Anne Curzan is an experienced leader in higher education who now brings that expertise to leadership and performance coaching for executives both in academia and in other professions. Anne is passionate about values-driven, people-first leadership and enjoys the opportunity to help clients create positive change and thrive in their roles.

Anne has over two decades of leadership experience at the University of Michigan, where she is the Geneva Smitherman Collegiate Professor of English, Linguistics, and Education. From 2019 - 2024 Dr. Curzan served as the dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. In this role, she led a community of almost 25,000 people, managed a budget of $1 billion, undertook strategic initiatives across disciplines, and steered the college through multiple crises. Her prior roles at UM include Associate Dean for the Humanities, Faculty Athletics Representative, and Director of the English Department Writing Program.

Anne is a linguist by training, and her most recent book is Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words (2024). She brings a thoughtful approach to communication styles and strategies in leadership and on the power of language more generally. Anne is also an experienced public speaker, who enjoys helping others find a home in this sometimes intimidating space. She can be found talking about language on the weekly show “That's What They Say” on local NPR affiliate Michigan Public. Her TED talk “What makes a word ‘real’?” has more than 2 million views on the national TED talk site.

Education

Anne has an M.A. and Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan. Her B.A. in Linguistics is from Yale University.

Experience

Prior to joining Bridgeport as an executive leadership coach in 2025, Anne both formally and informally mentored other academic leaders for almost 20 years. Throughout her professional career, she has undertaken large strategic planning efforts within a university context, facilitated team retreats and workshops, and developed effective interventions for more positive workplace cultures.