Leadership Team
Graziadio Business School
Deborah Crown
Dean
Dr. Deborah Crown is the 10th dean of the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. Crown has garnered nearly two decades of academic leadership experience, most recently serving as dean of the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College and professor of management. The former educator and AACSB reviewer has research featured in national media outlets from CNN to Wall Street Journal. Crown has also been awarded exceedingly for her influential leadership and dedication to social responsibility. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder and an M.S. from the University of Colorado Denver.
Arman Davtyan, EdD
Assistant Dean, Enrollment Management
Dr. Arman Davtyan serves as assistant dean of enrollment management at Graziadio. Prior to this role, he served as executive director of student academic services. His career in higher education encompasses a variety of other administrative roles in student affairs, campus operations, and admissions at both undergraduate and graduate program levels. He holds a master’s degree in counseling and personnel services from the University of Maryland, and a doctorate in educational leadership from UCLA.
Charla Griffy-Brown, PhD
Senior Associate Dean, Part-Time and Executive Programs
Charla Griffy-Brown is an accomplished professor, board member and consultant who leads transformational change. She works extensively in the area of digital innovation helping organizations leverage new opportunities through analytics, risk evaluation, and emerging technology deployment to achieve their strategic objectives. She also has extensive experience working with executives in the area of information security. Her track record includes working with C-level executives and boards for public and private companies across different verticals including manufacturing and services industries.
Spencer Hardman
Assistant Dean, Finance and Administration
Spencer Hardman previously led the finance, financial aid, and student accounts departments at Pepperdine’s Graduate School of Education & Psychology through the implementation and growth of the school’s hugely successful transformation that has added $64 million of revenue and over 1,400 students in under 5 years. He also served as the school’s primary point of contact with 2U, Inc., for budgets, enrollment forecasting, financial analysis, and related matters. Spencer is an alumnus of the Graziadio MBA program where he majored in finance.
Clemens Kownatzki, PhD
Associate Dean, Full-Time Programs
Clemens Kownatzki has been an executive in the financial services industry for well over two decades. His experience ranges from management positions in brokerage and treasury operations to advising corporate as well as retail clients with a focus on managing their risk effectively. He has also been an active investor in options and derivatives markets. Having lived and worked in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the U.S., his investments range from equity to international capital and currency markets.
Bernice Ledbetter, EdD
Dean, Students and Alumni Affairs
Dr. Bernice Ledbetter is dean of students and alumni affairs, practitioner faculty of organizational theory and management, and director of the Center for Women in Leadership at Pepperdine Graziadio. She is an award winning teacher, and recipient of the Howard A. White Award for Teaching Excellence, and the George Award for Outstanding Faculty Member. A recognized expert on the topic of women in leadership, Dr. Ledbetter led a team in securing a Waves of Innovation grant to launch the Center for Women in Leadership at Pepperdine where she serves as the Center's director.
Claudio Ludovisi, MBA
Assistant Dean, Marketing, Strategy, and Corporate Relations
Mr. Claudio Ludovisi brings to Graziadio over 25 years of global business experience and leadership roles with Disney, NBC Universal, IMAX, Amgen, and Warner Bros. Studios. He is a senior strategy and marketing executive as well as a recognized thought leader of fan engagement, and is passionate about leading teams to extraordinary results in an "accelerating, digital, purpose-driven" world. Claudio holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a bachelor of arts degree in economics from UCLA.
Abraham Park, PhD
Senior Associate Dean, Academic Affairs
Dr. Abraham Park is senior associate dean of academic affairs and an associate professor of finance at Pepperdine Graziadio. Dr. Park has over 12 years of experience in law, a Silicon Valley technology start up venture, management consulting, hedge funds, and global real estate finance. He has worked and lived in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. Dr. Park holds a PhD from University of Cambridge, M. Phil. from University of Cambridge, JD from U.C. Berkeley, MPP from Harvard University, and a BA from UC Berkeley.