PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Wesley has a broad set of professional experiences, including portfolio management and strategic human capital management. He is an accomplished military leader, business professional, and an accomplished scholar in strategic management and entrepreneurship who has dedicated his life to the service of others.
As a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he began his military career as a Naval Flight Officer, managing people and processes to ensure the operational readiness of a 250-person aviation squadron. He returned to his alma mater as marketing director for minority outreach, where his team established new performance standards in diversity recruitment. As a senior Naval Officer, Dr. Wesley served as a human capital strategist for the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Navy Recruiting Command, and the Selective Service System.
Dr. Wesley’s traditional business experience includes managing CitiCards marketing channels for cross-selling products and services to Citigroup customers to deliver $42MM of revenue annually. He also served as a director-level Operations Manager managing seven Unit Managers and a 150+ employee collection unit to deliver over $180MM in revenue to the CitiCards portfolio.
As a scholar, Dr. Wesley's research interests focus on how senior managers influence organizational outcomes for large corporations to small entrepreneurial ventures. His research is published in the top journals in strategic management, entrepreneurship, and business ethics and cited in the business press. He is also an award-winning MBA instructor in teaching effective strategic decision-making. He is currently a Faculty Fellow for the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership at the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs and the United States Coast Guard Academy Loy Institute for Leadership. He is an active member of the Community of Scholars for the Center of Positive Organizations at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Curtis Wesley earned his Bachelor of Science (Political Science) from the United States Naval Academy, his Masters of Business Administration (Marketing and eCommerce) from the University of Maryland, and his Doctor of Philosophy (Strategy and Entrepreneurship) from Texas A&M University.
As a doctoral student, the National Black MBA Association awarded Dr. Wesley the National Black MBA Association H. Naylor Fitzhugh Doctoral Fellowship. As a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, the Political Science Department named him the Admiral Thomas Moorer Scholar as a summer research fellow at the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington, D.C. He was also awarded the George H. W. Bush Point of Light Community Outreach Award as a member of the Midshipman Black Studies Club.
Dr. Wesley is a Lifetime Member of the National Black MBA Association and the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Faculty Fellow, Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership at the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs
Faculty Fellow, United States Coast Guard Academy Loy Institute for Leadership
11th Annual New York University Stern School Satter Conference on Social Entrepreneurs Best Paper Award (2014)
6th Annual New York University Stern School Satter Conference on Social Entrepreneurs Best Paper Award (2009)
National Black MBA Association H. Naylor Fitzhugh Doctoral Fellowship (2008)
U. S. Naval Academy ADM Thomas Moorer Scholar
Student Organization Recipient, George H. W. Bush Point of Light