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Who's who at the
2017 conference

Ronnee Ades

Ronnee Ades is the Director of Career Management for the Master of Quantitative Finance Program at Rutgers Business School where she guides students through a customized series of lectures, workshops and other activities to educate, develop, and assist them in establishing their career path in the challenging and changing field of Finance.  She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Finance and Economics department teaching a proprietary graduate course titled, Indexing & ETFs. Ronnee is the founder of RAA Consulting Services, an independent consulting firm focused on providing career intelligence, strategy and navigation guidance in the Financial Services industry.  Prior to joining academia, Ades served as Head of U.S. Index Business Development at Markit, where she was responsible for managing Fixed Income Index and ETF business development and driving the commercialization of index and data products working with clients including asset managers, banks, ETF Sponsors, Hedge Funds, Liquidity Providers, Market Data Vendors and Exchanges. In 2009 Ades led a strategic new business development initiative at Bloomberg in the Data Solutions Group. Ades was previously Global Head of the Alternatives Business Unit at Index Provider FTSE Russell and a Senior Director at Dow Jones Indexes, where she led the Equity Institutional Business Development team targeting pension funds, foundations and endowments, and Taft Hartley Funds, and the consultants serving them. Ades received a bachelor’s degree (with High Honors) in Economics from SUNY Stony Brook and an MBA in Finance from the Fox School of Business at Temple 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. 

Claire Bruno

Claire Bruno is currently the Director of Graduate Admissions at the Villanova School of Business. Prior to joining Villanova, Bruno served as the Senior Associate Director in the Office of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, as well as the Associate Director of Graduate Enrollment Management at the Fox School of Business, Temple University. In addition to MBA Admissions, she has a background in undergraduate admissions, having previously worked with liberal arts colleges, such as Dickinson College, where she focused on international and multicultural recruiting. Before transitioning to the field of admissions, Bruno has worked in financial services, both in Equity Research as well as with special situation funds, dealing with acquisitions and labor relations. 

tracy couto

Tracy Couto is the Director of the Madden School of Business’ Donald J. Savage '51 Center for Reflective Leadership at Le Moyne College, where she creates connections with colleges and universities across the globe around the shared theme of values-based education. Couto believes many of the issues facing higher education can be solved by leveraging and distributing existing resources and has been instrumental in the development of Ignited (ignited.global), a platform designed to meet the needs of faculty by offering opportunities to build community around research and curricular tools. She is also the Director of the Global Jesuit Case Series, an alternative voice to existing case collections focused on holistic and compassionate leadership, interdisciplinary case studies and new formats for case studies. Couto earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Loyola University Maryland and her Master’s Degree in Higher Education Leadership from Le Moyne College. She is proud to highlight the Jesuit higher education network, infuse the value for reflectivity and for ethical, principle driven action in our business students and to support the integrity and quality of leadership in the community.  

Debra Frankie

Debra Franke, is the assistant director of alumni relations for alumni career programs at La Salle University. She has over thirty years’ experience helping individuals assess their strengths and make career and life choices. At La Salle University, Debra supports alumni career development, transition, and job search through programs and services that engage and connect alumni to one another and the university. She also supports student career preparation by recruiting alumni for mock interviews, career panels, and La Salle’s job shadow program. Her own career began with the DuPont Company as an environmental engineer, followed by positions as an internal organizational development consultant, management consultant, and career counselor in private practice. Her strong commitment to professional development is demonstrated by her leadership roles in the Philadelphia chapter of the Association of Career Professionals International and the Alumni Career Services Network, an international network of career professionals who provide career-related services, programming and resources to alumni at colleges and universities. The thread that runs through her own career is that of making an impact and facilitating lasting change.

Kathleen Campbell Garwood

Kathleen Campbell Garwood is an assistant professor in the Department of Decision & System Sciences at Saint Joseph’s University. Her research focuses on data visualization, comparative rank analysis and sustainability.  Garwood  works with various volunteer organizations (statistics without borders and Fey Alegria: Bolivia) to engage her students with real world data analysis for those who don't have the resources to do the analysis themselves. She has a PhD in Statistics from Temple University.  

jonas haertle

Since June 2010, Jonas Haertle is Head of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) secretariat and Global Compact Academic Affairs of the United Nations Global Compact. He is responsible for driving the mission of the PRME initiative, to inspire responsible management education, research and thought leadership globally. From 2007-2010, he was the coordinator of the UN Global Compact’s Local Networks in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Prior to joining the United Nations, Mr. Haertle 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 respectively. He holds a master’s degree in European Studies of Hamburg University in Germany. As a Fulbright scholar, he also attained an MSc degree in Global Affairs from Rutgers University in the USA.

