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Taking
Care of Business
In August
2005 Nancy Hayes stepped into the role of dean of the College of Business,
looking forward to "building a business school that is responsive
to the needs of students and of local and global employers." The
renowned business strategist and veteran of IBM's elite executive ranks
wasted no time getting started.
"Dean Hayes has already made more connections in the downtown business
community than any previous College of Business Dean," says John
Gemello, provost and vice president of academic affairs. "She's
made tremendous strides in strengthening our reputation as the city's
university, especially among its business leaders."
Mary Huss, publisher of the San Francisco Business Times, says
that Hayes is a tremendous asset to the college. "She has a very
effective way of communicating that can form consensus and build teams.
A good leader can relate to people on all levels -- up, down and sideways
-- and she can."
At IBM, Hayes was responsible for a massive sales and services re-engineering
effort that improved customer service and was later adopted by other
IBM units throughout the world. She also demonstrated impressive leadership
in the nonprofit sector, as CEO of the STARBRIGHT Foundation and president
and CEO of WISE Senior Services.
"I like to help build organizations so people feel proud and fulfilled,"
Hayes says. "When they are proud, then the customer -- our student
-- is satisfied." Her work at IBM took her across the globe to
deal with different customers, organizational cultures and identities.
Her goal today is the same: focus on the organization's core mission
and achieve excellence while always looking to the future.
The dean's focus is intense, says Kathy O'Donnell, professor of marketing.
"She is very straightforward and doesn't glamorize things."
Hayes reaches out to business leaders, many alumni among them, for feedback
on courses or participation in symposiums on such topics as business
ethics. Lately she has been preparing faculty to move their graduate
courses to the downtown campus which will provide added convenience
for students who are working professionals. "My job is to be a
catalyst, to help create the infrastructure so that faculty and staff
can perform their jobs," says Hayes, who is looking forward to
continuing to raise her college's profile throughout the Bay Area. "I
want to make sure that employers are aware that we have the kinds of
graduates they need."
 
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