an unorthodox approach to business leadership
Gretchen Fox acknowledges that she has always been somewhat of an iconoclast. "As a child, I questioned authority and popular ideas and the reasons for strict policies and procedures. Now as founder and president of my own company, I authorize very few written policies and promote tremendous flexibility in work hours and styles."
Her unorthodox approach appears to be working for Fox. Since its founding in 1987 as a one-woman operation, FOX Relocation Management Corp. has grown to be the largest, full-serve facilities planning and project management company in New England. FOX Relocation Management employs 65 people among its headquarters in Boston and offices in Rhode Island, Washington, D.C., and New York City.
"I attribute much of our success to my management style, which I defined while I was at the SOM," says Fox. "I promote a collaborative environment and our employees are hired on the basis of both their professional skill set and how well they will enhance our company culture. I continually look beyond the initial reasons an individual is hired to tap into their complete pool of talents, interests, and accomplishments. By utilizing their 'hidden' talents, I acknowledge and applaud the entire person, which benefits the employee and the company."
Although Fox was probably born with an entrepreneurial fire in her belly, she admits it was her time at the SOM that actually fanned that flame. Before obtaining her MBA, she'd established a career as an administrative manager in the legal industry. "As I moved through the MBA program at Simmons while working full time, I realized I was not meant for a hierarchical environment and that I really enjoyed project management. Shortly after I graduated from the SOM, I was recruited to manage a large relocation project for a Boston law firm and my relocation management career was launched with the founding of FOX Relocation Management. I never doubted myself because I learned at the SOM that I could be a good leader. By working with groups at the SOM, I realized that I could perform satisfactorily on my own, but that I could truly excel with a great team to support my efforts."
Her great team at FOX Relocation Management now includes another SOM alumna - corporate Vice President Lori Stewart Coletti, who just obtained her MBA from Simmons. "I've seen how the program has improved in the 20 years since I attended the SOM; the skills and knowledge Lori has expanded through her