Keenan named managing director, Penn State Smeal Executive MBA Program

The Penn State Smeal College of Business Executive MBA Program in Philadelphia has named Kara Keenan as its new managing director. She began her role on Jan. 13.

Keenan previously served as associate director of both the Chief Learning Officer Program and the Medical Education Program at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. She has held leadership roles at INSEAD and the Columbia Business School.

“For more than a decade, the Smeal Executive MBA Program has represented the strength of the Penn State name in Philadelphia, and I’m looking forward to growing the program’s potential even further in the coming years,” said Keenan.

As managing director of the Smeal Executive MBA, Keenan will lead recruitment and admission efforts, work with students, faculty, and staff to ensure excellence in program delivery, and continue to build and strengthen the network of EMBA alumni with each other and to the wider Penn State alumni network.

“We’re very excited to welcome Kara to the Smeal College of Business community,” said Charles H. Whiteman, John and Becky Surma Dean of Smeal. “She has a deep appreciation for the unique dimensions of the executive MBA format and how it can serve high-potential students and their organizations. Kara will play a critical leadership role as we look to grow the Smeal EMBA in the Philadelphia region.”

Keenan holds a master’s degree in higher education administration from Columbia University and undergraduate degrees in English and political science from Trinity College.

About the Penn State Smeal Executive MBA ProgramThe Penn State Smeal Executive MBA Program provides working professionals with the learning, connections, resources, and experiences to accelerate their careers. The 21-month program features personalized executive coaching, intensive communication training, a weeklong international residency experience, and coursework focused on the unique challenges of the students’ firms. Classes are held on alternating weekends at the ACE Conference Center in suburban Philadelphia. Learn more at www.smeal.psu.edu/execmba.