Denise Hurst

Denise Hurst is an executive management consultant and adjunct professor teaching Organizational Behavior. With professional experience across the defense, high-tech, academic, and nonprofit sectors, she offers a strategic and applied perspective to students. Her expertise includes strategic management, organizational development, market and product innovation, agile product development, marketing, nonprofit management, strategic engagement, communications, publishing, knowledge management, and training.

Hurst earned her B.A. from Virginia Tech and began her career at Management Systems Laboratories, a College of Engineering research group with contracts supporting the U.S. Department of Energy’s Defense Programs. This early experience provided a firm foundation in consulting from the systems management perspective. Next, she entered the commercial software industry and held leadership roles in strategic management, new product development, marketing, communications, and consulting. After relocating to Los Angeles, Hurst was recruited to lead development and communications for an international nonprofit operating in the U.S. and Asia/Pacific while earning her M.A. in Management from the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. During this time, she had the honor of being mentored by Drucker, whose philosophy continues to shape her consulting and teaching work.

Education

M.A., Management, and Certificate in Executive Management, Executive Management Program, Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management, Claremont Graduate University.

B.A., English, Virginia Tech, with concentrations in Communications and Psychology and study abroad in the United Kingdom.