Norma Hernandez

Norma Hernandez is Director of Advancement Services at Columbia Business School, where she is primarily responsible for data and gift management. In her role, Hernandez is deeply involved in all phases of the School’s gift transactions, from initial gift conceptualization and prospect discussions to pledge agreement development and execution, working closely with fundraising staff, program delivery partners, and Columbia University’s Offices of the President, General Counsel, and Provost. Hernandez concurrently leads the team in charge of maintaining the data integrity of all Business School alumni, while forming collaborations with Alumni Relations and other stakeholders to ensure that the most comprehensive and timely core bio data is available to support the School’s priorities. With twenty-plus years of experience in development, she also has a diverse background in higher education, having worked in undergraduate admissions and MBA career services.

​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.

Jessica Hoopes

Jessica Hoopes is the Assistant Dean of the School of Business Administration at Widener University. She started her career with the Ford Motor Company, and after 12 years as an executive in the Ford Division, she returned to work at Widener University after running her own marketing business.  Hoopes has been successful at both the School of Engineering and the School of Business Administration by growing the brand of Widener and increasing relationships for the respective schools. As an Assistant Dean in the SBA, Hoopes has designed and implemented new outreach programs, including Financial Literacy, SBA Summer Camp, and the Academic Workshop for Young Women.  She has strategically collaborated with key alumni to develop affinity groups, has established relationships with key employees to provide internships and new hires and has developed new sources of revenue for the School of Business Administration. Hoopes graduated from the University of Maryland College Park with a degree in Marketing earned her Master in Public Administration degree from Widener University.

Susan Elizabeth Lehrman

Susan E. Lehrman, who received her Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, has served as the Dean of the William G. Rohrer College of Business (RCB) at Rowan University since July 2015.  With a commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship, and a new $63.2 million building that opened in January of 2017, Lehrman is focused on positioning the RCB a first-choice business school for enterprising students and discerning employers and as an economic and research engine for South Jersey and beyond.  Committed to student and faculty diversity, she has launched a variety of initiatives to ensure inclusivity within the College.Lehrman came to Rowan University from the School of Business Administration at Philadelphia University where she worked with the faculty and staff to develop a new suite of graduate programs, all with a focus on innovation, including a nationally recognized executive-style Strategic Design MBA program.  Prior to her time at Philadelphia University, Dr. Lehrman served as Founding President of Union Graduate College (an independent spin-off of Union College in Schenectady, NY) and Founding Dean of the Providence College School of Business. Before becoming a leader in business education, Lehrman spent over a decade in health care management, which remains a strong passion and an area of research.

Anna Koulas

Anna Koulas is the Executive Director of Corporate Relations at Drexel LeBow College of Business.  With over seventeen years work experience in higher education, she has extensive knowledge of corporate learning as well as expertise in admissions and graduate enrollment. She has been interviewed and cited in the Philadelphia Business Journal, Main Line News, Smart CEO magazine, among others.  She earned her dual BS and BA degree in International Area Studies as well as her Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in Marketing from Drexel University. Koulas is responsible for developing potential and current corporate partnerships that align to LeBow’s Business Solutions capabilities, and for expanding existing relationships for LeBow's custom, tailored, and open enrollment Corporate and Executive Education non-credit and credit bearing programs. Koulas has wide-ranging higher education knowledge and expertise. Before joining LeBow in 2011, Koulas served as the Director of Enrollment Management for both the University of New York in Prague, CZ as the well as New York College in Athens, Greece where she oversaw undergraduate, graduate and corporate programs.  Prior to her work in Europe she worked for Drexel University and served as the Director of Graduate Admissions for LeBow.

