(posted on behalf of @Donald Neubaum, Past Division Chair)
(photographed by Julia Berlin from Koblenz)
It’s with a heavy heart that I offer this tribute to commemorate Christina Güenther - to reflect on the many ways she contributed to the Entrepreneurship Division and touched the lives of those around her. I am deeply humbled for the opportunity to speak on behalf of so many who knew and loved Christina.
Christina served as PDW Chair, Program Chair, Chair Elect, Chair and Past Chair from 2015 to 2019. Christina was my “big sister,” as she was one year ahead of me in our 5-year progression on the Executive Committee. As a result, I was fortunate to witness the thoughtful, graceful way she led the Division.
I first met Christina in 2015 at the Toronto Public Library. She was serving as the PDW Chair that year, overseeing the Division’s Saturday night social. I had just been elected as the incoming PDW Chair, so my task was to shadow her that evening—to learn everything I could in preparation for my role as PDW Chair the following year. Like everything she touched, the Social went off without a hitch—perfect and flawless.
I remember Christina laughing as she told me, “I had no idea what the PDW Chair was supposed to do. This is the first Social I have ever been to! How am I supposed to plan for that?” She also shared that she hadn’t realized fundraising was such a large part of the PDW Chair’s job. In many ways, she felt like she was figuring it out as she went along. But that was classic Christina—utterly honest, deeply humble, and completely unflappable. She guided herself and others in moments of doubt and challenge with ease.
Despite those early uncertainties, Christina approached her role in her trademark calm and quiet manner, always maintaining a deep sense of responsibility. When she saw opportunities for improvement, she tackled them aggressively while creating consensus for change with her gentle and affable touch. During her five-year term on the Executive Committee, she championed the professionalization of the Division. She helped enhance the Division’s preparation for the Academy’s Five-Year Reviews by strengthening its processes for collecting and preserving critical information and records. She also led efforts to update the policy and procedures manuals for every elected position—ensuring that those who came after her were better equipped, better informed, and more empowered to fulfil their roles and serve the membership.
Christina was also a strong advocate for transparency and pushed the Division to communicate more clearly with its membership. She continually worked to clarify and memorialize the Division’s election processes and how award winners were selected, so that every member could feel confident in the fairness and openness of those decisions.
She was also deeply passionate about expanding the reach of the Division. She championed efforts to increase international membership, created opportunities for broader participation, and ensured doctoral students had a voice in the Division’s leadership. She was also a driving force behind the launch of the Division’s Mentoring Program.
Because of Christina, the Entrepreneurship Division today is stronger—more transparent, more inclusive, and more professional. Her legacy lives on in the structures she helped build, the people she supported, and the example she set for all of us.
In closing, I invite us all to raise a virtual pint in Christina’s honor – to celebrate her life, her legacy, and her lasting impact on this Division and on our hearts.
Christina, wir lieben und vermissen dich.