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Research Interests

CEO leadership traits and behaviors; Leadership and emotions; Neuropsychological origins of leadership; Psychological capital; Predictors of individual, team, and organizational performance

Academic Positions Held
Arizona State University: 2006-present.   Previous Appointments:  Miami University.

Career and Professional Awards; Teaching Awards
Recipient, W.P. Carey MBA Outstanding Teacher Award, 2012; Nominee, Associated Students of ASU Centennial Professor Award.

Professional Leadership
Editorial Review Board Member, Personnel Psychology and Journal of Organizational Behavior.

Areas of Expertise

• Executive/CEO Leadership
• Leadership Presence/Style
• Innovative Leadership
• Change Leadership and Decision Making
• Leadership Communication

Dr. Suzanne Peterson is the newest full-time member of the Thunderbird Faculty. As an Associate Professor of Leadership she is squarely focused on bringing her leadership expertise and content to Thunderbird’s executive education clients. She has previously served as Faculty Director of Executive Education at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business where she served as a liaison between industry and academia. Although she advises senior executives in a variety of industry sectors, the majority of her time has been spent on Wall Street and other Financial Services Firms. She has advised leaders in firms such as J.P. Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Societe Generale, Fidelity, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, as well as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Avnet, McDonalds, State Farm, and Microsoft to name a few.

Her consulting and coaching leverages the theory that excellence in leadership consists of routines and behaviors that can easily be taught. Emphasizing leadership style, effective communication, and relationship building as keys to leadership success, she works with leaders to provide them the tools to deliver excellent business results while concurrently inspiring exceptional levels of loyalty and followership. She is a sought after speaker, and winner of multiple teaching awards, research awards and grants.

Functionally, she has extensive experience working with leadership in the C-Suite. Given her interest and experience in leadership development and talent assessment, she also has worked closely with the human resources function to ensure excellence in design and ROI of leadership development initiatives. 

Her long-standing tenure with Arizona State University makes her ideally poised to leverage Thunderbird’s vast executive education experience and expert faculty with the diverse and multi-faced strengths within the larger ASU community.