Ruchi M. Watson, EdD, MBA is a driven, strategic communicator with a strong bias for action and a belief in the power of people. She values passion, integrity, and continual growth.

Dr. Watson is the Managing Director of the Goff Strategic Leadership Center at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. She is also a Professor (Lecturer) in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy and serves as the Senior Assistant Dean of Strategy and Special Advisor to the Dean.

Prior to joining Goff, she spent several years as Assistant Dean of Strategic Initiatives in the Eccles School, overseeing Marketing + Communications and Analytics teams while leading various strategic initiatives, such as engaging in business development, partnership building, long-range planning and accreditation.

She also serves as the co-chair for the university’s Presidential Commission on the Status of Women, a member of the Board of Directors for the Utah Women in Higher Education Network (UWHEN), and the founding Chair of the University of Utah Chapter of UWHEN. In 2021, she was honored as one of 30 Women to Watch by Utah Business magazine.

Dr. Watson enjoys opportunities to leverage strengths in strategy, diplomacy and administration in positions focused on high-level organizational change with a particular interest in the development and advancement of women.

In her career, she has built and led teams that have transitioned from reactive service providers to strategic partners who drive real results, such as award-winning marketing campaigns with a positive return on investment and analysis of data into insights, leading to informed decision-making.

Prior to joining the university, Dr. Watson was a Senior Marketing Manager and Enterprise Strategy Lead at Target Corporation in Minneapolis. She was previously a consultant at Bain & Company in New York City and worked in Research and Development at General Mills, also in Minneapolis.

Watson graduated with high distinction from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering and earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She holds a doctoral degree in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania, defending with distinction.

Specialties: Strategy, consulting, executive-level communication, relationship building, client management, team leadership, higher education, women’s advancement, research & development

Dr. Watson’s research lies at the intersection of business, higher education, and gender.