Class Notes

Mitchell Aulds-Stier ’20, After our virtual graduation, I spent some time decompressing and reflecting on all the amazing memories I made and the friendships I formed at CBS. I then quickly returned to what makes me feel most comfortable: researching stocks and picking the winners. The global pandemic has changed the way I think about the markets and how I execute my value-based analysis. I welcome the opportunity to further discuss this with any of my former classmates or alumni from other years. Stay healthy! (Fall 2020)

Laura Dreese ’20, I got married in a COVID-wedding style (AKA tiny wedding in the woods). Don't ask me how married life is though - both my husband and I are living with our parents given the remote nature of work for the time being. In July, I started working as a consultant with Glenbrook Partners, so I'm learning all about digital payments. Eventually I'll be based out of NYC, but for now I'm staying put in Wisconsin. (Fall 2020)

James Pates ’20, I spent the summer after graduation between New York City and Manchester by-the-Sea, MA. I was glad to host Josh Koo and Sahil Argawal (both ’20) on the water while visiting my parents on the North Shore of Boston. July saw the launch of my new media company, @itsabummer, where I put my “Foundations of Entrepreneurship” lessons learned to work. The summer also afforded some time to pick up mountain biking, which ended gloriously with a broken thumb in Cunningham Park in Queens. (Fall 2020)

Banu Kannu ’19, writes, "Calling all brand and marketing managers in the CBS community. While live events have taken a backseat in the current times, meaningful interactions are now more important than ever. I’d like to offer a complimentary consult if you’re thinking about an event, live or virtual. Do visit uncommonconferences.com for ideas and inspiration in the meantime." (Spring 2020)

Angelina Hu ’19 writes, "I am launching my brand Silk Essence. Here is a little about the brand: ‘Silk Essence was born with the mission of making 100 percent silk garments accessible. We have an approachable price tag and thoughtful design, without compromising the essence of everyday luxury. While making our products, we embrace the nature of raw silk, cut the design following the fabric's natural angle, and only use natural color dyes. We encourage you to be the same when wearing our pieces—embrace what makes you you, and never look back.’ The idea was born out of my Introduction to Venturing class during my second year at CBS. This was never meant to be a fashion label. Instead, the brand is here to cultivate a community of authentic and fearless minds and promote the message of self-awareness and self-acceptance. Visit us at silkessence.co, or check out our Instagram account @silkessence.official to learn more!

In addition, due to COVID-19, we are postponing our official launch but collaborated with River Fund NY to raise money for those in need, we managed to raise $1800+ in one week by giving away 100% of the proceeds we received from the pre-ordering sales of 20 items of our capsule collection." (Spring 2020)

Peter Kozodoy ’19, In August, I launched my first book, Honest to Greatness: How Today's Greatest Leaders Use Brutal Honesty to Achieve Massive Success, which won Best in Business at the 2020 Indie Book Awards! (Fall 2020)

Bryan Richman ’19, I am continuing to run Litewipes, the flushable wipe company I launched while at CBS. To date, we've sold 700,000 wipes to 10,000 customers in all 50 states. After winning 1st place in the 2020 StartUp Columbia Challenge, Litewipes has partnered with rePurpose Global to offset our plastic footprint since our inception in 2017. For every pouch we sell, we collect one back from the environment. Learn more at Litewipes.com! (Fall 2020)

Anna Smukowski ’19, I co-authored a new research paper CDFIs and the Capital Markets, Tapping into Impact Investors. The paper provides an analysis of the community development financial institution industry's initial forays into the capital markets on a rated basis, and examines how CDFIs can expand their role as trusted intermediaries for capital investment in people and places where disparities in health, employment, wealth and financial security, and overall quality of life have stemmed from a lack of capital access and systemic racism. The paper will be presented at SOCAP Virtual this October. (Fall 2020)

Akaash Bhalla ’18, organized an alumni panel at Facebook headquarters for 60 current Columbia Business School students. The panel included alumni from product, partnerships, finance, and marketing roles at Facebook: Rom Bronfman ’12, Alena Chiang ’14, Becky Han ’13, Michael Hart ’14, Sagar Pilania ’12, and Tammy Lin ’19(Spring 2020)

Annabel Gatto ’18, launched a new direct-to-consumer professional womenswear brand called Suitably (suitably.com) in February. Suitably offers the work wardrobe pieces women need—all under $100—and a community dedicated to empowering women on their professional journey. Unlike traditional fashion brands, Suitably uses data to drive its design decisions and received input from thousands of women, especially its target young professional customer, to create a four-piece launch collection. Everything is machine washable, wrinkle resistant, and designed with Suitably’s proprietary all-seasons stretch fabric. During her time at Columbia Business School, the idea for Suitably wouldn’t let her go. She kept hearing from friends, her followers on Instagram, colleagues, and classmates that they shared the frustrations she felt dressing for work. It was a simple survey that set the whole plan in motion. After garnering responses from over 2,000 women, Annabel realized women’s workwear needed a reboot, specifically around fair pricing and a simplified shopping experience. Gatto put her corporate career plans on hold, and upon graduation, she set out to work on launching a company that would solve the problem.(Spring 2020)

Andrew Lin ’18, I translated two CBS-related investing books into Chinese, and published them in China recently: The Rediscovered Benjamin Graham by Janet Lowe and Investing in Financial Research by Cheryl Strauss Einhorn, who is an adjunct professor. The quest for knowledge is a never-ending and compounding process for long-term fundamental investors. Working for Himalaya Capital, I spend most of my spare time doing investment research and reading books joyfully, especially during the winter in Seattle. Translating these two books is not only a great learning experience for myself but also a marvelous opportunity to share the philosophy of value investing and promote CBS brand in China. To contribute in even a modest way is truly my honor. The translation is also my way of appreciating what CBS taught me and memorializing my golden days at CBS. (Fall 2020)

Mandy Yeung ’18, writes, “I launched an online eco-friendly bubble tea company called bobagreen, to raise awareness on the single-use plastic pollution crisis and how the surging popularity of bubble tea is contributing to the problem. I encourage all bubble tea and boba lovers to #gobobagreen!” (Spring 2020)

Rebecca Schmierer ’18, and Aaron Springut ’18 got married on September 1, in Lebanon, NJ, joined by their friends and family. They both work at Microsoft in Seattle. (Spring 2020)

Amit Arora ’17, joined Genpact (NYSE:G) as vice president of artificial intelligence and data analytics in February 2019, after more than nine years with Cisco Systems. One of the first things Arora did after joining his new company was to come back to Columbia University and forge an industry-academia affiliation between Genpact and Columbia's Data Science Institute. As part of this alliance, Genpact provides employment opportunities to the institute’s MS grads, as well as opportunities to explore joint and paid capstone projects. Amit also takes time off from work to deliver guest lectures at Columbia Business School for the 'Busines Anlaytics' elective for EMBA students. (Spring 2020)

Gloria (Gonzalez) del Balzo di Presenzano ’17, After taking Launch Your Startup in her last semester, Gloria (Gonzalez) del Balzo di Presenzano decided to go down the entrepreneurial route. Growing up in Peru and coming from a family-business background in agriculture, she knew she wanted to focus on working with the best produce from home and bringing it to her adoptive home in New York. Frustrated with the lack of high-quality dried fruits in the market, she decided to create a brand of her own. In December, she launched Moonlet Foods (moonletfoods.com), which brings premium organic, all-natural, no-sugar-added dried mangos, bananas, and pineapples direct to consumer. In 2020, she plans to enjoy time with her daughter, Isabella (born just two weeks after the launch), and growing the business on the wholesale side. (Spring 2020)

Lorenzo Prada ’17, Left McKinsey in New York and joined EQT Partners, a European Private Equity Firm, to fund the Italian office of their infrastructure fund. The office was officially open in July 19, and the first ever two deals in Italy were signed in the first 6 months. (Spring 2020)

Xavier Segura ’17, Following CBS, Xavier Segura became co-founder and managing partner of Tessera Venture Partners, an early and growth stage venture capital fund investing in fintech, blockchain, and AI. Following the success of its inaugural fund, Tessera has launched its second fund to reinvest in its portfolio companies as well as to seek out new investment opportunities. Xavier is also a happy newlywed to his loving wife, Olta. (Spring 2020)

Kyle Simon ’17, was named to Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30 list for 2020. He founded The Clear Cut, a direct-to-consumer diamond jewelry company, with his wife while he was a student at Columbia Business School. (Spring 2020)

