Leadership Council

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Scott A. Bailey '90

  • Position: Operating Partner
    Traub Capital Partners

Named President of Opry Entertainment Group in September 2018, a division of Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP). Bailey was responsible for the strategic growth and execution of all initiatives for the entertainment division.

Opry Entertainment Group consists of a growing collection of iconic and emerging country music brands, including the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, the expansion of our entertainment music venue concept, Ole Red (a partnership with Blake Shelton) that has grown to 5 locations and several more to be announced.

Over his tenure he doubled both revenue and EBITDA, successfully navigated through the pandemic, acquired a mixed-use city block in Austin with the primary assets that included the iconic ACL Live Moody Theater and adjacent W Hotel. Early in his tenure, he entered into a Joint Venture with Gray Television (NYSE: GTN) that unlocked Opry’s vast content library of over 8,000+ hours and the company’s unique relationship with country music’s biggest stars. In January of 2020, the JV launched a Linear TV network, CircleTV and secured distribution on major MVPD’s including Dish and Charter as well as OTA. The companion AVOD launched in mid-2020 and is distributed on nearly every major AVOD platform including Roku, Peacock and Samsung to name a few. The media platform is focused on country music and lifestyle where RHP plays a unique and important role. With a focus on developing a deep relationship with the consumer, Bailey modernized it’s mar-tech capabilities and positioned the division as a unified platform growing the addressable audience from 2mm-30mm over a four-year period.  In 2021, RHP entered a formal process to secure a strategic/investment partner where Bailey was the lead executive for the division.  After a 9 month process the company consummated a deal with Atairos and NBCU to take a 30% equity stake at 14x EBITDA, valuing the division at $1.4b, unlocking nearly $800mm of incremental value vs the current valuation as part of the parent company.

A veteran of the media industry, Bailey was previously President of The Enthusiast Network’s (“TEN”) automotive group, renamed The MotorTrend Group, where he oversaw the automotive portfolio, including 14 category-leading websites, a social audience of over 105 million, the production of 21 MotorTrend Auto Shows, and more than 20 racing and aftermarket lifestyle events. He was responsible for the division’s P&L as well as leading the continued development of TEN’s digital business, improving customer offerings, and diversifying revenue streams. Notable under Bailey’s tenure, TEN became the first company to launch a subscriber-on- demand SVOD platform in the automotive space-MotorTrend OnDemand. He also led the development of content and distribution partnerships with Amazon, Facebook, and Netflix. Additionally, he played a key role in leading the division through its transformation from a legacy print publisher to a dominant multiplatform modern-day media company that was acquired by Discovery Communications, largely due to the success of the SVOD, MotorTrend OnDemand.

Bailey is a two-time nominee and Emmy Award winner for his work in advanced media technology and brings more than two decades of digital and media disruption experience. Prior to TEN, Bailey led Synacor, Inc., an award-winning TV Everywhere and Cloud Identity Management (IDM) provider for satellite, telecom, cable, and consumer electronics companies, where he served as Chief Operating Officer and was part of the management team that took the company public in 2012. Before Synacor, Bailey served as SVP at Comcast Interactive Media. Prior to Comcast, he was a founding employee of Turner Sports Interactive, then a division of Time Warner, acting as General Manager, where he managed and operated the digital business for NASCAR, PGA, and the PGATour.

  • Current board of director for Podium Audio and the Academy of Country Music
  • Former board of director for CircleTV JV and Opry Trust Fund
  • 2020-2022 named Billboard Country Power Players list
  • 2021 CircleTV named Digiday's Best Streaming TV Platform
  • 2020 recognized as Pollstar's #1 Livestreamer across all genres with 65mm streams in 100 countries
  • 2020 Named Pollstar's VenuesNow All-Stars
  • Inducted into the 2014 Academy of Distinguished Alumni-the highest honor bestowed by the University
  • Winner of the 2012-612' C-Level Executive Award which honor the Western NY's best C-level executives
  • 2007 recognized by Sports Business Journal as one of the 20 Most Influential: Online Sports
  • Nominated for two Emmy Awards in 2004 for NASCAR.com products by The National Television Academy for "Outstanding Achievement for Enhanced Television"
  • Winner of the 2003 Emmy Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Media Technology," the first time an Emmy was awarded to a website in the history of the Academy

LinkedIn Profile

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Kenneth Barton '77

  • Position: Franchise Owner
    Minuteman Press
    Lewis Center, OH

Experience:

