The Adelphi University Robert B. Willumstad School of Business has named Deborah Zawisza ’80 its 2023–2024 Executive in Residence.
Zawisza brings more than 30 years of technology and leadership experience to benefit the School’s students and faculty in classroom and cocurricular activities.
“The Executive in Residence program connects academia to the business world by having a successful alumnus share their knowledge and experience with our business school students and faculty,” notes Willumstad School of Business Dean MaryAnne Hyland, PhD. “We are delighted and fortunate to have Deborah Zawisza as our executive in residence this year.”
Zawisza received her degree in management from Adelphi in 1980 and spent the first 18 years of her career on Aetna’s technology leadership team before moving to PwC Consulting. After spending eight years at PwC, she transitioned back into the insurance field as senior vice president and chief information officer with The Phoenix Companies and then moved to The Travelers Indemnity Company, where she was senior vice president and chief information officer for its claims services division.
For the past four years, Zawisza has been a leadership team member at Datos Insights, where she currently serves as senior principal for the firm’s insurance practice. At Datos, she advises insurance and technology C-suite executives on trends and opportunities.
“My education at Adelphi was instrumental in my career growth and success,” Zawisza says. “I am looking forward to giving back to students and the Willumstad School of Business.”
As executive in residence, Zawisza will be a lecturer for the School’s Insights From Experts program, speak in graduate and undergraduate classes, provide research advice to faculty, mentor students on career planning and assist with the Elizabeth and Allen Don Center for Innovative Technology and Decision Sciences.
About the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business
The Adelphi University Robert B. Willumstad School of Business educates students to become leaders who impact local communities, society and the world. Experiential learning is central to our curriculum, and our Willumstad Winning Edge program for undergraduate students emphasizes internships, work experience and study abroad as ways to put classroom learning into practice, build business skills and develop a global perspective. Our MBA, MS and certificate programs deepen students’ knowledge, provide experience with the latest business technologies, and enhance analytical and decision-making skills. At the Willumstad School of Business, we are in the business of developing global thinkers, innovators and leaders who pursue careers with purpose.
Faculty research and areas of expertise include regulation and structure of the public accounting field; international accounting; business ethics; corporate governance and social responsibility; well-being assessment and links between power inequality and health outcomes; supply chain management; game theory; communication, financial and transportation networks; operations management; financial literacy; machine learning/deep learning; neural networks; optimization techniques; simulation-based decision-making; data mining and data visualization; systems thinking; organizational leadership; flexible work arrangements; economic development; institutional theory; organizational change; entrepreneurship in regional and social context; human resource management; and technological capabilities, innovation and strategy.