Fidelity Investments® Aligns Clearing and Custody Units; Strengthens Commitment to Innovation in Financial Advice Industry
MorningStar – Feb. 24, 2015
Sanjiv Mirchandani, MBA '84, president of National Financial, has been named president of Fidelity Clearing and Custody. The appointment comes as a result of Fidelity Institutional’s alignment of its clearing and custody units. Mirchandani joined Fidelity Investments in 1994 and has held several positions, including senior product, marketing, planning, strategy and business leadership roles in Personal and Workplace Investing. Gerard McGraw, president of Fidelity Institutional, lauded Mirchandani for his outstanding performance leading his team and collaborating on behalf of clients.
Kambrian Corporation Nominated for SBA Award
PR Log – Feb. 20, 2015
Cathy Hsieh, MBA ’96, CEO of Kambrian Corporation, has been nominated for the SBA Small Business Person of the Year Award by the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). The winner will be announced and honored during National Small Business Week, May 4-8, 2015. “Kambrian Corporation has delivered quality products and services as the lowest and responsive bidder on many information technology request for bids,” said Rose Cote, LAWA’s Business Outreach Coordinator. “It is an honor to nominate Kambrian.”
Ensighten: Names Anametrix CEO Pelin Thorogood as Chief Strategy Officer
4-Traders – Feb. 19, 2015
Pelin Thorogood '90, MEng '91, MBA '94, a veteran analytics strategist and senior marketing technology leader, has been named the chief strategy officer of Ensighten. Thorogood joins Ensighten from Anametrix, where she served as the CEO of the multichannel marketing analytics company until its acquisition by Ensighten in October 2014. "I created the Chief Strategy Officer role to underscore our commitment to delivering the industry's most innovative and open marketing platform -- and Pelin is uniquely qualified for this position," said Ensighten CEO Josh Manion.
LISTEN: Equities.com's Enzo Villani on Clear Channel's "The Trader's Network Show"
Equities.com – Feb. 17, 2015
Enzo Villani, MBA ’07, CEO of Equities.com, was interviewed on Clear Channel – iHeart Business Talk Radio's "The Trader's Network Show." Enzo spoke about his experience in the capital markets, including founding and building out Nasdaq's Global Corporate Solutions segment, as well as how the industry continues to shift and evolve over the years. He also pointed out the lack of support for small-cap marketplace and the subsequent course-correction with the adoption of new and innovative approaches.
The Flexitallic Group Appoints Jon Stokes as CEO
Jon Stokes, MBA '01, was appointed CEO of the Flexitallic Group, which specializes in sealing products and solutions for the energy industry. “The company’s leading technology, outstanding brand, and global reach provide a strong platform for future growth,” said Stokes. Stokes joins Flexitallic from Emerson Electric, where he most recently served as president of the Daniel Measurement and Control Business. Earlier in his 13-year Emerson career, he led businesses providing instrumentation and controls to the process and marine industries.
Verizon Communications: Aetna Chairman and CEO Mark T. Bertolini Elected to Verizon Board of Directors
4-Traders.com – February 5, 2015
Mark Bertolini, MBA’84, chairman and CEO of Aetna, was elected to the Verizon board of directors. "Mark is an accomplished executive who brings to Verizon significant leadership capabilities managing a large-scale, global operation. He has extensive experience in the healthcare industry, which is an area of increasing importance to Verizon's business strategy," said Lowell McAdam, Verizon chairman and chief executive officer. Prior to joining Aetna, Bertolini held executive positions at Cigna, NYLCare Health Plans and SelectCare Inc., where he served as president and chief executive officer.
MamaBear: Taps Visionary Tech and Media Veteran Suzanne Hortonny’s New CEO and President
4-Traders - Feb. 2, 2015
Suzanne Horton, MBA '91, was appointed president and CEO of MamaBear. MamaBear is a leading mobile parenting app that creates a private family communication hub. “We brought Suzanne aboard as our CEO because of her savvy and ability to raise venture capital, her experience in leadership, building a world-class team, forging strategic deals, and creating tech platforms as she has demonstrated at top-tier companies like American Express, Move.com and Jitterbug. Suzanne also possesses a deep passion for empowering women and families. She is a true MamaBear,” said Steve MacDonald, co-founder and chairman of the Board. Horton, an early founder in the venture capital arm at American Express, received national acclaim as CEO of BeJane.com, a leading website in the $80B female home improvement space. Most recently, she led the digital media team and helped create a national brand for the multi-billion dollar Blackstone startup, Invitation Homes.
