Catherine T. Doherty \u201984 exemplifies the drive and work ethic that is typical of Montclair graduates. A first-generation college student from Bergen County, New Jersey, Doherty commuted to school five days a week and worked at part-time jobs whenever she was not in class or studying.<\/p>\n
\u201cI graduated in the top 10% of my high school class,\u201d Doherty tells us. \u201cAnd although my parents prioritized education, they didn\u2019t believe in going away to college. Montclair was, in fact, the only college I applied to. It turned out to be an unbelievable investment!\u201d<\/p>\n
Doherty loved math and numbers but was not interested in teaching. She did like the idea of going into business. A business track, with a concentration in Accounting, made sense. She completed her degree and passed all four sections of the CPA exam in one sitting.<\/p>\n
Still, Doherty had a career path to figure out. \u201cI knew very little about the large accounting firms, except that they were a good place to start,\u201d she says. \u201cI accepted an offer with KPMG.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I got to the workforce, I was able to apply the theory that I learned in class,\u201d she continues. \u201cI was also able to draw on other lessons I learned from my professors. Many of them had come to Montclair from the business world. They brought real experience, and high value, to the classes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doherty left KPMG to take on the role of assistant controller at adidas, but when the company moved her department to South Carolina, she decided she would have more opportunities for advancement closer to home. A bit of advice she received from the chief financial officer at adidas resonated as she began her search. \u201cHe suggested that I look for work with a public company to give me access to equity,\u201d she recalls. \u201cHe pointed out the importance of equity to building wealth for my future and for my family\u2019s future. I found a job with Metpath, which at the time was a subsidiary of Corning.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was in 1990, when Metpath was reporting about $750 million in revenue. Corning spun the company off in 1997, which resulted in the creation of Quest Diagnostics. When the spinoff was nearing completion, Doherty remembered her former co-worker\u2019s advice and asked that equity be included in her compensation package. \u201cI was even willing to take a lower salary in return,\u201d she says. \u201cI was so grateful to have had that bit of guidance and mentorship. Today, Quest is an independent public company with nearly $10 billion in annual revenue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Quest offered Doherty more than equity, however. \u201cI am driven by having opportunities to learn and contribute, and Quest has always provided that for me,\u201d she says. \u201cI have enjoyed a remarkable career here full of new experiences and new knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doherty is currently executive vice president, where she is responsible for 90% of the company\u2019s revenue and 85% of its employees \u2014 approximately 35,000 people. She was a key leader at the company when it had to adapt to COVID conditions and testing. She is a highly respected executive and is known as a champion for developing talent for the company\u2019s leadership pipeline.<\/p>\n
In addition, Doherty co-chairs the company\u2019s Inclusion and Diversity Council and is executive sponsor of Quest\u2019s Women in Leadership Employee Business Network.<\/p>\n
During her time at Montclair, Doherty had little time for extracurricular activity, but she remembers her graduation day like it was yesterday. \u201cI was so proud,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was the first time my mom had visited the campus!\u201d<\/p>\n
When Doherty was invited to serve on the Feliciano School of Business Advisory Board, she was happy to accept. \u201cMontclair is a great school,\u201d she says. \u201cI want to do what I can to help the University continue on its path. Employers\u2019 expectations are evolving, and we are working to better understand what their needs are now, and what they will be in the future as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her role at Quest allows her to foster opportunities for the company to recruit Montclair graduates. \u201cWe partner with the Feliciano School of Business of course, and because Quest is in the healthcare business, we also engage with other areas of the University, such as the College of Science and Mathematics,\u201d she says. In fact, Ruth Clements, a member of Doherty\u2019s team and president of the East Region at Quest, is now serving on the College\u2019s Advisory Board.<\/p>\n
Doherty also points to the recruiting possibilities at the company\u2019s facilities in Clifton, close to the Montclair campus. \u201cMontclair students have such a great work ethic,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen you hire a Montclair graduate, you are getting a hard worker who is ready to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n
When she was asked to speak as part of Montclair\u2019s MBA Executive Speaker series, Doherty jumped at the chance to bring her knowledge and wisdom to students. \u201cI think we all underestimate the value we can bring to others,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen my grown children ask me for advice, I can offer them the benefit of what I have learned over the course of a long and successful career. But not every student has access to people who have that kind of background. That is why it is so important that alumni step forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMontclair has graduated some pretty amazing people,\u201d Doherty adds. \u201cOur success makes it possible for us to have a larger impact in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
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As Executive Vice President, Regional Businesses at Quest Diagnostics, Catherine T. Doherty \u201984 is responsible for 90% of the company\u2019s $10 billion annual revenue and 85% of its employees. As a member of the Feliciano School of Business Advisory Board, she is helping to ensure that Montclair\u2019s business students get the highest value possible from their higher education investment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":353,"featured_media":214277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-214284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-76_alumni-news-and-events","category-77_alumni-spotlight"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/353"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214284"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214284\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":214285,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214284\/revisions\/214285"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/214277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}