Jerry J. maginnis

Jerry J. Maginnis is the Accounting Executive in Residence at Rowan University. In his role at Rowan he works closely with the Dean of the Business School and Chair of the Accounting Department to help prepare students for their transition from academia into the workforce, including serving as a guest lecturer to the University’s 500 plus accounting majors. Maginnis is also currently serving as the Co-Chair of the 2017 Drexel University Center for Corporate Governance “Directors Dialogue” program, an annual forum designed for corporate leaders to promote candid discussion of Corporate Governance Issues. He is also a member of the Council of the AICPA and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission. Maginnis remains active in industry as a member of the Board of the Funds comprising the Cohen & Steers Mutual Fund Complex, and a member of the Audit Committee of the 22 Funds within the Complex, including 9 closed end funds which are publicly traded. Cohen & Steers is a global investment manager specializing in liquid real assets, including real estate securities, listed infrastructure, commodities and natural resource equities as well as preferred securities and other income solutions. Maginnis graduated with a B.S. in Accounting from St. Joseph’s University and is a Certified Public Accountant currently licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

MarySheila E. McDonald

MarySheila E. McDonald, J.D. was named Dean of La Salle University’s School of Business in July, 2017 after a comprehensive national search.  McDonald joined La Salle in March 2011 as the School’s Associate Dean and served as Interim Dean for seven months.  As Interim Dean, she facilitated the development and launch of La Salle’s new 100% online MBA, worked to increase undergraduate enrollment, and helped to launch a partnership with Uber, their first with a Philadelphia university, to bring convenient and low-cost transportation to students, faculty and staff.  Under her watch, the School of Business received several external recognitions including the Princeton Review’s list of Best 294 Business Schools 2017—La Salle’s first inclusion in this prestigious citation- as well recent rankings in US News and World Report’s Best MBA programs and Best Job placement for Full-time MBA programs.   McDonald has raised the media profile of the Business School’s programs through her appearances and commentary on local TV and radio.   Her research interests include the legal and ethical issues of social networking and its impact on employment decisions; legal and ethical issues surrounding students with intellectual disabilities access and success in postsecondary education and insights on current workplace place issues and the changing landscape for professional women.  Publications include articles in academic journals, a co-authored book chapter, and op-ed and book review pieces for the Philadelphia Inquirer. McDonald has been responsible for maintaining the AACSB accreditation for the School of Business and creating the Dean’s Student Advisory Board. She is a past member of AASCB’s Associate Deans’ Affinity Group Steering Committee and continues to serve an Executive Board member of MAACBA, The Mid-Atlantic Affinity group for AACSB schools. McDonald earned her Bachelor’s degree from College of the Holy Cross and her Juris Doctor from Temple University School of Law.   

F. William McNabb III

F. William McNabb III is chairman and chief executive officer of Vanguard. Mr. McNabb joined Vanguard in 1986, became chief executive officer in 2008, and chairman of the board of directors and the board of trustees in 2010. Previously, he led each of Vanguard’s client-facing business divisions. Mr. McNabb is active in the investment management industry and serves as the vice chairman of the Investment Company Institute. He also is chairman of the Zoological Society of Philadelphia, and serves on the Wharton Leadership Advisory Board and the Dartmouth Athletic Advisory Board. Mr. McNabb earned an A.B. at Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Keith Orris

Keith Orris is the Senior Vice President for Corporate Relations and Economic Development at Drexel University. He is responsible for leading development and implementation of the University’s economic development strategy, broadening and deepening relationships with corporate partners from research to co-op opportunities to philanthropy and more. Under Keith’s leadership, Drexel continues to work with businesses, entrepreneurs and government leaders to become a nexus for research, technology transfer and economic development. His early professional years were spent in the public sector in cabinet level support roles in Pennsylvania Governor Richard Thornburgh's administration before becoming a member of the executive team for a health care start-up that went public. This successful venture was followed by executive positions in mid-size private companies, several start-ups and large educational and healthcare non-profits. Today, Keith’s experience coalesces in a unique combination of innovation, commercialization, strategic business management, real estate development, and government and corporate communications. He is most energized when using his entrepreneurial and operational talents to conceive and accomplish large visions that produce impactful change. He earned his BA in Government from Franklin and Marshall College.

