers, glass-ceiling breakers and community executives at Fisher’s third annual Women’s Leadership Symposium.
The event, which included sessions on creating change, leveraging personal brands, building teams, continuous learning, finding life balance, elevating others and strategizing to reach the C-suite, sought to empower current and future leaders through the inspirational stories, strategies and struggles of successful and established professionals.
“We are here to help encourage, inspire and motivate each other,” said Cynthia Turner, assistant dean and chief diversity officer and EY Faculty Fellow, who kicked off the event. “Our goal is to enlighten and inspire you to become introspective and to move you to be the best that you can be. Be organic and intentional, be curious and self-aware, live without regret, reach out to others and embrace who you are.”
The purpose of the Symposium was a simple one for Symposium co-sponsor and participant Paula Bennett (BSBA ’71).
“By putting successful women in front of other women, I hope to expose young women to ideas and inspire their curiosity and show that this is where we should be as women,” said Bennett, former president and CEO of J.Jill.
Allyship, Advocacy and Sponsorship: Why They Matter
Smith’s career journey began in the paint department of a local hardware store, where she found her first sponsor, her 75-year-old boss, who noticed how Smith didn’t just mix paint, but understood the transformative effect the paint would have in customer’s lives – painting a nursery, decorating their first home, rebuilding their lives after a divorce. She encouraged Smith to explore the company’s training program.
“Her sponsorship led to my first job in human resources. She connected my purpose to the organization’s purpose,” said Smith, vice president of talent management and development at Nationwide. “I learned that people notice you, so embrace what’s in front of you, create meaning in what you are doing, connect to the human being by understanding the ‘why’ and connecting with them at that level.”
For Fisher alumnus Suppakorn Wechvitan (BSBA ’16), connecting and understanding the “why” was what prompted him to attend the Symposium.
“I was in fashion for seven years and worked with a lot of women,” he said. “I want to understand how to support women and lift their voices, what barriers they are facing in 2024, and how we ― men and women ― can help leverage each other.”
Smith, who was joined by Mae Smitherman-Smith (BSBA ’90, MBA ’95), executive director of supply chain and warranty finance at Ford, discussed how allies, mentors and sponsors play crucial roles in career development and professional growth.
“You will get rich because you are deliberate in what you are doing,” Smitherman-Smith said. “An ally gets to see your talent in an organization ― sees when you bring your talent to a team. If you don’t see the value of yourself, no one can help you. You need to own your own space, go out on a limb and show up every day.
“Keeping your head down and working hard is not going to get you where you want to go. You need to think about who is really involved in the organization and reach out to them. Being self-aware of who you are is the first step. You also need to run towards opportunities to break down and learn what you are not good at.”
Clara Springer, events manager at Star Lanes Polaris and a Symposium attendee, said the discussion gave her a self-confidence boost.
“I recognized the potential in other people, but I didn’t see it in myself,” Springer said. “I realized that I tend to look out for others, but that if I’m not curious and don’t ask questions, I won’t progress.”
Kathy Smith
Vice President, Talent Management and Development
Nationwide
As vice president for talent management and development at Nationwide, Kathy Smith (MBA ’02) leads the organization’s associate-focused Future of Work Center, enterprise learning, performance and career management, succession and high potential development.
In a typical week, she works at developing great leaders and teams, helping associates and leaders navigate the future, framing insights to support decisions and accelerate action among Nationwide associates, and evolving the company’s people processes to ensure alignment with business needs.
Prior to this role, Kathy held leadership roles in HR consulting, diversity and inclusion, talent acquisition and consumer-packaged goods marketing.
Kathy earned a master’s degree in education and an MBA from Ohio State and a bachelor’s degree in communication from The University of Toledo.
Mae Smitherman-Smith
Executive Director, Supply Chain and Warranty Finance
Ford
Mae Smitherman-Smith (BSBA ’90, MBA ’95) leads lean transformation to deliver competitive material cost and improve quality at Ford. From March 2021 to January 2023, Mae was controller for global manufacturing, MPL and warranty, where she led a global team with financial responsibility for manufacturing facilities around the world, inbound material, outbound vehicle, duty, and customs and inventory, as well as Sarbanes-Oxley Warranty Reserves. She has held 14 positions in nine organizations during her more than 27-year tenure with the company.
Mae also serves the Ford community as the executive champion for FAAN Finance, leads finance recruiting, and is a member of the Women of Ford Board. She is passionate about mentoring and advocating for employees at all points through their career. In 2022, she was named one of the Top Women in Finance by Women of Color STEM Conference, and she received the Champion for Diverse talent award from the Center for Automotive Diversity, Inclusion, & Advancement (CADIA). In 2023, Mae was featured in Automotive News for her work in diversity, equity and inclusion. She is a member of the Fisher College of Business Alumni Board.
