Welcome

Dr. Kathy Schwaig

Here at the Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University, our faculty and staff continually develop new and innovative approaches to business education while also cultivating lasting relationships with economic and community leaders from across Atlanta and around the world.

Everyone at Coles aspires to more. Our educators are experts in their fields, our staff provide valuable support that empowers students to achieve their goals, and our graduates leave Coles prepared to excel in a globalized business landscape.

As one of the world’s top business schools, Coles stays on the leading edge of business education and engagement by:

  1. Ensuring our students are career-ready upon graduation. We offer students actionable career guidance through the Hughes Leadership and Career Program, while initiatives like the All Access Business Series and the Tetley Distinguished Leader Lecture Series put students in direct contact with Atlanta-area employers.

  2. Building partnerships with Atlanta-area businesses. Coles is more than a world-class business school, we are also a major player in the local economy. Our Shore Entrepreneurship Center brings students, faculty, and area business owners together to solve real-world business challenges.

  3. Conducting quality research that influences decision-making at top organizations. A Brigham Young University report ranks Kennesaw State 65th in the world for publishing accounting research in top accounting journals. We are also ranked 17th in accounting information systems research, 20th in auditing research, and sixth in accounting education research.

  4. Changing lives around the world through international education. Coles offers dozens of education abroad opportunities, including a program that sees students join the Social Entrepreneurship Corps in Guatemala to help alleviate poverty by developing sustainable business programs.

Nationally recognized, internationally renowned, and home to a dedicated community of diverse students and educators, Coles College strives to leverage our passion for innovation in order to improve the lives of people everywhere. Simply put, we aspire to more.

Thank you for your interest in the Michael J. Coles College of Business.


Kathy Schwaig, PhD
Dean and Dinos Eminent Scholar Chair of 
Entrepreneurial Management and
Professor of Information Systems

Leadership

The Coles College dedicated leadership team includes the following:

Deans

Kathy Schwaig, Dean and Dinos Eminent Scholar Chair of Entrepreneurial Management and Professor of Information Systems
Hope Baker, Associate Dean for Assessment and Undergraduate Programs
Mandy Brooks, Assistant Dean of Marketing and External Relations
Lisa Duke, Assistant Dean, Administration & Operations
Sheb True, Assistant to the Dean for Strategic Initiatives
Raj Veliyath, Associate Dean of Research & Graduate Programs

Academic Department Heads

David Burns, Chair, Marketing and Professional Sales
Traci Carte, Chair, Information Systems
Robin Cheramie, Chair, Michael A. Leven School of Management, Entrepreneurship and Hospitality
Steve Smalt, Interim Director of the School of Accountancy, School of Accountancy
Brett Katzman, Chair, Economics, Finance and Quantitative Analysis

Advisory Board 

The advisory board provides the Coles College administration with support and advice regarding policies, programs, and the direction of the College, among other duties.

  • Mr. Robert L. Bachrach
    Retired Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer
    Congregation Etz Chaim

    Ms. Sarah Boone
    Portfolio Manager
    G2 Wealth Management
    UBS Financial Services, Inc.

    Dr. Shealynn Buck
    Chief Medical Officer
    Lockton Dunning Benefits
    Lockton Companies

    Mr. Michael Chriszt
    Vice President and Public Affairs Officer
    Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

    Mr. Kirk Gadebusch
    President
    Spyglass Solutions

    Mr. Chris K. Gruehn
    Cobb Market President
    Commercial Banking
    Brandbank

    Mr. Joseph Handy
    President & COO
    Georgia Aquarium

    Ms. Cindy Hannafey
    Managing Director
    UHY Advisors GA, Inc.

    Mr. Tom Hughes
    Entrepreneur in Residence, Coles College
    Consultant

    Ms. Kristi B. Johnson, CPA
    Principal
    Windham Brannon

    Mr. Steve Johnson
    Consultant
    Johnson Consulting

    Mr. Bob Kilinski
    Executive in Residence
    Regional Operating Principal
    Keller Williams Realty

    Mr. William (Bil) G. Lako, Jr., CFP
    Executive in Residence
    Principal, Managing Director
    Henssler Financial

    Dr. Philip N. McCullough
    President
    McCullough Consulting, LLC

    Mr. Rotimi Olumide
    Modern Workplace Sales Leader (Americas)
    World Wide Specialist Sales

    Ms. Sheri Pitcher
    Vice President, Operations
    Pathbuilders, Inc.

    Mr. Lee Rhyant
    Executive in Residence
    President, LER Solutions, LLC
    Retired Executive Vice President and General Manager
    Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

    Mr. Michael E. Russell
    President, MBA, CTP
    EtsSolutions    

    Dr. Kathy (Kat) Schwaig
    Dean, Coles College of Business
    Kennesaw State University

    Mr. Douglas Shore
    Co-Founder, Chairman, and Co-CEO, Retired
    Shore-Varrone, Inc

    Mr. Michael M. Smith
    Shareholder
    Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC

    Mr. Brent Uken, CFA, ASA
    Retired
    Ernst & Young, Transaction Advisory Services

    Ms. Kerstin L. Valdes Benden
    CFO Consumer Business, VP-Finance
    Georgia-Pacific LLC

    Mr. Mark Wilson
    President & CEO
    ChimeSolutions

     

Executives In Residence 

  • Michael J. Coles
    Benefactor, Namesake
    Co-creator of Great American Cookie Company
    Former CEO of Caribou Coffee

  • Executives in residence provide coaching and mentoring to Coles College of Business students.

    William G. Lako Jr., CFP, Principal
    G.W. Henssler & Associates, Ltd.

    Bob Kilinski, Regional Operating Partner
    Keller Williams Realty International

    Bernice Dixon, Founder
    Advising Angels

    Connie L. Engel, Partner
    Childress Klein Properties

    Barry Flink, Executive Vice President and Partner
    FlexHR, Inc.

    John W. Gamble, Founder and Principal
    Tenacity, Inc.

    Rita Izaguirre, Principal, Ideas
    LLC.

    Harry Maziar, President
    Zep Manufacturing Company

    Larry Stevens, Partner (Retired)
    PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

    Harry Vardis, Founder and Principal
    Creative Focus, Inc.

    Steve Wurzbacher, Principal
    Tenacity

    Erin Wolf, Founder and Managing Partner
    SuiteTrack

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