Meet Dr. Shawn Andrews
Helping organizations turn insight into action—and intention into impact.
Let’s Get Acquainted
Dr. Andrews is a rare blend of business, academia, art, and science.
She works with organizations ready to elevate engagement, create cultures of inclusion, and unlock the full potential of their people.
Her keynotes and programs inspire and empower leaders and teams to communicate more effectively, collaborate with purpose, and sustain a competitive edge.
Acclaimed Thought-Leader
Dr. Andrews has worked with clients such as the United Nations, Johnson & Johnson, Deloitte, Broadcom, Hewlett-Packard, and the National Diversity Council to create inclusive cultures, leverage emotional intelligence, and address leadership gaps in gender and race.
Proven Educator
Business school professor at top-ranked university, the University of California Irvine, in the fields of Organization & Management and Applied Behavioral Science with a doctorate in Organizational Leadership and an M.B.A. degree.
Bestselling Author
Dr. Andrews wrote The Power of Perception: Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, and the Gender Divide based on her dissertation research on these topics. In her newest book, she lends her expertise to the global conversation on allyship in The 5 Levels of Male Allyship: A Guide to Building Better Teams Through Real Inclusion.
Research Geek
Dr. Andrews practices meta-integration, weaving together research from neuroscience, psychology, and sociology to help learning truly stick and translate into real-world action.
Accomplished Drummer
Dr. Andrews delivers inspiring keynotes and workshops that engage both the head and the heart—connecting insight with emotion to create lasting impact. Drumming since she was a toddler, she uses music as a theme to tie in key points and illuminate stories.
Mesmerizing Storyteller
Using both real world cases and personal stories, Dr. Andrews poignantly illustrates the impact of bias, exclusion, and gender through a variety of characters, settings and plot lines.
“Dr. Andrews was, by far, the most engaging and fun speaker I've ever had the privilege to see! Thank you for the book, for all the insights, laughs and knowledge you shared with us yesterday at the SCRC conference.”
Stan Kachakov, National Account Executive, National Corporate Housing
Shawn’s Full Bio
Dr. Shawn Andrews is an international keynote speaker, organizational consultant, business school professor, and author of two bestselling books. She specializes in leadership, gender dynamics, allyship, emotional intelligence and workplace inclusion.
In her first book, The Power of Perception: Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, and the Gender Divide (Morgan James Publishing, 2018), Shawn explores how perceptions shape leadership effectiveness and career advancement of women.
Her newest book, The 5 Levels of Male Allyship: A Guide to Building Better Teams Through Real Inclusion (Amplify Publishing Group, 2026), supports men and contributes to the global conversation on allyship, belonging, and creating workplaces where everyone can thrive.
Shawn’s insights have been featured in Forbes, the Chicago Tribune, and on dozens of podcasts and radio programs, including NPR. Shawn has also shared her ideas on the TEDx stage with Debunking Bias: Perceptions of Male & Female Leaders, offering research and practical strategies for addressing bias in leadership.
As a speaker and consultant, Shawn has worked with more than 100 organizations across multiple industries, including the United Nations, Johnson & Johnson, Hewlett-Packard, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Diversity Council, the Association for Talent Development, and the Society for Human Resource Management.
Before launching her consulting practice, Shawn spent more than two decades in the biopharmaceutical industry, where she developed and coached thousands of leaders through presentations, workshops, and psychological instruments. She is a licensed practitioner in the EQ-i 2.0 and EQ 360 emotional intelligence models and Insights Discovery colors, tools that help leaders better understand themselves and the people they work with.
In addition to her speaking and consulting work, Shawn serves as a professor at the UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business, where she teaches courses in Diversity & Inclusion at Work, Organizational Behavior, and Business Communication.
Shawn earned her Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership and MBA from Pepperdine University and her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine.
She served for six years as Board President of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Orange County and is the founder and CEO of Andrews Research International.
On a personal note, Shawn completed a long-held bucket list goal in 2025—cycling across the U.S. from Portland, OR to Portland, ME, a journey that reflects the same perseverance and curiosity she brings to her work with leaders and organizations.
My Mission
To serve as an expert educator to help organizations better manage their talent, to inspire and empower women to advance their careers, to help men become better allies, and help create work environments around the world that are equitable and inclusive.
My Philosophy
I believe that everyone should have access to equal opportunities. I want to see talented professionals succeed in their career, and I want to see organizations be more diverse and inclusive so that everyone’s talents are utilized and valued. Unfortunately, too many knowledgeable and capable individuals fall short of their career goals, and too many organizations leave untapped talent on the table. The world is becoming more diverse every day, and I believe that we can do better.
Building cultures that are more inclusive and balanced takes awareness, dialogue, and ongoing action—and there are many individual and organizational strategies that can move us forward.
In 2015, I launched my speaking and consulting business, and shortly after started writing and teaching for business schools. I’m passionate about helping others take control of their professional lives, helping businesses be more effective, and making an impact on the world. This is what drives me to research, speak, teach, and write on the broad topics of leadership, gender, emotional intelligence, and DEI—and it’s why I wrote The Power of Perception and The 5 Levels of Male Allyship.
I invite you to join me on the journey.
“I was intrigued & inspired by the presentation. Not only did Dr. Andrews do a fantastic job delving into the why of gender roles in the workplace; she did it in an inclusive manner. With these sensitive topics it can be easy to divide the room, and I never felt that way with this presentation. A good mix of historical, current state, facts, humor, & data. It has already prompted discussion between me and my colleagues. Thank you!”
Clarissa Volpe, Lead Attorney, Coloplast
Dr. Andrews is Trusted by Organizations Committed to Real Inclusion
Explore keynotes and workshops inspired by Shawn’s books