Ninassi to Direct Strategic Initiatives for Penn State Executive Programs

Carlo J. Ninassi has joined Penn State Executive Programs as associate professor of practice for strategy and innovation and director of strategic initiatives. As part of the executive education unit at the Penn State Smeal College of Business, he will help client organizations to develop and implement innovative strategies to meet their objectives and create competitive advantage.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (August 14, 2012) – Carlo J. Ninassi has joined Penn State Executive Programs as associate professor of practice for strategy and innovation and director of strategic initiatives. As part of the executive education unit at the Penn State Smeal College of Business, he will help client organizations to develop and implement innovative strategies to meet their objectives and create competitive advantage.

“I am eager to work with the diverse array of client organizations that annually turn to Penn State Executive Programs for strategic thinking and innovation services,” Ninassi said. “As the economic recovery gains momentum, more firms will be looking for innovative ways to move forward. Penn State Executive Programs is uniquely positioned to respond to those needs.”

Throughout his career, Ninassi has worked with top leaders in major corporations and government to evaluate functional and operational processes, assess organizational structures, and develop and implement corporate-, business-, and operational-level strategies. Former clients of Ninassi include AT&T, Black Entertainment Television, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and Marriott.

“The depth and breadth of Carlo’s experience will be enormously beneficial to our clients as they work to reshape their strategies for the future,” said Maria Taylor, managing director of Penn State Executive Programs. “He brings with him a long track record of success and a deep understanding of how to creatively look at challenges and emerge with opportunities.”

Before joining Penn State Executive Programs, Ninassi served as director of strategic and organizational planning for the Utilities Practice of Jacobs Consulting, a division of Jacobs Engineering. He also was an adjunct faculty member with Marymount University’s School of Business Administration.

Ninassi holds a bachelor of architecture degree from the Penn State H. Campbell and Eleanor R. Stuckeman School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture and continues to support the school as chairman of the Stuckeman School Advisory Board. Other degrees include a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, a master’s degree in financial management from the University of Maryland, and a Ph.D. in management from Colorado Technical University.

About Penn State Executive Programs

For more than 50 years, Penn State Executive Programs has partnered with multinational corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations to develop leaders and shape business strategies. Practice areas include open-enrollment executive education, custom learning initiatives, and strategic thinking and innovation services. Learn more atwww.smeal.psu.edu/psep.

REPORTERS & EDITORS: For more information, please contact Victoria Fryer in the Smeal College of Business Media Relations Office at 814-863-3798 or mediarelations@smeal.psu.edu.

Penn State's Smeal College of Business offers highly ranked undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, Ph.D., and executive education opportunities to more than 5,500 students at all levels. Featuring academic departments of accounting, finance, management and organization, marketing, risk management, and supply chain and information systems, the college is also home to major research centers such as the Center for Supply Chain Research, the Institute for the Study of Business Markets, the Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Center for Global Business Studies, and the Center for the Management of Technological and Organizational Change.