CEO of Dickinson Wright
About
What was your first step after undergraduate graduation & how did it impact your career path?
After receiving my Psychology degree I attended law school and have been a practicing attorney for 30 years at Dickinson Wright in Detroit.
A successful legal career requires (among other attributes) sound analytical and communication skills. An early defining moment for me was Professor J. Frank Yates’ honors statistics course; I have no doubt that it initiated what is now a nearly 40-year path of analytical discipline. I also was fortunate to serve as a research assistant in several of Professor John Jonides’ behavioral and cognitive projects and for a number of professionals at what was then known as the Highway Safety Research Institute on North Campus (running experiments in old, beat-up – the more polite term would be “vintage” – station wagons on the 2-lane roads South of town near Saline and Milan). These projects, but particularly the direct interaction with several skilled research scientists within the Department, further sharpened my analytical and communications skills. As a practicing attorney and business leader, do I use my UM Psychology substantive training and analytical foundation every day? The honest answer is “yes” -- the analytical foundation most of all.
What are you doing today?
After receiving my Psychology degree I attended law school and have been a practicing attorney for 30 years at Dickinson Wright in Detroit. Since January 1, 2010, I have served as CEO of the firm. In that capacity, I lead a highly-energetic management team that supervises the business strategy and operations for nearly 400 lawyers and 350 staff members serving clients from 15 offices across North America. We’re proud to include the University of Michigan among the nearly 4,000 clients served by our firm.
What inspired you to enter that field/job/profession?
Inspiration can come in many varied forms that can shift and evolve over time, and I think it’s important to recognize and celebrate that inspiration is highly individualistic and not static. For me right now, inspiration is derived from the balanced and cumulative effect of individual, family, professional and community activities. At any given moment, I can gain an inspirational boost from learning of an achievement by a family member or a colleague, listening to music (E Street Radio is a staple), witnessing firsthand the resurgence of the Detroit business community (in recent months we’ve seen the most notable influx of young professionals in downtown Detroit in at least the past 30 years), gaining satisfaction when a client’s business strategy (or one of our own) comes to fruition, or nailing a Saturday morning 10-miler with my running/triathlon group.
What advice would you give to aspiring Psychology students?
Choose your classes and your activities not merely as an exercise in resume-building, but with an acute self-awareness of your strengths and level of interest in the topic. If you build a strong foundation with some early success based upon your excitement toward the subject matter, you later can broaden your opportunities – whether in psychology or some other field.
What do you remember most about your time at UM?
Most of the memories are quite vivid. One that stands out is my good fortune to spend three consecutive summers living and working in Ann Arbor. Although I didn’t take classes during the Spring/Summer sessions, the learning and enjoyment of the community was fabulous during those periods.
