"Who's Who" at the 2016 Conference

Who's Who?
at the 2016 Conference

ELMORE ALEXANDER

Elmore Alexander is the Dean of the Ricciardi College of Business at Bridgewater State University. Alexander specializes in working with executive and management teams in the development of strategic plans, the improvement of group effectiveness, the management of conflict, and career effectiveness. He has served as Dean at the School of Management at Marist College; the Dean at the School of Business Administration at Philadelphia University; Associate Dean, School of Continuing Education at Johns Hopkins University; and Associate Dean, Kogod School of Business at American University. Alexander has recently served as President of two regional organizations forbusiness school deans—the Northeast Business Deans’ Association (2015-2016) and the Mid-Atlantic Association for Colleges of Business Administration (2014-2015). His research interests include various aspects of organizational communication and verbal and sexual harassment in the workplace. Alexander has authored over 70 articles, papers and presentations, and has served as a consultant for organizations such as the Army Research Institute, Federal Express, Hunt-Wesson Foods, Kimberly-Clark, Methodist Hospitals of Memphis, and the U.S. Postal Service. He holds a PhD and an MA in Business Administration from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and a BA in Economics and Communication from Wake Forest University.

kRISTIN BACKHAUS

Kristin Backhaus is Dean of the School of Business at SUNY New Paltz. During her 29-year tenure at SUNY New Paltz, she has served as Assistant Dean for Assessment, Professor of Management, Assistant Director of Human Resources, Affirmative Action Officer, and Assistant to the Dean of Education. Since 2000, she has served as the faculty advisor to the Management Association. Backhaus is the recipient of a 2009 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, a 2008 School of Business Distinguished Service Award, and a 2005 New Paltz Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Award. She is President for the Eastern Academy of Management and serves as the coeditor of current empirical research for the Organization Management Journal. She holds a Doctorate in Educational Administration and Policy Studies from the University at Albany, a Master of Education degree in Student Personnel Administration from The University of Vermont, and a Bachelor’s degree in Literature and Rhetoric from Binghamton University.

howard bernheim

Howard Bernheim, CFA, CPA, CFP, is the Director of Client Development in Academic Division at Standard & Poor's Capital IQ/Compustat. He has been supporting clients through various roles at S&P for nearly thirty years. Bernheim holds an MS in Tax from Philadelphia University, and MBA from Rider University, and a BBA in Business Administration from the Temple University's Fox School of Business and Management.

DAVID BROOKSTEIN

David Brookstein is Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Professor of Instruction in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Temple University. In his current and former roles, he has collaborated with Deans and other stakeholders for joint programming and curriculum concepts and offerings between Business and Engineering Schools. He has formerly held roles as Dean for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at Montgomery County Community College; Executive Dean for University Research at Philadelphia University; and Dean of Engineering and Textiles at Philadelphia University. Brookstein has significant industry experience as well. He has served as the Principal Investigator for the US Army Laboratory for Engineered Human Protection where he led a research team in the development of a new class of chemical protective garments for soldiers, and has testified to the US Senate Subcommittee of Consumer Protection, Product safety and Insurance on the subject of apparel product safety. Brookstein established the Philadelphia University Institute for Textile and Apparel Product Safety, the Biomedical Textile Structures Laboratory, and the Philadelphia University/MAG Composites Institute for Education and Research. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and has 12 U.S. patents. Brookstein holds a Doctor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Textile Technology from MIT, as well as a Bachelor of Textile Engineering from Georgia Tech.

joyce brown

Joyce F. Brown is president of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a specialized college of art and design, business and technology of the State University of New York (SUNY). Appointed in 1998, she is the colleges sixth president. Dr. Brown, a highly regarded educator and academic administrator, has had over 30 years experience in public higher education. She held a number of senior administrative posts at the City University of New York (CUNY) before arriving at FIT, including acting president of Bernard Baruch College and vice chancellor of the university. Prior to her appointment at FIT, she was professor of clinical psychology at the Graduate School and University Center of CUNY, where she is currently professor emerita. Dr. Brown also served as a New York City deputy mayor for public and community affairs during the David Dinkins administration. Dr. Brown earned her doctorate and master's degree in counseling psychology from New York University and her bachelor's degree from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, where she served as a trustee from 1994 to 2000. She also received a certificate from the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University.