Benjamin Campbell
Professor of Management and Human Resources
The Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business
Benjamin Campbell (BS ’96) teaches Managerial Economics throughout Fisher and serves as the academic director for the BRIGHT Initiative, which recruits and trains proven leaders from various professions for executive roles in underserved public schools in the state of Ohio.
His research interests explore the boundary conditions of mechanisms that limit the mobility of human capital to established and entrepreneurial firms, which adds to the understanding of the role of human capital in creating and sustaining competitive advantage in dynamic environments.
At Fisher, Benjamin has been named the Outstanding Full-Time MBA Core Professor in 2010, 2012 and 2013, the Outstanding Working Professional MBA Core Professor in 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2018, the Outstanding EMBA Core Professor in 2021, and the BRIGHT MBA Outstanding Professor in 2018. He received the 2011 Pace Setters Westerbeck Graduate Teaching Award and was nominated for the 2013 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching.
He received a PhD in economics from UC-Berkeley and has an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Ohio State.
Finding Life Balance
In 2001, after her five-year-old daughter unexpectedly passed away, Jayne Byrnes (BSBA ’83, BSME ’83), decided to dedicate her life to growing, developing and helping women focus on their life purpose, vision and how to balance their lives.
Byrnes, a professional certified coach, told session attendees that a question they must ask themselves is: “What is in you to help you survive and thrive?” For a balanced work/life integration, professionals need to make time for things they have to do, but also things they want to do. They have the power to control personal rejuvenation.
“There are external impacts on us every day in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world,” Byrnes said. “Noticing our state of mind is a check-in with ourselves. Being aware of ourselves can impact our emotions on ourselves and on others.”
To create change in a professional life, Byrnes recommended brainstorming six to eight dimensions that are important to an individual, consider the amount of attention that is devoted to each, and rank each dimension 0 (low) to 5 (high). She then advised stepping back and looking at which dimensions need attention.
The advice prompted Autumn Wippel to reflect on recent life changes.
“The last two years of my life have been in flux. I’ve become a single mom and want to make a change in my life,” said Wippel, a patient success coordinator, non-oncologic fusion at the Wexner Medical Center. “This session taught me that there can be people in your life who don’t always want to support you and you need to find people who will help move you forward. I used to have my priorities focused in a certain way but learned that it’s okay for me to shift my priorities and put more effort into my own personal and professional goals.”
Jayne Byrnes
Professional Certified Coach
Jayne Byrnes (BSBA ’83, BSME ’83) is a leadership development professional in Columbus, Ohio, whose focus is working with executives, senior and mid-level leaders, and teams in navigating change and transitions. She works with a variety of organizations in health care, logistics, manufacturing and professional services. She is an ICF Professional Certified Coach and has done extensive study in the areas of change management, conflict, adult development, narrative coaching, polarities and team coaching.
Jayne has diverse corporate experience working with global organizations. She was responsible for leading change management initiatives and designing leadership programs at Cardinal Health. At P&G, she facilitated leadership programs for high performing global leaders.
Jayne graduated from The Ohio State University with degrees in mechanical engineering and business and has graduate education in organizational management.
She is committed to community service and has been a board member with Greater Columbus Sister Cities International for several years. Jayne enjoys coaching MBA students at Fisher. She is currently creating a behavioral health initiative to engage conversations with elementary students.
Building Your Personal Brand
Kimberly Lee Minor is a person who loves elevating women by helping them understand, create and refine their personal brands. Minor, CEO of Women of Color in Retail and Bumbershoot Group, led a breakout session devoted to helping attendees establish their personal brands.
“Authenticity is your number one thing to finding your brand,” she said. “Bring yourself to work and once you’ve discovered who you are, be that person.”
Joyce Mace (BSBA ’84), retired partner at PwC and a Symposium co-sponsor, echoed Minor’s advice.
“Discover your superpower,” she said. “It’s what you give to the world that’s incredibly valuable ― the combination of your talents, your passion and your actions. Once you discover it, share it with the world. Use it as your navigational beacon throughout your life. It will never steer you wrong.”
Minor guided attendees through strategic best practices for effectively communicating unique skills and ways to enhances one’s image and elevate one’s professional presence.
For early career professionals building their brands, she shared seven key takeaways: a personal brand is a billboard; forget bad advice; find a champion; remind yourself that you are confident and enough; prioritize your life; be strategic and intentional; and have grace.
