Executive Education
Faculty

Carol Geffner

President, CB Vision, LLC | Professor of Practice, Governance & Management, USC Sol Price School of Public Policy (RET)

Dr. Carol J. Geffner is a renowned expert in governance, management, and policy processes, and a retired Professor of Practice at the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California. With a distinguished track record in transforming businesses and leadership teams across healthcare, media, and other sectors, Carol is known for her ability to drive sustainable success and competitive growth. She previously directed the Executive Master of Leadership program at USC and has managed businesses ranging from $3 million to $200 million in size.

A nationally recognized speaker and author, Carol is an expert in leadership, culture transformation, disruptive change, and governance. She has contributed to Forbes magazine and is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council. Her latest book, Building a New Leadership Ladder: Transforming Male-Dominated Organizations to Support Women on the Rise (MIT Press, 2023), highlights her commitment to fostering leadership and diversity. Carol’s extensive career includes roles as President of Shared Services for a $1.8 billion media company and faculty positions at leading institutions such as the Peter F. Drucker School and Chapman University.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolgeffner/

Current Courses:

Articles & Research:
Published Articles & Features Building a New Leadership Ladder: Transforming Male-Dominated Organizations to Support Women on the Rise, MIT Press (2023) Porchlight: Five Pillars for Building Organizations That Work for Women, 3/1/2023 MIT Press: Our most anticipated books of 2023, 1/9/2023 MIT Press: Our picks for International Women’s Day, 3/8/2023 MIT Sloan Management Review: Getting Action-Oriented About Gender and Racial Equity at Work, 3/24/2023 Axiom Business Book Award, 3/28/2023 Next Big Idea Club: 7 New Books That Every Leader Should Read, 5/15/2023 MIT Press: Books for the budding new grad: Business and economics, 5/11/2023 Hospital C-Suites: Leading Disruptive Change – authored white paper with Witt/Kieffer Interviews, 2014
Forbes Articles How to Exit Underperforming Team Members, 8/15/2024 Leading Through A Crisis, 6/17/2024 How To Make Your First 90 Days Count As A Leader, 5/6/2024 Starting A New Leadership Role? How To Negotiate The Conditions For Your Success, 4/2/2024 Five Questions To Ask Before Assuming Leadership Of An Organization In Crisis, 2/6/2024 Pros And Cons Of Resonant And Dissonant Leadership And When Dissonant Is Best, 12/29/2023 Getting And Staying Out Of The Weeds As A Leader, 11/20/2023 Leveraging Data To Promote DEI In The Workplace, 10/26/2023 How To Build And Lead Positive Micro-Cultures At Your Business, 9/26/2023 How And Why To Seek Out Mentors Throughout Your Career, 8/31/2023 The Leader As Advocate, 8/7/2023 Four Ways To Support DEI Through Succession Planning, 7/3/2023 Why You Should Change Your Organization’s DNA—And How To Get Started, 5/24/2023 The Authenticity Paradox: How Diversity Impacts The Expectation To Show Up Authentically In Work, 4/25/2023 Ten Percent Of Fortune 500 Companies Are Now Women-Led: The Changing Face Of Leadership, 3/17/2023
Interviews Bloomberg Businessweek interview with Carol Massar and Madison Mills: Transforming Workplaces to Support Women Leaders, 3/02/2023 Hyper Guy Motivational Podcast with Martin Figueroa: How to Create Workplaces That Successfully Combat Gender Discrimination, 5/10/2023 Everyday MBA with Kevin Craine podcast interview: Building a New Leadership Ladder, 6/16/2023

Articles & Research:

Published Articles & Features

Building a New Leadership Ladder: Transforming Male-Dominated Organizations to Support Women on the Rise, MIT Press (2023)

Porchlight: Five Pillars for Building Organizations That Work for Women, 3/1/2023

MIT Press: Our most anticipated books of 2023, 1/9/2023

MIT Press: Our picks for International Women’s Day, 3/8/2023

MIT Sloan Management Review: Getting Action-Oriented About Gender and Racial Equity at Work, 3/24/2023

Axiom Business Book Award, 3/28/2023

Next Big Idea Club: 7 New Books That Every Leader Should Read, 5/15/2023

MIT Press: Books for the budding new grad: Business and economics, 5/11/2023

Hospital C-Suites: Leading Disruptive Change – authored white paper with Witt/Kieffer Interviews, 2014

Forbes Articles