Ken is now a Franchise Owner of Minuteman Press, a full-service design, print and marketing agency in Lewis Center, Ohio. Throughout his 40-year career in accounting, Ken has held various senior leadership positions. From 2007 to 2018, he was the Director Emeritus at the Columbus office of Blue & Company LLC, ranked as the 51st largest CPA firm by U.S. Accounting Today. Before joining Blue & Co., Ken was the founding partner of Sheridan, Barton, Vasko & Company and spent 19 years leading the retirement plan administration and consulting practice while assisting clients with related services.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration ‘77

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Scott Beaverson '99

  • Position: Global Smart Spend Lead
    Owens Illinois
    Perrysburg, OH

Experience:

Scott is currently the Global Smart Spend Lead at Owens-Illinois. He is also a current member of the BGSU Schmidthorst College of Business Accounting Advisory Board.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration ‘99

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Cindy Koppenhafer-Bogner '74

  • Position: Institute for Adult Learning (non-profit)-Volunteer member of Council/Board of Directors
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Angelene Bonner '90

  • Position: Vice President, Head of Human Resources, Banking Group
    Flagstar Bank
    Atlanta, GA

Experience:

Angelene is known as an adaptable global strategic senior executive with demonstrated and proven track record collaborating with business leaders to design forward leaning strategies and roadmaps to build organizational effectiveness. She has more than 18 years of progressive leadership leading high performing teams who execute high impact organizational solutions in complex or high-growth organizations.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration ‘90

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Andrew Cajka '82

  • Position: President
    SHG
    Greenville, SC

Experience:

With more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Andy founded Southern Hospitality Group (SHG) and now serves as the President. His role involves developing and managing franchised hotels with Hilton, Marriott, Holiday Inn, US Franchise Systems, Inc., Cendant Corporation, and Hyatt Hotels. Prior to establishing SHG, Andrew spent fourteen years with Hyatt Hotels serving as General Manager of Hyatt Regency Greenville, and was nominated as Hyatt 1996 General Manager of the Year.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration ‘82

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Kevin Cochran '78

  • Position: Managing Director
    Patina Solutions [Retired]
    Cleveland, OH

Experience:

Kevin was the Managing Director at Patina Solutions until February 2020. Prior to that he worked at Aarthun Performance Group, Ltd. and Owens Corning.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration, Sales & Sales Management ‘78

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Chris Corwin '81 | Chair

  • Position: Principal
    CN Corwin Consulting, LLC
    Houston, TX

Experience:

Chris currently owns and operates CN Corwin Consulting, LLC, an HR strategy and services company, working closely with clients in the energy industry.  Chris retired from Occidental Petroleum Corporation (Oxy) in 2018 as corporate director of human resources (HR) where he was responsible for the oil & gas and midstream businesses’ HR operations.  Throughout his 37 year career with Oxy, Chris held multiple HR positions of increasing responsibility.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration ‘81

University of Houston, Graduate Studies in Economics.

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Mark Eisele '78 | Vice-Chair

  • Position: CFO & Treasurer
    Applied Industrial Technologies Inc. [Retired]
    Cleveland, OH

Experience:

Retired after 26 years with Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE-AIT), a North American distributor of bearings, mechanical power transmission products, fluid power products/systems and other industrial products.  After BGSU Mark spent 13 years with Deloitte & Touche in the audit area before moving to Applied Industrial Technologies.  

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration ‘78

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Nancy Feltz '86

  • Position: Senior Vice President
    Signature Bank, N.A.
    Toledo, OH

Experience:

Nancy has been with Signature Bank, N.A. for over 20 years. She held the position of Vice President from 2002-2021, and is now serving as Senior Vice President in Credit Administration.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Finance ‘86

University of Notre Dame, Master of Business Administration, Finance, General '91

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William H. Ficken, Jr. '63 | Emeritus

  • Position: Realtor
    Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
    Westlake, OH

Experience:

For the past 13 years, Bill has been serving as a realtor at the Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. He has an extensive career in the housing and automotive industry. He spent his first 11 years working for IBM in Northeast Ohio, then proceeded to serve in senior management sales and marketing with Moen Faucet, Merillat Cabinetry, Gerber Plumbing Products and Fields Automotive Group.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration ‘63

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David Glass '78

  • Position: Partner
    BeaconCFO Plus
    Akron, Ohio

Experience:
 