Elina Tunyan ’17, writes, “Thrilled to announce the birth of our first child, Remy Tunyan Feredjian, born on December 21 at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan.” (Spring 2020)

Melody Li ’17, In NYC, July 2020, my husband Gary Wei (EMBA ’22), our 6 years old daughter Amy, and I welcomed our second baby, Blair, to the world. (Fall 2020)

Jerry Won ’17, and Minsun Chung, DDS were married in Seoul on August 31st 2019. Many CBS friends graciously made long journeys to attend the event. Upon completion of a two-year Citibank leadership program after graduation, Jerry joined his family office to lead its commercial real estate investments in Seoul. (Spring 2020)

Alfonso Beaufils ’16, was appointed as prestige brand and business development manager at Moët Hennessy (LVMH) in London in March. He leads the growth of the ultra-prestige portfolio, focusing on Hennessy and Dom Perignon. He also creates strategic partnerships and support channel plans to develop new sources of growth and ultra-high-net-worth client acquisition. (Spring 2020)

Joanna Assad Burger ’16, I have joined Atalian Global Services as Deputy CEO, Philippines. After 28 years in Hong Kong and 4 years in mainland China, I relocated back to my home city of Manila, bringing with me over 15 years experience in corporate real estate in Asia Pacific. Atalian is one of the largest facility maintenance companies in the world, offering a range of service (cleaning, catering, security, energy & technical management, front of house) and employing more than 137,000 people in over 30 countries across 4 continents. (Fall 2020)

Gairy Hall ’16, recently left his role at J.P. Morgan, where he had worked since graduating from CBS, to join the Carlyle Group in its New York office covering institutional LPs across private market asset classes. (Spring 2020)

Joseph D’Agostino ’15, joined Willis Towers Watson, the global insurance broker, in 2019 as a partner in the firm’s New York office. He is an industry expert in the design of commercial insurance and employee benefit risk-transfer solutions for private equity firms, direct investors, and their prospective portfolio companies. (Spring 2020)

Connor Wilson ’15, writes, "Nolan Walsh ’15 and I have been selling shoes through the internet since graduation. Entrepreneurship has been an exciting crucible to test ourselves. We are tired, happy, and excited in equal parts for this wonderful opportunity.” (Spring 2020)

Rachel Thau Wagman ’15, Daniel Wagman (CBS ’15) and I welcomed a baby boy, Benjamin Paul, on February 27, 2020. (Fall 2020)

Kat (Vorotova) Dey ’14, Dey's new company ettitude (www.ettitude.com) makes the world’s softest and most sustainable bedsheets, sleepwear, and bath towels using its innovative CleanBamboo fabric. Dey partnered with ettitude’s founder and CEO, Phoebe Yu, and joined as co-founder and president in 2018. Today, ettitude’s silky soft organic bamboo sheets are loved by over 30,000 people around the world, who helped save 100 million gallons of water in 2019 by not buying cotton. Ettitude was named International Conqueror by the 2019 Online Retail Industry Awards in Sydney and was featured in Forbes, Vogue, and Goop. Dey and her husband, Anton, also welcomed their daughter, Anna, to the world in 2018 and are now based in Los Angeles. (Spring 2020)

Jeffrey Golde ’14, writes, “In June 2019, I co-founded the consulting firm Deep Breadth, focused on helping nonprofit and socially minded organizations accelerate the impact they are having. This has been a great fusion of everything I have taken from my CBS experience, my postgraduation work in corporate learning and development with Mentora Institute, and my lifelong experience in the nonprofit sector. I also continue to learn a tremendous amount from the MBA and EMBA students at CBS through continued adjunct teaching. On the family front, I now have three amazing kids, ages 5, 3, and 7 months, keeping my wife and me busy. Would love to connect with other graduates who work in or serve the nonprofit sector and find out how they are putting their Columbia Business School acumen to work in the field.”(Spring 2020)

James Hsieh ’14, was named the newest faculty member as a professor of finance at the National Taiwan University’s Global MBA program within the College of Management in August. In October, he was named chief investment officer at 12x Ventures, with focuses on AI-driven deep tech and IoT startups with over $650 million assets under management. (Spring 2020)

Adam Kalbermatten ’14, joined ZebraSci as CEO effective February. ZebraSci was founded in 2009 as a company dedicated to developing novel inspection technologies to ensure quality in parenteral packaging and combination products. Over the years, the company has grown substantially by concentrating on scientific expertise, customer service, and a strict adherence to regulatory compliance. ZebraSci now provides combination-product development services to hundreds of medical device, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology companies. Pharmaceutical companies partner with ZebraSci to resolve technical issues and accelerate time to market for their pharmaceutical pipeline. To learn more, visit ZebraSci.com. (Spring 2020)

Anthony Mak ’14, My husband, Charles, and I are spending a lovely afternoon hiking with our adopted son and dog. (Fall 2020)

Claudio LoCascio ’13, I became President of Mochidoki, a premium mochi ice cream company. (Fall 2020)

Meggan Schilkie ’13, has been tapped to co-lead the Health Management Associates (HMA) offices in New York City and Albany, NY, as managing principal of both locations. With a record of success in innovation, program development, financing, policy and strategy, and focusing on behavioral and public health, she has more than 20 years’ experience in the healthcare industry. She currently serves as executive director of the New York State Health Home Coalition and as interim executive director of Queens Coordinated Care Partners (QCCP). interim CEO of Advance Care Alliance. (Spring 2020)

Vania Mia Chaker ’12, their article “Your Spying Smartphone: Individual Privacy Is Narrowly Strengthened in Carpenter v. United States, The U.S. Supreme Court's Most Recent Fourth Amendment Ruling” was published in 2018 by the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Journal of Technology Law & Policy as its featured article. The article discusses the narrowing of the third-party doctrine and the landmark case of Carpenter v. United States, which is the latest progeny of Katz v. United States, the leading case in Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. This is an important case because it helps determine the parameters of the government's investigative reach. Chaker’s legal scholarship has been cited by the American Bar Association and other legal journals in the context of examining privacy issues related to cloud computing and artificial intelligence that will likely be analyzed by the US Supreme Court in the near future. Another of her law articles, also in the area of constitutional law, has been accepted for publication and will be featured as a lengthier legal analysis of the Fourth Amendment. (Spring 2020)

Kenneth Correa ’12, I am now a Managing Director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, leading the Rockefeller Center Market for their Wealth Management Division. Additionally, I have been named the Chairman of the Hispanic Latino Advisory Council for Merrill Lynch in the US. (Fall 2020)

Alarice Lonergan ’12, I started a new role in March as the Partner and Market Leader for North America Financial Services Enterprise Strategy & IX, at IBM. My husband and I, along with our two daughters, Ayla (4) and Kyla (2), welcomed our third child, Aidan, in November 2019. (Fall 2020)

Fred Michaels ’12, I left my post-MBA job as a Unilever brand manager to partner with renowned chef, Craig Thornton, as co-founders of Eat Howl Inc., a chef-driven, plant-based food company. Under the Howl brand, the company just launched its flagship product, Mac & Chef, the first-ever boxed mac and cheese made with cashew cheese. It launched in May 2020 and is now available nationwide at Whole Foods Market in two flavors: Classic Cashew and Spicy Chipotle. The founders’ mission was to avoid cheap, unsustainable ingredients like palm oil, chemical preservatives, and animal products and instead focus on healthy, recognizable ingredients. Mac & Chef is a step change improvement in health and sustainability in a category desperately needing it. Howl’s philosophy is summed up by their slogan, “Plant Forward. Planet Forward.” (Fall 2020)

Akua Boakye ’11, Karité Shea Butter was co-founded by Akua Boakye and her two sisters. Karité’s natural, antioxidant-rich, dermatologist-created products feature high concentrations of unrefined shea butter and palm oil sustainably sourced from Ghana, where the sisters are from. Karité works directly with women shea nut farmers in Northern Ghana, giving back to their communities. Shop for Karité products at www.mykarite.com. (Spring 2020)

Maria Gagos ’11, I have important news to share! I published my first picture book, Green Rank: Save Our Oceans - and I received the prestigious Gold Award from Moma's Choice Awards for my interactive eBooks. My passion and goal are to put all things sustainability into practice (and make them fun!), and my work is filled to the brim with eco-friendly fun for little ones. (Fall 2020)

