Professional Achievement Award

JUDITH GIFFHORN O’HAGAN, ARTS '77

Morristown, N.J.

“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” That’s one of Judy O’Hagan’s favorite quotes, which reflects the one constant in her career: the importance of people in meeting any goal or achievement. It should come as no surprise, then, that this believer in people power has been involved in human resources since graduating from Marquette.

Judy has worked across the human resources spectrum in the past 35 years, serving in different business environments, tackling various financial challenges, responding to many social changes and adjusting to endless technological advances.

As vice president of U.S. human resources for Sanofi, Judy bridges the needs of a company that researches and develops pharmaceuticals, vaccines and consumer health care with the talents and aspirations of its more than 20,000 employees in America. Her vocation is to find the best people to help improve the quality of life of all people.

“Developing people and developing leaders is at the heart of what I do, and I am privileged to do so in a pharmaceutical company, where our mission is to improve the health and well-being of the patients we serve,” Judy says.

And her day job has rubbed off in her pursuits away from work. By serving on the boards of the Jersey Battered Women’s Services and the Healthcare Business Women’s Association, as well as working with the Christ the King/Cristo Rey school in Newark, N.J., to provide internships for urban high schoolers with limited educational opportunities, Judy works hard to help others achieve their full potential.

Which can be done, she says, if you, “Do what you say you will do, and follow the golden rule.”

Fun facts about Judy:
Hometown: Falls Church, Va.
Favorite book or quote: “The only place where success comes before work is the dictionary.”
Someone alive or dead she’d like to have dinner with: Al McGuire
The Marquette faculty members who had an impact on Judy: Dr. Brigitte Coste and the Jesuits
Favorite Marquette memory: “There are so many!” Her favorite occurred the night Marquette won the NCAA championship in March 1977. They were all watching the game together and as the clock ran out, the doors and windows opened and a literal sea of people stormed in celebration down Wisconsin Avenue to Lake Michigan.
Most influential person in Judy’s life: Her father