Bonnie Patten

Bonnie Patten is the Executive Director of Truth in Advertising, Inc. (TINA.org) a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization based in Madison, CT, whose mission is to be the go-to online resource dedicated to empowering consumers to protect themselves and one another against false advertising and deceptive marketing. In addition to offering the resources to understand and avoid deceptive marketing practices, Patten believes TruthinAdvertising.org is a community for consumers who share their experiences, views, and concerns about false and misleading advertising and join in the movement for change. TINA.org celebrates the best of advertising past and present. Patten provides the overall vision, leadership, and direction to help TINA.org achieve its mission and strategic goals.  Her commitment to educating the public about deceptive marketing and fraudulent ads stems from her belief that education is the only viable way to effectively eradicate the market for false ads.  Prior to helping found TINA.org, she spent most of the past two decades working as a litigation attorney in New Haven, CT. Patten has earned her J.D. from Boston University and her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.  

gregory prastacos

Gregory Prastacos is Dean of the School of Business at Stevens Institute of Technology. Before joining Stevens, he was Rector of the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), and before that, he was on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Prastacos has conducted extensive research in operations research, published approximately 70 journal papers, books or book chapters, and has received numerous awards and grants, including the Edelman award by INFORMS. At Stevens, he has led the transformation and growth of the school from a narrowly focused School of Technology Management to an accredited School of Business. At AUEB, he spearheaded the modernization of the University, through an unprecedented growth of graduate programs, research, international linkages, IT infrastructure, and enhanced funding. As an independent consultant, and ex-Senior Partner and Chairman of Deloitte’s Management Consulting Practice (Greece), Prastacos has helped numerous organizations develop strategies and systems for organizational restructuring and improved performance. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Computer Science, and a Doctorate in Operations Research, all from Columbia University.

Donna Rapaccioli

Donna Rapaccioli is Dean of the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University and holds the rank of University Professor. Rapaccioli is an active member of multiple Boards and Steering Committees: Trustees of Emmanuel College in Boston, Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), State Street Global Advisors Mutual Fund, Fordham University's London Centre, Fordham’s Consortium for Social Justice, and Fordham’s Corporate Law Center. As an administrator, Rapaccioli has earned a reputation for creating academic programs that emphasize applied learning, a global perspective, interdisciplinary thinking, and strong ties with industry. Her philosophy centers on business with purpose, grounded in the Jesuit-influenced principle that commerce should advance society in a greater way. Rapaccioli's research interests lie in the area of earnings management and international accounting; she has published articles in academic journals and practitioner outlets and is the coauthor of book chapters. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Fordham University's Gabelli School of Business and her master's degree and Ph.D. in Accounting from New York University's Stern School of Business.

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 chair. 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.

Bruce Rosenthal 

Bruce B. Rosenthal is the KPMG Founding Dean of Saint Peter's University School of Business. Rosenthal’s career spans 30 years in business (with 20 of those years outside the US), and 14 years in higher education. He is fluent in Japanese language, business culture, and negotiation techniques, and has many valued colleagues in Japanese academia. Rosenthal previously served as director of the School of Business at Alfred University in Alfred, NY, where he established an emphasis on sustainable business and inter-disciplinary programs. Earlier roles included director of various programs at Chatham University in Pittsburgh the Mayes College of Healthcare Business and Policy at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Rosenthal has held corporate sector roles at Dow Jones/Telerate (DJ/T) Japan, Merrill Lynch, Mita America, and Arlington Medical Research. Rosenthal earned his B.F.A. from Syracuse University, his M.B.A. from Rutgers University, and his Ph.D. from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. 

Joyce E. A. Russell

Joyce E. A. Russell is the Helen and William O’Toole Dean of the Villanova School of Business (VSB). Prior to joining VSB, Russell served as both senior associate dean and vice dean at the University of Maryland’s (UMD) Robert H. Smith School of Business. Her duties included oversight of the school’s undergraduate, MBA, Specialty Masters and executive programs, and the development of the school’s global, university, and corporate partnerships. Russell is a licensed industrial and organizational psychologist and has more than 25 years of experience consulting with both private and public sector organizations. Her expertise is primarily in the areas of leadership and management development, negotiation tactics, executive coaching and change management. Russell has published more than 50 articles, books or book chapters, and has presented her research at national and regional conferences. She received her PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Akron, Ohio and her BA degree in Psychology from Loyola University in Maryland. 