David is an accounting, finance and management professional with over 35 years of public accounting and private industry experience. His strengths lie with small to medium-sized, privately-held businesses where the CFO has responsibility not only for the accounting and finance functions but often human resources, IT and other related areas.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration, Accounting ‘78

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John Haggarty '86

  • Position: Sr. Regional Sales Director
    Gigamon

Experience:

As Sr. Regional Sales Director at Gigamon, John leverages his 20+ years of IT experience and expertise to help customers gain visibility and insight into their organization's network. He leads a team of engineers and account specialists to deliver solutions that enable customers to optimize network performance and security. John founded and ran Performance Management Associates, a profitable IT consulting firm for over 20 years. He also served on the national board of an association of IT consulting firms, demonstrating his ability to partner with clients and other firms. His mission is to provide value-added services and solutions that enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

Harvard Business School | Key Executives Program '10

BGSU, B.S., Business Administration '86

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Suheb Haq '00

  • Position: President
    Fuel Cell System Manufacturing LLC.

Experience:

Suheb is a seasoned General Manager with Manufacturing and Operations expertise. Within his position as President, he holds P&L responsibility and execution of a mutli-million equity investment in a start up joint venture, for the design and construction of the first commercial-scale fuel cell manufacturing plant. He takes part in global assignments (Asia, Europe and North America) leading transformation in areas of strategy, operations, manufacturing engineering and program/project management.  

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, Master of Business Administration '00

University of Toronto, Bachelor of Applied Science, Engineering

Harvard Business School | Executive Leadership Program

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Amy Heerdt '99

  • Position: AVP, Human Resources
    Nationwide Insurance
    Columbus, OH

Experience:

Amy has been with Nationwide Insurance for over 17 years. She currently serves in a Human Resource Business Executive capacity to the enterprise Marketing, Emerging Businesses, and Innovation teams that supports all lines of business across Nationwide Insurance. She also leads a team of Senior HRBPs that consult with diverse lines of business to develop, customize, and implement robust HR solutions, systems, and processes to enable workforce effectiveness.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

Central Michigan University, Masters, Business Administration '02

BGSU, Bachelor of Business Administration, Business Management and Human Resources '99

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Pam Heminger '89

  • Position: Vice President, Strategic Procurement Division
    Caterpillar Inc.
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Cynthia Hoffman '84

  • Position: Global Tax Director
    Catalina Marketing.
    Palmetto, FL

Experience:

Cynthia is currently the V.P. in Tax Planning & Compliance. She leads the global tax function of Feld Entertainment in producing and presenting live touring family entertainment. Prior to joining Feld, she served in various leadership positions overseeing the international tax aspect at Bloomin’ Brand, Schneider Downs & Cos., and Wendy’s International.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S., Business Administration ‘84

Georgetown University, Juris Doctor (J.D.), ‘91, Washington DC

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Steve Jenkins '83

  • Position: Senior Vice President
    Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland [Retired]
    Cleveland, OH

Experience:

Steve has been with the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland since 1986. Now serving as the Senior V.P., he is responsible for the Bank’s Supervision and Regulation Department, which oversees more than 260 financial institutions in the Fourth Federal Reserve District. He also oversees the Bank’s Credit Risk Management and Statistics and Analysis departments.

Education: BGSU, B.S., Business Administration ‘83

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Susan Kern '88, '96

  • Position: Assistant Controller
    Marathon Petroleum
    Findlay, OH

Experience:

Susan is an Assistant Controller at Marathon Petroleum.  

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration ‘88

BGSU, Masters in Business Administration ‘93

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Debra Lugli '86

  • Position: Director and Head of Global Corporate Procurement Operations and India, China, and LATAM Sourcing
    Amazon [Retired]
    Seattle, WA

Experience:

Debra had an illustrious career in global supply chain management as a senior leader at Amazon, Bank of America, Compaq Computer, Frito-Lay, Lennox, and Motorola. She retired from Amazon in 2020 where for the last 6 years, she led the Global Procurement Operations and Systems organization and the Strategic Sourcing teams in India, China, and Latin America.