DAVID COX

David Cox is the Global Business Manager at Microsoft Corporation, where he is responsible for strategic account development and account management globally. He has experience in structuring and negotiating multimillion-dollar software agreements, risk management, and operational excellence. A current focus of exploration and expertise is the future of retail, financial services, and banking sectors, particularly how Big Data and new technologies are shaping industry landscapes. He developed his technology executive expertise at leading institutions in roles such as Director of Research for Banking and Securities at Deloitte & Touche, Global Head of Research at IDC Financial Insights, Head of Research Services at Greenwich Associates, and Vice President at Citi. He holds a Master of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the University of Oxford.

jOSEPH DIANGELO JR.

Joseph DiAngelo Jr. is the Dean of the Erivan Haub School of Business at St Joseph's University where he is the Chief Academic Officer for all undergraduate and graduate business programs. DiAngelo has over 25 years of experience as a business school dean, and his areas of expertise include Business Education, Human Resource Management, and AACSB Accreditation. DiAngelo has served as Board Chair of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and in a recent annual conference he was honored by the organization for his leadership in recasting international standards for business school accreditation; initiatives aimed toward increasing liberal arts offerings in business programs; and the mobilization of a task force to review doctoral programs in business. He was formerly the Dean of the School of Business Administration at Widener University. DiAngelo holds an Ed.D from Temple University, and MBA from Widener University, and a BS in Management and Marketing from Saint Joseph's University.

DANNY DWORKIN

Danny Dworkin is a partner with Schaffer Consulting with over a decade of cross-industry experience driving individual, team, and organizational performance. He has led results-oriented change initiatives with a major pharmaceutical business to accelerate strategy execution, a global insurance provider to restructure and take out cost, and an urban school district to improve student academic performance. Other recent engagements include guiding a large healthcare system through the successful rollout of an electronic health record system (EHR), helping an international food services business to leverage the innovation capabilities of an acquired supplier, and supporting the executive team of a Fortune 50 aerospace organization to improve vision alignment and team effectiveness. Dworkin is a principal member of Schaffer's Post-Merger Integration Practice. He has advised clients from the construction, food services, and financial services industries to assess deal readiness, develop integration strategies, and create and implement plans to achieve desired outcomes. Daniel holds an MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from New York University, an MS in Bilingual Elementary Education from City College of New York, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Michigan.

SARA EISEN

Sara Eisen is co-anchor of the 10am ET hour of CNBC's Squawk on the Street, broadcast from Post 9 at the New York Stock Exchange, and is also the co-anchor of the 5am ET hour of CNBC’s Worldwide Exchange. At CNBC she has also served as co-anchor of Worldwide Exchange as well as a correspondent focusing on the global consumer. Previously, Eisen was co-anchor of Bloomberg Surveillance as well as a correspondent for Bloomberg Television, where she covered global macroeconomics, policy and business. During that time, she covered the European debt crisis, the tsunami aftermath and Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan. Prior to Bloomberg Television, Eisen hosted the Bloomberg Radio program, On the Economy. She is the editor of Currencies After the Crash: The Uncertain Future of the Global Paper-Based Currency System. Eisen holds a master's degree in broadcast journalism with a concentration in business reporting from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

SARAH FISHER GARDIAL

Sarah Fisher Gardial was named Dean of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa in 2012. Previously, she was the Beaman Professor of Business at the University of Tennessee, where her leadership roles included Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Assistant and Associate Dean in the College of Business Administration. She has served in leadership and volunteer positions for international business school associations, including the MBA Roundtable, the Graduate Management Admissions Council, and AACSB International. Gardial has worked with a variety of companies, including Procter & Gamble and Frito-Lay, and she is a frequent speaker for academic, corporate, and nonprofit organizations. She earned her undergraduate and MBA degrees from the University of Arkansas and her doctorate in marketing from the University of Houston. She was named one of Corridor Business Journal’s Women of Influence in 2015.

JONAS HAERTLE

Jonas Haertle is head of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) secretariat and Global Compact Academic Affairs of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). He is responsible for driving the global mission of the PRME initiative to inspire responsible management education, research, and thought leadership. Mr. Haertle was the coordinator of the UNGC’s Local Networks in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Prior to joining the United Nations, he worked as a research analyst for the German public broadcasting service Norddeutscher Rundfunk. Mr. Haertle has written a number academic articles on corporate sustainability and responsible management education, and he serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Corporate Citizenship and the Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal. He holds a master's degree in European studies from Hamburg University. As a Fulbright scholar, he also attained an MSc degree in Global Affairs from Rutgers University.

BARB HIGEL

Barb Higel serves as an accreditation services manager for AACSB International and is the lead staff liaison for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. She is responsible for assisting schools with the accreditation standards and processes for initial accreditation and continuous improvement reviews. Prior to joining AACSB in 2013, Higel spent almost nine years working in the University of South Florida system, first at USF St. Petersburg’s College of Business, where she handled details for AACSB accreditation such as the business school questionnaire, accounting programs questionnaire, and visit documents, and then in career services at USF and as the Career Center director at USF St. Petersburg. In 2002, Higel assisted in opening the Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida and prepared for their accreditation visit by the Council on Chiropractic Education. She spent 10 years as a human resources professional before entering higher education. She obtained her BBA in human resource management from Eastern Michigan University and her master’s in career counseling from the University of South Florida.

SHELLEY E. KOHAN

Shelley E. Kohan is a featured spokesperson and retail expert who has appeared in The New York Times, Women’s Wear Daily, Reuters, Chain Store Age, The Robin Report, and other trade publications. She conducts webinars and has presented at various retail conferences, including WWD Digital, WWD 20/20 NRF Big Show, Shop.org, Future of Stores, and RIS Retail Executive Summit. Kohan’s contribution in a consulting role in both her own company and at RetailNext has centered on her unique ability to fully understand the retail environment coupled with an extensive background in service excellence. She is an instructor in the Fashion Business Management program at FIT’s Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology, where her courses emphasize big data applied in the retail store environment, retail management, marketing strategies, leadership development, store operations, and fashion business practices.

HOWARD KREITZMAN

Howard Kreitzman is an innovative senior retail executive with extensive experience in luxury merchandise and broad expertise in merchandising, planning and product development for Omni channel department stores, international luxury goods & multi-venue specialty retail markets. His luxury experience includes Bloomingdale’s where he served as Vice President, Cosmetics & Fragrances, responsible for all elements of the business including buying, merchandising, marketing and sales promotion, managing vendor relationships and brand acquisition, store planning and design direction and selling cost, as well as DFS where he was Senior Vice President, General Merchandise Manager, leading all business efforts in cosmetics, fragrances, fine jewelry and accessories. Kreitzman’s experience in successful retail turnarounds includes Vans, a fashion footwear and apparel company; a European Outlet Store growth strategy resulting in significant comp store increases; and Warner Bros. Studio Stores as Executive Vice President of Merchandising, leading the successful turnaround efforts as well as managing the international business. His department store background incorporates executive roles at both Macy’s & Burdine’s Florida. He has taught undergraduate courses as an adjunct professor in marketing, retailing and merchandising at the University of Miami. Kreitzman earned his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

LANCE LAMBERT

Lance Lambert is a data journalist for Bloomberg Businessweek in New York. He produces the magazine's annual ranking of U.S. and international MBA programs. Along his journalistic career he has cultivated a knack for data journalism and well-managed survey projects. Previously, he worked as a data reporter for the Chronicle of Higher Education and the Chronicle of Philanthropy in Washington, D.C., where he managed several survey and enterprise projects, including the Endowment survey, Philanthropy 400, and the Enrollment and Revenue survey. He also had reporting stints at the Cincinnati Enquirer and Dayton Daily News. His investigation of colleges receiving military equipment from the Department of Defense earned him an award from the Education Writers Association in 2015. An Ohio native and University of Cincinnati alumnus, he spends much of his free time kayaking and staying up on the latest trends in higher education.

ROBIN LEWIS

Robin Lewis is the founder and CEO of The Robin Report. He is an author, speaker, and consultant for the retail and consumer products industries. Former roles include Executive VP and Executive Editor at Women’s Wear Daily, VP of Strategy and Business Development at the VF Corporation, and VP at Goldman Sachs where he launched a retail consulting practice. Lewis is frequently requested by C-level management for advice, consultation and strategic presentations among firms such as Kohl’s, Bloomingdale’s, JC Penney, Macy’s, Liz Claiborne, VF Corp., Charming Shoppes, Estee Lauder, Ralph Lauren, and Sara Lee, as well as financial firms such as Lion Capital, the Carlyle Group, Goldman Sachs and others. He co-authored the book “The New Rules of Retail: Competing in the World’s Toughest Marketplace.” Lewis serves on the Board of Directors for the Fashion Group International, on the Advisory Board of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and has served on the Board of Governors for the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parson’s School of Design. He is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in Business Administration and a Special Field of Study in Journalism from Northwestern University.

ROBIN SACKIN LITWINSKY

Robin Sackin Litwinsky has taught at FIT for over 20 years. She has had various titles at the college and is currently the chair of the Fashion Business Management Department, the largest department at FIT. She has worked with various fashion companies in developing the program’s curriculum, including David Yurman, American Eagle, Saks, and Miami Dade. Sackin has been on the board of directors of the YMA/FSF organization and has served as the Chair of their Educational Advisory Committee. She has been the adviser/mentor for the World Retail Congress Retail Challenge, an international event in which FIT represents the United States. The FIT team has won three times in the last four years.

