Ruchi M. Watson is a strategic leader, educator, and executive with a strong bias for action and a belief in the power of people. She values passion, integrity, and continual growth, and thrives at the intersection of business, higher education, and leadership development.

She is the Managing Director and CEO of the Goff Strategic Leadership Institute at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, which bridges the gap between knowing and doing through research-backed education and real-world experiences. She is also a Professor (Lecturer) in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, where she teaches strategic leadership to undergraduate and executive audiences.

In 2021, she was honored as one of Utah Business Magazine’s 30 Women to Watch for her leadership in higher education and business.

Dr. Watson specializes has a proven track record of transforming teams from reactive service providers to strategic drivers of innovation, including launching award-winning marketing campaigns, developing high-impact educational programs, and using data analytics to inform decision-making at the executive level.

Prior to joining the University of Utah, Dr. Watson was a Senior Marketing Manager and Enterprise Strategy Lead at Target Corporation, where she worked on large-scale corporate strategy and brand development. She previously worked as a consultant at Bain & Company in New York City, advising Fortune 500 companies on business growth and operational strategy. Earlier in her career, she worked in Research & Development at General Mills in Minneapolis, bringing a technical foundation to her business expertise.

Dr. Watson earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with High Distinction from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She earned a Doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania, where she defended her dissertation with distinction.

Specialties:
Strategic leadership, executive education, organizational change, consulting, business development, executive communication, team leadership, higher education innovation, women's leadership advancement, and stakeholder engagement.

At the University of Utah, Dr. Watson led key strategic initiatives on the Dean’s Leadership Team at the Eccles School, overseeing Marketing + Communications and Analytics teams. She played a pivotal role in business development, partnership building, long-range planning, and AACSB accreditation, ensuring continued excellence and innovation in business education.

Dr. Watson is passionate about bridging the gap between industry and academia, equipping the next generation of leaders with the skills to think critically, act strategically, and create lasting impact.