For mid-to-late career professionals, Minor advised them to stay curious, live without regret, take informed chances, share unique strengths, live intentionally, appreciate aging, and give yourself grace.
Second-year marketing student Bailey Boyle said Minor’s advice opened her eyes to ways she can find balance.
“She really led me to see that I need to be true to myself and can’t let others hinder what I can and can’t do,” Boyle said. “I need to focus on my strengths to be the best person I can be. For my strategic self, I need to learn to introduce myself so that people know my name. These are all things I hope to work on in my daily life.”
Kimberly Lee Minor
CEO, Women of Color in Retail
CEO, Bumbershoot Group
Over the course of 30 years in retail, Kimberly Lee Minor has built brands, achieved operational excellence and strategized for business competitiveness.
As CEO of Bumbershoot Group, she provides fractional C-suite leadership, leadership development and process creation. Her work emphasizes inclusive, equitable, diverse representation across brand, content, product and customer experiences. Kimberly was named a Top Retail Expert of 2024 by Rethink Retail, recognizing her profound impact on the sector.
Kimberly’s previous roles as president and chief commercial officer at Bandier, brand president of London Fog, Joe Boxer, and leadership positions with iconic brands such as Express, Footlocker, David’s Bridal and Bath & Body Works highlight her experience in global and diverse categories, customers and markets.
Kimberly’s commitment to advancing women of color in the retail industry through training, leadership development, partnerships, and networking opportunities led her to co-found the Women of Color Retail Alliance (WOCRA) in 2019, where she currently serves as CEO. Kimberly, who earned an undergraduate degree at Temple University, also serves as a lecturer in marketing at Fisher.
Building Financial Wealth
With the help of Sam McCoy (BSBA ’11, MAcc ’12) and Beth Sparks (BSBA ’02), attendees learned the fundamentals of how to develop a wealth-building mindset and accelerate their wealth at any age or stage of their career.
“Wealth and becoming wealthy are about discipline,” said McCoy, associate vice president at Morgan Stanley. “There are no quick, get rich schemes. You need to invest consistently and for a long time. You need to let your money sit and let it grow.”
Both McCoy and Sparks, vice president of investments at Raymond James, said the key to developing financial wealth is building a foundational structure and financial plan by:
Creating a checking account to pay bills
Transferring money from the checking account, creating a savings account as a rainy-day fund and saving at least three months operating expenses for two sources of income (six months of operating expenses for a single income)
Investing at least an equal amount of money that your company will match in a 401k if your company offers it, or opening a Roth or traditional IRA
Creating a brokerage account and, if you don’t have a lot of information about the investments, picking broad diverse assets
“It’s not what you make, it’s all about what you spend,” said Sparks. “You have your base living expenses, but if you lower your spending, it will increase your quality of life and leave money for your wants and needs.”
Sam McCoy
Associate Vice President
Morgan Stanley
As a CFP professional and a non-practicing CPA, Sam McCoy (BSBA ’11, MAcc ’12) works with business owners and executives to develop and implement comprehensive wealth management plans. He offers clients a broad perspective that incorporates both sides of their personal balance sheets.
Sam began his career as a CPA in the assurance practice of EY before making the switch to wealth management. To further his education, Sam earned the coveted Certified Financial Planner certification in 2017. He earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from The Ohio State University. He remains an active member of the Ohio State community and serves on Fisher’s Alumni Board and the university’s Estate and Gift Planning Advisory Council.
Sam is deeply involved in his community as well. He is a board member and treasurer of the Upper Arlington Education Foundation and is a coach and treasurer for the Upper Arlington men’s lacrosse program.
Beth Sparks
Vice President of Investments
Raymond James
A Certified Financial Planner with 30 years of experience in financial services, Beth Sparks (BSBA ’02) serves her clients by developing specific strategies to minimize taxes, preserve assets, generate cash flow, maximize growth and transfer wealth. Beth recently obtained her Retirement Income Certified Professional designation from the American College of Financial Services.
In addition to her individual client service, Beth consults businesses and nonprofit organizations on Investment Policy Statements and financial planning, including retirement plans, money management, cash management and access to capital through both equity and debt offerings.
Since joining Raymond James in 2003, Beth has been honored consistently among its achievement clubs and for her service on the Women’s Advisory Council. A Fisher alumna, she currently is a community board member of COSI and is a past board member of Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio, the Student Loan Foundation Board of Trustees at Ohio State, the Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Women’s Division of the Chamber, and the Lancaster YMCA & YWCA Boards of Directors.
Identifying and Overcoming Barriers to Ethical Consumption
The day-to-day decisions we make help define who we are and help us move forward in life. During an introspective, interactive session, Rebecca Walker Reczek discussed her research on the psychological and marketplace barriers that stop us from choosing more ethical product alternatives.
