Thomas Ference, PhD

Dr. Thomas P. Ference, PhD, MS, is interested in strategic management, leadership, the management of professionals, career development and management, and the management of not-for-profit organizations. Dr. Ference was director of the Columbia Business School Executive MBA Program from 1974 through 1994. He is a founding member and first Chair of the Executive MBA Council. He is the founder and head of The Riverside Group, a management consulting and executive development firm, and has consulted with and designed and conducted executive development programs for many firms, including The Hay Group, The NPD Group, The Duncan Group, Novartis, and Aventis, among others. He has taught in executive programs in the UK, Northern Ireland, Colombia, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Brazil, France, and Spain. He is also a founder and past Faculty Director [1976-2011] of the Columbia Business School Institute for Not-for-Profit Management and has consulted with a number of prominent not-for-profit institutions including New York Presbyterian Hospital, The New York City Police Department, UJA-Federation, Holy Name Hospital, and The 92nd Street Y, among others. He is Chair of the Haworth, NJ Municipal Planning Board. He is past Chair of the Board of the Volunteer Consulting Group and past Chair of the Board of Reality House. He has served on the Board of Bergen Catholic High School and on several other public and not-for-profit boards.