Winter/Spring 2020
BUSINESS Rooted. Restless.
The Villanova School of Business Strategic Plan
EMBA / P10
Villanova EMBA Celebrates 20 Years
MENTOR / P14
The Power of Two, Multiplied Many Times Over
STUDENTS / P20 Blockchain Meets Aerospace
The Helen and William O’Toole Dean Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD
Assistant Dean, Talent & Staff Development, Community & External Outreach Cathy J. Toner, JD, MJ
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Associate Director of Communication and Editor Shannon M. Wilson
Contributors Lauren Higgins Ian MacPherson ’20 VSB Stephanie McMinn Amy Swift Meghan Winch ’15 MA Kelsea Wong ’21 VSB
Design and Production Matthew Schmidt Design
Principal Photography
FEATURES 2 FEATURE STORY Rooted. Restless. The Villanova School of Business Strategic Plan
6 FACULTY FOCUS 8 INSIDE VSB 13 MISSION SPOTLIGHT Andrea Zinn ’13 VSB
16 FACULTY SPOTLIGHT Quinetta Roberson, PhD
20 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT David Bettenhausen ’20 VSB and Phong Nguyen Dang ’22 VSB
23 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Mike Maher ’12 MBA
24 DONOR SPOTLIGHT Sean Traynor ’91 VSB
Ed Cunicelli
Villanova Business is available online at business.villanova.edu. To update your mailing address, email alumni@villanova.edu. Send comments and questions to: VSBCommunicationsandMarketing @villanova.edu. Villanova Business 800 Lancaster Avenue Villanova, PA 19085-1678 610-519-5424 business.villanova.edu Follow us: @VU_Business @VSB_Dean @VillanovaBusiness Villanova School of Business Villanova School of Business
Dean’s Update Dear Readers, I’m especially excited to share this issue of Villanova Business with you. It comes at an important juncture for the Villanova School of Business as we reflect upon past successes and strive for more. This issue highlights our new strategic plan for 2020–2025. This is one of the most important parts of my job and I feel passionately about it. Our Strategic Plan combines our values with the many voices of our community to help us better understand our opportunities for growth. I invite you to read more about the plan, and I look forward to sharing our results over the next five years. Also in this issue, we celebrate two milestones, including the 20th anniversary of our Executive MBA (EMBA) program. Since the beginning, this program embraced transformation as the premise for developing leaders for today’s world and I can think of no better mindset to drive innovation and make a positive impact on the world. We also highlight the fifth anniversary of our VSB Mentor Program and the invaluable contributions of our alumni to help future generations of VSB students achieve their career goals. Their commitment to service is a source of great inspiration to me! There are many other examples of our values at work in this issue. Please enjoy and as always, I thank you for your continued support and commitment.
Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD The Helen and William O’Toole Dean Professor of Management Villanova School of Business
Rooted. Restless. Like the University Strategic Plan, the Villanova School of Business Strategic Plan begins with what we value most. The Augustinian Catholic mission and values—Veritas, Unitas, Caritas—frames our decision-making while at the same time, inspires us to do more. At VSB, that heritage helped us define a mission and values for delivering unparalleled business education and developing leaders who drive positive change no matter where they go.
Our Mission
Our Values – Uniquely Villanova
The Villanova School of Business (VSB) fosters an atmosphere where students and our community can develop intellectual curiosity, experiences, and values needed for lifetime learning.
Veritas Creative problem solvers tackling emerging business challenges with expertise and integrity, paired with courage, resolve and strength of character.
We collaborate with the business and academic communities to create, share, and apply knowledge to produce strategic, innovative solutions that solve evolving business problems. Strengthened by our Augustinian Catholic tradition, VSB is a community of mutual respect, inclusion, professional development, and continuous improvement.
Unitas An inclusive community of collaborative leaders who think holistically and work across disciplines. Caritas Humble servant leaders who are ethical, empathetic decision makers, focused on the greater good.
COVER STORY
The Villanova School of Business
STRATEGIC PLAN We embarked on this new Strategic Plan from a position of strength. Our values, along with a strong liberal arts core that underpins the business fundamentals, will always play a central role in the way we generate and share knowledge to produce creative problem-solvers, responsible leaders and ethical decision-makers who drive change and make a difference. We also remain focused on teaching innovation, integrated student advising and career support, and a holistic student experience. Throughout VSB, we deliver education that prepares leaders for a changing business landscape through multidisciplinary curricula, more experiential learning and advanced technology. One of the best examples is our new Victoria and Justin Gmelich ’90 Lab for Financial Markets. Offering the latest technology in finance, real estate, analytics and management information systems, the Gmelich Lab allows students and faculty to experience the blending of business with technology that’s transforming our world every day. We will also continue to strengthen areas that serve students through faculty and staff talent development, external engagement and brand identity, facilities and infrastructure improvement, and advancement. We renew our commitment to these areas because they have contributed substantially to our success. We honor that legacy and build upon it. As St. Augustine wrote, “Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation.”
Our Vision To create a rigorous academic learning environment that transforms lives, nurtures creativity, embraces an analytical approach, espouses a global perspective and develops ethical leaders who positively impact society.
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COVER STORY
In developing this plan, we examined many of the same external pressures raised in the University’s strategic plan. Over the next 10 years, institutions of higher education will experience significant demographic shifts among prospective students, as the overall number of high school graduates starts to decline in 2030 and more come from diverse backgrounds. Meanwhile, concerns around the value and affordability of higher education have led to an increased focus on whether students are graduating with the problem-solving abilities, interpersonal skills, and ethical foundation needed to succeed. Furthermore, declining federal research funding puts pressure on small-to-medium sized research institutions like Villanova to source funding elsewhere.
Delivering upon the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan is a considerable undertaking but one we are committed to pursue. Every area within the Villanova School of Business is developing measurable goals that align with the strategic imperatives and areas of renewed commitment. This is a story about the Villanova School of Business 2020-2025 Strategic Plan but it’s much more than that. Our plan signals our intention to make an even greater impact on the world by training leaders; producing knowledge; and emulating the diverse, inclusive world that we hope to inspire everywhere we go. We invite you to join us in supporting this important endeavor. \v/
These issues provided valuable context for determining our priorities. Developing Leaders for a Better World® is as much about preparing others to lead as being leaders ourselves. We have a responsibility to ourselves as well as future generations to reflect the values that underlie a strong society. This line of thinking led us to ask ourselves three key questions as part of this planning process: •W hat’s
the most valuable additional thing we could do for our students?
