Faith, Family, and Leadership: My Experience with the Notre Dame EMNA

As Vice-Chancellor of Temporal Affairs for the Diocese of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada, Francis Doyle knew the time was right to grow as a leader. With a new role and an upcoming leadership transition on the horizon, he turned to the Notre Dame Executive Master of Nonprofit Administration (EMNA) program to deepen his skills while staying true to his faith-driven mission. Drawn to Notre Dame's combination of academic rigor and Catholic values, he found more than just professional growth—he discovered lifelong friendships, meaningful family memories on campus, and a renewed commitment to leading with excellence.

Q&A with Francis Doyle

Q: What inspired you to pursue an Executive MNA at this stage in your career?

Having recently moved into a new portfolio and aware of a coming leadership transition in our organization, the time was right to dive into studies to deepen my skill set and prepare myself to take on greater responsibility in the future. Notre Dame’s EMNA program was the only choice for me: it combines the rigorous academic standards of a leading business school with the mission, ethos, and values of one of the world’s greatest Catholic intellectual institutions in Notre Dame.

Q:  What advice would you give prospective students about how to balance the demands of your job, family, and the Executive MNA program?

As a program designed for working professionals, I have always felt tremendous support in balancing all of what life throws at you. During my second summer of studies, my father very suddenly became ill and sadly died before the start of the Fall term. The support of the EMNA program was tremendous, and I was able to keep my studies on track even while taking a short break. But perhaps the most special part of the EMNA program for our family of 7 was coming to campus each summer. Rather than simply going on my own to Notre Dame, my wife and children came with me and we made South Bend our home for each of the summer terms. Our children, all under the age of 12, truly felt part of the Notre Dame family and themselves had the privilege of experiencing so much of what the Notre Dame campus has to offer. Commencement this spring will truly be a family celebration for the entire Doyle family and we will be forever grateful to have a lifelong connection to Notre Dame.

Q:  How has your experience in the Executive MNA program been so far? 

I know the connections I have made in the EMNA program will be professionally valuable – but far more than this, the program has forged what will be lifelong friendships. Everyone knows you make these types of friendships during undergrad. What I did not expect was the true camaraderie I would experience with my fellow students in the EMNA program. Many things make Notre Dame special, but the incredible people the university attracts are truly one of its greatest strengths. I have been blessed to come to know many “kindred spirits” in the EMNA program. Coming from such different backgrounds and experiences, we share such a common bond that is truly special. Where else could this happen but Our Lady’s University?

Q:  How has the Executive MNA program influenced your leadership style or approach to decision-making?

What Mendoza has taught me is that a rigorous pursuit of excellence and acting virtuously for the good are not mutually exclusive: in fact, you can do far more good in the world when you marry a deep hunger and thirst for righteousness with an unwavering commitment to the highest possible standards.

Q:  What would you say to someone considering the Notre Dame Executive MNA? 

If you wait until every box in your life is checked or there are no hesitations, you may be waiting forever. You will never regret joining the Notre Dame family and what you will glean from the program for yourself, your organization, and for those you serve will be worth its weight in (blue and) gold. Those with servant hearts who desire a better world will find in the EMNA program a profound real-life example of the powerful force for good that Fr. Sorin envisioned for Notre Dame almost 200 years ago.