Simmons University in Boston Launches a Leadership Institute For Women

Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts, has established the Simmons University Institute for Leadership. The new institute will continue the university’s success in developing empowered women leaders. Through the expertise of Simmons faculty, alumni, students, and global leaders, the new institute will host global conferences and conversations, offer educational programs for corporate partners, conduct research studies, and develop other activities focused on advancing women’s leadership.

Susan MacKenty Brady has been named the managing director of the leadership institute. Before this appointment, she served as the executive vice president of Linkage Inc., a worldwide leadership development firm specializing in consulting, training, organizational assessments, executive coaching and immersive learning experiences. In this role, she founded the company’s Women in Leadership Institute, which is now in its 20th year with a network of over 10,000 alumni worldwide. Additionally, she is the author of Mastering Your Inner Critic and 7 Other High Hurdles to Advancement: How the Best Women Leaders Practice Self-Awareness to Change What Really Matters (McGraw-Hill, 2018), which discusses her research on the leadership hurdles women face in the workforce. 

“Simmons has made a positive difference in so many successful women’s lives and careers,” Brady said. “I am honored and humbled to join an organization that has known the importance of empowering women for 120 years. This new Institute is a catalyst for expanding the university’s reach and for continuing to change the game for women around the world.”

Brady is a graduate of Marietta College in Ohio, where she majored in business communications. She holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Ohio University.