Susan Brennan

Assistant Dean, Career Development Office

Susan is the Inaugural Assistant Dean of the Career Development Office (CDO) at MIT Sloan and a strategic catalyst for the CDO’s re-imagination and culture transformation. In this role she leads a talented team of approximately 30 career professionals who guide the careers of students and alumni across MIT Sloan’s diverse portfolio of graduate business programs. Susan and her team take to heart MIT Sloan’s mission to develop innovative principled leaders who improve the world and are inspired every day to catalyze and connect the world’s most dynamic talent community.  A passionate advocate for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, Susan brings her action-oriented commitment to MIT Sloan’s school-wide DEI efforts.

Susan is a recognized higher education thought leader and career coach with 30 years’ experience in career development and team building at the world’s leading organizations. A certified CliftonStrengths, CareerLeader, and Design Your Life coach who also leverages training in Positive Intelligence and Co-Active Coaching, she empowers students and alumni to realize their unique power and potential. Known for her strategic, creative and relational approach, she is a proven leader of organizational culture transformation, balancing left and right brain solutions and turning creative ideas into actionable solutions that engage and energize her team. She guides change with love, transparency and vulnerability.

An active volunteer and lifelong learner, Susan served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Colleges (NACE) and led the organization’s committees focused on Diversity Equity and Inclusion and Principles for Professional Practice. She is an active member of the MBA Career Services and Employers Alliance (MBA CSEA) and the Career Leadership Collective (CLC), a graduate of its Mastermind program for senior leaders. Susan completed an Executive Education Certificate in Management and Leadership from MIT Sloan with focus on MIT’s unique 4-CAPS+ Leadership Framework and is a certified Design Your Life (DYL) coach from Stanford University. She holds an MBA from Babson College, an Ed.M. from Harvard University and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania.

Pronouns: she/hers

CDO Club Liaison:  People & Orgs

Top Strengths: Strategic | Relator | Woo | Ideation | Activator | Self-Assurance | Significance | Intellection | Input | Command

All About Food: Susan is the “Sous/Sue” Chef to her husband and adult sons who are all fabulous cooks, especially BBQ. They love the energy of great bars and restaurants, especially in Portland, Maine, NC, and DC. Their happiest place to gather (besides their back porch) is NOLA and they will be back next year for their son’s wedding!