Priya Kothary ’11, writes, “In July 2019, we welcomed our second girl, Mayla Sarla Sethi.” (Spring 2020)

Christine Sedky ’11, has been creating entrepreneurship programs for young people and startups in Egypt as part of a USAID project. In 2019, she co-founded Egypt’s first female angel investment network, Tiye Angels. (Tiye was a strong female figure from upper Egypt during pharaonic times) (Spring 2020)

Matthew Koch ’10, was promoted to portfolio manager for municipal bonds within Wells Fargo’s investment portfolio. He lives in Kentfield, CA, with his wife, Brianne, and their two children, Cate (7) and Warren (4). (Spring 2020)

David Isserman ’10, was asked to chair the 116th Explorers Club Annual Dinner, a 1,700-person, black-tie conservation fundraiser in New York City honoring world-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall and singer-songwriter turned conservationist Paul Simon. (Spring 2020)

Paul Shoukry ’10, writes, “Effective January 1, I was promoted to CFO of Raymond James Financial (NYSE:RJF).” (Spring 2020)

Elias Eliadis ’09, I recently transitioned to a Senior Director role in the Strategy & Transactions practice of EY-Parthenon. I am based in San Francisco, and I advise clients on mergers & acquisitions, divestitures and restructuring initiatives. My primary focus areas include product development, innovation and portfolio management. (Fall 2020)

Gunjan Doshi ’09, is celebrating the growth of his company InRhythm's he founded. InRhythm has been one of the Inc 5000's fastest growing company for 8 straight years and Deloitte's fastest growing company for 5 straight years. www.inrhythm.com (Spring 2020)

Daniel Jurow ’09, writes, “Following a successful 15-year run at global advertising and design consultancy R/GA (named Agency of the Decade by Campaign UK), I moved to Technicolor SA in 2019 as COO for film and episodic VFX. Based in London, I oversee global operations for Technicolor brands MPC Film, Mill Film, MR X, and Mikros VFX. MPC Film just won the visual effects Oscar for our work on 1917, and we broke new ground with the fully CG-animated reimagining of The Lion King. In my spare time, I’m the guitarist in my 7-year-old daughter’s punk band, Mrs. Delicious. Look out for our EP in 2020!”(Spring 2020)

Amy Kong EMBA ’09, joined Barrett Asset Management as chief investment officer. (Spring 2020)

Brooke Navarro ’09, I recently relocated from New York to North Carolina to launch a direct-to-consumer snack company for kids and families living with allergies. Without A Trace Foods seeks to empower kids and simplify life for busy families. All the awesome. None of the compromise. (Fall 2020)

Mariana Kou ’09, I have switched paths from an equity research analyst career, covering consumer and education companies, to an entrepreneurial journey investing in and operating education and edtech ventures. I have published her first book, Investing in Dragons: Education Industry and Capital Markets in 2020. I was also appointed Senator for China by the World Business Angels Investment Forum, an affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI). I serve as a board advisor to education ventures and am also helping to launch the Hong Kong chapter of Columbia Venture Community. (Fall 2020)

Shwetha Pai ’09, OrgAnalytix, co-founded by Shwetha Pai, was named as one of the 12 Startups to Watch in 2020 by Cincy Inno. OrgAnalytix has deep Columbia roots, with two other alums involved: Waziri Garuba ’09 is the CMO, and Jose Uribe ’15 is the academic advisor. (Spring 2020)

Ellie Sarmadi ’08, launched the one-on-one and group fitness training tech startup UBQFIT. She often describes the company by saying, “If Twitch and Uber had a fitness baby, that baby would be UBQFIT.” UBQFIT is a health and fitness community of trainers and trainees that come together to have an exciting, live, and interactive one-on-one fitness experience. It’s not another fitness app, it’s fitness without barriers, anywhere and anytime, that works for its users. UBQFIT was built on the belief that people’s health and fitness should fit into their lives. Trainees can now track their fitness data, get trained based on that data (regardless of their geographical distance from the trainer they choose to work out with), and choose to invite their community, fans, and followers or stay completely private during their training sessions. UBQFIT provides trainees with whatever experience they want to have for their one-on-one fitness training sessions while making it available for all skill levels. No more barriers! The company has had a momentous start and is looking forward to exponential 2020 growth and to truly disrupting the massively fragmented personal training marketplace. UBQFIT is downloadable from app stores and available on the web at ubqfit.com/. (Spring 2020)

Bina Shah ’08, writes, “I am the founder of Project 8p Foundation, a nonprofit to advance research to find treatment for a rare neurodevelopmental disorder. In February, within our first year, we were awarded the Rare As One grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (co-founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan). With a lot of hard work and dedication from a small team, we hope to build a collaborative team of stakeholders to advance multi-gene disorders, which are often clues to large, common diseases. We are closely involved with research at Columbia University. In June 2019, we also hosted our first Scientific and Family Conference at Columbia University's Medical Center Campus. Please join our cause at project8p.org.” (Spring 2020)

Lauren Sickles ’08, writes, “I’ve started my own apparel and accessories shop for women who travel. It’s called CraveLyfe. We sell everything from travel-ready dresses to swimwear and beach bags. Visit us at cravelyfe.com.” (Spring 2020)

Manya K. Rubinstein ’07 and Doug Randall ’08, are proud to announce the launch of the Industrious Spirit Company (ISCO)—the first distillery in Providence, RI since Prohibition. Along with two distillers, Rubinstein and Randall are producing sustainably sourced spirits from scratch, including gins, vodkas, and bourbons. Inspired by their surrounding community of artists, chefs, designers, and farmers, ISCO is focused on the exceptional flavor of something well-made via a creative and joyful approach. Everything is handmade on site, and the company is using regionally grown, organic, non-GMO grains for their products. While spirits are not yet available outside Rhode Island, the distillery features a tasting room and cocktail bar and welcomes out-of-town visitors! In response to COVID19, in addition to our usual product line up we are currently making hand sanitizer for first responders, our city government and healthcare providers. (Spring 2020)

Alicia Syrett ’07, founder and CEO of Pantegrion Capital, joined the board of directors of New Age Beverages Corporation (NBEV), a publicly traded healthy products company. Her article “So You Say You Support Diversity?” was published in Directors & Boards magazine, and she was quoted in the Refinery29 article “Women Helping Women Is Good Business.” She conducted a fireside chat with Randi Zuckerberg at Tech Up For Women and moderated a panel at the Grace Hopper Celebration. She spoke to the CFA Society of New York at a Morgan Stanley Wealth Management event, at the Founders + Funders Summit, at the UBS Project Entrepreneur Women in Venture Summit at Google, and at the Parsons ELab. She was featured in the Off the Sidelines podcast and held her Point 25 Initiative Fall Series, which matches the most promising female-led startups with C-level executives for their advisory boards. She and her husband also welcomed a daughter, Alexis Sabine “BB” Major! (Spring 2020)

Michael O’Leary ’06, was promoted to executive vice president and CFO of RXR Realty in January. He is responsible for the oversight of all financial, strategic planning, capital markets, and investor relations activities. He joined RXR as a capital markets and strategic planning associate in 2007. During his tenure, O’Leary’s responsibilities have grown to include participation in RXR’s long-term strategic-planning initiatives and leading a team that supports all aspects of fundraising and management for each of RXR’s comingled discretionary real estate funds. He has been a leader in the establishment of RXR’s fund accounting and fund portfolio management disciplines and has held a variety of leadership roles with the organization, including executive vice president of capital markets and director of property accounting. Before joining RXR, O’Leary was a manager in Ernst & Young’s real estate group, responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing integrated audit engagements for top real estate, construction, and hospitality companies. He is a CPA in New York State as well as a chartered global management accountant and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. O’Leary received his BS in accounting from the State University of New York at Albany. (Spring 2020)

Andres Pardo ’06, After being the head of economic research at Corficolombiana, the investment banking arm of Grupo Aval, Colombia’s largest financial conglomerate, from 2009 to 2018, Andres Pardo worked for the Colombian government during the administration of President Iván Duque from 2018 to 2019. First, he was deputy general minister at the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, and then he was chief economic advisor to the president. (Spring 2020)

Robert Ang ’05, is president and CEO of Vor Biopharma, a biotechnology company developing gene-edited stem cell transplants for patients with leukemia. (Spring 2020)

Qianqian Fu ’05, and Yimin An welcomed their first daughter, Alicia, to the world on May 3, 2019. She is curious about the world, and her parents hope that she can grow to be a proud CBS alumna herself. (Spring 2020)