LinkedIn Profile

Education: BGSU, B.S., Business Administration ‘86

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Marilee MacAskill '86

  • Position: Area Director - Certified Trainer
    Dale Carnegie Training of Northeast Ohio
    Cleveland, OH

Experience:

Marilee has been with Dale Carnegie Training, a global training organization that offer private consulting, coaching, and training, for over 25 years. She is a certified Dale Carnegie Instructor as well as a consultant for businesses and organizations that wish to offer professional development for their employees, and she was appointed the Area Director in 2015. Prior to joining Dale Carnegie, Marilee served as the Vice President, Account Management and New Business Development for Griswold Advertising in Cleveland.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration ‘86

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Matthew Maurer '06

  • Position: General Manager, U.S.
    Sunstar Americas, Inc.
    Chicago, IL

Experience:

Matt currently serves as the Senior Vice President & General Manager for WasteZero, a certified B Corp and the leading residential waste reduction company in the US. Previously, he spent 9 years at Reynolds Consumer Product, most recently serving as a senior director leading the Hefty business. Matt serves on BGSU's Alumni Board of Directors as well as the Foundation Board Directors for Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration, Sales/Marketing

Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management, EMBA, ‘17

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Kate Murawa '02

  • Position: Global Director of Talent, Learning, and Culture
    O-I
    Perrysburg, OH

Experience: 

Kate is a Global Director of Talent, Learning, and Culture at O-I, where she is responsible for building an integrated talent system that includes strategies for capability building, cultural change and engagement, and practical organizational effectiveness solutions. Previously, she spent 12 years at Findley Davies leading strategic talent management, communications, and management consulting initiatives. She has been an active member of several Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) chapters, and has been certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) by HRCI.

LinkedIn Profile

Education: 

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration ‘02

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Staci Music '87

  • Position: Regional Marketing Manager
    Hastings Mutual Insurance Company
    Mentor, OH

Experience:

Staci is an experienced Regional Sales Director with a demonstrated history of working in the insurance industry. She is skilled in Property & Casualty Insurance, Customer Service, Sales, Strategic Planning, and Sales Management.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, BS Business Administration, Management ‘87

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D'aun Norman '88 | Extended Term

  • Position: Partner, Assurance Services
    Ernst & Young, LLP [Retired]
    Detroit, MI

Experience:

D’aun was an Assurance Partner at Ernst & Young (EY). She has extensive experience leading audits of public and private companies that operate globally, including coordination of audit teams in over 40 different countries. In 2016, she earned the Americas Inclusiveness Award at EY, recognizing leaders who actively work to create diverse high-performing teams by regularly practicing inclusive leadership. She is also a member of the Ernst & Young Global Account Partner Group.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration ‘88

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Paula O'Reilly '93

  • Position: Managing Director
    Accenture
    Columbus, OH

Experience:

Paula leads the financial services business in the Midwest. She works with clients in Insurance, Banking and Capital Markets.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration, Finance ‘93.

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Ronald Ranallo '82

  • Position: Chief Financial Officer
    Velocity Inc. [Retired]
    Toledo, OH

Experience:

Before retiring, Ron was responsible for the overall financial leadership of Velocity, a private company specializing in managed services. Before Velocity, he was Vice President, Global Business and Information Services, at Cooper Tire and Rubber, where he focused on transforming the IT organization from technical service provider to business partner. Previously, Ron spent more than 25 years serving as senior controller, audit, and treasury roles with organizations such as Owens Corning, Eaton Corporation, and Marathon Oil.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

Ohio University, B.S. Business Administration ‘81

BGSU, Master of Business Administration ‘82

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Philip Ridolfi '77

  • Position: President
    Ridolfi and Associates
    Cleveland, OH

Experience:

Phil is currently self-employed as the President of Ridolfi & Associates. He previously held the role of CEO at NAS Recruitment Innovation, an organization with a 67-year tradition of excellence in HR recruitment strategies. He has also held various notable positions in various other organizations such as Decker Forklifts, America’s Body Company, and Buckeye Truck Equipment.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration ‘77

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Katherine Russell '95

  • Position: Senior Council
    Honda
    Marysville, OH

Experience:

Katie has been with Honda for 16 years. She provides legal support to the Honda manufacturing companies in Ohio, Indiana, South Carolina and North Carolina in the areas of contracts and corporate governance.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration, Management '95

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Scott Saunders '82

  • Position: SVP, Head of Global Supply Chain, Food Services and Housewares
    D4DT, Inc.
    Sarasota, FL

Experience:

Scott recently became the SVP, Head of Global Supply Chain, Food Services and Housewares at D4DT, Inc., a data service firm that aims to transform the digital landscape into an automated, seamless, friendly, and trustworthy experience.  During his supply chain career, Scott orchestrated and lead integrated chains for large multi-national organizations. Previously, he served as the Sr. Vice President of Supply Chain Management for HAVI, the lead supply chain integrator for McDonald’s system.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration, ‘82

