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    BPI Expert Faculty

    Mary Ellen Kassotakis

    Executive Director, Oracle Women's Leadership Initiative

    Oracle

    Key Takeaways

    • 1.As Executive Director of Oracle Women's Leadership (OWL), she spearheads initiatives to develop, engage, and empower women leaders.
    • 2.She is a certified leadership coach with a background in designing leadership programs for Fortune 50 companies.
    • 3.Her published research explores topics such as women in leadership and the organizational impact of social media.

    About Mary

    Dr. Mary Ellen Kassotakis is a leading expert in global leadership and organizational development, specializing in women's leadership initiatives and serving as an expert faculty member for the Best Practice Institute.

    Who is Mary Ellen Kassotakis?

    Dr. Mary Ellen Kassotakis is recognized for her extensive experience in global leadership development within Fortune 50 companies. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Oracle Women's Leadership (OWL) and oversees Oracle's Leadership & Professional Development Center. Her work focuses on fostering inclusive workplaces and empowering women leaders.

    She also holds an adjunct faculty position at Drexel University’s College of Professional Studies and contributes her expertise to the Best Practice Institute as an expert faculty member.

    Quick facts about Mary Ellen Kassotakis

    RoleExecutive Director, Oracle Women's Leadership Initiative; Adjunct Faculty
    CompanyOracle; Drexel University
    ExpertiseGlobal Leadership Development, Women's Leadership, Organizational Development, Change Management, Leadership Coaching
    Notable forLeading Oracle Women's Leadership, published research on women in leadership, developing leadership programs in Fortune 50 companies
    BPI affiliationExpert Faculty member

    What is Mary Ellen Kassotakis known for?

    • Executive Leadership of Oracle Women's Leadership (OWL): Spearheading initiatives to develop, engage, and empower current and future generations of women leaders at Oracle.
    • Global Leadership and Professional Development Expertise: Designing and implementing leadership programs within large, global organizations.
    • Certified Leadership Coach: Providing individualized coaching to foster leadership growth and effectiveness.
    • Published Research: Authoring research on women in leadership and exploring the organizational impact of social media.
    • Advocacy for Inclusive Workplaces: Championing environments that support diversity and inclusion, particularly for women in leadership roles.
    • Active in Professional Associations: Contributing to the International Leadership Association and formerly serving as President of the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI).

    What is Mary Ellen Kassotakis's background and experience?

    Dr. Mary Ellen Kassotakis's career journey is marked by significant contributions to human resources and organizational development, primarily focused on professional learning and leadership development within Fortune 50 companies, including senior roles at Oracle. Her academic background includes a doctoral degree from the University of Southern California.

    She is a certified leadership coach and has held leadership positions in prominent professional organizations, serving as the Immediate Past President of the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) and as a past board member for Leadership California. Her diverse background allows her to bridge academic insights with practical corporate applications in leadership development.

    What topics does Mary Ellen Kassotakis speak and write about?

    Dr. Kassotakis frequently addresses topics related to global leadership and professional development, with a particular emphasis on women's leadership. She explores strategies for cultivating inclusive workplaces and leads discussions on developing, engaging, and empowering women in leadership roles. Her work also encompasses broader areas such as organizational development, change management, and building effective teams.

    Her insights extend to the application of leadership coaching and the strategic use of assessments and evaluations in talent development. She also delves into the organizational impact of social media and its implications for leadership and professional growth.

    How does Mary Ellen Kassotakis contribute to the Best Practice Institute?

    As an expert faculty member at the Best Practice Institute, Dr. Mary Ellen Kassotakis shares her deep knowledge and practical experience in leadership development and organizational effectiveness. Her contributions align with BPI's mission to identify and disseminate best practices in leadership, talent management, and workplace culture. Her expertise in women's leadership and creating inclusive environments resonates with the principles of the Most Loved Workplace® certification and the SPARK Model for organizational excellence, both championed by BPI founder Louis Carter.

    Where can you learn more from Mary Ellen Kassotakis?

    Further insights from Dr. Mary Ellen Kassotakis can be found through the Best Practice Institute's resources, where her expertise in global leadership development, women's leadership, and organizational effectiveness is highlighted.

    Background & Perspective

    Background

    Dr. Mary Ellen Kassotakis is a distinguished expert in leadership and organizational development with a career focused on Fortune 50 companies. She is the Executive Director of the Oracle Women's Leadership (OWL) initiative and also oversees Oracle's Leadership & Professional Development Center. In addition to her corporate roles, Dr. Kassotakis holds an adjunct faculty position at Drexel University’s College of Professional Studies and is an expert faculty member for the Best Practice Institute.

    Her academic credentials include a doctoral degree from the University of Southern California. Dr. Kassotakis has held significant leadership positions in professional organizations, including serving as the Immediate Past President of the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) and as a past board member for Leadership California.

    Areas of Expertise

    Dr. Kassotakis's work centers on creating inclusive, high-performing workplaces. Her primary areas of expertise include:

    • Women's Leadership: Developing, engaging, and empowering current and future generations of women leaders.
    • Global Leadership Development: Designing and implementing large-scale leadership programs in global organizations.
    • Organizational Development: Enhancing organizational effectiveness and fostering inclusive cultures.
    • Leadership Coaching: As a certified leadership coach, she provides individualized guidance to foster leadership growth.
    • Change Management & Team Effectiveness: Guiding organizations and teams through periods of transformation.

    Topics Covered

    Dr. Kassotakis speaks and writes on a range of subjects related to professional and organizational growth. Her key topics include strategies for cultivating inclusive workplaces, with a special focus on developing and empowering women in leadership. She also covers broader issues in organizational development, change management, effective team building, the strategic use of leadership coaching, and the organizational impact of social media.

    Areas of Expertise

    Global Leadership DevelopmentWomen's LeadershipOrganizational DevelopmentChange ManagementTeam EffectivenessLeadership Coaching

    Research Topics

    LeadershipOrganizational DevelopmentLearning & DevelopmentEmployee Engagement

    Profile last updated

    Frequently asked questions

    Best Practice Institute

    Best Practice Institute is the research organization behind Most Loved Workplace® certification, the SPARK Model, the Love of Workplace Index™ (LOWI™), and The Workplace Report.

    The Workplace Report

    The Workplace Report is BPI's original workplace culture research and editorial briefing series for CEOs, CHROs, people leaders, talent leaders, and employer-brand teams. It turns BPI's 25 years of research, Most Loved Workplace® certification data, SPARK findings, and current workforce signals into practical analysis leaders can use.

    The report format includes executive summaries, research-backed articles, company examples, methodology notes, and practical implications for retention, hiring, culture, leadership, and employee experience. New research and analysis is published on an ongoing editorial cadence at /workplace-report.