​IRA SPROTZER

Ira Sprotzer is an Associate Professor at Rider University, teaching legal studies, business ethics and corporate responsibility. Additionally, he holds the position of department chairperson for the department of Marketing, Sport Management and Legal Studies. Sprotzer founded and directs both the College of Business Honors Program and the College of Business Freshmen Learning Community Program.  His broad research interests include constitutional law as it relates to business and business ethics, with published articles in a variety of business journals. Some of Sprotzer’s most recent research focuses on legal issues related to sports, being published in the New Jersey Law Journal and Virginia Sports and Entertainment Law Journal. In addition to being an educator, his professional experience includes the practice of business and real estate law, as well as trust and estate planning.  Sprotzer earned a B.A. in mathematics from the State University of New York at Binghamton, a J.D. from Boston College, and an MBA from Miami University.

David Steingard

David Steingard is the associate director of the Pedro Arrupe Center for Business Ethics and associate professor of Leadership, Ethics, and Organizational Sustainability at the Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA, USA. He works in the areas of business ethics and socially/environmentally beneficial forms of business, and has published refereed articles and book chapters and earned grants and awards in these subjects. Steingard’s teaching includes Business Ethics, Faith-Justice/Catholic Social Teaching in Business, Socially Responsible Business, Spirituality in Business, Stakeholder Theory, Leadership, Management, Organizational Behavior, Teams, Workforce Diversity, Strategic Management, Empowering Human Potential, and Environmental Management. He is currently working with Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) on developing a new data analytics tool to capture, measure, and report on business schools’ performance fulfilling the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—the PRME SDG Dashboard. Steingard earned his B.S. and M.A. from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and his Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University.

PrAsad VEMALA 

Prasad Vemala is the Associate Dean of the School of Business at Robert Morris University, PA. He also serves as interim department head for the Economics and Legal Studies department. Earlier roles at RMU included Director of Massey Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Assistant Dean. Prior to joining RMU, Vemala worked as an Assistant Professor of International Business at McNeese State University in Louisiana. At McNeese, he held endowed professorship and served as a faculty senator. His research publications are primarily in the areas of cross-listing and corporate governance. Vemala earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from India and both a Master of Computer Science and an M.B.A. from the University of South Dakota. He received his Ph.D. in International Business and Finance from Texas A&M International University. Apart from academia, Vemala is an honorary adviser for organizations both within and outside of the U.S.

Stephanie Weidman

Stephanie Weidman is the Chair of the Department of Accounting and Finance of the Leo C. Beebe Rohrer College of Business at Rowan University. She is also the coordinator of the Accounting Mentorship Program, and serves on numerous department, college, and University committees and task forces. Weidman teaches such topics as Accounting Information Systems, Entrepreneurial Accounting, Principles of Accounting I & II, and several accounting electives in the M.B.A. program, including Financial Statement Analysis, Advanced AIS & Process Controls, and Capital Budgeting. She has received multiple awards for her teaching and research, including the “Bright Idea Research Award” from the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University and NJPRO Foundation for her 2011 research paper on the topic of environmental accounting, the Rohrer College of Business Faculty Leadership Award in 2016 and 2008, and the 2005 Management Institute Bridges to Industry award. Weidman’s industry experience includes being a Financial Manager for a corporate 500 firm, and she is professionally certified as a C.M.A. Weidman earned a B.S. in Economics from the University of Delaware, an M.B.A. degree from Duke University, and a Ph.D. in Accounting from Drexel University.

Tim Westerbeck

Tim Westerbeck is President of Eduvantis, the market-leading strategic consulting firm to business schools. The firm has worked with nearly 60 business schools to develop enrollment growth strategies, capture new markets, grow market share, design more effective product models and enhance competitive standing. Westerbeck has advised leading institutions such as The Wharton School, The Kellogg School of Management, The Fuqua School of Business, The University of Sydney Business School, The Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, AACSB International, The Graduate Management Admission Council, the Owen School of Business at Vanderbilt University, Chicago Booth, and the Yale School of Management among many others. As a periodic columnist for Bloomberg/Business Week, and commentator in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and other global media, and a regular presenter at global industry forums such as the Indian Management Conclave, AACSB International, The European Foundation for Management Development and the Executive MBA Council, Westerbeck is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on management education. 

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