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Jane Grote Abell Visits Ohio University for Women in Entrepreneurship Day


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Jane Grote Abell, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors for Donatos Pizza Inc. will be featured at the Ohio University Center for Entrepreneurship Guest Lecture series on Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 5-6 p.m. in Baker Center Rooms 240/242.

Grote Abell will speak on behalf of Women in Entrepreneurship Day.

When graduating from The Ohio State University in 1988, Grote Abell became the Chief People Officer for Donatos. She remained with the company in 1999 when McDonalds purchased Donatos. She was Senior Vice President, Development and Franchise Development.

In 2003, she led her family’s charge to buy back the company from McDonalds. After being successful in that endeavor, Grote Abell was named President and Chief Operating Officer in 2006. In 2013, she became chairwoman of the Board.

Grote Abel talked with WOUB about her recipes for success and how she has gone about managing her career and her work-life balance. She also gives tips to young female entrepreneurs and innovators.

Grote Abell has received numerous awards. In 2014, she was given the YWCA Columbus Academy of Women Achievement award and she was named CEO of the Year by Columbus CEO Magazine.

She also is involved with several leadership groups. She is a founding member of the Ross Leadership Institute, works with the Women’s Leadership Council of the United Way and is on the Women’s Leadership Network Advisory Council at Otterbein University.

In 2015, Grote Abell wrote her first book, The Missing Piece: Doing Business the Donatos Way. Donatos has gross sales of over $162 million per year and has locations in seven states.

Women in Entrepreneurship Day at Ohio University is sponsored by the Ohio Women in Business, TechGROWTH Ohio and the Center for Entrepreneurship, a partnership between the College of Business and the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs.