Our Board of Directors work passionately after hours and on weekends to build Scholars of Finance as diligently, prudently, and effectively as possible.
A small team, committed to a cause bigger than themselves,
can achieve absolutely anything.
Board of Directors
Ray is a Managing Director at BlackRock. In this position, he leads Corporate Client Strategy & The Strategic Partner Program for the Americas. He was also previously the Head of BlackRock's Investment Stewardship team for the Americas region based in New York. In this role, Ray led a team of specialists responsible for engagement and proxy voting activities in relation to the companies in which BlackRock invests on behalf of clients. Through direct engagement with companies, the team encouraged corporate governance practices that support sustainable financial performance over the long-term.
Prior to joining BlackRock, Ray most recently managed the corporate access engagement practice at several investment banking firms, including Stifel and Cowen. In these capacities, he oversaw teams that established and enhanced constructive dialogue with hundreds of portfolio companies' boards and management teams.
Ray started his Wall Street career at Morgan Stanley on the institutional equity sales desk. After spending several years as a generalist, he became a technology specialist. It was in that capacity, he recognized the potential of corporate access as a stand-alone business opportunity. Ray is credited for creating and managing the first fully integrated corporate access team on Wall Street. His team included a diverse group of sector specialists who were responsible for driving engagements in their respective industries and enhancing relationships with corporate boards and management and with internal investment professionals within the firm.
He was subsequently recruited to re-engineer the corporate access engagement practice at Lehman Brothers. There he successfully maintained the entire team through the Lehman bankruptcy filing and the eventual acquisition of equity assets by Barclays.
Ray earned his Masters of Business Administration degree from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas and his Bachelors of Business Administration degree from The University of Texas at Austin.
Armel R. Kouassi is a seasoned finance professional with over 15 years of experience in financial services. His experience includes a wide range of managerial roles with assignments in several major financial institutions and a Big 4 Audit Firm. He has worked and lived in numerous locations throughout the United States, Europe & Africa. Mr. Kouassi is Head of Asset Liability Management Modeling for Northern Trust.
Armel has shifted between entrepreneurial and senior banking roles in his career. Armel is a frequent speaker and author in banking magazines in USA and Europe, he is certified Financial Risk Professional and a member of Global Association of Risk Professional.
Previously, Armel held various role in Asset Liability Management, Consumer Credit Risk Management and Mortgage Portfolio Management covering balance sheets ranging from $100 – $500Bn at State Street, M&T Bank, Citi, Merrill Lynch & GE Capital.
Armel received an MBA from the Wharton School, a Master’s in finance from ESCP Europe, France and a Master’s in statistics and economy with Honors from ENSEA, Cote d’Ivoire. Armel is a father of 3 girls, fluent in English, French and German, he is passionate of Economic Empowerments, Global Affairs, Arts and Music. Armel is member of the Young professional of the Chicago Council of Global Affairs, the Aspen’s Society of Fellows and the Manhattan Institute’s Young Leaders Circle and an Ambassador for Northern Trust PGA Tournament.
Katie is passionate about helping companies cultivate and sustain an ethical culture in which every person feels empowered to speak up when something may not be right, ask questions when they aren't sure, and live by their values every day, in every interaction.
As an ethics leader, HR professional and attorney, she builds strong relationships with stakeholders across the organization. She understands the needs of the business and develops programs and solutions that drive better business outcomes.
As Global Chief Ethics Officer, Katie serves as the company’s leading voice and ambassador on the importance of maintaining a strong ethical, compliance-based corporate culture. She regularly advises and supports executive leadership in evaluating ethics expectations and establishing and enforcing ethics policies.
In her free time, she is a gardener, a reluctant camper, a cat wrangler and a back-of-the-pack triathlete.
Ross is the Co-Founder & CEO of Scholars of Finance (SOF), a fast-growing organization that inspires character and integrity in the finance leaders of tomorrow. SOF brings together leading investors and finance executives to teach undergraduate students how they can steward the world's capital to serve the greater good.
Ross believes that responsible finance, values-based leadership, and effective education are critical to the development of a prosperous and inclusive world. As such, he is committed to transforming the financial system with his team at Scholars of Finance.
Prior to SOF, Ross held roles spanning equity research at Piper Sandler, global go-to-market at Twitter, and serving on the leadership team that launched "SoFi Money", the retail banking division of SoFi. He earned his bachelor's degree at Fordham University and the University of Minnesota and has completed executive education at Cornell University and Stanford University.
His hobbies include triathlon training & competing, mentoring & coaching, start-up advising, (poorly attempting) freestyle/spoken word, and studying neuroscience, economics, history, and philosophy.
Ryan is a Minneapolis, MN native, and after stints in Boston & London, returned to Minneapolis to start his career & help co-found Scholars of Finance. Since 2016 Ryan has called midtown New York home. During the day Ryan works with hedge, mutual, and sovereign wealth fund clients to source & execute their investments in U.S. public equities. After market hours Ryan enjoys running, exploring the city with his wife, and as many trips to the mountains & back to the lakes in MN as his schedule allows.
Carla is a Vice President in the Financial Markets Infrastructure (FMI) group based in New York, focused on managing key FMI initiatives across Citi’s business globally. Born and raised in Brazil, Carla came to the USA in 2009 to earn her MBA at the University of Michigan. In 2011, Carla joined Citi as a member of their global Leadership Development program. Since then she held multiple roles across Citi’s Corporate and Consumer Bank. Carla is engaged in various mentorship and recruiting initiatives at the firm and is the Co-Chair of Citi's Hispanic & Latino Heritage Network, NYC.
Maeve Richard excels at adaptive leadership, strategic learning agility; change management; career development; diversity, equity and inclusion; culture transformation; and experiential learning design and delivery. Previously, Maeve was the Assistant Dean and Director, Career Management Center, at Stanford Graduate School of Business. During her tenure there, she mobilized the center to equip and empower students, alumni, and experienced professionals to realize their individualized career and life goals.
Maeve’s corporate career spanned overseeing strategic planning, finance, information technology, operations, and human resources as CFO and COO for several entrepreneurial enterprises. Maeve has held executive and management level positions in relationship management, change management, corporate finance, planning, and treasury at Intel (McAfee,) Sun Microsystems, Levi Strauss & Co., JPMorgan, and SRI International.
Her current board service is for Children’s Health Council, Stanford Student Enterprises, and Celebration Tabernacle. Her previous board service includes Dignity Health Investment Committee, Stanford Parents Advisory, BUILD, Community Bank of the Bay, National Conference of Community and Justice, and Wellspring. Maeve is also an engaged volunteer for Walter Hays, Menlo School, Peninsula Bridge, College Track, Junior League of San Francisco, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and New Beginnings Community Church.
Elizabeth J. Sandler is the founder and has served as the chief executive officer of Echo Juliette, a consultant and adviser on workplace investments spanning executive coaching, employee productivity and physical space, since January 2019. Prior to founding Echo Juliette, Ms. Sandler served as managing director of The Blackstone Group and Chief Operating Officer of its Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies business from September 2016 to August 2018. Prior to joining The Blackstone Group, she worked at Deutsche Bank from November 2000 to August 2016, including serving at different times as a managing director and global chief operating officer of the Risk Division, Structured Finance business and Commercial Real Estate business, among other roles. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, she worked at a number of companies in the financial services industry. Ms. Sandler received a BA from Duke University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Nico is an investment lead at Heyday based in Chicago, focused on e-commerce M&A and other growth efforts. Prior to Heyday, Nico began his career at PGIM Private Capital supporting underwriting efforts to market, execute, and manage a portfolio of private placement investments. Previously, Nico served as an elected director on the board of his national fraternity where he helped develop policy objectives and represented over a thousand undergraduates across Midwestern chapters. Nico graduated from the University of Minnesota Carlson School and led planning and execution efforts for the third annual Symposium.
Executive Team
Our executive team is engineering and executing the Scholars of Finance vision in universities from coast to coast.
Ross is the Co-Founder & CEO of Scholars of Finance (SOF), a fast-growing organization that inspires character and integrity in the finance leaders of tomorrow. SOF brings together leading investors and finance executives to teach undergraduate students how they can steward the world's capital to serve the greater good.
Ross believes that responsible finance, values-based leadership, and effective education are critical to the development of a prosperous and inclusive world. As such, he is committed to transforming the financial system with his team at Scholars of Finance.
Prior to SOF, Ross held roles spanning equity research at Piper Sandler, global go-to-market at Twitter, and serving on the leadership team that launched "SoFi Money", the retail banking division of SoFi. He earned his bachelor's degree at Fordham University and the University of Minnesota and has completed executive education at Cornell University and Stanford University.
His hobbies include triathlon training & competing, mentoring & coaching, start-up advising, (poorly attempting) freestyle/spoken word, and studying neuroscience, economics, history, and philosophy.
Stephen joined Scholars of Finance as the Chief Operating Officer in January 2020. He was most recently a senior manager and VP of U.S. Bank. Previously he was a commissioned officer in the Minnesota National Guard’s chaplain corps and the founder and CEO of Beyond Demographics, LLC. Stephen earned a Master’s of Divinity from Bethel University and is academically published in the Journal of Pastoral Psychology. Today Stephen lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife and two kids. He invests his free time into his family, friends, and music.
Miranda is the Chief Program Officer of Scholars of Finance. She is a finance professional with more than a decade of experience doing strategic planning, analysis, operational management and business and technology development work in private equity and hedge funds in the US, Europe and Asia. Miranda has a passion for finance and how the industry can be used to bring about positive change in the world.
Prior to joining SOF, Miranda held various roles with Goldman Sachs Asset Management focusing on commercial real estate, global long short equity and private equity, client strategy with AQR Capital Management and serving as the COO of a management consulting firm. She earned a B.S. in Business Management and International Business from Arizona State University with a minor in American History and a M.S. in Finance from London Business School.
Her hobbies include mentoring youth in the foster system, history, real estate, hiking, and skiing.
Jody Holden brings over 25 years of experience in the financial sector. She is a business strategy and sales expert. Jody has extensive experience with multi-billion-dollar clients in the financial sector, and a proven track record in expanding key client relationships, developing businesses, and new product execution. She is a leader and team player who will bring a collaborative approach to working with strategic partners. Jody is also a passionate mentor, advocate, and professional development advisor.
Prior to joining Scholars of Finance, Jody spent most of her career in Equity Research and Institutional Equity Sales. She got her start in financial services at Prudential Securities, and then moved onto Director and Managing Director roles at Citigroup, Bank of America, and JMP Securities. Jody also built two independent research platforms at Bloomberg Tradebook, and most recently at OpenExchange. She started her career at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington DC in the Division of Research and Statistics. Jody was a group leader with Declare, a women’s professional development platform (now part of Luminosity), and has sat on the the Middlesex School Alumni Association Board of Directors where she headed the Career Advancement Committee, and is a former member of the New York International Children's Film Festival Board of Directors. Jody lives in Old Greenwich, Connecticut with her two teenage children.
Prior to joining Scholars of Finance, Jody spent most of her career in Equity Research and Institutional Equity Sales. She got her start in financial services at Prudential Securities, and then moved onto Director and Managing Director roles at Citigroup, Bank of America, and JMP Securities. Jody also built two independent research platforms at Bloomberg Tradebook, and most recently at OpenExchange. She started her career at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington DC in the Division of Research and Statistics. Jody was a group leader with Declare, a women’s professional development platform (now part of Luminosity), and has sat on the the Middlesex School Alumni Association Board of Directors where she headed the Career Advancement Committee, and is a former member of the New York International Children's Film Festival Board of Directors. Jody lives in Old Greenwich, Connecticut with her two teenage children.
Randal LeDet is an accomplished Project Manager combining a strong educational background with more than 7 years of experience in successfully developing, implementing, and managing multiple economic mobility projects throughout the US. Randal believes exposure and experience are necessary to help communities think outside of the box and understand their true capabilities. As a result, she is passionate about creating projects that offer a safe space for individuals to develop their voices and find their footing.
Prior to joining Scholars of Finance, Randal worked on multiple projects with nonprofits aiming to increase socioeconomic opportunities for underserved communities. Randal earned a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics & Organizational Management from Agnes Scott College and a M.A. in Economics from the University of Georgia. Randal enjoys spending her free time traveling with her family and friends as well as spoiling her Golden Doxie.
Denise Panaligan is a Los Angeles-based education leader who joined the Scholars of Finance in November 2022 as the Director of Member Success. As the daughter of Filipino immigrants and a product of the Los Angeles Unified School District, her focus is to advance educational equity and dismantle intergenerational poverty by designing and implementing programs that support our most underrepresented communities.
Denise identified the need to empower students with knowledge to confidently navigate their finances in a way that supports their overall well-being, and spearheaded the development of the UCLA Financial Wellness Literacy Program. This involvement was the catalyst for her commitment to social change. Through the support of her family and community, she graduated with dual degrees in Economics and Asian American Studies (2015), a Masters of Education (M.Ed) in Policy and Administration from Loyola Marymount University (2018), and Certification of Organizational Leadership from the University of Southern California (2020).
Her experience as a classroom teacher (where she was named the Urban Educator of the Year in 2018), higher education professional, and local community organizer has helped cement her life purpose of accelerating the leadership of students and young people to make ethical decisions and steward capital towards the greater good. In her free time, Denise likes to go hiking, traveling to national parks, and eating good food.
Advisors
One of Wall Street's most respected technical analysts, Ralph has been consistently ranked by Institutional Investor for more than 10 years. With 47 years of experience, he is a pioneer in the development of market analytics and has a global reputation as a technical analyst and market historian.
Ralph is a Senior Managing Director at Altaira Ltd., which offers wealth management services to family offices and high net worth individuals. He is regularly consulted for his market opinion by CNBC, Fox Business, Barron’s, and others. Ralph is a trustee on the board of the Security Industry Institute and is involved in the establishment of the Securities Traders Association University. He is also the founder of the Chartered Market Technicians Association, which today has more than 80 chapters and 5,000 members globally. He also founded and was the first chairman of the International Federation of Technical Analysts.
A former director of technical research at Knight Equity Markets, Ralph worked for 15 years at Prudential Equity Group as director of technical analysis. He worked at several of the financial industry's top firms, including Kidder Peabody & Co. and Smith Barney.
He is the Co-author of the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) examination and author of The Fourth Mega-Market, Now Through 2011: How Three Earlier Bull Markets Explain the Present and Predict the Future.
Davis is the former President and Chief Executive Office of Make-A-Wish America. Prior to working at Make-A-Wish America, he was the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Bancorp, parent company of U.S. Bank, the fifth largest commercial bank in the United States. He served as Executive Chairman from December 2007 to April 2018, Chief Executive Officer from December 2006 to April 2017, President from October 2004 to January 2016, and Chief Operating Officer from October 2004 to December 2006. Davis was an Executive Vice President at Bank of America and Security Pacific Bank prior to joining Star Banc Corporation, which was one of U.S. Bancorp’s legacy companies.
During his career, he has served as Chairman of the Financial Services Roundtable, Chairman of the Consumer Bankers Association, Chairman of The Clearing House, and representative for the Ninth District of the Federal Reserve, where he was President of its Financial Advisory Committee. Additionally, he currently serves as a director of the Mayo Clinic. He was also one of three executive co-chairs of the 2018 Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee.
During his career, he has served as Chairman of the Financial Services Roundtable, Chairman of the Consumer Bankers Association, Chairman of The Clearing House, and representative for the Ninth District of the Federal Reserve, where he was President of its Financial Advisory Committee. Additionally, he currently serves as a director of the Mayo Clinic. He was also one of three executive co-chairs of the 2018 Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee.
Davis brings global business and leadership experience as a former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of a public company, particularly in industries subject to extensive regulation. He has extensive experience and knowledge of international business operations, financial services and capital allocation which is particularly important given the global presence and financial aspects of the company. Davis has additional public company board experience across the financial services and medical industries resulting in additional corporate governance and compensation experience, financial expertise and board leadership experience.
Davis also serves on the Mastercard Incorporated Board of Directors (since June 2018). Davis served on the Xcel Energy Board of Directors from March 2006 to May 2020, the DowDuPont Inc. Board of Directors from July 2018 to April 2019, the DowDuPont Materials Advisory Committee from September 2017 to April 2019, and The Dow Chemical Company Board of Directors from 2015 to August 2017.
JC de Swaan is a lecturer in the economics department at Princeton University, where he is affiliated with the Bendheim Center for Finance. He teaches courses on ethics in finance and on Asian capital markets to undergraduate and graduate students. He also teaches at the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge. In the past he has taught at Yale University, Hong Kong UST, and Cheung Kong Business School in Beijing.
Separately, JC de Swaan is a Partner at Cornwall Capital, an investment fund based in New York. Prior to Cornwall, he was a senior advisor on China at a global macro fund and an investment professional at an Asia-dedicated hedge fund. Prior to that, JC de Swaan worked at McKinsey & Company.
At Princeton, JC de Swaan also hosts speakers on the topic of ethics in finance and acts as a faculty adviser to first-year and sophomore students.
JC de Swaan received his B.A. from Yale University in Political Science, an MPhil in International Relations from the University of Cambridge, and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School. He is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an Associate Fellow of Ezra Stiles College, Yale University.
Andrew S. Duff served as the chairman of Piper Sandler Companies from 2003 - 2018 and was previously the firm's chief executive officer from 2000 through 2017.
Duff joined Piper Sandler in 1980 in the institutional fixed income sales group. He was later promoted to manager of institutional sales and trading in 1994, and then served as president of the individual investor services and capital markets areas until 1996. During the time period that Piper Sandler was owned by U.S. Bancorp (1996 through 2003), Duff served as president of Piper Sandler and vice chair of U.S. Bancorp for the wealth management group.
Duff currently serves on the board of directors of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the University of St. Thomas board of trustees and the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business strategic board of governors. He is a longstanding member of the Walker Art Center board of trustees, and an advisor to the board of directors of Great Clips, Inc. He is a former board member of Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA).
Scott Harrison is the founder of charity: water, a nonprofit organization that brings safe drinking water to developing countries. He was recognized in Fortune Magazine’s 40 under 40 list, the Forbes Magazine Impact 30 list and was recently #10 in Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business issue. He is currently a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and the New York Times bestselling author of Thirst.
After spending two years on a hospital ship off the coast of Liberia, Scott saw the effects of dirty water firsthand, and came back to New York City on a mission. Upon returning to NYC in 2006, Scott turned his full attention to the global water crisis and the (then) 1.1 billion people living without access to clean water. He established a small core team in a tiny Manhattan apartment and created charity: water.
Fourteen years later, with the help of more than 1 million supporters worldwide, charity: water has raised over $539 million and funded over 64,000 water projects in 29 countries. When completed, those projects will provide over 12.6 million people with clean, safe drinking water.
Daniel Hibbert is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and the Global Head of People Experience and Organizational Design. He has a long history of experience at Goldman Sachs, previously acting as Vice President of Operations Management & Strategy, Business Architecture & Change Management, as well as Derivatives Strategy & Business Design.
Daniel is a proud graduate of Tennessee State University (an HBCU in Nashville, TN).
Scott Kupor is an investing partner focused on growth-stage companies building in the bio and healthcare industries, he manages the firm's investor relations team, and is responsible for the firm's growth initiatives.
Scott was the first employee at Andreessen Horowitz and managed the firm's growth from $300 million in AUM to more than $30 billion. Prior to joining the firm, Scott worked as vice president and general manager of software-as-a-service at Hewlett Packard. Before that, he held numerous executive management positions at Opsware, including senior vice president of global field operations, vice president of financial planning and vice president of corporate development. Prior to Opsware, Scott represented software companies in both financing and mergers and acquisitions transactions at Credit Suisse First Boston and Lehman Brothers.
Scott is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It, and serves on the boards of Cedar, Headway, Foursquare, Labster, Ultima, and SnapLogic. He also served as chairman of the board for the National Venture Capital Association.
Scott graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in public policy with honors and distinction. He also holds a law degree with distinction from Stanford University and is a member of the State Bar of California.
Teri List currently serves as a Board Director for Microsoft and formerly served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Gap, Inc., where she oversaw its finance, real estate and information technology organizations.
Teri also served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc., where she oversaw the finance and legal organization.
Before this, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Kraft Foods Group. As CFO of Kraft, she led the finance, information services and business process excellence organizations.
From 1994 to 2013, she was with Procter & Gamble, progressing to Senior Vice President and Treasurer. Before this, she spent over nine years at Deloitte & Touche LLP, where she provided financial counsel to large multinational companies.
Teri also serves on the Board of Directors of Danaher Corp. and Double Verify. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting from Northern Michigan University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Anthony “Tony” Paquette joined the Scholars of Finance Board of Advisors in 2019, and has joined Point72, an Asset Management firm based in Connecticut, as their Chief Financial Officer.
Tony has spent 20 years in the financial services industry, serving in many leadership roles across various countries and disciplines, including investment research, investment strategy, trading, portfolio management, asset liability management (ALM) and running entire businesses.
Prior to joining Point 72 in 2020, Tony was at SoFi, a leading FinTech in Sillicon Valley as a Business Unit Leader overseeing International, New Business, Treasury, Regulatory Operations, and led the firms application for their bank charter. Before SoFi, Tony was at J.P. Morgan Chase in New York City, where he was a Managing Director and the Global Head of Funding & Liability Management for the company. Prior to this, he held portfolio management roles in the Chief Investment Office at J.P. Morgan, and in Treasury & Corporate Investments at Bank of America. He began his career as a research analyst covering the Technology sector at Goldman Sachs.
In addition to serving in formal leadership roles, Tony has been a consistent member of committees and organizations supporting employee recruiting, leadership training, corporate cultural development and military veterans affairs.
Tony holds a B.A. from Brown University, with a double major in Business Economics and Organizational Behavior & Management, and sits on the President’s Advisory Council on Athletics for the University. He has been a CFA Charterholder since 2003.
Tony is originally from Minnesota, and together with his wife, Amber, has been directly involved with several leading non-profit organizations over the last 20 years. Tony and Amber currently live in California with their three children Stella, Allegra and Rex.
Daniel Pietrzak (New York) joined KKR in 2016 and is a Partner of KKR. Mr. Pietrzak is a portfolio manager for KKR's private credit funds and portfolios and a member of the Global Private Credit Investment Committee, Europe Direct Lending Investment Committee and KKR Credit Portfolio Management Committee. Mr. Pietrzak is Chief Investment Officer of the KKR / FS Investments joint venture and Co-President and Chief Investment Officer for each of the business development companies managed by the joint venture, including FS KKR Capital Corp., which trades on the NYSE. He also serves of the board of directors of several KKR Credit portfolio companies, including Home Partners of America, Oodle Car Finance, Pepper and Toorak Capital Partners. Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Pietrzak was a managing director and the co-head of Deutsche Bank’s structured finance business across the Americas and Europe. Previously, Mr. Pietrzak held various roles in the credit businesses of Societe Generale and CIBC World Markets. Mr. Pietrzak started his career at Price Waterhouse in New York and is a CPA. Mr. Pietrzak holds an M.B.A. in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Accounting from Lehigh University. Mr. Pietrzak serves on the Advisory Board for the Lehigh University Center of Financial Services.
Deb Schoneman serves as president of Piper Sandler, and is a member of the firm’s board of directors. She joined Piper Sandler in 1990 in the accounting department, and has held several senior management positions, including global head of equities, chief financial officer, finance director of both equity and fixed income capital markets, and treasurer.
Schoneman serves on the board of directors of SIFMA. She also serves as vice chair of the board of directors of Allina Health, a not-for-profit health care system based in Minneapolis, MN, and is chair of its finance committee; and is a director emeritus of BestPrep, a nonprofit organization focused on business, career and financial literacy skills, and was its chair for two years. She has completed three mission trips to Haiti through the organization, Healing Haiti, and was awarded "CFO of the Year" by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal in 2014.
Schoneman earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Minnesota State University Mankato and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis.
John Taft is Vice Chairman of Baird and a member of the firm's Executive Committee. Prior to joining Baird, he served as CEO of RBC Wealth Management, a full-service brokerage firm with nearly 2,000 financial advisors and over $280 billion in assets, for more than 10 years (2005-2016). He is a past chairman of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), where he advocated for responsible financial reform.
John's other past roles include president and CEO of Voyageur Asset Management; president and CEO of Dougherty Summit Securities; a member of the board of directors of Segall Bryant & Hamill, The Clifton Group and Columbia Threadneedle Funds; and a managing director at Piper, Sandler & Hopwood. Investment Advisor magazine named him to its 2013 IA 25 list of the most influential people in the financial industry and he made the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business list by Trust Across America in 2014 and 2015.
John is a frequent public speaker and media contributor, and has authored two books, "Stewardship: Lessons Learned from the Lost Culture of Wall Street" and "A Force for Good: How Enlightened Finance Can Restore Faith in Capitalism."
Deeply committed to community involvement, inclusion and diversity and many other important issues, John credits his family, including his great grandfather, 27th U.S. President William Howard Taft, for instilling strong core values that shape his definition of business success and belief in the importance of treating all people with dignity.
Vijay Tirathai is a serial entrepreneur, mentor and a seasoned C-level executive. He has over 30 years of international experience in start-ups, business development and transformation roles covering several industries; namely retail, manufacturing and associations management. Respected by his peers and colleagues for its visionary drive, business strategy acumen and his inspiring leadership-style. He has operated and conducted business in over 25 countries and enjoys an expansive global network of peers.
As the former CEO and Chairman of the Entrepreneurs' Organization, he now seeks to nurture and invest in start-ups and early stage companies to grow through mentor-ship, access to global networks and venture capital.
Past Speakers
Seasoned leader in the banking industry with strong commercial acumen. Have held various positions in IT and Operations as well as winning deals for the bank. Strong entrepreneurial mindset with business interest in Asia, UK and Africa. Co-founder and chairman of Asia Africa partners which specializes in promoting businesses between Asia and Africa.
Emily Alejos, CFA is a Senior Managing Director and the Chief Investment Officer of Cartica. She is also a member of the Investment Committee.
Prior to joining Cartica, Ms. Alejos was with Tradewinds Global Investors from 2007 to 2016. She started her tenure at Tradewinds as a Consumer Analyst and Portfolio Manager and was promoted to Co-Chief Investment Officer and Executive Managing Director in 2012. As Co-CIO she was responsible for leading and managing the investment side of the $3.5 bn in AUM business. She was a member of the Executive team and served on the Board of Directors reporting to Nuveen Investments.
Prior to joining Tradewinds, Ms. Alejos was with Credit Suisse Asset Management in New York from 1997 to 2006. From 2004 to 2006, Ms. Alejos was a Director and Portfolio Manager/Analyst on the firm’s International Focus team. For the seven years prior to that, she served as Portfolio Manager and Head of Latin American Equities, in addition to serving as a senior member of the firm’s Global Emerging Markets team. She began her career as an Equity Analyst at GT Capital in San Francisco then as a Portfolio Manager/Analyst at Bankers Trust in New York.
Ms. Alejos earned a BA degree with honors in Economics and Development studies from Brown University and an MBA and a Certificate in Public Management from Stanford Graduate School of Business. She also studied economics at Instituto di Tella in Buenos Aires as a Rotary Scholar and at L’Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris. Ms. Alejos is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the Asia Society and the CFA Institute. She is conversant in French and Spanish. Ms. Alejos serves on the Global Management Board of the Women’s Circles at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She also mentors graduating senior women at Brown University as part of the Women’s Launchpad program. Emily is married and has two children.
Sheila Bair has had a long and distinguished career in government, academia, and finance. Twice named by Forbes Magazine as the second most powerful woman in the world, she is perhaps best known as chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) from 2006 to 2011, when she steered the agency through the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
A former finance professor and college president, Ms. Bair has been nationally recognized for her innovative initiatives to make college more accessible and affordable to all students. She is a frequent commentator and op-ed contributor on financial regulation and the student debt crisis, as well as author of the NY Times Best Seller, Bull by the Horns, her 2012 memoir of the financial crisis.
She is a founding director of the Volcker Alliance, established by Former Federal Reserve Board Chair Paul Volcker to build trust in government and is the founding chair of the Systemic Risk Council, which advocates for financial stability.
Anne Black is a creative and entrepreneurial philanthropy leader with more than ten years of executive experience at Goldman Sachs Foundation and Goldman Sachs Gives. She focuses on driving change and new ideas that benefit society while also building the firm's brand and culture. Anne Black worked at the forefront of strategic philanthropy and social impact at a time of great change in our world and in this sector. CSR and ESG initiatives have become essential in business, and she has collaborated with top corporate executives, clients and thought leaders who have sought her expertise to understand the trends shaping society and how philanthropy can create a better future and have lasting impact.
As the CFO of General Mills, I’m proud to lead a passionate team committed to supporting the business and our brands across the globe. I joined General Mills in 2009 and have held Finance leadership positions throughout my tenure. I received my MBA from the University of Michigan – Stephen M. Ross School of Business and completed my undergraduate studies at Stanford University.
Mr. Cecere is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Bancorp. Mr. Cecere, 57, has served as President of U.S. Bancorp since January 2016, Chief Executive Officer since April 2017 and Chairman since April 2018. He also served as Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer from January 2015 to January 2016 and was U.S. Bancorp’s Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer from February 2007 until January 2015. Until that time, he served as Vice Chairman, Wealth Management and Investment Services of U.S. Bancorp since the merger of Firstar Corporation and U.S. Bancorp in February 2001. Previously, he had served as an executive officer of the former U.S. Bancorp, including as Chief Financial Officer from May 2000 through February 2001.
Frank Chen is a partner at the venture capital firm, Andreessen Horowitz. Before joining Andreessen Horowitz, Frank was the VP of products at Opsware. During his tenure there, he gained expertise in enterprise software development and sales, product marketing, change management, and competitive strategies.
Prior to that, he was a director of client services at Loudcloud, where he ran data center operations for name “brand customers including Fox Sports, Nike, Fandango.com and Blockbuster.
Prior to Loudcloud, Frank worked for Respond.com, where he led consumer web services as a VP of products & UI design. He also served as a director of product management at Netscape.
Prior to that, he was a product manager at Oracle. Earlier in his career, Frank was also technical writer for GO Corporation. Frank received his bachelor of science degree in symbolic systems from Stanford University.
