Skip to main content

Newsroom

President Davis-Blake Announces Commencement Speakers: State Street CEO Ronald O’Hanley and Leadership Expert Robert Quinn

Dear Bentley Community,

I’m happy to announce this year’s speakers for the undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies on May 18. 

Ronald O’Hanley, Undergraduate Keynote Speaker

Ronald O’Hanley is president and chief executive officer of State Street Corporation and a member of State Street Corporation’s Board of Directors. State Street, the company behind the Fearless Girl statue in New York’s Financial District, is committed to advancing gender diversity and advancing women in leadership roles. O’Hanley was previously president and chief operating officer of State Street Corporation, and before that president and chief executive officer of State Street Global Advisors, its investment management arm. Prior to State Street, O’Hanley was president of Asset Management & Corporate Services for Fidelity Investments, responsible for all Fidelity asset management organizations and Fidelity’s corporate functions and enterprise technology. Before joining Fidelity, O’Hanley served as president and chief executive officer of BNY Mellon Asset Management in Boston. He also served as vice chair of Bank of New York Mellon Corporation and was a member of its Executive Committee. Prior to the merger of Bank of New York and Mellon Financial Corporation, he was vice chair of Mellon Financial Corporation and president and chief executive officer of Mellon Asset Management. Previously, O’Hanley was with McKinsey & Company, Inc., including being elected a partner. He founded the Investment Management practice worldwide and was co-founder and co-leader of the firm's North American Personal Financial Services practice. O’Hanley’s areas of philanthropic and civic interest include corporate governance, retirement/healthcare policy, education and climate, and he has led several initiatives on gender equality.

Robert Quinn, Graduate Keynote Speaker

Robert E. Quinn is the Margaret Elliot Tracy Collegiate Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. His research and writing focus on purpose, leadership, culture and change. He is a co-founder of the field of Positive Organizational Scholarship and co-founder of the Center for Positive Organizations. He is in the top 1 percent of professors cited in organizational behavior textbooks. Quinn is particularly known for his work on the competing values framework which has been used by thousands of organizations. His paper, “Moments of Greatness: Entering the Fundamental State of Leadership,” was selected by the Harvard Business Review as one of the 10 “Must Reads on Managing Yourself.” Quinn has published 18 books, including “Deep Change,” a long-term best seller. His book, “The Best Teacher in You,” won the Ben Franklin Award designating it the best book in education. In August, he will publish “The Economics of Higher Purpose: Eight Counterintuitive Steps for Creating a Purpose-Driven Organization.” In a global survey, he was recently named one of the top speakers in the world on the topic of organizational culture and related issues.

As you know, this will mark my first commencement at Bentley so I’m particularly excited to welcome two speakers who have shown their commitment to diversity and to positive leadership. (Today’s announcement is on our website here.) It’s hard to believe commencement is fast approaching—I look forward to celebrating it with you. 

Warmly,
Alison