Janell D. Townsend, Ph.D.

Janell D. Townsend is the Hedi Fritz-Niggli Visiting Professor for the Department of Business Administration at the University of Zurich, and an Associate Professor of Marketing and International Business and the Director of the Executive MBA program in the School of Business Administration at Oakland University. She earned her Ph.D. from Michigan State University in Marketing and International Business.

Dr. Townsend’s research interests are broadly defined by strategic and international marketing issues, and fall within the nexus of branding, innovation, and globalization of the firm, helping to extend understanding of complex phenomena in an ever more global marketplace. Current projects incorporate aspects of brand related investments, the role of design in driving consumer perceptions, innovation management, and globalization of the firm. Much of her work is conducted in the context of the global automotive industry.

Dr. Townsend's work has appeared in top tier business journals such as the Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Product Innovation Management, Marketing Letters, Journal of International Marketing, International Marketing Review, and Thunderbird International Business Review, among others. Her research has received commendations and awards for their contributions from top national and international conferences. She was nominated for the prestigious Haynes Prize for the most promising young scholar in international business by the Academy of International Business, and has served as a track chair in Product and Brand Management at the European Marketing Association's Annual Conference. Townsend also edited a special issue of the Journal of Product Innovation Management focused on innovation in the global automotive industry that was published in January of 2014.

In addition to her current positions at the University of Zurich and Oakland University, Dr. Townsend has also taught at Michigan State University as a visiting associate professor of marketing, as a member of the faculty of the Master's of Science in Engineering Management program at The Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), and as an instructor at Wayne State University. She actively serves the academic and business communities through work with research, program, academic, student oriented, and professional development organizations.

Dr. Townsend regularly consults on research projects, acts as a "coach" for executives, and has collaborations with automotive OEM's, suppliers, and global market research firms. She also has professional experience with Clarion Corporation, Intel, and Unisys, among others.