ASU's Amy Hillman honored with Women of Achievement award

In Business Magazine brought together top local women of achievement to share their stories and inspire Valley business leaders at the annual Women of Achievement luncheon on Oct. 24.

Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business Dean Amy Hillman was one of the 14 In Business Magazine 2019 Women of Achievement. She joins Cindy McCain, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and other community leaders who are being celebrated for their business success, connection and service to the community, and their efforts to grow business.

“Amy’s leadership is a rare mix of authenticity and vision that invites people into our W. P. Carey community," alumnus and philanthropist Rich Boals said. "Whether that person is a student, donor, an employee, or a community business owner, they see how they fit into our story, how they make a difference for our school.” 

Hillman received her PhD from Texas A&M University in strategic management and business and public policy in 1996 and was inducted as an Outstanding Doctoral Alumni from her alma mater in 2008. She joined W. P. Carey as an associate professor in the Department of Management in 2001 and earned professorship in 2006, before becoming chair of the Department of Management in 2007. Hillman assumed her current role as dean in 2013 and is the first woman to serve in that position. In addition, she has spent several summers as a guest professor at the Institute for International Management at Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria.

Hillman’s 25 years in higher education are best displayed through her multitude accolades, including an editorship of Academy of Management Review, serving as a founding fellow of the International Corporate Governance Society, and being named an Academy of Management Fellow in 2014. She received the Academy of Management’s Outstanding Educator Award in 2018, and will serve as vice-chair elect in 2020 and ultimately president of the Academy of Management in 2022.

Since Hillman became dean, the W. P. Carey School of Business has grown in both enrollment and prestige. Fall 2019 marks a new enrollment record with almost 5,500 undergraduate and graduate students joining the school across all campuses. Current rankings place W. P. Carey among the best business schools in the country — U.S. News and World Report named the school the No. 3 online MBA for veterans, No. 6 among online MBA programs, and No. 22 nationwide for part-time MBA programs. The Economist placed W. P. Carey as the No. 12 executive MBA worldwide, the University of Texas at Dallas Business School Research Productivity Rankings listed the school as No. 25 in research productivity worldwide, and seven undergraduate disciplines scored in the U. S. News and World Report Top 20. Hillman played a key role in launching the innovative Forward Focus MBA, which seeks to provide students with tailored, practical experiences, and the Professional Flex MBA, which offers part-time students enhanced customization.

As the first female dean at W. P. Carey, Hillman takes her mentorship role seriously. She regularly hosts Women’s Circle events in the community, featuring female scholars discussing their research and industries. Attendees include CEOs and leaders from across the Valley. Further, Hillman volunteers as a speaker and panelist for audiences learning about board equity, governance and leadership.

Hillman takes this perspective into the broader business community as well. Today, she serves on the board of publicly traded CDK Global, on the independent governance committee of U-Haul International, and on the nonprofit boards of AACSB and the ASU Research Park.