Women influence $7T of spending in the United States annually. That’s larger than the economy of India and China combined, notes Jeffery Tobias Halter, author of “WHY WOMEN, The Leadership Imperative to Advancing Women and Engaging Men.” In a series of video discussion panels held in front of an audience made up of corporate leaders that was published and paraphrased by the Gender Leadership Group, Halter also notes:
- Women make 89 percent of financial service decisions
- Women influence 70 percent of car purchases
- Women make 80 percent of the healthcare decisions
- Women are the influencers of most home improvement projects
Given that 83 percent of everything sold in the non-business-to-business setting is purchased or influenced by women, it’s understandable why “research shows that companies with gender-balanced management teams have a higher ROI,” according to Bridget Brennan, CEO of consulting firm Female Factor, in a piece for Forbes. Brennan calls women consumers “One of the world’s greatest emerging markets” and notes that their impact on the economy grows every year.
The Executive MBA programs at UT Dallas’ Naveen Jindal School of Management are helping to balance the gender ratios on management teams by providing high-quality education to the future female business leaders of the world. Meet three of our very successful female EMBA alumni who are currently enjoying dynamic leadership careers in the consumer services industry in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Sue Davidson Hopeman
An accomplished, innovative retail executive leader with a 20-plus year portfolio of solid successes, Sue Davidson Hopeman earned her Executive MBA in 2015, graduating with High Distinction. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Dickinson College. In her most recent position as Executive VP, Chief Merchandising Officer for Visionworks of America, Sue leads a team of 65 Merchandising, Marketing, eCommerce, and Project Management personnel and nine direct reports for the 750-store, $1B annual revenue retail operation.
Sue’s career path shows a steady history of promotions into progressively larger-scoped retail managerial roles, thanks to her outstanding leadership and strategic planning skills. She’s a gifted communicator, collaborator, profit generator, and sales revenue booster who has held a variety of Senior VP and VP positions in Marketing, Merchandising, Customer Service, and Ecommerce for leading national retailers.
Lana Evenhar
Currently acting as Customer Solutions Sales Manager at Ericsson, Lana Evenhar earned both her BA and graduated from the Executive MBA from UT Dallas Jindal School of Management. She previously spent nine years with Ericsson in the position of Senior Account Manager.
Found by her peers to be a skilled negotiator between customers, project teams, and support managers, Lana’s other strong suits include vendor management, telecommunications, contract negotiation and contract management, and customer service and customer satisfaction.
E. Michelle Miller
E. Michelle Miller and the University of Texas at Dallas have enjoyed a vibrant and enduring relationship over the years. She earned her MS in Management and Administrative Sciences with a concentration in Organizational Behavior in 2005 and obtained her EMBA in 2015 with Distinction Honors. Since 2011, Michelle has served on the Alumni Campaign Council, is a Legacy Society Member, and a Power of Two Mentor. She even worked for UT Dallas as Director of Corporate Relations (Business Development) from 2012-2015.
Currently Michelle serves as Regional Research Operations Manager at CBRE, overseeing research processes and production in the CBRE offices of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Nebraska. Her accountabilities include the hiring, training, mentoring, and supervision of a team of 25 research professionals. This adaptable, innovative, and efficient leader has a strong background in commercial real estate and international business. And she held three different positions in Goldman Sachs’ Realty Management Division prior to joining UT Dallas in 2012.
