Alumna Janet Foutty, former chair of Deloitte, will be next Poling Chair at Kelley School: IU News

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Janet Foutty, former chair of the board of Deloitte US and twice an alumna of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, will visit as its Poling Chair of Business and Government during the 2023-24 academic year.

Janet Foutty follows a long line of successful leaders, many of them Kelley alumni, who have served as Poling Chairs. Photo courtesy of the Kelley School of Business.

Foutty, also the former chair and CEO of Deloitte Consulting LLP, is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion; women in technology; and the need for STEM education. She founded women in technology groups in India and the United States.

She is a co-author of the bestselling book, “Arrive and Thrive: 7 Impactful Practices for Women
Navigating Leadership,” and she frequently writes about leadership in national publications, including Fortune, Forbes and Harvard Business Review.

The Poling Chair was established in 1993 by the late Harold “Red” Poling, a Kelley School alumnus and Ford Motor Co. chairman and CEO for nearly a decade. Poling Chair recipients are given the charge to stimulate discussion in the areas of leadership, the critical interactions between private business and government in matters of public policy, enterprise competitiveness and economic growth.

Foutty follows a long line of successful leaders, many of them Kelley alumni, who have served as Poling Chairs. They have included CEOs and CFOs of trusted brands such as Mattel, Kraft, Whirlpool, Comerica and Eli Lilly, a U.S. cabinet secretary, former state governors, a Hollywood producer, a countess, a former U.S. surgeon general and the first African American female astronaut.

Foutty holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration in finance from the Kelley School, where she is a member of its Dean’s Council and an inductee in its Academy of Alumni Fellows. In 2020, she received a Bicentennial Medal for distinguished service to the university.

“We’re thrilled Janet accepted our invitation to serve as Poling Chair,” said Ash Soni, dean of the Kelley School and the Sungkyunkwan Professor. “She is a forward-thinking leader who sees the big picture and has a passion for purpose. You can see that in her advocacy for diversity and inclusion and as a champion of women in business, particularly in STEM-related fields. I’m sure the discussions she leads will be inspiring.”

“My experiences as an undergrad and MBA student at Indiana University and the Kelley School of Business laid the very important groundwork for my career in business,” Foutty said. “As such, I’ve always stayed connected to the school and consider it a privilege to have been invited back over the years in different capacities to engage with students. I am truly honored to be asked to serve as Poling Chair for this academic year and look forward to spending meaningful time in insightful and dynamic dialogue with the next generation of leaders.”

While chair at Deloitte, Foutty focused on critical matters of strategy, risk management, and talent and DEI for her clients and the firm, which attained gender parity on its board during her tenure. She also chaired the Deloitte Foundation, a U.S. education nonprofit accelerating equity, innovation and excellence for the workforce of tomorrow.

As CEO of Deloitte Consulting, she led the digital transformation and growth of the business through significant investments in digital transformation, artificial intelligence and the cloud. She previously led Deloitte’s Federal and Technology businesses, which grew exponentially through organic growth, acquisitions and the launch of numerous businesses, including Deloitte Digital.

Throughout her career, Foutty has served on a number of not-for-profit boards and as an advisor on key governmental initiatives. She serves as chair of Bright Pink, a nonprofit dedicated to young women’s health; serves as a board member of The Chicago Network, which also advocates for inclusion; and she supports the U.S. Department of Commerce in the implementation of the CHIPS Act. In addition to Kelley, she also serves on the advisory board of NYU Stern’s Tech MBA program.

Arrangements have been made for Foutty to attend undergraduate and MBA classes and meet with student leaders and faculty. During her initial visit Nov. 5 to 8, Foutty will be at IU Bloomington, but she will meet with Kelley Indianapolis students and faculty when she returns in the spring.