•W hat’s
the most meaningful thing we could do to strengthen our community?
•W hat’s
the most beneficial thing we could do to enable our faculty to have greater impact?
We engaged with faculty, staff, students, alumni, employers and other stakeholders for over two years to explore these questions. We heard that employers expect students to bring an expertise in a field of study, along with a highly developed understanding of technology, data and analytics to solve problems and a comfort level working and communicating across diverse and global teams. We heard that while much of the academic experience may be the same, not all students within our community share an equal experience, particularly among students of diverse identities. Employers voiced an interest in finding students who bring diverse perspectives and will target schools where they can find those students. Our faculty expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with students on research to have a greater impact. From these conversations, our Strategic Imperatives took shape (see page 5).
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Villanova Business Winter/Spring 2020
“
Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation.” – St. Augustine
COVER STORY
VSB’s Strategic Imperatives Our community shared ideas and recommendations that reflect our shared passion for enhancing VSB’s position as a leader in business education and together we arrived at three strategic imperatives where we will make a significant investment to improve our outcomes.
Competencies Technology, data and analytics Working in diverse teams Communications
We will enhance the strengths of our existing undergraduate and graduate programs by building competencies that equip our students for the future of work. That includes: – Advanced skills in technology, data and analytics across every discipline –M anaging and working effectively with colleagues from different backgrounds and with unique perspectives –W ritten and oral communications that effectively convey ideas and support decisionmaking practices
Ethics and servant leadership
–L eadership grounded in ethics and focused on servant leadership
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
VSB will create an inclusive, equitable and diverse community on campus and beyond— one that focuses on faculty, staff and student training while fostering a deeper sense of belonging.
Provide an even more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment
The curriculum will incorporate these competencies both in theory and in practice to become an even more essential part of the VSB experience.
Our plan calls for establishing the VSB Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which will partner with the University’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to tailor and augment the support to the specific needs of VSB. It also calls for faculty and staff training to encourage more dialogue and curriculum enhancements around diversity, equity and inclusion. We strive to ensure a consistent classroom and campus experience for all VSB students with a greater emphasis on teamwork. Through these efforts, we look to enrich our community by attracting more students, faculty and staff of diverse backgrounds into a welcoming community.
Research: Impact and Student Engagement
We will elevate VSB research by implementing the appropriate motivators, incentives and resources necessary to advance scholarship.
Invest in research initiatives and ensure their impact in the classroom and in the world
Additional efforts will promote research with tangible impact within and beyond academia and facilitate more faculty collaboration on research, paired with the mentorship, training and support faculty need at different stages of their careers. This infrastructure will bolster our reputation as a research leader, bring new ideas to life in the classroom, attract and retain top scholars, positively impact society, and increase faculty satisfaction through the life cycle of their careers.
Efforts will focus on increasing funding and tapping into more student engagement with Graduate Fellows as well as undergraduate students interested in research through the expansion of the VSB Research Scholars.
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FACULTY FOCUS
Faculty Achievements VSB boasts world-class faculty members that are nationally recognized experts in their fields, with 90% holding a PhD or the highest degree in their discipline. They excel across the board— in research, instruction and innovation. Our renowned faculty are media savvy professionals and can provide insightful commentary on a multitude of businessrelated topics both nationally and locally. Among their many qualifications are degrees from prestigious institutions, articles in premier academic journals and experience working with the world’s top organizations.
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Villanova Business Winter/Spring 2020
Yoon-Na Cho, PhD Recognized for Mindfulness Research Yoon-Na Cho, PhD, associate professor, Marketing & Business Law, and her co-authors received the 2019 Thomas C. Kinnear Award for an outstanding article in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. The article, “Mindfulness: Its Transformative Potential for Consumer, Societal, and Environmental Well-Being,” focuses on the intersection of mindfulness and its role in helping consumers regulate their choices and decisions to align with their own personal values and preferences. The award recognizes an article that makes the most significant contribution to the understanding of marketing and public policy issues within the most recent three-year time period. Dr. Cho and her colleagues were honored at the 2019 Marketing and Public Policy Conference held in June in Washington, D.C. “It’s truly an honor to be recognized for the mindfulness work that can touch so many people,” said Dr. Cho. “By mindful attention in daily lives, we can mitigate the deleterious outcomes of mindless consumption.”
FACULTY FOCUS
The Rev. Craig McMahon, OSA, PhD Receives Prestigious Research Prizes Craig McMahon, OSA, PhD, assistant professor, Economics, was awarded the St. Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge, Emsley Prize for the academic year 2017– 2018 for his PhD thesis. Father McMahon’s dissertation focused on the social and political factors in the United States and United Kingdom affecting the control of usury in payday lending. In addition, Father McMahon was also awarded the 2018 Ellen McArthur Doctoral Prize, University of Cambridge. The prize is awarded on a University of Cambridge-wide basis to the best dissertation in the sub-field of economic history. “I am humbled and honored to have received such recognition,” Father McMahon said. “I offer my sincere gratitude to the awarding committees. I also want to thank my Augustinian brothers and the parishioners of St. Augustine’s in London and Clare Priory in Suffolk; finishing a PhD thesis is a long and difficult process, and I would not have completed it without their support and prayers.”
Alicia Strandberg, PhD Showcases VU Women in Tech at National Conference Alicia Strandberg, PhD, associate professor, Management & Operations, showcased VSB’s efforts to encourage women in technology at the University Business Technology (UBTech) Conference in Orlando in June 2019. UBTech is the leading higher education conference for tech gurus, academic strategists and hands-on IT professionals, drawing innovators and thought leaders. Dr. Strandberg presented “Women in Technology Platform to Support Women and Motivate Those Who Hesitate,” which followed VSB’s journey in developing VU Women in Tech. She highlighted how other universities can navigate their journey from gaining support to tracking success. “Speaking at the Women in Tech Summit at the UBTech Conference was a powerful opportunity to network and share ideas with passionate and creative leaders that share our mission. We are grateful for the support we receive from all University colleges and Provost Maggitti, as well as VSB’s Dean Russell and Faculty Director Sue Metzger. ”
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INSIDE VSB
Dean Russell Joins GMAC Pathways for Growth Advisory Committee
Aoife-Marie Fitzgerald ’21 VSB was named a Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Scholar for the 2019–2020 academic year.
