Tom O'Toole

Tom O'Toole is a prominent academic and business leader, currently serving as the Associate Dean for Executive Education and Clinical Professor of Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. His role encompasses overseeing Kellogg's Executive MBA and Executive Education programs, where he focuses on key areas such as customer value growth strategy, customer centricity, and data-driven marketing.12

Academic Background

O'Toole holds two degrees from Cleveland State University:

• Bachelor of Arts in Communication (1979)
• Master of Applied Communication Theory and Methodology (1987)

Professional Experience

Before his academic career, O'Toole had a significant impact in the corporate world:

• He was the Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President at United Airlines from 2010 until his retirement in 2016. During this time, he managed the MileagePlus loyalty program, which became one of the largest travel loyalty programs globally.1
• Prior to United Airlines, he spent over 13 years at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, where he held various senior roles, including Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Information Officer.2

Contributions and Publications

O'Toole is an active contributor to the field of marketing through his teaching and writing. He has developed popular courses on customer loyalty strategy and has authored works such as:

• "Branding Services in the Digital Era" in Kellogg on Branding in a Hyper-Connected World (2019)
• "Customer-Centricity as a Business Strategy" and "Personalization: Today and Tomorrow" in Kellogg on Marketing (2023)

He also writes for Forbes, discussing topics that bridge academia and business.1

Board Memberships and Advisory Roles

O'Toole serves on the boards of several organizations, including:

• Alliant Energy
• CWT, a global travel management company
• He has been involved with Brand USA, appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, to promote travel to the United States.12

Skills and Expertise

His expertise encompasses strategic leadership, customer strategy, digital transformation, and data analytics. O'Toole is recognized for his contributions to marketing practices and is frequently invited to speak at conferences on these subjects.1