Glenda strong lucas

Glenda (Strong) Lucas is the Senior Manager and America's Client Services Specialist at Graduate Management Admission Council® (GMAC®). She has spent over fifteen years at GMAC, and has served in many roles supporting various clients. Previously, she spent nearly twenty years Ernst & Young as a CPE Manager. Lucas holds an undergraduate degree from Anderson University.

Marysheila mcdonald, j.d.

MarySheila E. McDonald, Esquire is the Associate Dean of La Salle University’s School of Business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is an Executive Board member of MAACBA serving as the MBA Directors’ liaison. Her chief responsibilities at La Salle include coordinating AACSB accreditation activities including chairing the Assurance of Learning Committee as well as serving on several university committees. In addition to teaching Business Law at the undergraduate level and Responsible Decision Making in the MBA program, MarySheila is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar, American Academy of Legal Studies in Business, Beta Gamma Sigma, Delta Sigma Pi and Delta Mu Delta. Her research areas include the increasing use of an individual’s social media presence in employment decisions and the legal and ethical issues which arise. McDonald earned her Bachelor’s degree from College of the Holy Cross and her Juris Doctor from Temple University School of Law.

JEFFREY A. MELLO

Jeffrey A. Mello is the Dean of the School of Management at Rhode Island College. He previously served as dean of the School of Business at Siena College and the Andreas School of Business at Barry University. He has held faculty and other administrative positions at The George Washington University, University of California at Berkeley, Towson University and Golden Gate University. Mello received a B.S., summa cum laude, from Boston University and an MBA and Ph.D. from Northeastern University. The recipient of The David L. Bradford Outstanding Educator Award, presented by the Organizational Behavior Teaching Society, he has received international, national and institutional awards for his research and was recognized with the President’s Award for Outstanding Service at Towson University. Mello is the author of five books and has published/presented more than one hundred book chapters, journal articles and conference papers. He currently serves on the editorial boards of four journals and has served as an editor for the Journal of Management Education, Journal of Legal Studies Education and Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal. In his corporate career, he held management positions in the publishing, technology and retail industries and was Senior Vice-President of a privately-held human resource management consultancy.

ROBERT MORSE

Robert Morse is Chief Data Strategist for U.S. News & World Report, where he has worked since 1976. He develops the methodologies and surveys for the Best Global Universities, Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools, Best Arab Region Universities, and Best High Schools annual rankings produced by U.S. News, keeping an eye on higher-education trends to make sure the rankings offer prospective students the best analyses available. He is the author of the blog Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings, which provides deeper insights into the methodologies and is a forum for commentary and analysis of college, grad, and other rankings. He has been a speaker at numerous AIR forums and has spoken about rankings at many higher education conferences around the world. Morse is currently on the executive committee of the International Ranking Experts Group (IREG) and was one of its founding members.

david mulligan

David Mulligan is Chief Executive Officer at Eduvantis. He is a successful entrepreneur who started and operated several businesses over the past 25 years. He is the co-founder and former Chairman and CEO of First Commonwealth, Inc., a leading dental insurance company which became publicly traded in 1995. First Commonwealth was recognized twice by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in the country and was named to the Forbes list of the top 200 best small public companies for two consecutive years. Previously, David led the successful startup of HealthAmerica Virginia, a regional health insurer with medical facilities in Southeast Virginia. David started his professional career in the finance and administrative division of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. David has also served as a Senior Microfinance Advisor to the founders of Kiva.org during its start-up phase. Kiva has grown to be a global internet phenomenon in its mission to provide loans to the poor in developing countries around the world. David holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester in New York and an MBA from the Samuel Curtis Johnson School of Business at Cornell University.

AMBER NICHOLSON

Amber Nicholson is the Director of Chapter Relations at Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS), the premiere international honor society for business students. She works alongside many constituents to focus on increased engagement of the BGS chapters, members, and business community while adding value to the lifetime membership. BGS is the oldest international business honor society and the only honor society accredited by the AACSB. Nicholson has extensive experience in leadership, teambuilding, volunteer management, and program management. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Foreign Language International Trade from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a Master’s in Human Resource Development from Webster University. Nicholson is a proud member of Beta Gamma Sigma.