The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) recently invited Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD, The Helen & William O’Toole Dean, to participate on an advisory committee for the Pathways for Growth project.
PCAOB Scholars, who are accounting majors nominated by their educational institutions, received a one-time $10,000 scholarship from the PCAOB. The program recognizes outstanding students who are likely to become accountants and auditors, especially students from groups that have been historically underrepresented in the accounting profession. This year, 207 students from colleges and universities across the US received the award.
The committee, which includes other deans and program leaders from a cross section of business schools, will give feedback on the enrollment pressures facing MBA programs as graduate management education becomes increasingly customized to suit students’ needs. GMAC looks to develop a more nuanced approach to segmenting schools by more than size and rank to foster growth and differentiation strategies.
“We are delighted to see a VSB student receive an award for their dedication to the pursuit of the accounting profession,” said Michael Peters, chair, Accounting & Information Systems and the Alvin A. Clay Professor of Accounting at VSB. “This scholarship is a testament to the fantastic quality of our students and VSB’s ability to provide world-class business education.”
“
I am honored to participate in this project, and I am excited to work with other established leaders in higher education to discuss shifting trends in graduate programs and apply the learnings to VSB to continue to expand our programs.” – Dean Russell
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VSB Undergraduate Wins Accounting Industry Scholarship
Villanova Business Winter/Spring 2020
VSB Launches Research Scholars Program In August 2019, the Villanova School of Business welcomed 24 undergraduates from the class of 2022 to serve as research associates to VSB faculty. As part of the VSB Research Scholars Program, these students will collaborate with faculty to advance research efforts across VSB. In preparation for becoming a VSB Research Scholar, students completed an innovative Honors course during the spring semester of their first year. During each week of the course, a different VSB faculty member led a lecture and discussion session about their research focus. Then, students completed a literature review for an opportunity to engage in the research process. “By creating a framework for VSB honors students to engage in research, we can simultaneously provide tremendous support to our faculty while exposing students to the rigors of academic research,” remarked Jonathan Doh, PhD, associate dean, Research and Global Engagement.
INSIDE VSB
Professionally Inspired:
More Programs Connect Curricula to Career The Villanova School of Business introduced new programs that allow students to demonstrate their commitment to their chosen fields with a deeper, more specialized skill set. With new programs in real estate, consulting, digital marketing and business development, students can prepare for these fields in ways that employers find meaningful.
Added Concentrations Two years ago, VSB introduced three new opportunities for students to develop a heightened skill level to prepare for the demands of certain fields. These programs deliver specially curated curricula designed to help students get more exposure to these areas of growing interest.
Management Consulting The Management Consulting concentration is designed to apply theoretical knowledge of management to help students learn consulting best practices and get exposure to real-world consulting challenges. It also provides new avenues for students to connect with practitioners and gain insight into the demands of consulting.
New Real Estate Major VSB recently announced a new major in Real Estate, beginning with the class of 2021. Developed by a task force including faculty, industry experts and the Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate Advisory Council, the new major will follow an applied and experiential curriculum, combining theoretical building blocks with cutting-edge tools and technologies used in the industry.
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We designed the curriculum to prepare future real estate leaders to become responsible change agents. Launching this major signals VSB’s growing commitment to becoming a leader in real estate education.” – Shawn Howton, PhD
Professor, Finance and Real Estate, and faculty director for the Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate
Digital Marketing Capitalizing on the trends in marketing, this new concentration emphasizes the future direction of marketing including marketing analytics, digital marketing and social media. Students also complete a social media project for a client, which opens doors to learn from practitioners.
Business Development Driven by employer demand for students with higher-level proficiency with consultative selling and business-tobusiness relationships, Business Development emphasizes soft skills like communication and presenting, with industry input. Last year, students delivered presentations to the CEO of a publicly traded food and beverage company, who delivered constructive feedback to advance their development.
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I think students benefit most from the program’s depth. – Therese Narzikul
I benefited from relationships with classmates, alumni and faculty. – Berkley Harmon
The Villanova EMBA is committed to the individual. – Jennifer Wiess
As faculty, I see the program’s impact during class discussions. – Wen Mao, PhD
Left to right: Berkley Harmon, Therese Narzikul, Jennifer Wiess, Tim Monahan and Wen Mao. Not pictured: Albert Chiaradonna
We wanted to take risks with the EMBA program. – Tim Monahan, PhD
Most important is the degree of integration across disciplines. – Al Chiaradonna
INSIDE VSB
The Villanova Executive MBA
20
Years of Transformation
When the Villanova Executive MBA (EMBA) program started in 2000, business looked very different. From communication and technology to management styles and organizational structures, change was the constant and transformation provided a natural, and necessary, platform for executive education. Twenty years later, that mindset remains at the core of the Villanova EMBA program. To mark this important milestone, Villanova Business (VB) sat down with EMBA faculty, staff and alumni to reflect upon the program’s impact and what lies ahead.
VB: When you set out to develop an EMBA program 20 years ago, what did you want to accomplish? Monahan: We wanted to take risks with the EMBA program. The pace of change
at the time—and even today—means we always need to be looking at delivering state-of-the-art education not just for executives but throughout VSB. Our focus around multi-disciplinary thinking, leadership, the infusion of industry examples, the growth of analytics—all these areas are critical for business leaders and they were the basis for our EMBA program. I credit a committed faculty who continually update their classes and delivery mechanisms to maintain this high standard and distinguish our program in the marketplace.
Wiess: The Villanova EMBA program also has created a space for reflection and
Roundtable
Participants Albert “Al” Chiaradonna EMBA Adjunct Instructor; Executive Coaching Program Manager Berkley Harmon ’04 EMBA EMBA Alumni Board Member Wen Mao, PhD Associate Dean, Faculty; Associate Professor, Economics Thomas “Tim” Monahan, PhD Dean Emeritus; John M. Cooney Professor, Accounting & Information Systems Therese Narzikul ’04 EMBA EMBA Faculty Director Jennifer Wiess ’18 MA Director, Executive Programs
personal growth in addition to delivering on the highest quality of business expertise. We create an experience where individuals can enhance their business acumen and develop a deeper understanding of their personal leadership style.
