As Gail McGovern took questions from some of the headquarters staff this morning, she explained one of her reasons for taking the job:

“As a marketing professor, I must say that the brand is to die for. It resonates on such a visceral level for Americans.”

She explained that she recently assigned her MBA students to breathe new life into an old brand. One of her groups chose the American Red Cross.

Gail said when her students presented their project she was in the final stages of interviewing for the job. She mused that they’ll think they’re responsible for her taking this position when they find out about it this morning. She also had a chance to explain some of their recommendations – to an eager room of staff members.

Filed under: Leadership