We want to help others and be responsible consumers, said Reczek, the Berry Chair of New Technologies in Marketing. But often two things arise: 1) a conflict between our “want self,” which desires to avoid thinking about ethical ramifications and our “should self,” which cares about what we are purchasing and 2) perceived trade-offs between our moral values and other end-value states.
Our coping mechanism for this struggle is willful ignorance, which causes us to find the more ethical decision to be less fashionable or attractive and makes us denigrate the source of the threat to our integrity. We tell ourselves we really don’t care and makes us questions our own motives.
Reczek says our perceived trade-offs between our moral values and other end-value states can come into play. We often think that if something is sustainable, then it is less strong and effective, and sustainability becomes a liability for products where strength is valued. The opposite is true, where sustainability is seen a a positive where gentleness is valued.
“Our memory is malleable and constructive, with all the biases in our memory coming into play,” Reczek said. “If we can’t remember that a competitor’s products are not ethical, it allows us to purchase unethical products without guilt or anger.”
Rebecca Walker Reczek
Berry Chair of New Technologies in Marketing
The Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business
Rebecca Walker Reczek’s research focuses on the area of consumer behavior, specifically the exploration of consumer lay theories and inference making, self-perceptions, and ethical decision making. She has explored these theoretical interests in the substantive domains of food and health decision making and sustainability.
Rebecca’s research has appeared in leading marketing journals, including the Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of Marketing, Marketing Science, the Journal of Consumer Psychology, and the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. She is currently serving as an associate editor at the Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of Marketing, and the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing.
How to Power Forward
In reflecting on her own career journey, Camille Gibson (BA ’78, MBA ’83) noted the importance of representation in and among leadership positions.
“The data supports that women are still lagging behind men," said Gibson, chief executive officer of Sana Foods and a Symposium co-sponsor. “Research shows that companies with more women on their boards outperform those without by a significant margin, and organizations with greater gender diversity among senior leaders are more profitable.
“Yet despite significant progress, women are still underrepresented in leadership positions. Events like this help create self-awareness, approaches and tools to improve leadership skills and potential.”
Marna Ricker, global vice chair at EY, and Anu Saxena, president of Hilton Supply Management discussed women in leadership and shared their career development strategies.
“No job is in reach until you master your current job,” said Ricker (BSBA ’91). “Deliver consistent results, be inspiring, lead people and take the hard projects even if they aren’t in your lane.”
Saxena (BSBA '01) encouraged attendees to fully embrace the present and master the ‘what’ they’re in charge of now before asking ‘What’s next?’
“Life is a zig zag. You need to jump into challenging positions. If you don’t feel a little discomfort, you aren’t learning,” Saxena said.
She also said that there are no short cuts to success.
“You need to put in the work, be a humble lifelong learner and don’t be afraid of feedback,” Saxena said. “Feedback is a great gift, as it shows that those giving it care about you and want you to do better.”
During her professional career, Mace said she had embraced Saxena’s advice.
“I learned to be confident while being humble,” Mace said. “Seems like a conundrum, but humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. Be confident while remaining open to feedback from others and allow them to speak freely and openly.”
Both Ricker and Saxena have taken risks and owned their careers. Ricker discussed powering forward when facing struggles in her professional and personal life.
“In order to power forward you need to be competent, reliable and consistent,” Ricker said. “Your career will have ups and downs, but you need to be able to pick yourself up and let yourself go through the ups and downs.”
Alumna Kristen Ayers (BSBA ’04, JD ’07) said hearing these women gave her the confidence to move forward professionally.
“It’s a promise to myself to take the mic, to be loud and that it’s okay to be myself,” Ayers said. “If you have faith in yourself, you will be able to get through it.”
Marna Ricker
Global Vice Chair
EY
Marna Ricker (BSBA ’91) is an EY veteran of more than 29 years and leads more than 75,000 tax, people advisory services (PAS) and law professionals worldwide. She oversees all aspects of tax strategy, including operations, people development, client relations, quality control, risk management, thought leadership, knowledge and learning.
Marna serves on the Global Executive, EY’s most senior management body, which focuses on strategy, execution and operations, and brings together all the elements of the global organization. She also leads the Global Tax Executive Committee, which sets the strategy for the EY Global Tax, PAS and Law practices.
Marna is a recognized leader in the business and tax world. In 2021, she was named the Bronze Stevie Award winner for Woman of the Year, the Silver Best in Biz Award winner for Executive of the Year, the Silver Women in Business and the Professions World Award winner for Female Executive of the Year, and the Finance Monthly Taxation Award winner for Tax Advisory Firm of the Year.