VB: What made the VSB EMBA program unique then and keeps it that way today? Chiaradonna: As a faculty member, three areas stand out for me. One is the
focus on personal transformation—how to bring your whole self to work to be a more authentic leader. Second is thinking “systemically.” Students learn not what to think, but how to think, especially about the importance of always understanding the context. More important is the degree of integration across disciplines. Modules build on one another so that students move from self-awareness to contextual awareness to finally combining the two to become leaders who can build and execute strategic plans that fit their individual style and the context of society, industry and organizational culture.
Harmon: Apart from systems thinking, the aspect that impacted me most was the
International Immersion. Visiting an emerging economy brings a whole other level of perspective to making a difference. On our immersion trip to Chile and Argentina, we visited businesses, met with local officials and learned about the local business climate.
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INSIDE VSB
VB: How do students benefit from the Villanova EMBA Program? Narzikul: The Villanova EMBA offers so many advantages but as an alum
and now faculty, I think students benefit most from the program’s depth. The curriculum enables students to design and deploy organizational transformation as leaders, learners and thinkers. Students emerge as visionary leaders, creative innovators and systems thinkers, and responsible decisionmakers with global perspectives who can positively impact society.
Mao: As faculty, I see the program’s impact during class discussions. The
students’ thinking evolves over 19 months. They sharpen their analytical skills and elevate their understanding of business and real-world challenges. In the process, they build these connections with one another that remain long after they leave class.
Chiaradonna: There’s also the program’s impact on students as individuals. Focusing on their strengths along with external perceptions helps each student map out a plan for personal growth. Students share feedback with one another that’s aimed at development, not performance. This, coupled with individual executive coaching, creates a positive culture of growth that fosters curiosity, risk-taking and life-long learning.
Harmon: As an alum, I couldn’t agree more about the life-long learning.
I benefited not only from the great education in the EMBA program, but also from my relationships with classmates, alumni and faculty who contributed to my development. Best of all, the EMBA Alumni Network continues to grow as more share that same experience.
A Diverse Program The Villanova EMBA draws students from a variety of disciplines and industries, including:
• Aerospace • Financial Services • Health Care • Manufacturing • Pharmaceuticals • Technology
Villanova EMBA
Class of 2020 44%
FEMALE
VB: Being twenty is almost like entering adulthood. As you think about the EMBA program and the sum of its accomplishments, what are you most proud of? Monahan: I am most proud of our graduates who stay connected with VSB. Typically, students are most loyal to their undergraduate programs. Our EMBA alumni are different. They are engineers, doctors, lawyers; they come from nonprofits, financial services, health care and media—they are truly a diverse group and yet they all continue to feel a sense of connection to our program that’s unsurpassed in graduate education today.
VB: What’s next for the EMBA? Wiess: Looking forward, the Villanova EMBA will remain committed to the
individual, creating a space for each student to explore their unique talents. Artificial intelligence, analytics, information security—all are reshaping business. We need leaders who can leverage their strengths to think critically about these innovations and lead in an ethical, responsible manner. With faculty who are world-class scholars and industry leaders; a dynamic curriculum that draws from real-world challenges; a diverse cohort of students; and a commitment to driving positive change, the Villanova EMBA is well-positioned to continue developing business leaders for a better world. At the same time, I’m eager for all that lies ahead, as we welcome Dr. Jeffrey Kudisch [associate dean, Corporate Relations and Executive Education] and look to expanding executive education at VSB. \v/
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Villanova Business Winter/Spring 2020
56%
MALE
Nationally, 30% of 2018 EMBA graduating classes were women. Source: 2018 EMBAC Survey
MISSION SPOTLIGHT
A Vision of Service Andrea Zinn ’13 VSB knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue a service-oriented education and chose Villanova for its commitment to community, caring and service. A triple major in International Business, Management and Marketing, she was inspired by the opportunities Villanova offered to shape and grow her passion for service. A service trip to Cambodia over winter break her junior year was a turning point in Zinn’s life. She visited an orphanage for children living with HIV/AIDS. “It was an oasis of joy in a country facing extreme poverty and hardship,” she notes. Zinn had always thought service would be something she would do once she had achieved financial security and had the time and resources. The founders of the orphanage helped change that mindset for her. She realized “I don’t have to wait to create an impact. I can do it now.”
Victor’s Vision recently completed its 10th year of programming and the first graduates are enrolled in university.
11%
f students in rural areas of o Peru like Chulucanas attend university.
80%
f Victor’s Vision program o participants who graduated have gone on to university.
Back at Villanova, Zinn had developed a friendship with Emily Felsenthal ’10 CLAS, who founded Victor’s Vision in Chulucanas, Peru during her senior year. Felsenthal visited Peru through a summer internship and was inspired to create an after-school program after spending a week volunteering at a youth shelter. At Felsenthal’s urging, Zinn volunteered at Victor’s Vision during the summer after her junior year. She could easily see the tangible impact of the work being done and the passion excited her. Zinn’s experience at Victor’s Vision inspired her to apply for a Fulbright grant in international education. She spent a year in Malaysia as a Fulbright Grantee working in an impoverished primary school system. She then continued her career in development finance and has spent the last few years providing social financing to empower low-income populations in poverty-stricken countries. Zinn has remained involved with Victor’s Vision and now volunteers as director of Development. “What makes Victor’s Vision unique is that it is a comprehensive program that addresses not only the academic needs of the students, but also the nutritional, social and emotional needs,” explains Zinn. The program’s goal is to prepare students with the tools to graduate secondary school and pursue a university education as a pathway out of poverty. An important component of its success is that the program empowers local staff to be decision-makers. Zinn explains that perhaps the best testament to the success of the program is from the students themselves, who say the program has made them a better person— not just academically, but their whole being.
To learn more about Victor’s Vision, visit www.victorsvision.org.