Inna Kuznetsova ’05, was promoted to interim CEO of 1010data, which she joined in July 2019 as a COO. 1010data provides time-series data analytics for large amounts of data and is considered the partner of choice by Dollar General, Sam’s Club, Procter & Gamble, Bank of America, J.P. Morgan, and other top retail, CPG, and financial companies. 1010data’s headquarters is in New York City.(Spring 2020)

Anne Neuberger ’05, writes, “I was appointed director of cybersecurity at the National Security Agency (NSA), reporting to the director of the NSA and serving on the NSA’s board of directors. I also joined the board of Bridging Voice, a nonprofit which enables and empowers individuals with neurodegenerative disorders to communicate by removing the barriers between them and assistive technologies.” (Spring 2020)

Priyanka “Piya” Newkirk ’05, Piya ’05 and Roger Newkirk ’06 welcomed their 2nd child, Asha on February 1,2020 in New York. Piya is the head of marketing for L’Oreal’s Giorgio Armani Beauty, the fastest growing designer beauty brand in the USA. (Spring 2020)

Fern Robles ’05, Aside from her nonprofit work as the executive director of the Philippine Jesuit Foundation, Fern Robles is now a franchise owner of American Express Cruise Planners. Her firstborn, Jacob, who was born in the middle of her time in the MBA program, is now a sophomore at the High School for Math, Science and Engineering at the City College of New York and is the best reminder of her time at CBS. Robles also has a younger son, Joshua, with husband Jefrey. She is still based in Manhattan. (Spring 2020)

Didem Un Ates ’05, has been recognized as the UK 2019 Champion Woman in Technology by TechWomen100. This highly prestigious award celebrates the achievements of women working in technology. The Champion award goes to a senior individual of any gender, within the technology industry, who is championing women and actively supports the female pipeline either through their current role or external activities. Un Ates’s global volunteer effort to host Girls in AI Hackathons worldwide has been hugely successful and is now becoming a formal Microsoft program. This scale will help increase the disconcerting 12 percent female diversity ratio in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Un Ates also won the Women in Advertising and Communications, London (WACL) Future Leader Award and was shortlisted for the Dublin Tech Summit (DTS) Diversity Role Model Award in 2019 (Spring 2020)

Will Bachman ’04, has produced a free online course, the Umbrex Guide to Setting Up Your Own Consulting Practice, which includes 70 videos and dozens of downloads and useful links, available at umbrex.com/resources. He hopes the course will be a useful resource for any alumni interested in becoming independent professionals. Bachman is co-founder of Umbrex, a global community that connects top-tier independent management consultants with one another, and the host of the podcast Unleashed—How to Thrive as an Independent Professional, which has more than 100,000 total downloads. www.umbrex.com (Spring 2020)

Nina (Shapiro) Kentsis ’04, writes, “My latest screenplay, Auto High, was selected for inclusion on the 2020 Athena List, which highlights stories that showcase strong women leaders.” (Spring 2020)

Nili Gilbert ’03, writes, “2020 marks a decade since we co-founded Matarin Capital Management. We built our company on a bedrock of shared values, and it’s been exciting to engage deeply in the fields of sustainable investment and responsible business in recent years. Professionally, what has me most excited these days is sharing the story of Matarin's Global Long-Term Investment Index around the world, along with the innovative “Patience Premium” concept that underpins it, and also very importantly, working to crack the low-carbon climate puzzle through quantitative finance. In this work, our team has found space for boundless creativity and connected with many exciting new partners. Each day is a challenge and a gift. None of this would be possible without my beloved husband, Wesley Gordon (Colgate ’05), with whom I also celebrate a decade of partnership during 2020.” (Spring 2020)

Maneesh Sagar ’03, After gaining decades of experience in entrepreneurship and venture capitalism, I am now the co-founder and CEO of RS Metrics, the world's leading satellite analytics and data provider. We are revolutionizing sustainable finance by providing uniquely accurate indices on environmental metrics that promise to lend an unprecedented level of reliability to ESG ratings and impact investing. We measure statistics such as emissions, land usage, and water stress.

We also use our satellite analytics to provide predictive trends in industries such as commodities markets, healthcare, and global retail and electric vehicle production.

Perhaps best of all, is the CBS community we've fostered within our company. Our advisors include Benjamin Goldsteen and Annelise Osborne (both class of ’03)!

Check us out on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/rsmetrics) or visit our website (rsmetrics.com) to learn more about us and what we do! (Fall 2020)

Steven E. Savage ’03, I recently completed a TV Pilot script for Train, a horror/dark comedy aimed at a diverse audience of 14 and above. I intend for the show to feature a diverse and inclusive cast and writing team. (Fall 2020)

Michael Scimeca ’03, writes, “I, along with a colleague, have opened Flying Belgian Brewery, a craft brewery located in Oceanside, NY, on Long Island. The brewer and his wife are foodies and lived in Europe for many years, so the beers pair very well with food. Flying Belgian Brewery is mostly distributing on Long Island and soon throughout the New York metro area. We hope to open the taproom in the second quarter of 2020. Wish us luck!” (Spring 2020)

Alon Bochman ’02, writes, "Kaggle (kaggle.com) is the world's largest data science community. After winning several competition medals, I earned the rank of Kaggle master. My firm profiled me in several social media channels, including LinkedIn: lnkd.in/eK6pDKz.” (Spring 2020)

Natan Shklyar ’02, After more than 11 years with Bain & Company in New York, Moscow, and then back in New York, Natan Shklyar retired as a senior partner and joined Sun Capital Partners as managing director, based in its New York office. Sun Capital is a private equity firm focused on middle-market investments in the US and Europe. In this new role, he works on strategic and operational performance improvements of Sun Capital’s portfolio companies in the US. Natan and his wife, Cassandra, still enjoy living in Harlem with their four adolescent daughters and two crazy dogs.(Spring 2020)

Vas Rajan ’01, writes, “In May 2019 I became managing director, cyber risk at JPMorgan Chase & Co.”(Spring 2020)

Larry Roseman ’01, I was recently appointed CFO of Thumbtack. Thumbtack is a leading local services marketplace helping customers find and hire skilled professionals. Headquartered in San Francisco, Thumbtack has raised more than $400 million from Sequoia Capital, Baillie Gifford, Capital G, Javelin Venture Partners, and Tiger Global Management among others. (Fall 2020)

Andrea Zaretsky ’01, I joined E*TRADE as Chief Marketing Officer last year and am thrilled to be leading the next chapter of the iconic brand. My husband, Jeff Zaretsky ’01 (we met in Cluster D!) is EVP of Growth at FIVE, which builds award-winning mobile products. We still reside on the Upper West Side, along with our two children, future Columbia students. (Fall 2020) (Fall 2020)

Erin Caddell ’00, After eight years as director of research with Capstone, I opened a Washington, D.C., office for Global Counsel, public policy advisory and due-diligence firm based in London. We launched the US business in February, just weeks before the world was turned upside down by COVID-19. It has been a stressful but exciting time to start a new venture. We have had to change key parts of our business plan, particularly with regards to airplane travel to visit prospective clients. However, it is exhilarating to be a policy analyst and consultant at a time in which the government’s approach to so many issues and industries has been thrown up into the air. Outside of work, my wife, Grace, and three kids, ages 10 to 15, are all doing well. Look me up in Washington when we can all travel again! (Fall 2020)

John Fox ’00, Earlier this year, I moved to Minneapolis, where I am leading project development of electric vehicle charging stations. (Fall 2020)

Carren Rieger ’00, Concertium, a next generation information technology Managed Services Provider (MSP), today announced that Carren Rieger has been promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), replacing Pratik Roychoudhury, who is stepping down to pursue other interests. Ms. Rieger is being promoted from her existing positions as both Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO). (Fall 2020)

Paul Tumpowsky ’00, I was named, for the fourth year in a row, to Travel+Leisure's A-List of top luxury travel advisors in the world, recognizing the success of skylark.com (https://skylark.com/). Five years ago, I founded Skylark as the first hybrid (online and offline) luxury travel agency. (Fall 2020)

Aysan Tunc Ott ’00, Miss you CBS class of 2000! (Fall 2020)

Kathy Carrozzi-Battacharia ’99, I joined 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc as the Vice President of Growth Operations. In my new role, I will be managing top line growth activities from marketing performance optimization and deeper understanding of customers to acquisition due diligence and divestiture considerations. (Fall 2020)

