Jamie Thorsen

Denison University – A Liberal Arts Institution in Ohio Since 1831

Inducted into Profit and Loss magazine’s Hall of Fame, Jamie Thorsen was a long-time executive at BMO Capital Markets in Chicago, Illinois. A graduate of Denison University in Granville, Ohio, Jamie Thorsen has served on its board of trustees since 2008.

Founded in 1831, Denison University was ahead of its time, admitting female students and supporting anti-slavery beliefs. Since then, it has grown into a leading liberal arts institution. Rankings for 2020 by U. S. News & World Report place it as 13th in Best Value Schools, 43rd in National Liberal Arts Schools, and 45th in Best Undergraduate Teaching.

Some 2,300 students are enrolled in classes ranging from music to mathematics and geosciences to global economics. Most students live on campus, participating in over 150 campus organizations. They live within walking distance of Granville’s restaurants and can access a 36-mile biking trail. Shuttle buses transport them to Columbus, 25 miles away.

In addition to academic curricula, Denison offers an extensive internship program and a six-day retreat called LeaderShape. Well-known alumni include Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes and actors Jennifer Garner and Steve Carell. Another alumnus, geologist Kirtley Mather, named a mountain in Alaska after the university.

Rising Numbers of Women Hold CEO Positions, But Progress is Slow

Having retired after 35 years of service at BMO Capital Markets in Chicago, Illinois, Jamie Thorsen’s core competencies include executive leadership and international finance. The only woman on the company’s executive committee, Jamie Thorsen maintains a professional interest in the advancement of women to top positions.

A 2018 study indicates that although more women than ever before are on corporate boards of directors, few of them have reached the C-suite, an industry term that encompasses executives that have the word “chief” in their title.

The study investigated companies in the Russell 3000, an index that represents nearly all publicly-traded companies in the United States. Although the rise in female chief executive officers (CEOs) is dramatic, they still account for only five percent of the Russell companies. Women in the real estate, telecommunications, and energy sectors are especially under-represented.

Moreover, would-be women CEOs are concentrated in departments whose executives rarely reach the C-suite, such as administration and human resources. Executives directly involved in the profits of their companies, such as leaders of sales departments, are more likely to be promoted.

Several solutions have been proposed, such as training programs to reduce unconscious bias and support networks of female achievers. Other remedies include setting well-defined diversity goals, re-examining career paths to the C-suite, and encouraging a good work-life balance.

Top-Rated Public Golf Courses in Chicagoland

An award-winning businesswoman and leader, Jamie Thorsen has stayed active in her retirement through pursuits such as golf. As a resident of Chicago, Jamie Thorsen lives in a city that, according to Golf Digest, has developed a reputation as the country’s public golf capital. According to experts, Chicagoland’s best public courses include:

1. Cantigny Golf Club – This 500-acre Wheaton estate comprises three nine-hole courses — Hillside, Lakeside, and Woodside — befitting their respective names. Since opening in 1989, Cantigny has earned a place on Golf Digest’s Best in State rankings.

2. Harborside International Golf Center – Golfers have their pick of two 18-hole links-style courses at Harborside International, located south of Chicago’s downtown. While navigating the windy conditions, players can take in picturesque views from one of the region’s highest points.

3. Prairie Landing Golf Club – Another links-style layout, Prairie Landing boasts a design by prolific course architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Challenges at the West Chicago venue include strategically placed bunkers and fast, hilly greens.

A Brief History of Denison University

Jamie Thorsen’s career as a senior financial executive culminated in her serving as head of the Global Foreign Exchange and China Capital Markets groups at BMO Capital Markets. Now retired, Jamie Thorsen dedicates her time to supporting her undergraduate alma mater, Denison University, as a member of its board of trustees.

Denison University holds the distinction as one of the country’s leading liberal arts colleges. Located in Granville, Ohio, the undergraduate institution has a rich history that traces to 1831.

In that year, settlers of the Ohio frontier established Granville Literary and Theological Institution as one of the first colleges in the old Northwest Territory. The school shortly thereafter become known as Granville College before assuming its current name in the mid-1850s. Around this time, Denison stood out as an early proponent of women’s education, welcoming female students into its classes by the close of the Civil War.

Denison formally integrated Shepardson College for Women into its campus at the dawn of the 20th century, and in 1916, it began adopting a development plan created by noted landscape architectural firm Frederick Law Olmsted Sons. With the expansion of its campus, the school’s student body reached approximately 2,000 students by 1970.

Today, Denison continues to offer a rich, immersive education to approximately 2,000 students each year. Although a nonsectarian institution as of the 1960s, the school remains committed to its founding principles of preparing undergraduates for lives as engaged citizens and effective leaders.