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INSIDE VSB
The Power of Two, Multiplied Many Times Over When Chiayu “Jackie” Yuan ’20 VSB thinks back to sophomore year when she signed up for the VSB Mentor Program, she remembers herself as introverted and unsure of her career path. An immigrant from Taiwan, Jackie didn’t know much about business in the U.S. nor did she know where to begin her career, but she was determined to learn. Skip ahead to senior year and the difference is palpable. A Finance major, Jackie today speaks confidently about her future—a full-time position at Johnson & Johnson in a finance rotational program—and credits her success to the support she received from her VSB mentor, Aminah Fawad ’15 VSB. “I’ve seen such growth in Jackie,” explains Fawad, a Senior Consultant at Deloitte Consulting. “It all comes back to having someone who’s been in her shoes and can help guide her.”
“
The culture at Villanova drives this program. Our values of service and community motivate alumni of all ages and industries to give back and support our students as they enter the professional world.” – Michele Gianforcaro
Associate Director, Professional Development
Aminah Fawad ’15 VSB and Chiayu “Jackie” Yuan ’20 VSB
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Villanova Business Winter/Spring 2020
INSIDE VSB
Bonds for the Greater Good This year marks the fifth anniversary of the VSB Mentor Program, which connects VSB students with an alumni who can offer professional guidance and support with the student’s career and professional development goals. Since the program started, more than 1,200 students have been paired with mentors and today over 50% of VSB students along with business minors from other colleges opt into the program. The program’s success stems from many factors—especially our alumni. The matching process lends to the program’s success. It uses an algorithm that pairs students with mentors based on students’ academic interests, career and industry aspirations, preferred locations, professional development goals, gender preferences, and even hobbies. The software recommends two or three possible mentors per student; a student will then choose one based on the mentor profile. In most cases, VSB mentors and mentees remain paired until the mentee graduates, which is unique, according to Michele Gianforcaro ’89 VSB, associate director in the Charlotte and James V. O’Donnell Center for Professional Development, who leads the program. “Mentor programs at other schools pair students with new mentors annually. Here, the continuity allows strong bonds to form.”
The VSB Mentor Program celebrates
5 years 1,200 and more than
examples of alumni stepping forward to help VSB students.
For Gianforcaro, this program centers around relationships and professional development. She emphasizes that students should not expect mentoring to yield job offers. “It’s about helping students find their path or better understand that path.” For Jackie, working with Fawad made all the difference. “When I first heard about the Johnson & Johnson Co-Op, I nearly didn’t apply. It seemed way out of my league,” she explains about the six-month co-op that she did last year, which led her to interview for the full-time position. “I was afraid of rejection, but Aminah encouraged me. If it wasn’t for her pushing me, I might not be where I am.”
Building Upon Success The mentor pool draws from nearly 50 industries and a broad range of experience levels.
Sample Industries Accounting Banking Consulting Consumer Products Energy Entertainment
Jackie and Fawad speak about every four to six weeks, usually by phone. Jackie values her time with Fawad as an opportunity to practice professional conversations and get feedback on navigating corporate dynamics.
Fashion
In other cases, mentors simply listen and lend perspective on navigating the job market, as in the case of Lukas Michaels ’18 CLAS, a business minor. “Researching potential summer opportunities seemed like an impossible hill to climb.” explains Michaels. “One of the mentors introduced me to people that helped kickstart my career. … From that, I met the manager who ultimately hired me as an intern at Apple.”
Pharmaceuticals
Financial Services Food & Beverage Health Care Media & Broadcasting Real Estate Sports Technology Transportation
Going forward, Gianforcaro and the VSB Mentor Program Advisory Board will continue to develop the VSB Mentor Program and nurture the mentor culture at Villanova. They aim to expand the impact of mentoring to include personal development as well, leveraging strengths and incorporating new “adulting” programs for students. “Working with these aspiring young leaders reinforced the skills that I learned throughout the course of my career, making me a better leader in the process,” shares alumni mentor and Tasty Baking Company President Paul Ridder ’00 MBA. “The VSB Mentor Program epitomizes Villanova,” explains Gianforcaro. “It brings together students who want to learn with alumni who are eager to give back.” \v/
The VSB Mentor Program welcomes any Villanova alumni with at least three years of work experience to participate. To become a mentor, complete your profile at vumentoring.chronus.com.
Web Services
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Ask Dr. Roberson where she finds her passion and without missing a beat she replies,
“The library.�
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Villanova Business Winter/Spring 2020
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Learning Without Limits Quinetta Roberson, PhD
Fred J. Springer Endowed Chair of Business Leadership, Professor of Management A world-renowned social scientist, Dr. Roberson speaks globally on diversity, equity and inclusion and like her classes at VSB, her presentations always fill to capacity. She brings such energy to teaching and learning that it’s almost surprising that Dr. Roberson didn’t start in academia—until she describes how her experience informs her work. We Study Our Lives Dr. Roberson began her career in commercial banking as a financial analyst. She was feeling a little restless in her job when she heard about a paper competition with a professional association. With support from her boss at the time, Roberson worked an adjusted schedule so she could spend every afternoon in the library, writing and conducting research. When her paper won the competition, she knew what was next. In the PhD program in management at the University of Maryland, Dr. Roberson focused on organizational justice —specifically how organizations create a climate of fairness and equity. She tapped into her own experiences and situations where she felt included versus excluded. “There’s an expression we use a lot in higher education, ‘We study our lives,’” explains Dr. Roberson. “This work came from that place.” As a faculty member at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, Dr. Roberson started to explore diversity and company performance, combining her background in finance with her life experiences to better understand when diversity programs lead to better outcomes. Her body of work grew from there.
Doing Well by Doing Good Dr. Roberson values the VSB culture because it enables her to do well by doing good, especially when it comes to her work around diversity, equity and inclusion. As a leading scholar and speaker, she connects powerfully with audiences by making the message relevant. “If I’m talking to finance students about diversity, I relate it to the bottom line,” explains Dr. Roberson. “Afterwards, they often say, ‘I never thought about diversity in that way.’” Among her many contributions beyond the classroom, Dr. Roberson is heavily involved with the dialogue around inclusion and the implications of unconscious bias.
Recently at the 2019 Pennsylvania Conference for Women, Dr. Roberson participated on a panel discussion with other diversity, equity and inclusion leaders where she introduced a strategy for breaking down biases through education. “When people make assumptions, that’s unconscious bias. We can navigate those biases when we OWN our narrative and share new information that disrupts the assumptions.”
