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About the W. Frank Barton School of Business
Located in Kansas’ business hub and with significant ties to the business community, the W. Frank Barton School of Business provides extensive applied learning opportunities. With in-person and online options, Barton School undergraduate and graduate programs are tailored to transform the lives of its students. It also holds a double AACSB accreditation for business and accounting, which puts it in the top 1% of business schools worldwide. The Barton School was established as the university’s College of Business Administration and Industry in 1926 and has thousands of graduates around the world.
About Widener Global Leaders Program (WGLP)
The Widener Global Leaders Program is an interdisciplinary initiative led by the Barton School of Business in collaboration with the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Fine Arts at Wichita State University. Founded in Fall 2021 by Peri Widener, a visionary and benefactor, the program is aimed at developing the next generation of global leaders, equipping them with multifaceted skill sets and extending their experiences beyond academic realms by providing enriching workshops, invaluable networking opportunities, mentorships, company visits and connections essential for professional growth. It focuses on creating a lifelong network of future global leaders. The Widener Global Leaders Program is a beacon for those aspiring to lead and make a lasting impact on a global scale.
The Widener Global Leaders Program (WGLP) has announced that Jamie Harrison, chief growth officer at Meritrust Credit Union, will be joining its advisory board. WGLP is led by the W. Frank Barton School of Business in collaboration with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Fine Arts at Wichita State University. It is an interdisciplinary program designed to create, nurture and empower the next generation of global leaders, and to provide a transformative multidisciplinary educational experience in business, communication and arts during college that enables these leaders to be ahead-of-the game upon graduation.
“As a leader in the banking industry, the heart of the WGLP’s mission aligns so closely with who I am and what I believe in,” said Harrison. “I wish this program existed when I was in school at WSU. The participants in this program are changing the world and I am happy to be a small part of their personal and professional growth and development.”
As Meritrust’s Chief Growth Officer, Harrison drives sustainable growth by aligning strategy, innovation and collaboration across the organization. In her current role, she leads new customer acquisition and deposit growth strategies, market expansion strategies, marketing, communication and brand equity initiatives, customer loyalty and experience programs, community partnership, engagement efforts, and governmental affairs. She has been with Meritrust since 2005 and in the credit union and banking industries for more than twenty years. Harrison earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wichita State University and her MBA from Newman University, and she is Design-Thinking certified from MIT and Stanford University.
“As a chief growth officer, Jamie is focused on developing innovative collaborations and partnerships,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, Dean of the Barton School. “Her skillset and vast knowledge will be a great asset as we look to advance the WGLP program.”
Harrison has been recognized in the community and industry with multiple leadership honors including the 2012 Wichita Business Journal’s 40 under 40 Class, 2015 AMA Marketer of the Year Award, 2017 Wichita Business Journal Women in Business, 2018 Leadership Kansas Class, 2019 Wichita Business Journal Women Who Lead – Financial Services, 2019 CUNA’s Credit Union Rock Star for Innovation and Creativity, 2022 Wichita Business Journal’s Hall of Fame – 40 Under 40, and 2023 Wichita Business Journal’s Hall of Fame – Women in Business. She also serves on the WSU Barton School Marketing Advisory Board, Maize Education Foundation Board, the Wichita Chamber Board, the Greater Wichita Partnership Strategy Team and as a mentor for several community groups.
Harrison joins a board comprised of leaders from across the country including Barbara Shrut, president of SLB Advisors; Emily Berlin, Senior Advisor at energy33 and Ariete Hospitality Group; Marie-Hélène Bernard, president and CEO at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; Sherry Chisenhall, president and editor of The Charlotte Observer; Mary L Kramer, Director of Special Project and Detroit Homecoming at Crain Communications; Judith Leonard, recently retired general counsel at the Smithsonian Institution; and retired Major General Dr. Linda Singh, who serves as the CEO of Kaleidoscope Affect LLC.