American College Names New Ethics Director

The American College, a U.S. financial services educator, has named Julie Ragatz as their next director of the Center for Ethics in Financial Services. In this position she will lead the only academic ethics center in country dedicated exclusively to studying the issues affecting the financial services industry and consumers.

The American College Center for Ethics in Financial Services promotes ethical behavior by offering programs that go beyond the "rules" of market conduct to help executives and producers be more sensitive to ethical issues and think more critically about ethical solutions. The Center's interactive continuing education courses, forums, and workshops help practitioners think critically and behave ethically, even in the absence of clear direction.

The Center also serves as a resource for research and the discussion of emerging ethical issues in the financial services industry. Because of its unbiased academic role, the Center can be objective in helping executives, producers, and regulators deal with the ethical implications of public policy positions.

Ragatz joined the Center for Ethics in Financial Services at The American College in 2006 as a doctoral fellow. In 2008, she received her Masters of Arts degree in Social and Political Philosophy from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. Two years later, Ragatz was appointed the associate director of the Center for Ethics in Financial Services. She is currently finishing her Ph.D. in philosophy at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa., where she specializes in ethical theory and focuses specifically on ethical issues in the financial services industry.

“All of us associated with the Center for Ethics in Financial Services at The American College are delighted to see Julie as the new director of the Center,” said James A. Mitchell, CLU, ChFC, Retired Chairman, IDS Life Insurance Company and Chair of the Center’s advisory board. “We have seen the quality of Julie’s work for the past five years. After conducting a national search, we realized that the best candidate was right here in our own backyard. Julie’s history of successful interactions with financial services professionals and her strong media presence make her the best choice for the job. She is the right leader to take the Center for Ethics to the next level.”

Ragatz has taught several courses in ethical theory and business ethics at several universities. In 2008, Ms. Ragatz designed and implemented, “Ethical Issues in the Accounting Environment” for the Masters of Accounting Program at Villanova University. She also teaches regularly in the Richard D. Irwin Graduate School at The American College.

 

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