Own Your Narrative: Addressing Unconscious Bias Dr. Roberson says education can disrupt the pattern of bias when we think about:
O Opportunity to challenge assumptions W What you want them to know about you N Novel information to individuate yourself
To Whom Much Is Given Long before coming to VSB, Dr. Roberson believed in helping others the way others helped her. Twenty-five years ago, she became involved with the PhD Project, an organization focused on mentoring underrepresented minorities through the PhD process to add more diversity to the front of college and university classrooms. The PhD Project was a source of support for Dr. Roberson through her doctorate and ever since, she’s mentored PhD students on their journeys. She also partnered with other alums to establish the Management Faculty of Color Association. After nearly two decades of contributions, Dr. Roberson was recently inducted into the PhD Project Hall of Fame. “In the Bible, it says, ‘To whom much is given, much is required,’” explains Dr. Roberson. “Someone invested in me. Now I want to share my knowledge to help others navigate the challenges and excel.”
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INSIDE VSB
The Power of Community
A unique partnership connects clergy with vital church management training. Last May, a group of eight priests and one layperson from the Archdiocese of New Orleans smiled proudly upon completing the Certificate in Church Management from VSB’s Center for Church Management (CCM). The moment was especially uplifting thanks to a partnership within the VSB community that made it all possible. CCM offered each New Orleans participant a scholarship that covered about two-thirds of the costs of the certificate program. The funding came from a portion of a $750,000 grant CCM received from the Lilly Endowment as part of its national initiative to address economic challenges facing pastoral leaders. While generous, the scholarship wasn’t quite enough. Enter Richard Smith, a two-time Villanova dad and CCM Advisory Council member who lives in New Orleans. He encouraged the Catholic Community Foundation of New Orleans to not only help identify and recruit participants but also cover the remaining cost.
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This program helps priests better understand the management and stewardship side of their ministry that’s so critical today. I’m delighted to play a small part.” – Richard Smith The Certificate in Church Management consists of 12 live, 90-minute webinars, covering such topics as human resources, church security, leadership development, budgets and financial reporting. The New Orleans students joined a class of 46 other students, representing 13 states and eight different denominations. “This partnership was an ideal way to bring together VSB’s church management expertise with clergy who want to learn and donors and a diocese who want to support them,” Faculty Director Matthew Manion said. “It is a model we hope to replicate.”
A New Era of Stewardship Upon completion of the program, CCM Faculty Director Matthew Manion flew to New Orleans to present certificates to the graduates, but not without one final exam question: How will they use this new information in their ministry? One priest overcame his fear of numbers and now understands how financial reports communicate the parish priorities. Another found the human resources lesson invaluable. He only had one job interview in his life, when he applied to be a “sandwich artist” at age 16. Now he was responsible for hiring in his parish and learned what questions he legally could and could not ask in the interview process.
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Villanova Business Winter/Spring 2020
Every graduation deserves a party. Richard Smith and his wife, Linda, hosted a celebratory dinner in honor of the New Orleans participants. Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans attended along with members of the Catholic Community Foundation of New Orleans. Manion appreciated the Smiths’ graciousness: “This was a personal touch exemplifying the Augustinian value of community.”
INSIDE VSB
Blending Boundaries VSB and CLAS team up to create a unique study abroad experience in Urbino, Italy. Thanks to a collaboration between the Villanova School of Business and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, students from across campus participated in a unique cross-disciplinary study abroad experience. The program, entitled Communications, Society and Marketing in the Italian Context (CoSMIC), combines marketing, communication, global studies, economics and language. The program is delivered in cooperation with the University of Urbino, a five-century-old institution that enjoys a twenty-five-year relationship with Villanova University. Urbino offers an ideal location for students to immerse themselves in Italian culture and language. Scholarships were available to offset the cost of participation for students who demonstrate financial need, thanks to the generosity of Richard Naclerio ’54 VSB. F or a first-hand account of the experiences of CoSMIC students, and those who participate in other Villanova programs in Urbino, Italy, follow them on Twitter @Urbinova.
Eight students in the inaugural cohort arrived in Italy in August 2019 where they received a first-hand exposure to Italian business challenges. They worked with Azienda Agraria Guerrieri, a wine and olive oil producer with a storied history and a focus on sustainability, to deliver actionable marketing solutions.
Expanded Opportunities VSB and the University of Urbino expanded their partnership to include cooperation with Urbino’s PhD in Global Studies. Through this partnership, VSB faculty will teach short PhD courses in Urbino on topics such as international business and international economic policy while one or two PhD students from Urbino will visit VSB each year to undertake research with VSB faculty. “This agreement may provide a model for other arrangements with universities around the globe to simultaneously advance our global and research footprint,” said Jonathan Doh, PhD, associate dean, Research and Global Engagement.
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Building Blocks for Success On a typical Wednesday evening early in the semester, most undergrads are meeting friends for dinner, making plans to study and getting into the groove of classes. However, David Bettenhausen ’20 VSB and Phong Nguyen Dang ’22 VSB are not your typical undergrads. On this particular Wednesday, they were driving back from New York after meeting with advisers to discuss their new company, Aerotrax Technologies. Aerotrax is leveraging blockchain technology to streamline operational inefficiencies in the aviation industry.
David Bettenhausen ’20 VSB
Phong Nguyen Dang ’22 VSB
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Block by Block David formed the Blockchain Society on campus to share his passion for blockchain and create an environment for students to learn more about the emerging technology. Through networking with Villanova alumni in the blockchain field, he met Dave Rutter ’84 VSB, the founder and CEO of R3, a leading enterprise blockchain platform firm. He learned about R3’s Global University Pitch Competition, an exciting opportunity for students to develop blockchain use cases. David mentioned the competition to the Blockchain Society and asked the group to brainstorm ideas. Phong joined the Blockchain Society his freshman year without knowing much about the technology but eager to learn. Having a passion for aviation, he had spent time working at a multinational maintenance, repair and overhaul service provider in the aviation aftermarket. This industry is projected to top $100 billion in sales, yet Phong quickly saw that many of its processes were inefficient, largely paper-based, disorganized and expensive. When David mentioned the pitch competition, Phong shared his experience and the idea for Aerotrax began to take shape. The pair spent months working on their presentation for the competition, utilizing their network of Villanova faculty and alumni for guidance. They advanced to the final stage of competition and were the only undergraduate team among the dozen finalists who came from graduate business schools around the globe. Although they did not win, they were not ready to abandon their idea. “We knew we had a really viable idea, we just needed an opportunity to show it,” Phong shared.