Jeremy Dockter ’99, Jeremy Alan Dockter ’99, passed away at age 50 unexpectedly after surgery surrounded by family and friends on June 23, 2021, Bismarck, ND, where he was raised. Prior to graduating with honors in Strategic Management and Finance from CBS, he graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota with a BA degree in Economics. Jeremy was an entrepreneur and founder of greentech, energy, and tech companies. He was passionate about public policy and worked relentlessly to correct social injustices. He was fun-loving and made lasting connections to people. Jeremy is survived by his parents, Ray (Gerry) Dockter and Linda (John) Dinius; grandfather, Melvin Peiler; sister, Deanna (Douglas) Krueger; brother, Dan Dockter; nephews, Shane and Joey; niece, Brenna; step-brothers and step-sisters, Anna Levy, Angela Dinius, Landon (Des) Dinius; Jordan (Maari) Dinius, Jarett (Katie) Dinius; aunts, uncles, cousins, great-nieces, great-nephews, countless friends, and his cat, Rico. He will be missed by his classmates, friends, family, and all who knew him. (Spring 2021)

Walter D. Harp ’99, passed away at his home in Mercer Island, WA, on November 6 surrounded by his beloved wife, children, and family. Filling his 49 years to the maximum, Walt was an accomplished marketer, entrepreneur, and author. He was also an athlete, water-sports enthusiast, world traveler, and connoisseur of Tom and Jerry cartoons. Walt was also known for his love of adventure, creative intellect, and quick, sarcastic wit. Walt came of age in Des Moines, IA, before attending Stanford University and CBS. Prior to graduate school, he lived and worked in Washington, DC, and in Taiwan, with his life partner and wife of 25 years, Angela Lean. The couple has lived in the Seattle area since 2001. Walt died after a fierce 11-year battle with leukemia. His greatest legacy is his children, Luke, 16, and Sofia, 12. (Spring 2020)

Derek Queisser de Stockalper ’99, I have taken over the presidency of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Swiss branch. The Foundation strives to act as an accelerator of projects and solutions to protect the environment. My Qanalytics think tank has continued to propose innovative financial and digital solutions to address key social and environmental challenges, and the publication of my second essay, Reciprocity in the Third Millennium - Book II, has helped build new impact investment narratives within the Geneva multilateral ecosystem and beyond. (Fall 2020)

Brendan Bertsch ’98, recently joined the biotech company Mesoblast Limited as vice president of market access. He is responsible for developing and executing market access strategies to optimally commercialize a portfolio of industry-leading cell-based therapies under development. (Spring 2020)

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Brian Coyne ’96, In July 2020, I was thrilled to start a new position as CFO of Smart Choice Communications, a leading NYC-based provider of technology solutions to businesses. This marks my sixth year in a corporate role following my start in investment banking and a decade in equity research. Amidst all that change, Barbara (Breza) Coyne ’96 and I are happy to be celebrating 22-1/2 years of marriage and life in Larchmont, NY with our amazing 17 year old daughter Lizzie! (Fall 2020)

Camilo Navarrete and Camilo Toro ’96, Seventeen years after creating Advantis, a management consulting and IT firm based in Colombia, Camilo Navarrete and Camilo Toro ’94 are now partners at Oval. The new firm was born from the merger of Advantis’s management consulting practice and StratCo Consultores under a group of eight partners. As a result of this merger, Oval has become the largest local management-consulting firm in the Andean region and Central America. Oval aims to provide leading-edge business advice and solutions to its more than 500 clients in the region. (Spring 2020)

Mary Taylor Marbaugh ’96, Next month I'm celebrating 30 years at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, Indiana! Last Fall I travelled to Geneva for a business trip and spent a few days in my favorite city, Paris, on the way home. I was in New York last December for a conference and visited my niece who just graduated with her bachelor's degree from Columbia. My husband, David, and I are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary this November. We have two sons, a senior and sophomore in high school. (Fall 2020)

Michael Van Zandt ’96, writes, “It was great to catch up with the CBS healthcare and pharmaceutical management members at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, hosted by Bunny Ellerin. Excellent networking and pitch opportunities for the TriReme Vascular $10 million raise!” (Spring 2020)

Nabil Katabi ’95, writes, “Hi, alumni! I am now the proud father of 9-month-old Salma, my second baby, born in Peru, where I live half of the year. On the work side, I shuttle between Latin America—for the development of single-use plastics to fuels, circular projects—and the US (Texas), for refining and midstream oil and gas infrastructure in West Texas and the Gulf Coast.” (Spring 2020)

Ron Niland ’95, I was appointed president of JANA Life Sciences, a division of JANA, Inc., which was founded in 1973 by Joseph A. Niland. To this day JANA remains a family-owned business and has become a leading engineering and technical documentation services company by providing best-in-class technical information and data management services. My wife, Yumi, and I reside in the San Francisco area. Our 17-year-old son, Kai, is an avid soccer player and member of the Santa Cruz Breakers MLS Academy Team, while our 15-year-old daughter, Marina, has been studying with the San Francisco Ballet and The Royal Ballet over the past two years and she just completed a summer neuroscience program at Columbia. (Fall 2020)

Karmen Vartanian (Dadourian) ’95, writes, “Hi all. I am excited to let you know that in the last 10 years, I have been successfully coaching executives, entrepreneurs, and business owners nationwide to constantly evolve and be the best leaders that they can be. I work with Liz Bentley Associates in delivering the latest techniques for leadership coaching and development to help our clients rise up to their highest potential. Check us out at www.Lizbentley.com" (Spring 2020)

Christopher Kinslow ’94, is CEO and chairman of Datamation Systems (DSI), one of the largest and most experienced providers of equipment to charge and manage shared mobile devices. The mobile device is the critical piece of equipment used every day to store information, capture data, or create efficiencies “in the field” and plays a critical role in the compliance arena. DSI works with its customers and specialized software companies to create solutions for the storage, security, charging, tracking, updating, and overall management of virtually any mobile communication device. Many of the company’s healthcare customers use DSI’s UniDock products to help manage thousands of mobile phones and tablets used every day for patient care and clinical communication. The company’s customers are in the healthcare, retail, hospitality, sports, entertainment, airline, and education industries. Kinslow and a group of investors recapitalized DSI on November 1 to provide growth capital and management expertise and to lead the company on its global expansion. (Spring 2020)

Paulina Yick ’94, writes, “I attended the memorial service of Victoria Bixby ’09. A few of her clustermates also attended; one flew in from Seattle for the service. Fabrice Debroubaix ’09 and his wife, Stephanie, shared stories of Victoria at CBS on stage at the service.” (Spring 2020)

Steve Askin ’93, After a 25-year career conducting corporate financial research for labor unions, Steve Askin founded Small World Strategy to provide research and financial-investigation services to socially responsible investors, environmental activists, labor rights groups, and other social justice organizations. He writes, “Our statement of principles: We serve clients who fight against injustice and corporate excess. We do not take projects which could help the powerful exploit the powerless or harm the world we share.” (Spring 2020)

Virginia Breen ’92, Since graduation, my career in venture capital has morphed into sitting on a handful of large corporate boards. Otherwise, my life is focused on autism. Two of my three adult children are profoundly affected, and they are using their gifts to help people with autism. My son has started Love Your Neighbor Books to help vocational programs give meaningful work to young adults with special needs and my daughter is an advocate for communication rights for nonspeaking students like herself. Her book, I Am In Here, shows the world that "nonspeaking" does not mean "non-thinking." If you know anyone with autism, please feel free to give their family my email [email protected]. We are in this together. (Fall 2020)

Andrew Charwat ’92, joined the national workplace law firm Jackson Lewis as CFO. Charwat, who has more than 30 years of finance and accounting experience, will provide leadership, direction, and management of the firm’s finance and accounting team. For more information, visit jacksonlewis.com/news/andrew-charwat-joins-jackson-lewis-chief-financial-officer. (Spring 2020)

Alexandra de Haan ’92, writes, “I am still living in Rio de Janeiro after 20 years and am working in private equity at Mubadala Capital. My sons, Max and Luka, are 14 and 8 years old now and go to the local French lycée.” (Spring 2020)

Rosemary A. Martino ’92, I am currently the Director of Business Development at Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital in New Rochelle, NY, and I reside in Ossining, NY. (Fall 2020)

