Julie Messing, Director

Ms. Messing brings over 18 years of corporate and entrepreneurial experience to the University setting. She brings extensive knowledge of marketing, management, product development & innovation and business planning within the highly regulated industries of Insurance and Banking.

Currently, Ms. Messing is an Instructor and the Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation. In her role at Kent State she is responsible for developing and implementing the entrepreneurship program. She works closely with the business community to bring opportunities to the classroom as well as support the economic development in northeast Ohio. She also teaches entrepreneurship courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

She is also President of her own business consulting organization, Transitions Advisory Group, Inc. She started Transitions to provide business consulting services to organizations experiencing or preparing for change. Her organization has developed products, customer service programs, profitability models and other services to help her clients enter new markets. Ms. Messing started her organization in July 2000 and continues to work with a select number of clients.

During her 18+ years in the financial services industry, Ms. Messing worked her way up from entry level marketing to Senior Vice President with responsibility for strategy development, full P&L, marketing, customer service, product development, pricing, compliance, product operations and corporate operating functions.

Ms. Messing has also been active with the Junior League and she provides counseling support for new and prospective business owners. She is also a graduate of a leadership program in Columbus, Ohio and has served on not-for-profit boards in the Columbus area. She and her husband Roy live in Aurora where they are raising their three school-age children.