Their persistence paid off as R3 invited them to join their Entrepreneur in Residence program this past summer. The experience has been life changing. David and Phong have begun product development, formed an LLC, garnered investment interest and are leveraging their Villanova network to bring Aerotrax to life. In their spare time, both men are maintaining a full load of classes and activities. David competed on the varsity soccer team while Phong met with leaders in the banking industry of his native Vietnam to share his knowledge and insights into blockchain. “We rely on hard work, determination, passion and pure grit,” the pair explains. They have adopted a motto for their company they first learned from Tom Nealon ’83 VSB, president of Southwest Airlines:
“Work hard, be prepared and be kind.” This philosophy has gotten them off to a flying start and will be sure to carry them into a very bright future.
What Is Blockchain? Blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger that allows users to record, track and share secured information. It utilizes a system of blocks that contain a digital timestamp of information so that as information is added, a new block is formed and a chain of blocks is created.
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INSIDE VSB
New Leadership for Graduate and Executive Education Programs VSB expanded our leadership team to support our growing presence in graduate and executive education. Manuel (Manny) Nuñez ’03 MBA will serve as the new associate dean of Graduate Programs, while Jeffrey D. Kudisch, PhD, will become the new associate dean of Corporate Relations and Executive Education. The creation of these roles not only brings more support to existing programs but also opens the door to new possibilities. Under this new structure, Nuñez will oversee the Part-Time MBA, Online MBA and specialty master’s programs as well as enrollment and career strategy services for graduate business students. Dr. Kudisch will focus on our Executive MBA (EMBA) Program and expanding VSB’s executive education efforts. “Manny’s work around diversity, equity and inclusion, combined with his academic and industry experience, make him the perfect leader to execute VSB’s strategic plan for its Graduate Programs. Jeff brings a wealth of experience with building bridges between higher education and industry in the public and private sectors alike. We’re excited to see how they elevate our programs to equip students to drive change in business and elsewhere,” said Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD, the Helen and William O’Toole Dean of the Villanova School of Business.
Nuñez has been affiliated professionally with VSB for over 10 years, as an adjunct faculty member, chair of the Advisory Council for the Elenore and Robert F. Moran Sr. Center for Global Leadership, and most recently as a professor of the practice in the Management & Operations department. Nuñez will continue to serve as the faculty director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at VSB. Nuñez spent 16 years in the private sector as a sales and marketing leader at Merck & Co. where he held positions of increasing responsibility within both the US and International business groups. He also spent six years in the public sector serving as managing director of the Office of External and Government Affairs at the Inter-American Foundation. Manuel Nuñez ’03 MBA
His many awards include the Joseph C. Bartley, OSA Alumni Medallion (the highest award bestowed on a VSB alum). Dr. Kudisch joins VSB from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland where he was a clinical full professor and former associate chair in the Department of Management & Organization. He also served as the assistant dean of Corporate Relations and managing director of the Office of Career Services at the Smith School of Business. He has over 20 years of experience consulting and designing executive education programs with private and public sector organizations including McCormick & Company, Stanley Black & Decker, Lockheed Martin, Under Armour, Home Depot, BB&T, M&T Bank, Gables Residential, and the National Institutes of Health, among others.
Jeffrey D. Kudisch, PhD
Among his many teaching and mentoring awards, Dr. Kudisch is a three-time recipient of the Smith School’s top teaching award for faculty.
Make Connections Manuel Nuñez and Jeffrey Kudisch look forward to connecting with the VSB community. manuel.nunez@villanova.edu | jeffrey.kudisch@villanova.edu
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
From Ship to Shore to Entrepreneur After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2005, Mike Maher ’12 MBA served as a naval surface warfare officer during three overseas deployments in four years. He then moved to Philadelphia and as he began to transition from the Navy, Maher was looking for an MBA program that would allow him to pursue his interests in real estate, finance and investing. The Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate and the Center City Philadelphia location of the Villanova MBA program were a perfect fit for Maher and he earned his MBA in Real Estate, Finance and International Business in 2012.
“
The Villanova MBA program and the DiLella Center for Real Estate provided the academic rigor in real estate and investing and the financial acumen I needed to launch a startup business.” – Mike Maher ’12 MBA
Maher’s interest in real estate began in college when he began to buy and sell investment properties. “I wanted the opportunity to further understand the dynamics behind real estate. I knew it was a pervasive asset class with long-term potential,” explains Maher. While working on his MBA, Maher developed a business model of shared workspaces for mobile professionals. He received support from his professors who allowed him to use and test his idea for class assignments. “I was able to gain educational insights and learn best practices in real time,” said Maher.
A Different Deployment After completing his MBA, Maher and his wife Jennifer ’07 JD created Benjamin’s Desk, a Philadelphia-based network of shared workspaces. Their original model was to target mobile professionals such as accountants and small business owners working in the Rittenhouse Square area of Philadelphia. They quickly expanded their model in response to the market demand for shared workspaces for startups, entrepreneurs and tech firms. In 2015 Maher founded Houwzer, a startup residential real estate brokerage. Maher had experienced firsthand the challenges of high fees with buying and selling property. He understood that although the internet had allowed real estate transactions to become much more efficient, the fee structure had generally not changed. In the Houwzer model homeowners pay a flat fee plus 2.5% to the buyer’s agent. In addition, Houwzer agents are salaried employees, which allows them to focus on servicing the client and not on commission. The company has generated $1B in sales revenue since inception and has saved its clients over $15 million in fees.
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DONOR SPOTLIGHT
Sean Traynor ’91 VSB
On Giving Back to Further His Community
A Lesson in Humility As his 50th birthday approached, Sean Traynor ’91 VSB knew just how he wanted to celebrate—with nine of his college friends who were approaching the same milestone. The friends, who have remained close since their Villanova days despite distance, went golfing in Ireland.
Support for Other Endowed VSB Assistant Professors
Traynor’s deep ties to Villanova grew early when his father, who also attended Villanova, took him to basketball games and turned him into a lifelong fan. But for Traynor it’s not just the friends and good times that make Villanova a special community—it’s the professors. “They’ve been an important component of my success,” he said.
