Linda Nowak, marketing professor and coordinator of the M.B.A. program of the School of Business and Economics, has been named interim director for the Wine Business Program.
Nowak who had previously been faculty liaison to the program's Executive Advisory Board, takes over the position from Mack Schwing, who announced his retirement earlier in the month.
"Mack has done an incredible job of managing and growing the program," said Caroline Bailey, President of the Executive Advisory Board. "The program is in excellent health, with a sound financial base, committed faculty, and a newly announced M.B.A. We fully expect that momentum to continue under Dr. Nowak's guidance," added Bailey.
Nowak obtained her Ph.D. in Business Administration from Saint Louis University. She was the first faculty member to teach wine marketing at SSU and has continued to research and publish on a variety of wine-related topics. Her latest published article was "Finding a Distributor-What to Expect When You Expand Beyond Direct Sales." The article was published in the January 2007 Issue of Wines & Vines.
Nowak was also instrumental in getting SSU's first-in-the-nation Wine M.B.A. approved. Key priorities in the year ahead include working more closely with faculty to promote the program and to guide new research initiatives that deliver the kind of practical utility that industry is looking for. Schwing who has been with the Wine Business Program since 2003, said "The time is right for me to pursue new horizons. I know Dr. Nowak will have a very positive impact on the program."
