As the class of 2015 reaches the end of their educational journey, words of wisdom from someone who has taken the steps they are about to take are priceless.
Michelle McKenna-Doyle, senior vice president and chief information officer of the NFL, has been chosen as this year’s graduation speaker.
“She is just a dynamic speaker,” said Teresa Whitman-McCall, director of Campus and Community Events. “She’s very accomplished. She’s currently the highest-ranking female executive for the NFL.”
McKenna-Doyle graduated from Auburn with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1987.
She completed her master’s degree in business administration from the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College.
“We’re not required to always use an Auburn alum, but we do happen to have such a great, vast pool of just dynamic alumni that we usually will choose someone that has a tie to Auburn in some way and someone who shows that they have accomplished quite a bit in their life, if it’s career or philanthropy or other opportunities,” Whitman-McCall said. “[It’s] just someone that we feel will be able to very much inspire our graduates.”
McKenna-Doyle is responsible for the NFL’s technology strategy and shared service delivery. She also manages the league’s technology activities.
When she is not busy being the executive sponsor of the league’s Women’s Network (WIN), she is being honored with awards such as the Game Changer Award and being named one of the top 40 women in business by the 2013 Forty Over Forty — Women to Watch list.
Mike Clardy, director of University Communications, said he met McKenna-Doyle in February when a group from his office went to New York to interview her for a story.
“We were able to see kind of the command center for where the NFL ... watch the games from and then communicate back with the officials,” Clardy said. “She’s head of IT, so that was her area, and I enjoyed seeing her and interacting with the people she works with and just kind of seeing what the world is like. It’s a whole different environment than the average TV viewer is used to seeing on Sunday.”
Clardy said McKenna-Doyle has been to Auburn to speak before, and she managed to give a message that related to the students and was inspirational to them.
She discussed ways to get ahead in careers, how to open doors and how to take advantage of opportunities, according to Clardy.
“It’s great to bring our alumni back to tell others how they got to where they are,” Clardy said. “I think that the graduates will get a lot out of it.”
Whitman-McCall said McKenna-Doyle will speak at all of the graduation ceremonies, but that speakers usually adjust their speeches slightly to address each specific audience individually.
Whitman-McCall said they usually don’t know what the speaker will talk about until closer to the ceremony.
“What we always ask them is to speak to the graduates as it pertains to what’s happening in the world today, what they look forward to when they get out of college, words of inspiration or wisdom that they can offer in succeeding in life, not only in their career, but in other opportunities,” Whitman-McCall said. “So far, all of our graduation speakers have always just done a fabulous job.”
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