Diana and Thomas Klein ’84
Perhaps the biggest lesson he learned at Villanova was the Augustinian value of humility. “My connection to the Augustinian community and the values it stands for has meant a lot to me over the course of my life,” Traynor said. “It’s important for those who have been rewarded in life through the Villanova stepping stone to help the community.”
Diana and James Yacobucci ’73 Kenneth ’84 and Pamela Roessler Michele and Christopher Iannaccone ’91 Megan ’07 and Matthew ’06 Baldwin
In recognition of all he’s received from Villanova, Traynor recently funded an endowed assistant professor position for the Villanova School of Business as well as a student scholarship. The endowed assistant professor gift was created with the intention of attracting and retaining talented faculty early in their career. This year, Caitlin Dillon Dannhauser was named the Michelle and Sean Traynor ’91 Assistant Professor, Finance & Real Estate.
Andrew J. Melton Jr. ’42
Providing funding for an assistant professor appealed to Traynor because he credits his business school professors for giving him invaluable advice to build his career. Based on their guidance, he entered the accounting profession, working at Coopers & Lybrand where he not only met his wife but received the next building blocks in his career. He left Coopers to pursue his MBA at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Still, for Traynor, Villanova stood out. “I found the professors at Villanova had such passion for educating.”
Swift Family
After he earned his MBA and worked a short stint at BT Alex. Brown, Traynor became general partner at the private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe in 1999, focusing on health care. Traynor feels fortunate for all that Villanova has given him in his life and hopes that his gift helps defray costs for the University and students in need. “I hope it inspires others to be generous with their good fortunes and give back to the community that has been so rewarding to many.”
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McCarthy Family
Villanova Business Winter/Spring 2020
Vincent B. DiDomenico Jr. ’88 Lisa D’Alessandro ’87 Kevin Tedeschi ’71
To learn more about endowing an assistant professor position, contact Brendan Glackin, director of Major Giving, at brendan.glackin@ villanova.edu.
DEAN’S ADVISORY COUNCIL
VSB Dean’s Advisory Council (DAC) The DAC provides advice and guidance to the dean of VSB on important strategic initiatives under consideration. Josef “Joe” Allen ’89 VSB
Christopher Gheysens ’93 VSB; Chair
Karin A. Risi ’94 VSB, ’99 MBA
General Manager, Americas GE
President and CEO Wawa, Inc.
Madeleine Barber Esq. ’85 VSB, ’88 CWSL, ’92 CWSL
Lisa M. Gray ’86 VSB
Managing Director, Head Retail Investor Group The Vanguard Group, Inc.
Senior Vice President and Chief Tax Officer CBRE
Jennifer Barbetta ’95 VSB Chief Operating Officer and Senior Managing Director Starwood Capital Group
Eileen Barker ’93 VSB Senior Vice President and General Manager, Global Sales IT Cosmetics
Kenneth “Ken” Bodmer ’87 VSB Vice President, Trade Analytics CVS Health
Peter Cieszko ’82 VSB, P ’20 Chief Client Officer – Americas American Century Investments
Stephen “Steve” DeAngelis ’88 VSB Senior Managing Director and Head of Distribution FS Investment Solutions
Joseph V. “Joe” Del Raso, Esq. ’74 VSB, ’83 CWSL Partner Pepper Hamilton LLP
Justin DiGaetano ’02 VSB Founding Partner and Principal Fidato Partners
Christine Dorfler ’97 VSB CFO NBC Sports Group
Charles P. Dougherty ’93 MBA President and Chief Executive Officer Hardinge Inc.
Kevin J. Dunphy ’82 VSB Managing Director, Head of Public Finance Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ. Ltd
Michele Etzel ’87 VSB CFO and Executive Vice President National Graphics, Inc.
Co-Founder and Managing Partner Phoenix IP Ventures
Peter J. Hofbauer ’84 VSB Chief Operating Officer Concord International Investments Group
Martin “Marty” Hughes ’79 VSB Retired CEO and Director Redwood Trust
Clare P. Kelly ’97 VSB, ’08 EMBA Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer Atairos
Peter Knobloch ’75 VSB Retired Chief Investment Officer Assembly
John D. Leahy ’75 VSB President, Retired KIND Healthy Snacks
Bill R. McDermott Chief Executive Officer ServiceNow
Michael “Mike” McLaughlin ’88 VSB US Country Head and Head of Credit Markets Macquarie Group Limited
Robert A. “Bob” McMahon ’79 VSB Retired President, US Markets Merck & Co., Inc.
Robert J. “Rob” McNeill Jr. ’88 VSB Managing Partner, Greater Philadelphia Deloitte
Christopher E. Morris ’84 VSB Managing Director, Vice Chairman and Head of Consumer Investments Wells Fargo & Company
Francis I. “Frank” Perier Jr. ’81 VSB Retired EVP Finance and CFO Forest Laboratories, Inc.
Michael “Mike” Petrane ’93 VSB Partner, Assurance Services EY
Kenneth M. “Ken” Roessler ’84 VSB President and Chief Executive Officer BWAY Corporation
Michael P. “Mike” Russomano Jr. ’79 VSB Retired President and Chief Executive Officer, Global Business Head – Wyeth Nutrition Nestlé S.A.
Christopher G. “Chris” Ryan ’83 EG President, Americas; Pharmaceutical Packaging Systems West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.
John Samuel Shamsey ’91 VSB President Navience Healthcare Solutions
William M. “Bill” Shockley ’83 VSB, P ’14, ’16 Partner Tinicum Capital Partners
Celestine “Tina” Simmons ’89 VSB Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Central Division Comcast Corporation
Stephen “Steve” Spaeder ’88 VSB, ’92 MBA SVP, Acquisitions and Development Equus Capital Partners, Ltd.
Lorraine “Lori” Waldron Esq. ’90 VSB, ’93 CWSL, ’93 MBA Partner Sills Cummis & Gross P.C.
Valerie Wieman ’92 VSB Assurance Partner PwC
Greg Wilson Managing Director, Investment Management Division The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Susan Wolford ’77 CLAS Managing Director, Group Head of the Business Services and Media Group BMO Capital Markets Corp.
Kevin Felix P ’20 President and CEO Scotia Capital USA Inc., Scotiabank
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