Editor's note: Opus College of Business is highlighting Opus graduates ("giants") who are making a huge impact in the world. Read the rest of the profiles here.
An assistant vice president at U.S. Bank who manages ethics strategy as part of the Global Ethics Office, Jessica Drewiske '10, '15 J.D./MBA has ethics front and center in her career.She started as an extern at Medtronic during the highly publicized Covidien transaction, where her performance won her a coveted spot on the ethics team.
“Medtronic gave me a runway to embed ethics across the new organization," Drewiske said. "I established global ethics circles and led the selection committee for the Medtronic Code of Conduct Compass employee recognition program." She also negotiated support for a standalone ethics-focused employee survey, a groundbreaking move for the company.
Soon she began contributing to the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) as a regional speaker and writer. Her thought leadership was noticed by U.S. Bank, where she was recruited to join a newly formed ethics office in 2017. This role further elevated her visibility and earned Drewiske an invitation to speak at the 18th Annual SCCE Global Compliance & Ethics Institute. All of this comes on the foundation she built at St. Thomas.
“St. Thomas helped me get my start. I developed a baseline competency in ethics through coursework, exposure to leading faculty experts and case competition experiences," she said. "The leadership development, communications and business training at Opus College of Business gave me the polish I needed to propel my career."
Jessica remains active at St. Thomas and in community service roles. She is a member of the Opus Risk Leadership Advisory and Graduate Business Alumni boards, and a popular adjunct professor in the St. Thomas School of Law, where she also serves on the Alumni Advisory Board.
“I am a continuous learner. The teaching role challenges me to stay current and helps me grow. When I gain insights from other faculty and the online students I teach, I immediately take those back to my employer,” Drewiske said.
Jessica also volunteers at Wills for Heroes, where she helps develop estate planning, health care directive and power of attorney documents.