GIACOMO (JACK) oliva

Giacomo (Jack) Oliva is the Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Dr. Oliva has presented papers, panel discussions and lecture recitals for a variety of professional organizations, both in this country and abroad, and has also served as a reviewer for the Music Education research journal Update, for the Southeastern Journal of Music Education, and for the second volume of the Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning. He previously served as Professor of Music and Endowed Dean of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has also served as Director of the School of Music at the University of Florida and as Head of the Department of Music at Mississippi State University. Dr. Oliva began his career in education in the New Jersey Public Schools, as a K-12 vocal and instrumental music teacher and district-wide music administrator. In addition to his work in education, Dr. Oliva remains active as a pianist and conductor in both the classical and popular music traditions, maintaining a special interest in American Ragtime and music from the American Songbook.

GREG PETRO

Greg Petro founded First Insight in 2007 to deliver what is now the world’s leading platform empowering retailers and brands to introduce the right products at the right price. He is a regular contributor to Forbes.com, is a member of the board of advisors for the Fashion Business Management program at FIT, and speaks at the graduate business schools of Columbia University and the University of Pittsburgh about how retailers can use technology to identify and deliver what their customers really want. Petro has received numerous industry awards, was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist in 2015, and made the NRF Foundation’s The List as one of 5 Disruptors in 2016. He holds both an MBA and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

ROBERT REID

Robert Reid serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Accreditation Officer for AACSB International. Prior to joining AACSB International in 2012, he served as dean of the College of Business at James Madison University for 15 years, where he led a group of 150 faculty and staff that has been recognized for excellence in curriculum innovation, especially in the areas of curriculum integration and experiential learning. Prior to becoming Dean, he served as the department head of Marketing and Hospitality Management and held the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott cCair. Reid has conducted numerous professional workshops and seminars for both public and private organizations, including numerous universities. He has authored or co-authored five editions of Hospitality Marketing Management, published by John Wiley & Sons, and was a contributing author to three other books. He is a past president of Beta Gamma Sigma.

TOM ROBINSON

Thomas (Tom) Robinson is President and CEO of AACSB International. Prior to joining AACSB in 2015, Robinson served as Managing Director of Education and Managing Director of the Americas at the CFA Institute, where he led a cross-functional team that participated in the development of education and engagement strategies for the Americas region. He also provided vision and leadership for a global team that produced and delivered educational content and programs for candidates, members, investment professionals, and universities working and traveling extensively in the Asia-Pacific and EMEA regions. Previously, he was a tenured faculty member and director of the Master of Professional Accounting and Personal Financial Planning programs at the University of Miami. Throughout his academic career, Robinson won several teaching awards, published regularly in academic and professional journals, and authored or co-authored many books. As a CFA charter holder, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA), he practiced public accounting and financial planning for 10 years and served as a consultant and investment advisor in the areas of wealth management, financial statement analysis, and valuation. Robinson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s and Doctorate from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.

steve shriberg

Steve Shriberg is a Senior Consultant with Eduvantis. He has ten years of marketing experience at advertising agencies and universities. While working in the Overseas Programs office at Washington University in St. Louis, he oversaw the launch and marketing of summer study programs in China, Kazakhstan, and Morocco. Steve’s passion for international higher education began at the Institute for Study Abroad, a non-profit study abroad provider where he partnered with domestic and international institutions to market and facilitate overseas study programs for American students. Previously he worked at advertising agencies in Chicago and Sydney, Australia, where he worked with clients including Sears, AirTran and Telstra. Steve has a BA from Washington University in St. Louis in International Business and Marketing, and an MA from Washington University in St. Louis in International Affairs. His Master’s research paper examined the effect of the world’s increasing interconnectedness on higher education institutions.

claire sommer

Claire Sommer is the communications director for AIM2Flourish.com, the world's first higher education experiential learning curriculum for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and business for good innovation. Prior to joining the AIM2Flourish team, Ms. Sommer led her business writing consultancy Kayak Media for Fortune 500 clients. AIM2Flourish is housed at the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, and is co-sponsored by UN Global Compact PRME and the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI).

michael williams

Michael Williams is the Dean of the School of Business and Management at Thomas Edison State University. He serves as the Chief Academic Officer for the school, creating, implementing, and measuring all aspects of the school’s educational portfolio. Prior to his current deanship, Williams served in a series of progressive academic and organizational leadership roles. He served as the Dean of Graduate School of Business at Touro College in New York City and faculty chair for human resource management, leadership, and organizational development in the Graduate School of Business and Technology at Capella University. In industry, Williams served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Organizational Learning for C3i, Inc., a Telrx Company, and Senior Vice President Corporate and Vice President for Corporate Training for J.B. Hanauer & Co. (Royal Bank of Canada Dain Rauscher, Inc.). He earned his PhD and MS from Fordham University.

See Archived Presentations Here