Bentley University has named Deborah Pine as Executive Director for its Center for Women and Business, known for its work helping corporations recruit, retain and advance women in the workplace. Pine joins Bentley from Harvard Business School where she helped propel students’ careers forward as a career coach and professional mentor for start-up teams.

“I am pleased to welcome Deb to lead the Center for Women and Business,” said President Gloria Larson. “With Deb’s strong vision and dedication, our corporate and community partners will continue to advance our shared goal of gender equality in the workplace.  I know our student and faculty efforts around gender-based knowledge and experience will continue to thrive under her leadership.”

Prior to joining Harvard Business School, Pine co-founded PreVision Marketing, a highly successful customer marketing and technology firm which developed breakthrough programs for Fortune 500 companies.  She also served as COO of thegrommet.com, a curated online e-commerce site that was acquired by Japanese e-ecommerce giant Rakuten. As head of business development, Deb spearheaded M&A initiatives for ADVO, a leader in direct-to-consumer print advertising.

“I am thrilled to join the Center for Women and Business and the Bentley University community,” says Pine. “I look forward to building upon the CWB’s core competencies, drawing upon the strengths of Bentley’s academic DNA, and furthering progress toward corporate gender equality.”

Recently, Pine served as an investor and advisor to early-stage ventures and as a non-profit board member. She is also an internationally recognized speaker in the customer relationship management field.

Pine earned her M.B.A. from Harvard Business school and her B.A. in Communications from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

She will officially join Bentley on April 25, 2016.

About the Center for Women and Business

The Center for Women and Business envisions a world where corporations recognize the importance of gender balance throughout their organizations and at all levels of leadership. Its primary focus is helping corporations recruit, retain and advance women in the workplace through action steps and thought leadership. The center also creates leadership opportunities for students; collaborates with faculty; and engages in research to advance women in the workplace.