The OLS curriculum provided the foundation of knowledge for me. The difference was the professors who shared their real business experiences, both successes and failures.
Joanne Adams Griffith
Organizational Leadership & Supervision ’73
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Joanne Adams Griffith

Organizational Leadership & Supervision ’73
Vice President for Human Resources for Viacom Inc.

Her father’s entrepreneurial spirit along with her own interest in business and human behavior led JoAnne to a career in the field of human resources. She chose Purdue based on the University’s reputation and the School’s supervision program, which seemed to offer her the best mix of business and behavioral sciences classes based on her interests.

JoAnne began her career with Bristol Myers- Zimmer within management development and training and then joined American Broadcasting Company in 1978 as human resources director. Her career in the entertainment industry continued with a stint as an HR consultant for US Amada (Japanese) and then a 10-year tenure at Paramount Pictures as vice president for human resources. She joined Viacom Inc. in 1996 as vice president for human resources and took on her current title in 1998.

JoAnne has been honored as one of the nation's top 125 women achievers by the YWCA of New York, and has lectured for both USC and the UCLA MBA School of Business. A number of factors influenced her success, including “a very supportive family, a strong work ethic, a strong technical education, courage to be true to my own values and belief system, good bosses and great teams, and good luck.”

JoAnne and her husband, Gene, reside in Warren, NJ and have three adult sons— Travis, Michael and Patrick.