Mary Swatek ’92, Hello from Tenafly, NJ! My daughter, Alysha, graduated Columbia University's engineering school in May 2020 and works as a software engineer. I'll miss regularly visiting Columbia’s campus as I have over the past four years. My son, Branden, a sophomore at Elon University, is studying Entrepreneurship and Finance. He was born an extroverted idea-guy and problem-solver so watch out world! After almost 30-years in healthcare, during COVID-19, I earned my commercial real estate license in NJ and have joined Newmark Associates (https://newmarkrealestate.com/agent/mary-swatek/). My geographic focus for commercial real estate sales and leasing transactions is northern NJ, particularly Bergen County. I continue to support Safetycord (http://www.safetycord.com) for donations and private family storage of umbilical cord blood which is rich in stem cells and has been effectively used in treatments of nearly 80 diseases. I’d love to reconnect with my friends from CBS. Please reach out to me at [email protected] (Fall 2020)

John Greco ’91, I am the cofounder, Chairman, and CEO of Greco Enterprises, LLC, d/b/a Greco Associates and d/b/a the Marketing IMPACT Council, www.mktgimpactcouncil.com and am Senior Executive Advisor to CommunicationsMatch. I am also on the advisory board of WeCare, www.wecare4.com, founded by my wife and business partner, Carol. WeCare establishes a community of caregivers for the aging who are either family members, friends, or professionals working in a home or an institution, learning and sharing knowledge and experiences; an extended community of companies/organizations providing products and services that best serve the aging or their caregivers; and a source of relevant news, information, and resources. Launching as a for-profit, there are plans to create a complementary nonprofit foundation and/or partner with synergistic nonprofits/foundations and to extend to other segments, e.g., caregivers for adults and children with special needs. For additional information or to discuss any of the above, contact [email protected]. (Fall 2020)

Gia Machlin ’91, I am the president and CEO of EcoPlum, and I am a recipient of the 2020 Enterprising Women of the Year Award, awarded by the publisher and CEO of Enterprising Women, a global magazine for women entrepreneurs. The Enterprising Women of the Year Awards is an annual tribute awarded to a select group of the world's top women entrepreneurs. In 2007, I started EcoPlum, an environmentally focused enterprise, and launched EcoPlum Business Gifts (EBG) in 2016. EBG offers branded marketing solutions to businesses and organizations with its Sustainable Swag line of promotional products customized with any logo, tagline, or message. (Fall 2020)

John Davis ’90,writes, “I have an incredible family—my wonderful wife, Barbara, and our three kids, Kate, Chris, and Bridget. I just relocated back to the US as the regional managing director of Duke Corporate Education in North America, focusing on leadership development. I previously ran Asia for Duke CE and lived in Singapore for 15 years. I’ve worked with clients in dozens of countries. My former academic roles include dean of the SP Jain School of Global Management and professor of marketing practice at Singapore Management University. I am the best-selling author of 10 business books on marketing, strategy, and the Olympics, with articles published in Harvard Business Review, Dialogue Review, and the International Journal of Advertising. I am a regular speaker at companies and global conferences, including TEDx, the Global Brand Forum, and the World Knowledge Forum. My past business career has included leadership positions at Nike, Transamerica, and Informix. I am the co-founder of two firms: an award-winning boutique-hotel company and a brand-strategy firm. I’ve been interviewed frequently in media outlets such as BBC News, ChannelNewsAsia, Bloomberg, CNBC, ESPN, and the New York Times.” (Spring 2020)

Paolino Gagliardo ’90, has been the CEO at Swiss startup Qooder since 2018, completely rebranding and modernizing the company located in Vacallo, Switzerland. He writes, “I realized the great potential of Qooder's one-of-a-kind, patented HTS technology and moved the company in a new and visionary direction of innovative mobility. Qooder is a brand-new and unique category of product: a scooter with four wheels, independent suspension, and traction on both rear wheels. The ride experience is as agile as a motorcycle, with the capabilities, safety and comfort of an all-terrain vehicle, resembling a car. Qooder has a promising outlook for 2020 and beyond, and is growing fast in Europe and Asia, coming out with multiple innovative, zero-emissions products. Qooder is also projected to move to the United States in late 2020.” (Spring 2020)

Kenneth Oestreich ’90, This summer marked the 30th year that Ken Fuirst, Stephen Kaufman, Michael Mitgang, and I (all CBS '90) conducted our annual "Soggy Ducks" camping trip simultaneously into the wilderness (if you consider back yards wild and unexplored). This year’s notable achievements for the foursome included Ken F braving the balmy sand dunes of L.B.I., Steve kindling a patio firepit at a country home in Kent NY, and both Michael and I clearing a sheltered area for pitching tents in my backyard. Truly arduous experiences during the time of COVID-19. But the four CBS Alums persevered (this time, via Zoom) as they always do. Here’s to looking forward to number 31 - and to the group being together in the real Great Outdoors again! (Fall 2020)

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Victoria Phillips (Brown) ’88, I returned to Japan on my book tour for 'Martha Graham's Cold War: The Dance of American Diplomacy' after 33 years when I did my summer CBS internship at Mitsui Bank and Mobil Oil. I am honored to be received by the CBS Alumni Club of Japan with the expert organizing skills of Junya Morihara (’87), in my cohort, and Hajime Kosai (’96, Alumni Medalist 2010). I also presented at the University of Kyoto and enjoyed the city, and the University of Tokyo, thanks to Spencer Cohen (CC, ’18). (Spring 2020)

Barry Cheskin ’88, In March 2019, Barry Cheskin sold the startup he co-founded, PowerVision, to Alcon. This was his third medical-device startup. He is now retired from full-time work and is busy pursuing his personal, volunteer, and community work while maintaining an active consulting business serving primarily medical-device companies. (Spring 2020)

M. Terry Green ’88, writes, “2019 was a good year with steady work from major clients, which has given me the opportunity to learn about homeless housing in Houston and Pittsburgh in addition to my long-standing specialties of the low-income housing tax credit, bonds, and HUD issues. I have continued to adjust to my wife’s now being dependent on a walker after a horseback-riding accident, but her spirit and tenacity are inspirational. All this has been mixed in with several wonderful snowboarding trips to Breckenridge and Jackson Hole. On the cultural side, I continue to volunteer at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, but the big recurring activity for us is visiting Glenstone, a new museum of post-WWII and ultra-modern art with amazing landscaping and architecture. We’ve figured out a hack to get there even without a reservation, so be sure to remind us if you come to visit as we love sharing this new DC institution. Other big events have been sailing and beach trips to East Hampton and the Outer Banks. Both were filled with surfing, biking, running, swimming, and a wonderful time.” (Spring 2020)

John Lack ’88, published another humorous work of fiction. The Context of My Life is a comedic love story frozen in time by a scantily supported, overreaching judicial gag order. Thirty-five years later, John Davis is free to narrate a tale about a boy who meets a girl and falls in love. John is a likable, well-meaning, straight-arrow college student with a tendency to self-destruct for reasons that he readily identifies as "his shortcomings." Follow his potholed journey from 17-year-old college freshman to adulthood. The Context of My Life and Lack's other six titles are available on Amazon. (Spring 2020)

Barratt Jaruzelski ’87, I joined the Board of Trustees of the Morris Museum, New Jersey's 2nd largest museum and the only Smithsonian affiliate museum in the state. I'm now serving as the Chairman of the Board's Governance Committee (Fall 2020)

Christopher Pace ’87, I am now working with Secured Communications, the global leader in safeguarding communications. Mercury, by Secured Communications enables users to safely and easily host high quality video meetings, email, call, text, and share files seamlessly within a single interface. All mobile device communications and applications can seamlessly integrate and run on a fully -secure and encrypted basis. Mercury is trusted by enterprises, public safety and counter terrorism agencies around the world. [email protected] www.SecuredCommunications.com (Fall 2020)

Sandi Stewart ’87, writes, “Not ready to retire—life is too interesting! I am an executive coach in Washington, DC, working with a diverse community of think tanks, private companies, government organizations, and nonprofits. I am active with the International Coaching Federation and am a master certified coach. I just heard from Debra Felix ’77, who has taken her business to work by the ocean on the Cape. Now that’s a good idea.” (Spring 2020)