Mandell Crawley joined Morgan Stanley in October 1992 as a High School Intern and now serves as Chief Human Resources Officer for the Firm. Prior to this assignment, Mr. Crawley was Head of National Business Development and Talent Management for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (MSWM) where he led an organization responsible for driving revenue and asset growth across the firm’s industry leading platform and improving the proficiency of our financial advisors, sales support, and field leadership talent. Mr. Crawley held a succession of roles within the Business Development Organization as both a Regional and Divisional Business Development Manager for several key geographical markets across the wealth management unit. He was also Head of U.S. Fixed Income Sales and Distribution for MSWM’s Capital Markets Group, overseeing a large coverage team specializing in Interest Rates, Credit, Asset Back, Structured Products, and Municipal Bond Securities. In aggregate, Mr. Crawley spent 14 of his 22 years working within Fixed Income Capital Markets in various producing and managerial capacities. He is a member of MSWM’s Management Committee, Field Management Operating Committee, Private Banking Advisory Board, Global Product Review Committee and the Multicultural Client Strategy Committee. Mr. Crawley received an MBA with honors from Fordham University and a B.A. in Economics from Northeastern Illinois University. He resides in Westchester County, NY with his wife Alison, and twin daughters, Jordyn and Jaedyn, and is a proud native of Chicago.
Mr. Dolan is Vice Chair and Chief Financial Officer of U.S. Bancorp. Mr. Dolan, 56, has served in this position since August 2016. From July 2010 to July 2016, he served as Vice Chair, Wealth Management and Investment Services, of U.S. Bancorp. From September 1998 to July 2010, Mr. Dolan served as U.S. Bancorp's Controller. He additionally held the title of Executive Vice President from January 2002 until June 2010 and Senior Vice President from September 1998 until January 2002.
Nir Eyal is the bestselling author of "Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products" and "Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life."
He has taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Hasso Plattner Institute of Design. His writing on technology, psychology, and business, appears in the Harvard Business Review, The Atlantic, TechCrunch, and Psychology Today.
Nir blogs regularly at NirAndFar.com. Subscribe to his Free Weekly Newsletter at http://bit.ly/2VPgTmd
Nir is also an active investor in habit-forming technologies. Some of his past investments include: Eventbrite, Anchor.fm (acquired by Spotify) Product Hunt, Pantry, Kahoot!, Refresh.io (acquired by LinkedIn), Happy Bits, Presence Learning, 7 Cups of Tea, and Pana.
Michelle is SoFi’s EVP and Group Business Unit Leader for Lending & Capital Markets, and previously served as Chief Financial Officer. She joined SoFi from TPG Sixth Street Partners. Previously, Michelle spent 14 years at Goldman Sachs & Co., where most recently she was a Partner co-heading the Structured Finance business. She received her JD from Cornell Law School and her BA from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Chris Larsen is Executive Chairman of Ripple’s board of directors and former CEO and co-founder of Ripple. Prior to Ripple, Chris cofounded and served as CEO of Prosper, a peer-to-peer lending marketplace, and E-LOAN, a publicly traded online lender. During his tenure at E-LOAN, he pioneered the open access to credit scores movement by making E-LOAN the first company to show consumers their FICO scores.
Joseph R. Martinetto is responsible for operations, infrastructure, and products for The Charles Schwab Corporation. This includes Charles Schwab Investment Management, Legal Services, Client Solutions, Community Services, Schwab's registered investment advisor affiliates and market strategists, and the Schwab Center for Financial Research. In addition, he leads Technology Services, Digital Services, Operational Services, and the Schwab Affiliated Banks.
Martinetto joined Schwab in 1997 as Senior Vice President and Treasurer. While he assumed the role of Senior Vice President of retail finance in 2001, Martinetto returned to the treasurer role in 2003, assuming incremental responsibility for financial planning and analysis and management information systems. He became the company's Chief Financial Officer in 2007 and held that position until May 2017.
Prior to joining Schwab, Martinetto was senior assistant treasurer at Transamerica Corporation, overseeing the asset/liability management function. Earlier, Martinetto worked at First Interstate Bancorp in a variety of positions, spanning treasury and financial management. At the time of First Interstate's acquisition by Wells Fargo, he was Senior Vice President and manager of the asset and liability management department.
Martinetto has a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and economics from Claremont McKenna College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley.
Yassaman is a partner in the Healthcare Investment Banking Group and runs the medical device coverage effort. She served as the group's business unit manager in 2008. Yassaman is co-head of the Georgetown University undergraduate and MBA recruiting efforts for the Investment Banking Division. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2005 as an associate and was named managing director in 2013 and partner in 2020.
Prior to joining the firm, Yassaman worked in the Investment Banking Division of Morgan Stanley and in the Corporate Development group at Avaya. Yassaman earned a BS in Foreign Service and an MBA, both from Georgetown University.
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