Luann earned her B.A. in Business Administration and Psychology from Spring Arbor University and her MBA with a specialization in Organizational Development from Bowling Green State University. After working for a global automotive and building glass organization in the Toledo area for over 15 years, Luann earned her Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University.  The Online/Residency Doctoral program at Regent allowed Luann to collaborate with over 20 senior ranked individuals from various global business backgrounds.  During this time, Luann focused her research and studies on global organizational strategy, restructuring and implementing change in organizations and growing healthy nondenominational churches to reach the unchurched.

In addition to working for Pilkington North America, Luann has focused over the last twenty years on teaching and coaching adult university students in both online and face-to-face course formats, and developing new Masters level curriculum by utilizing simulations and other cutting edge technology in the classroom and online. She has used her expertise in real world global and North American business and non-profit operations by improving plant and shared service operations based on best practices, promoting process improvement, and leading and/or managing complex technology and strategic projects.

Luann’s career achievements have included:

  • Regularly receiving outstanding faculty ratings from adult students in cohort,  online and weekend college courses.
  • Leading a successful team effort to reduce Pilkington OE SBU costs and improve profit by $100 million over a five-year period. Coordinated OE business unit member ideas from seven North American plant locations and a tooling/sales center to achieve improvement.
  • Transforming “unique by country” Pilkington business processes across Europe, South and North America into one business process design. Served on the U.K. leadership team with fifty international team members from ten countries to identify, select and design the best worldwide business processes. Implemented a project plan for tracking over one thousand activities on the 1.5-year SAP project to meet the implementation deadline.
  • Consolidating the shared service financial and accounting groups into one organization to improve morale, enhance individual satisfaction in positions and improve each individual’s knowledge of how his/her job fit into the overall business requirements and delivery of profit and cash flow targets.
  • Conducting a risk analysis for a large mega-church (9,000 attendees each weekend in five sites) and implementing improved internal controls which eliminated twelve significant concerns in the church’s external audit report in a 1.5-year period. Led a team of high-capacity volunteers to determine best practices for a   mega-church’s assimilation and equipping ministries. These practices were implemented and increased the involvement and commitment of attendees in reaching the Toledo, OH area for Christ and in meeting the needs of the community.
  • Leading several key HR and strategic projects over the last three years to evaluate cultural and environmental factors that affect campus/site alignment, improved payroll and onboarding processes and increased planned giving.
  • Leading a N.A. project team to deliver the required JSOX (Japanese Sarbanes-Oxley) Controls Matrix to E & Y (external auditors).  Coordinated with Canada, Mexico and US location (over 120 locations) personnel to deliver proof of effective internal controls to E & Y. No concerns were noted for North America.
  • Leading a project team of Controllers, Procurement, AR and Financial personnel in 20 N.A. plant locations and the corporate office to reduce working capital by $40Million in one year and maintain the progress for the next three years. Project analytics were successful in meeting the targets and helped PNA/NSG meet the banking requirements for debt holdings in Japan (global NSG owners).

Areas of Expertise

Leadership, Business Strategy, Organization Development, Non-Profit Operations, Global Business, Cultural Studies, Church Operations and Employee Benefits, Human Resources, Internal Controls, Risk Management, Project Management and Social Responsibility

Between June, 2015 and June, 2016 I have attended the following conferences:

  • SHRM Annual Conference in Las Vegas – Attendance > 7000
  • AACC World Conference in Nashville – Attendance > 7000
  • Kingdom Advisors’ Annual Conference in Orlando Attendance >500
  • Crescendo Planned Giving Conference in Orlando  Attendance >500
  • Global Leadership Summit sponsored by Willow Creek Church in Chicago

Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)

Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP)

International Society Technology Education (ISTE)

American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC)

Kingdom Advisors (KA)

 

Achieved the following Certifications by taking Professional Exams:

  • Kingdom Advisor Certification
  • SPHR (Senior Professional Human Resource) Certification
  • SHRM-SCP Certification

Undergraduate Courses

BUS235:  Business Communication (Fall 2016)

This undergraduate course focuses on the effective techniques of oral and written communications in business.  The course provides practice in writing positive and negative letters, making oral presentations using Power Point, Prezi and Infographics. It also includes career search techniques utilizing career apps and websites and creating resumes, cover letters and doing mock interviews.

Graduate Courses

MBA624: Planning, Budgeting and Implementation (Fall 2015)

The purpose of this course is to build upon foundational knowledge in competitive strategy and implementation and to develop the student’s skills in creating, defending, and implementing business plans, strategic plans, and associated budget materials. A heavy emphasis is placed on the implementation phase of the budget and the strategic plan.

MOL LS610: Leadership Foundations (Fall 2011)

Introduces the definition of leadership, the history of leadership, the history of leadership development in the United States, and various mode of leadership in use in this country and elsewhere. Focuses on personal leadership development, offering students the opportunity to identify personal leadership values and those audiences and arena they aspire to influence. Provides an orientation to the entire Master of Organizational Leadership curriculum and its associated goals and objectives.

MOL LS617: Financial Tools for Leadership (Spring 2007, 2011; Summer 2010; Fall 2012, 2016)

This graduate course provides students with an in-depth understanding of financial reporting and management accounting systems typically encountered in organizations.  Successful leaders have a comfortable relationship with financial information in their organizations which they use to help make sound organizational decisions about problems and opportunities.  This course improves understanding of finance, accounting, internal controls and related financial analysis tools.

MOL LS618: Leadership and Organizational Development (Fall 2016)

This graduate course examines how organizational leaders build learning organizations which transform individuals within the organization using change processes.  The leader becomes a motivator for implementing and facilitating change.  This course highlights organizational leadership as a catalyst for adapting to organizational change.  Organizational development includes designing interventions and strategic responses to increase organizational relevance and effectiveness.

MOL LS619: Strategic Thinking (Fall 2006,2008,2015; Spring 2010, 2016; Summer 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)

The purpose of this graduate course is to provide students with an in-depth experience of the concepts and methods of strategic management in organizations in an increasingly changing environment.  The course integrates the knowledge of leadership and management skill learned throughout the MOL program into the understanding of strategy formulation and implementation while manifesting the social responsibilities of the organization.