How One Man Brought Health Care to India's Poorest Populations
Yahoo! Finance –Jan. 27, 2015
Social entrepreneur Shelley Saxena, MBA '03, is featured in this article about his latest startup, a distribution system for low-cost preventive health services across India that now provides
basic primary healthcare, diagnostics, medicines and insurance to more than 7,000 subscribers. Andy Lower, founder of ADAP Capital LLC, which led the bridge financing for Sevamob, says in the article that Sevamob’s model “is innovative, scalable and replicable. We believe in the massive potential of Sevamob’s disruptive primary healthcare model."
Jon Beyman joins the Polaris Board
Moneylife – Jan. 22, 2015
Jon Beyman, MBA ’81, former managing director and global head of operations and technology, Institutional Clients Group, Citi, joined the board of directors of Polaris Consulting & Services Ltd, a global leader in financial technology for banking, insurance and other financial services. “With his experience in driving technology as an enabler at Citi, Beyman is an evangelist for digital transformation,” the articles reports. “The Board of Directors unanimously felt that he would add immense value as Polaris enables the digital transformation of its clients.”
iZotope Adds Michael Bayer to Executive Team as Chief Financial Officer
Boston Business Journal – Jan. 22, 2015
iZotope, Inc., a leading audio technology company, has hired Michael Bayer, MBA ’92, as its Chief Financial Officer. Bayer brings more than twenty years of expertise in finance, operations, technology and business development for venture-backed technology companies. "It's a thrilling opportunity to join a fast-paced organization like iZotope," says Bayer in the article. "The passion for audio and technology is palpable, and the creative drive is strong. I look forward to contributing my expertise and helping to build the infrastructure we need to achieve our vision." Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, iZotope, 2014 winner of the SBANE Innovation Award,develops award-winning products and audio technologies for professionals and hobbyists.
Mi año 2014: Empresa de animación nacida en China busca convertirse en referencia internacional
CCTV Español – Jan. 16, 2015
Kevin Zhen Cheng, MBA ’11, was featured in this news story and video about Black Dragon, the Chinese animation studio startup he launched with co-founder and animation veteran Walter Antonio McDaniel. Cheng, who left a career in finance on Wall Street to become an entrepreneur, says that new business regulations have made it easier to register a company in China. Black Dragon has already employed fifty workers, and intends to focus on the local market, for now -- but also has an international vision. "We want to create positive stories that inspire people to become better and to help others,” says McDaniel, CCO of Black Dragon. “These types of stories and values are not only beneficial to China, but also to the world. And it seems to me that there is already a lot of Chinese philosophy to leverage and many Chinese stories to learn. We only need to do more research and update the story in new ways, and then spread them to the international market.” Cheng says that next year they hope to broadcast the first episodes of their series, "Space Racer," via the Internet.
3VR Announces Advisor Board for Customer Insights Business
Nebraska TV/ABC – Jan. 6, 2015
Janet Carr, MBA ’90, was appointed to the newly formed retail advisor board for video intelligence company 3VR. “With over 20 years of experience in the retail industry, Ms. Carr was most recently the President of the Handbag Division at Nine West Group (fka The Jones Group),” the article reports. “Previously, she has held executive leadership roles at Safeway, Gap Inc., Coach, and Ghurka.” The 3VR retail advisor board will serve as a strategic resource to 3VR as it continues to advance its Customer Insights business for in-store analytics.
Update: Unicorns Vs. Dragons
Techcrunch.com – Dec. 14, 2014
In this article, co-authors by Hemant Bhardwaj, MBA ’15, and John Backus, co-founder and managing partner at NAV.VC, point out the drawbacks of investing in venture-backed unicorns – defined in the article by Cowboy Ventures founder Aileen Lee as “U.S.-based software companies valued at over $1 billion by public or private market investors.” Bhardwaj interned as a summer associate at NAV.VC.
