Brandeis Board of Trustees elects Lisa Kranc ’75 as new chair

The Brandeis University Board of Trustees has elected Lisa Kranc ’75 as its new chair, the first woman to serve as chair of Brandeis’ board. Kranc, a retired marketing executive, has served on the board since 2012.

Kranc was elected to fill the term of Meyer G. Koplow '72, P '02, P '05, who announced that he was stepping down as chair and retiring from the Board of Trustees. Koplow has served on the board since 2006 and became chair in 2017.

“I have found it incredibly rewarding to support Brandeis in its endeavors and growth since I have been on the board, and I look forward to taking on this leadership role, working with the board and President Ron Liebowitz in support of Brandeis’ goals” said Kranc. “And I thank my colleague Meyer for his service to our alma mater over the past 15 years,” Kranc said.

“Lisa’s dedication to Brandeis, her substantial experience on the board, combined with her business acumen honed over years in industry make her an outstanding choice to lead the board. I look forward to working more closely with her in the months and years to come,” Liebowitz said. “I join her in thanking Meyer for his tenure on the board and his leadership over the years.”

Kranc retired as Senior Vice President, Marketing of AutoZone, Inc. in 2012 after nearly twelve years at the retailer. Her more than 35 year corporate experience includes senior level marketing management positions at leading US supermarket chains, most notably Giant Eagle in Pittsburgh, PA and Hannaford Bros in Scarborough, Maine. She began her career in the consumer packaged goods arena and held brand management leadership roles at the Clorox Company and Cadbury Schweppes. Since retiring in 2012, she has served on the Boards of Directors in both corporate and non-profit sectors, including most recently at Truck Hero, Inc. as well as at Armored AutoGroup. She is recent past President of the Board of the Memphis (Tennessee) Brooks Museum of Art. 

Kranc, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, is one of eight members of her family to attend Brandeis. She graduated Brandeis in 1975 cum laude with honors in American Studies and earned her MBA from Columbia University in 1977. Prior to becoming a trustee, Kranc served as a Vice President of the Brandeis Alumni Association.

“Brandeis is in good hands with Lisa as the new chair of the board, and I wish her, President Liebowitz, and the Brandeis community the very best,” Koplow said. “It has been an honor to serve my alma mater as a trustee over the past decade and a-half, and I have great optimism about the future of our university.”