Jean Berthoud ’86, I am the largest shareholder, chairman, and former CEO of Swiss private Banque Bonhôte & Cie SA based in Neuchâtel. Our bank acquired the Zurich bank, Private Clients Partners, in early May. Private Clients Partners has been specialized in family office business for 20 years. After going into deserted airports and flying through uncluttered skies, I met with the president of private bank M.M. Warburg & CO, owner of Private Client Partners Bank, and reached an agreement with him. Both institutions share some common characteristics, such as more than 200 years history and being held in private hands.It was thus, in these very special times, that I managed to purchase a second Swiss private bank, having purchased Banque Bonhôte & Cie SA in 1992. The group, specializing in private banking, now employs more than hundred people and has a network of branches in Switzerland. I live in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, with my wife, Andrea, a youth psychologist. Our 27 years old son is a biologist. (Fall 2020)

Chip Dillon ’86, I retired from Vertical Research Partners in February 2020 after a nearly 40-year career in investment research and management that also included stints at JP Morgan, Citigroup, and Credit Suisse. My wife, Margaret, and I remain busy with our 5 grown children and their families plus consulting and non-profit endeavors. (Fall 2020)

Duncan McGillivray ’86, writes, “I have been living in Naples, FL, since 2015 after 15 years in Scottsdale, AZ. I’m working in consulting for virtual-performing capital projects and am also a licensed state of Florida realtor. Come join me and my wife, and I will find you the perfect home or condo in beautiful Naples.” (Spring 2020)

Emeel Ajluni ’85, 35 years at FCA are nearing an end. Never thought I would stay at the same company since graduation. Along the way I was a proud German, became a three-headed dog, learned to be an Italian and now the French will protect my pension. 17 different assignments during my career kept me challenged. My Columbia MBA was the key to my career success so far and will be my guide for the next chapter. Thanks to all. (Fall 2020)

Roy Cohen ’85 writes, “Wow, astonishing how quickly the time has passed. Following a brief career in banking, I became a career and executive coach and am now a best-selling author of The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide (FT Press, 2010). I am considered by many to be the go-to career advisor for Wall Street professionals. For more than 14 years, I served as Goldman Sachs’s sole in-house career counselor. In addition to making numerous media appearances and providing frequent quotes, I am on the advisory board of Men's Fitness magazine, and I was selected in December as a winner of Rancho La Puerta’s first annual writers’ competition. Happily married, and we split our time between NYC and East Hampton.” (Spring 2020)

Nina Cuccio Peck ’85, writes, “I left NYC in 1986 to start my own business in Westport, CT: Nina Cuccio Peck Architecture and Interiors—probably not surprising to those who saw me drawing house designs in economics class. It has been a joy for 34 years to run a business in a field that I love. Now based in Old Lyme, CT, my work focuses on waterfront homes in areas such as Nova Scotia, Block Island, Watch Hill, Stonington, Guilford, Westport, Darien, and Greenwich. Husband David and I are blessed with three children who have found their own passions: Sarah (Dartmouth '14) is at Harvard Business School, Charlie (US Naval Academy '15) is a Navy strike pilot flying the F-18 Super Hornet, and Dave (Bowdoin '18) is at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism pursuing a career in sports broadcasting. David and I revel in our free time racing sailboats, skiing, and playing tennis and golf.” (Spring 2020)

David Evans Katz ’84, Two of my novels and a collection of my published short stories have been reissued and are now available in both paperback and downloadable as eBooks. The link is: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00MUZRWB8 (Fall 2020)

Sam Liss ’84, serves as executive director, strategic partnerships, at Harvard University. In this role, he helps spin out startups that are based on technologies developed in Harvard’s research labs. He also helps establish and manage Harvard’s research collaborations with industry partners. (Spring 2020)

Anne (Auerbach) Lowenthal ’84, I relocated and am enjoying life in downtown Saint Petersburg, FL with my husband, Marc. I continue my entrepreneurial pursuits. As a Holistic Health Coach & doTERRA Wellness Advocate, I work with a large team to teach and empower people to take control of their health with essential oils and wellness products. I also coach people with cancer who are looking for nontraditional therapies and treatments. Marc and I own a Dream Vacations franchise, Lowenthal Travel, where we plan luxury and wellness travel for clients and groups. We have a 24 year old son living in Boston, and we share our lives with a goldendoodle pup. Anne can be reached at [email protected]. (Fall 2020)

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Ellas Aractingi ’82, left BLOM Bank in Lebanon and moved to Miami Beach. In addition to trading options, he is in the process of opening a food concept with his wife in the Miami area. (Spring 2020)

Vitus Lau ’81, In late November 2019, we visited Taipei. Immediately upon arrival, we joined a CAA Taiwan gathering, hosted by Chris Wei (CBS '90) Since my wife Daphne (National Taiwan University '80) is originally from Taiwan, we are frequent visitors to the island nation. Indeed, in a few short years, when we downsize and scale down our business, we intend to spend several months of each year in Taiwan, a country blessed with abundant fresh fruits/vegetable/seafood, hyper efficient transport, low cost, and friendly people. (Fall 2020)

Jon Lomartire ’80, Retired from the yoke of NYC money-center banks. CBS ought to be a challenger, rather than enabler, of the U.S. brand of capitalism and corporatism. Columbia has the standing to examine the role of the status quo in the paramount problems of this time; i.e., unprecedented income & wealth inequalities, looming climate catastrophe, and increasing business concentration. CBS should not squander this opportunity to provide a distinctive contribution to making this planet a sustainable, better home for all. (Fall 2020)

Robert Hacker ’80, writes, “In 2016, I co-founded and became the director of StartUP FIU, which focuses on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across Florida International University. Today, my focus is on commercializing faculty research in emerging technologies. I support faculty to arrange seed investment, corporate research partnerships, and grant funding.” (Spring 2002)

Harrison Wood ’80, I live in Santa Fe and work as Hospitalist MD, go figure. Wandered off course to medicine after my little restaurant chain failed. Avoiding retirement like the plague. Divorced with two adjust millennial sons. Good health best wishes to all. (Fall 2020)

Charles Cecil ’79, I joined zenColor Company as CFO and, having completed the first software products based on our prop IP, am now moving into the licensing stage. We own the only digital standard for RGB, the language for display of color on all digital devices. (Fall 2020)

Bonnie Halpern ’79, I am concentrating on developing my new business- personal branding via resumes and LinkedIn profiles. Using my expertise from a long career in classic and social media marketing, I help people define who they are in the workplace, differentiate themselves from others in their field and position themselves to their targeted audience.

Pre-COVID-19, my leisure time was spent in NYC theaters, museums, dining out with friends, & travel. Now it's Zoom and streaming. I have not, as of yet, experienced Zoom fatigue. I enjoy using Zoom to catch up with friends in the U.S. and abroad and to celebrate birthdays, graduations and other special occasions. At the top of my list are virtual winetastings. As for streaming, if you watched all the compelling programs and series on TV and the internet, you’d never go out for any exercise or read a book. (Fall 2020)

Jody J. Savage ’78, writes, "After five years in finance, a second master’s in biology, and a quarter century in biotechnology as a Regulatory Affairs professional, I retired in 2018 to pursue a lifelong interest in writing. My book, Aphrodite’s Pen: The Power of Writing Erotica after Midlife, was published under the pen name Stella Fosse by North Atlantic Books in September 2019. The book encourages older women to push back on ageism and sexism by writing and sharing our erotic stories. My next project was the screenplay for Brilliant Charming Bastard, which I submitted to Meryl Streep’s intensive screenplay workshop for women over 40, The Writer’s Lab, in early March 2020. The novel version of Bastard was supposed to be my next project. But on March 8 the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in our little North Carolina town and I began to study the pandemic. Then my son in New York contracted COVID-19 and was successfully treated with hydroxychloroquine, and my interest in the virus became personal. I retooled my biotech consulting practice and also began writing a series of articles called Letters from an FDA Watcher. More to come, if we avoid the virus." (Spring 2020)

Robert Gibralter ’78, We designed and built a steel-walled outdoor squash court in Maspeth, Queens, which is attracting interest from all over the world. Top pros and college squash competitors have been testing the court and giving it rave reviews. More info on instagram @maspethweldingarts and in this article written in Vancouver and posted in London https://squashmad.com/interviews/heavy-metal-comes-to-squash-with-a-steel-court-in-nyc/ (Fall 2020)

Gregory Farrell ’77, I am the Chief Financial Officer of Reddy Raw and its affiliated companies Idaho Freez-Pak Corp. and H&H Purveyors. Together, these companies are the largest privately held food distribution companies on the East Coast. I just celebrated his 39th wedding anniversary with my wife, Susan Marasco. As a hobby, I write trashy novels. My current eBook, The Naked Swim, is now available on Amazon. (Fall 2020)

Janet Hanson ’77, writes, “Over the last four years, I have been hard at work on a factual account of my 14-year career at Goldman Sachs. I am hoping to find a publisher for my book this spring. Many of my CBS pals have read drafts of my book and have offered feedback and guidance which has been invaluable, particularly from my brilliant friend, Rebecca John ’01. One former Goldman Sachs CEO recently read my book and loved it—that was an absolute day-maker!” (Spring 2020)

Donald Jacobs ’77, I recently completed A Pay Equity Gender Study to investigate whether the City of Worcester, MA is compliant with the Massachusetts Pay Equity Act (MEPA). According to this Act, “no employer shall discriminate in any way on the basis of gender in the payment of wages for ‘comparable work,’ that is defined as work … that requires substantially similar skill, effort, and responsibility and is performed under similar working conditions.”