Anu Saxena
President
Hilton Supply Management
Anu Saxena (BSBA '01) leads the world’s largest supply chain services organization for hospitality, Hilton Supply Management (HSM), a subsidiary of Hilton. HSM services over 17,000 properties and 140 brands across 145 countries and manages $13 billion in global spend with over 3,000 suppliers while driving substantial savings and commercial performance for owners, management companies, and franchisees.
Additionally, she leads an award-winning Sustainability and Supplier Diversity Program recognized by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Ecovadis, the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, National Business Inclusion Consortium, National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), and Fair 360.
Anu serves on the boards of the American Hotel Lodging Association Foundation, the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, and the NMSDC.
Before joining Hilton, Anu worked for Capgemini, where she consulted for Fortune 500 companies across various industries, including government, health care, telecom/media, higher education, and retail.
Anu is a proud alumna of The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. She resides in McLean, Virginia, with her husband and two children.
Tracy Dumas
Associate Professor of Management and Human Resources
The Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business
Tracy Dumas’ research addresses the interface between employees’ personal and professional lives with a focus on understanding how management practices can help employees to excel at work while also engaging meaningfully in their communities.
Her research is published in leading outlets including Academy of Management Annals, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Organization Science, Personnel Psychology, Harvard Business Review, Research on Managing Groups and Teams, and Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy.
She earned her PhD in management and organizations from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She also holds an MS in Industrial Relations from Loyola University Chicago and a BS from Northwestern University.
Thank you to our alumnae for their generous support!
Paula Bennett
(BSBA ’71)
Camille Gibson
(BA ’78, MBA ’83)
Joyce Mace
(BSBA ’84)
Paula Bennett is a highly experienced CEO from the retail industry, with proven success at creating brand value and driving profitable growth across omnichannel platforms. She has an excellent record at building portfolio companies for public, private and private equity investors, and led the successful IPO of J. Jill in March 2017. Paula served on the Board of At Home and its Nominating & Governance Committee through transition to a private company in July 2021.
As CEO of J.Jill from 2008 to 2018, Paula transformed the business and culture to create an industry-leading omnichannel brand. She has held senior leadership positions at Eileen Fisher, Tiffany & Co., Calvin Klein, and Bloomingdale’s, where she developed and leveraged her extensive experience in women’s apparel, jewelry and decorative home categories across sales, marketing, CRM, merchandising, product development and omni-channel business and team development.
Paula is an active supporter of the advancement of women in business. She serves on the Board of Women’s Forum of New York. She is a member of C200, an invitation-only organization comprised of female entrepreneurs and corporate innovators. Paula is a Managing Director at Golden Seeds Capital and a member of Paradigm for Parity. A proud graduate of The Ohio State University, Paula is an active member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at The Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business, a member of the Fisher Leadership Initiative, and founder of the Women in Leadership Fund to advance mentorship of female students at Fisher.
Before embarking on her new adventure at Sana Foods by The Real Coconut Products Co. LLC, Camille was most recently the vice president of marketing at General Mills and business unit director for Cheerios, Wheaties, Nature Valley and Cascadian Farms. She was responsible for the growth and profitability of the $2.5B business unit, including vision and strategy development and marketing and new product innovation. During her career she led several businesses including Pillsbury, Green Giant, Yoplait, Nature Valley and Cheerios.
One of 10 children, Camille was born in London, England, and has lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Columbus, Ohio. She earned her bachelor's degree and an MBA from The Ohio State University and was the first woman selected to receive Fisher's Distinguished Leadership Alumni Award. In 2014, she was named one of the "100 Most Creative People in Business" by Fast Company, received Adweek's Brand Genius Award, and was recognized by Brand Innovators as one of the "Women to Watch."
Currently, Camille lives in Seattle and has two adult children.
Joyce began her 36-year professional career in the Columbus office of Price Waterhouse and was admitted to the partnership of PwC in 1998 as a lead client service tax partner. During her PwC career, Joyce was selected for a tour of duty in the Washington National Tax Services office and held various client service and internal management leadership roles while working in the Detroit, Atlanta and Dallas offices.
After retiring in 2020, Joyce joined the Founders Group of the Fisher Leadership Initiative and became a liaison for United to Learn, a Dallas-based education nonprofit with a stated mission of changing lives by transforming the relationship between schools and community. She and her dog, Bella, are a registered therapy team and love to visit students and teachers at J.P. Starks Elementary School in Dallas.
Joyce earned her bachelor's degree in business administration from The Ohio State University in 1984. Joyce received the Excellence in Service Alumni Award in 2022.
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