Lindner dean a 2022 Women Who Mean Business honoree

Women Who Mean Business highlights the achievements of Greater Cincinnati women who stood out on the business scene in 2022. Along with Lewis, nine other women were honored in a ceremony last week at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Hotel.

• Laura Brunner, president and CEO of the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority
• Meghan Cummings, vice president of civic advancement for the Greater Cincinnati Foundation
• Whitney Gaskins, assistant dean of inclusive excellence and community engagement for the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science 
• Mina Jones Jefferson, chief people officer at Graydon Law and former associate dean, chief of staff and director, Center for Professional Development, UC College of Law
• Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, vice mayor of the city of Cincinnati
• Jackie Reau, CEO of Game Day
• Jennifer Sebranek, principal and chief marketing officer of GBBN 
• Sheila Williams, author
• Anna Wood, vice president and managing director of Tire Discounters Inc.

In an interview with the Business Courier, Lewis explained why business can be a force for good and how that mantra connects to Lindner’s approach to business education.

“At Lindner, we empower business problem solvers. Business offers tremendous tools for making positive and powerful change,” Lewis said. “Rigorous and creative approaches to innovation, finances, customers and beyond open new opportunities vital to sustainable for-profit and nonprofit organizations as well as to startups, communities and government. By blending research and academics with hands-on learning via co-op and projects, we fuel impactful problem solving.”

As for her proudest accomplishment since becoming Lindner’s first female dean in 2019, Lewis cited Linder's community, specifically the college’s faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters.

“Together we managed and continue to learn through the challenges of the pandemic,” Lewis said. “Our culture of collaborative, caring and high-performing problem solvers has enabled us to grow, innovate and reinvest, enabling a very bright future.”

Earlier this year, Lewis co-authored “Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems,” which centers on embracing competing demands simultaneously to enable more creative and lasting solutions.

Read more from the Cincinnati Business Courier.

Featured image: Marianne Lewis with Lindner colleagues and students. Back row, left to right: Sydney Rohrs, Annika Braaten and Jane Sojka. Front row: Ana Lucia Gehner, Chanda Monroe-Williams, Noura Ata, Lewis, Julia Dean, Lenisa Chang and Erica Boden. All photos by Suzanne Buzek.