• The results presented in our study suggest the following about non-union full-time Worcester employees:
• The “raw” unadjusted wage gap probably over-states the extent of gender discrimination
• The addition of human capital controls involving education and tenure reduce the estimated wage gap (and perhaps the extent of gender discrimination) by a relatively small amount.
• The Worcester wage gap is largely determined by occupation grouping in which men are concentrated in high-paying occupations while women tend to cluster in lower-paying occupations.

(Fall 2020)

Carole Pinto ’77, writes, “My Columbia MBA provided me with the tools necessary to become a specialist on legal and financial aspects of the art market. Educating collectors as to what constitutes value in a work of art, factors impacting art as an asset class, and the inner workings of the art market is an integral part of my job as an art dealer and advisor. I hold art salons in my Manhattan apartment, give lectures and presentations on the art market at banks, law firms, private clubs, and universities, and write articles for numerous magazines. Teaching people how to develop a critical eye complements my work as a specialist in modern and contemporary art by lesser-known artists whose prices are way below those of their contemporaries. I choose museum-quality works in very good condition, which I research, authenticate, restore, and frame, and which are presented at art fairs in major cities along the East Coast. My collection can be viewed on www.carolepintofinearts.com" (Spring 2020)

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Francois Beaudoin ’74, I am Chairman of Walter Financial. I am a member of corporate boards and provides advisory services to national and international organizations in strategic planning, merger and acquisitions, and financial planning.

I am a career banker and was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Business Development Bank of Canada, where I worked from 1990 to 1999. Prior to that, over a 16-year period, I held several executive positions in Quebec and Ontario at Bank of Montreal, including the position of Vice-President in the Quebec Region. From 1999 to 2012, I acted as Senior Advisor with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Montreal.

I am a member of the following boards: Walter Financial (Chairman), Walter Group, Peak Financial Group, and Britton Electric. (Fall 2020)

Sajjad Ebrahim ’73, was named Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, at Ryerson University’s fall 2019 convocation in Toronto, which Ebrahim calls home. Ryerson bestows honorary degrees to those who have made extraordinary contributions to the Ryerson community, Canadian society, and humanity around the world. Ebrahim immigrated to Canada in 1977 and bought Par-Pak Limited, a 20-employee company that manufactured plastic food containers. When Ebrahim sold Par-Pak in 2013, it had 900 employees across Canada, the US, and the UK, and its annual revenue topped $200 million. Ebrahim has received numerous awards for business excellence. Today, he runs his family’s office, is a member of the Columbia Business School Board of Overseers, and is a champion for causes related to education, housing, welfare, and healthcare in Canada and beyond. (Spring 2020)

John Palicka ’73, has over 30 years of experience in managing money in global and US small-cap stocks. He spent 11 years as managing director and chief portfolio manager for Midco Investors, an investment boutique in small and mid-cap stocks of the Prudential Insurance Company. He then founded Global Emerging Growth Capital (GEGC), where he is president and chief portfolio manager. GEGC, which now operates as a family office, provides three major financial services: asset management, corporate finance, and knowledge consulting (which includes financial training). Palicka says his investment record has been ranked consistently in the upper quartile by reporting agencies. He reports that his book, Fusion Analysis (McGraw-Hill Education, 2012), innovated a controversial valuation approach that blends all four investment forces. The book has been increasingly adopted by leading global-learning centers and practitioners and been translated for the growing Chinese audience. He says, “Fusion Analysis also made bold, but correct, predictions in the dark days of the Great Recession. They included a super bull market, jobs, erosion of hedge funds, and indexing and algos overtaking active management on Wall Street. (Spring 2020)

Karl Sooder ’72, recently retired from the faculties of the College of Business Administration and also from the College of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Central Florida where he established programs in professional selling. He now volunteers to teach English to immigrants. (Spring 2020)

Albert White ’71, writes, “I have completed a book on the untold story of the internet. I was the person, from 1993 to 1995, who introduced the internet to the global community. My book is called Race for the Net—When African Americans Controlled the Internet and What Happens Now? In the book, I also talk about my time at Columbia as well as my mentor, the late Hughie Mills, head of minority student recruitment at Columbia Business School. There has been no other book that provides in-depth information on the launching of the internet to the global community 1993. Today, there are more than 4.2 billion people on the internet, and it generates more than $7 trillion in economic wealth. Place book orders at www.raceforthenet.com". (Spring 2020)

Steven Shore ’70, writes, "I retired at the end of 2017 after working for 21 years at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) in Washington, DC. I now live in Santa Fe." (Spring 2020)

Michael Garrett ’70 (’66CC , ’69LAW), writes, “The past few years have been very rewarding and filled with, among other things, traveling two to three months annually, serving on for- and nonprofit boards, attending a Columbia faculty continuing seminar by invitation, participating in colloquiums at the Columbia Heyman Center for the Humanities, keeping up with photography and piano, and grandparenting just down the block. This year will be the last of my three Columbia 50th reunions following those of the College and the Law School.” (Spring 2020)

Jerry Silber ’69, writes, “I've been active as a volunteer in a number of nonprofit activities. I chair the annual gala fundraising dinner for the Connecticut Chapter of the Israel Cancer Research Fund, whose mission is to raise funds in the US and Canada to support scientists looking for a cure for cancer in Israel, and I lead an organization that connects the neighborhoods of Stamford, CT, in a way that is safe and enjoyable for people who want to walk or bike.” (Spring 2020)

James Eyres ’68, Greetings to all! Riots around Columbia then, riots in major cities again now.

I retired from Bank of America in 1999. Afterwards, I formed Piedmont Street Management Inc. and I have been in business as an investment manager since then. I use the securities analysis techniques taught by Professors Robbins and Dean. My clients seem happy, and I can operate from my computer here in San Francisco, or from a laptop at Lago Lugano.

When I arrived at Columbia in 1967, Tresa and I were newly-married. Now we just passed our 53rd anniversary. This may work out! Two children, and two grandchildren. I am a lucky fellow. (Fall 2020)

Robert (Bob) Stebbings ’68, I graduated with MBA and JD, while believing that we were making a difference during our protests of 1968 with a few cuts and bruises imposed by our fine NYC Police Dept. I hope the current youth will do a better job of fixing our society. I have been practicing international law these many years mostly living in NYC, Paris, Buenos Aires, Rio and San Francisco. I am still trying to do the same, despite the pandemic. I currently live in Boca Raton and Manhattan. I loved my years at Columbia. I am always delighted to hear from classmates and other friends. Vote out the monster, remake the world and be well. (Fall 2020)

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Robert Muh ’61, The past year has been most eventful. In 2019, I was elected Chairman of the Board of the Culinary Institute of America ("CIA"). The CIA is widely recognized as the leading culinary/hospitality college in the world. Needless to say, COVID-19 has impacted the CIA and our alumni more than any other comparable institution. Our school's leadership and faculty have done a remarkable job in successfully addressing these challenges. I continue to serve as a Life Trustee Emeritus on the board of MIT and on MIT's Sloan School Visiting Committee. I also completed a three-year term on the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") Board of Governors. In March 2020, I retired from Sutter Securities, the brokerage firm that I co-founded in 1994. At the same time, I co-founded with my daughter, Alison, a new "software as a service" enterprise for the architectural design industry. I am delighted to report that my wife, Berit (Spant) ’64, and I have now celebrated 52 years of marriage. (Fall 2020)

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.

Be the first to share a note with your class. See submission process and guidelines at the top of this page.