Cleveland State University, MBA, Quantitative Business Analysis and Marketing ‘86

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Scott Stoll '82

  • Position: Independent Director
    Farmers Group, Inc. and Farmers New World Life Insurance Company
    San Francisco, CA

Experience:

Scott is currently the Audit Committee Chair for Farmers Group, Inc. and Farmers New World Life Insurance Company; both companies are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the global insurance company Zurich Insurance Group. He previously served as the Treasurer of the Board and Finance Committee Chair of the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR), a non-profit, non-partisan research institution dedicated to informing and strengthening policy in the Asia-Pacific region.

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration, ‘82

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Jeffrey Thieman '99

  • Position: Head of Financial Sponsors Group
    5/3 Securities
    Nashville, TN

Experience:

Jeff is the head of Fifth Third’s Financial Sponsors Group which provides preeminent advisory and investment banking services to the middle market and upper-middle market private equity community.

LinkedIn Profile

Education:

BGSU, B.S. Business Administration, Finance ‘98

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Robert Thompson '92, '96

  • Position: Branch Director and Senior Vice President in Wealth Management at RBC Wealth Management

Robert Thompson is a Branch Director and Senior Vice President in Wealth Management at RBC Wealth Management.  Robert joined RBC 1 year ago having spent over 30 years in the financial service industry.  Robert holds a Bachelor’s and a Master of Arts in Economics from Bowling Green State University where he is currently on Faculty as an Adjunct Professor in Economics.

In addition to his work in wealth management, Robert has held and currently holds a variety of board positions. He is heavily involved with the American Cancer Society, as he has served as president of the NW Ohio Board of Directors, a past National Stakeholder for the ACS Extramural Research Grant Program, and is a current board member of the Northern Ohio Area Board. Robert is a proud recipient of the national St George award for outstanding volunteer service. He is also a member of the Victory Center Board of Directors, a local cancer resource organization.

Along with advocating for the fight against cancer, Robert, an Eagle Scout, is active in the local Boy Scout Council where he serves on the Executive Board and Executive Committee. He is also a 25-year veteran Scout Master, and a mentor to over 30 Eagle Scouts

Robert and his wife Dana are  also very active in their Parish, St. Catherine of Sienna where Robert chairs the finance council and serves on the leadership council. In his free time, Robert enjoys sailing on Lake Erie with his wife Dana. He recently served as a Bridge Officer and Board Member at North Cape Yacht Club.

LinkedIn Profile

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Kshitja Toke '01, '02

  • Position: Partner Assurance
    Ernst & Young LLP
    Nashville, TN

Experience

Toke has been with EY since 2002, where she served public and private clients including multinational ones.

Education:

University of Mumbai, Bachelor of Commerce

BGSU, Master of Business Administration/Accountancy ‘02

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Christopher Wade '83

  • Position: Managing Director
    First Republic Bank
    Boston, MA

Experience: 

Christopher is Managing Director at First Republic Bank where he capitalizes on strengths to expand and continue building client relationships and direct clients to all banking services.

LinkedIn Profile

Education

BGSU, Bachelor in Communications '83

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Paulette Wallace '90, '93

  • Position: Lead HR Specialist/Generalist
    AT&T
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Richard Wallack '85

  • Position: Regional Vice President, Northeast Region
    Medical Mutual of Ohio
    Cleveland, OH

Experience: 

Rich has been with Cleveland-based Medical Mutual for over 25 years. He is responsible for retaining and growing business with groups of all sizes and market segments in the region. Prior to his current role, he was the VP Public Sector Business for Medical Mutual.  He has also worked in Network Development, for UnitedHealthCare, in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.

LinkedIn Profile

Education

BGSU, B.S Business Administration ‘85

Cleveland State University, Master of Business Administration/Finance ‘95

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Jason Welch '90

  • Position: General Manager Sales - Basic Chemicals
    Occidental Chemical Corp.
    Dallas, TX

Experience: 

Jason has been with Occidental Chemical Corp. for over 6 years. In his position as General Manager of Sales within Basic Chemicals, he is responsible for the growth and management of the Northern, Southern and Eastern Sales Regions for Occidental Chemical Corporation's Basic Chemical Group in North America.

LinkedIn Profile

Education

BGSU, B.S Business Administration ‘90

Updated: 02/16/2024 02:05PM