This year marks our 75th Anniversary. To celebrate, we’re publishing 75 stories about members of our community. Lori Cross serves as a CPED instructor and has taught a variety of topics for the past 13 years, including; agile strategy formulation, execution, innovation, and neuroleadership.
About Lori
Lori has both an Executive MBA and a masters degree in biomedical engineering and has been the CEO/President of several global Medtech companies – ranging from innovative start-ups to large, global turnarounds. She was introduced to CPED more than 20 years ago when she was transforming Datex-Ohmeda and partnered with CPED to create a Custom Development Solution for her team.
In the Spring of 2007, she was recruited by UW Professor Mason Carpenter to present her real-world strategic case studies to his MBA students. Together, they created a strategic innovation curriculum that students found both easy to understand and highly effective in dynamic conditions. Lori soon began teaching her own Executive Education courses at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and CPED.
Lori served on the CPED Board of Directors for several years and previously founded the CPED Executive Women’s Matrix, which operated from 2007-2009. This professional women’s group created a network of Executive leaders, providing connections, mentorship, and professional development for its members. She worked over an extended period with the board to develop a more customer-centric, custom program strategy. Lori has been a strong contributor to CPED’s organizational growth and has offered extensive support in the development of Custom Development Solutions for CPED clients.
CPED Impact
Lori shares that the primary reason for joining CPED was her passion for enabling more agile strategic thinking and releasing leadership potential in the most efficient and effective way. “The field of strategic innovation is evolving all the time. Moving leaders towards more agile, inclusive approaches delivers real results – for shareholders, leaders, employees, and customers. At CPED, we share ideas and frameworks that drive participant insights. I love watching others experience those Aha! moments. ”
Lori also finds it rewarding to observe leaders actively using the agile tools and innovation practices to positively impact their businesses and communities. “Successful businesses need executives that are at the top of their game – continuously working to innovate and execute. I enjoy coaching leaders as they transform their organizations.
It’s so important to keep refreshing your mindset, your tools, and your leadership approaches.”
For Lori, teaching is not about telling her personal stories, but rather inspiring others to lean into their own professional development and embrace continuous learning. Lori’s passion for growth infuses everything that she does and motivates her to share this gift with others.
Check out more stories from our community in the 75th Anniversary section of our blog.