Simmons Leadership Conference

Mary Shapiro

For more than 20 years as a consultant, executive trainer, and faculty member, Professor Shapiro has worked with public and private companies to develop the infrastructure and competencies critical to reaching organizational goals. She joined the Simmons MBA faculty in 1993, and has developed and delivered Simmons Executive Education programs since 1988. Shapiro specializes in four areas: team building and intervention, communicating in a diverse and virtual environment, personal effectiveness in influence and motivation, and strategic career management. In 2009 she began teaching undergraduates, including study-abroad trips exploring the careers of women leaders in socialist/capitalist countries.

She developed "The Communication Styles Diagnostic," a tool that has been used by thousands of managers to improve their effectiveness with individuals and teams. She co-authored two books—Your Job Interview: An Easy, Smart Guide to Interview Success; and Take Charge of Your Career with SOM colleague Dr. Cynthia Ingols—which extend an understanding of interviewing and work strategies to include the nuances of gender and many dimensions of diversity. She continues her research in the area of women, their careers, their approach to risk-taking, and their relationship with power.

Throughout her professional career, Shapiro has consulted with public and private Fortune 500 clients, such as ESPN and Merck Pharmaceuticals, working with Boards and teams to create vision and mission statements, and strategic plans; launch teams with process infrastructure and project plans; facilitate planning with Balanced Scorecard and other tools; and intervene with teams in crises. She continues to create and deliver an inventory of seminars and serve as an executive speech coach.