FEI Congratulates 2014 Hall of Fame Inductees
PR Newswire – Dec. 1, 2014
Robert Blakely ’64, MBA ’65, former CFO of WorldCom, was named to the FEI Hall of Fame by Financial Executives International (FEI), a national association for CFOs and other senior level finance executives. Blakely was formally inducted into the FEI Hall of Fame during a celebratory gala in New York City, Nov. 17, 2014. The FEI Hall of Fame is a distinguished honor which annually recognizes highly respected financial executives for displaying exemplary performance, leadership and integrity. Blakely serves on the boards of Ally Financial Inc., Westlake Chemical Corporation, Greenhill & Co., Inc. and Natural Resource Partners, LP, and was a former trustee of the Financial Accounting Foundation. He has more than 30 years of experience in corporate finance, including roles as CFO of WorldCom/MCI and executive vice president and CFO of Fannie Mae, where he led the financial restatement and implementation of SOX controls. Blakely has also served as a member of the Cornell Board of Trustees since 1996.
Pakistan sex taboos challenged by TV phone-in show
BBC News - Dec. 1, 2014
Faizan Syed, MBA ’09, CEO of Pakistan’s Health TV (HTV), is featured in this video and story about “Clinic Online”, a weekly call-in show discussing sexual health. HTV is a channel that focuses “on everyday lives of Pakistanis with a mix of health and lifestyle content,” reports the article, which includes this comment from Syed: “As for 'Clinic Online', the chief executive of the HTV channel, Faizan Syed, says the show is going through a period of trial and error. ‘Frankly, we are in an unchartered territory. Is there room for improvement? Certainly! But that doesn't take away the fact that we are providing a service that no one else has the courage or willingness to offer.’"
Seres Health Appoints Biotechnology Finance Leader Eric Shaff As Chief Financial Officer
BioSpace – Nov. 17, 2014
Eric Shaff, MBA’04, was appointed chief financial officer of Seres Health, a clinical-stage therapeutics company. Prior to joining Seres, Shaff was the vice president of corporate finance at Momenta Pharmaceuticals. Shaff brings over 15 years of corporate biotech finance and development experience to Seres. “His experience and contributions will be extremely valuable as we further advance SER-109, our lead Ecobiotic® microbial therapeutic and accelerate Seres' progress towards commercialization,” said Dr. Roger J. Pomerantz, President, CEO and chairman of Seres Health.
B2R Finance Adds Chief Executive Officer
Wallstreet Online – November 17, 2014
Jason Hogg, MBA ’02, was appointed CEO of B2R Finance, a leading provider of residential buy-to-rent mortgages for single-family rental property investors. “With Jason’s success turning great ideas into profitable companies, we know he will enhance stakeholder value and establish B2R as the preeminent provider of residential finance products and services,” said Nick Gould, executive chairman of B2R. Hogg is most notable for founding the alternative payment company Revolution Money and being the first name inventor of a scalable, global platform that supports a number of businesses including Bluebird by American Express and Walmart. Hogg is a senior lecturer of entrepreneurship and innovation at Johnson.
Todd Schnuck rises to chairman and CEO of Schnuck Markets
St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Nov. 13, 2014
Todd Schnuck, MBA’83, became chairman and CEO of Schnuck Markets Inc., the Maryland Heights-based food and pharmacy chain. Schnuck, 55, succeeded his brother, Scott Schnuck, who will serve as chairman of the company's executive committee.
The $100 Custom Shirt Is Here. Does It Have Room for Profit?
Bloomberg Businessweek – November 11, 2014
Susan Kantor, MBA ’91, gets a mention as a top stylist at J. Hilburn, a premium custom shirt maker. Kantor is a senior managing partner in the business and she regularly travels to fit new clients and show off the season’s fabric swatches. She has sold so many J. Hilburn shirts that the company bought her a new Lexus.
Hires and promotions at Lehigh Valley businesses
The Morning Call – November 7, 2014
Louis E. Costanzo, MBA ’14, was appointed president at L.R. Costanzo Construction Services Co. Costanzo previously served as the vice president in the company. A fourth-generation Costanzo, he is the vice chairman of Lackawanna County Redevelopment Authority and a board member of Lackawanna Industrial Fund Enterprise. Costanzo previously served on the board for Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Co., United Way of Lackawanna County and the Lackawanna County Work Force Investment board.
