Alumni Class Notes

David Meredith (M.S. in MIT ’03), CEO of global leader in critical event management Everbridge, has been recognized as a 2020 Best CEO in the category of large companies, according to employee feedback on Comparably.com over the past 12 months. The company was also among 50 large companies recognized in 2020 for Best Company Culture. The awards reflect sentiment ratings of employees based on 20 core metrics (e.g. leadership, environment, compensation, team, outlook, career growth, work-life balance, and benefits).

Stephanie Mango ’94 (M.S. in MIS ’95) has been appointed President of CGI Federal. In this role, she will lead CGI Federal’s 7,000 professionals, partnering with more than 85 government agencies to provide solutions for defense, civilian, healthcare and intelligence missions. Mango’s career at CGI Federal spans 25 years, most recently as the Senior Vice President and leader of the Security, Assistance, Justice and hEalth (SAJE) Business Unit, where she led a large, diverse client portfolio and oversaw the company’s mergers with Sunflower Systems and TeraThink Corporation. Mango is also a recognized thought leader in the government market and an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. She serves as Vice Chair for the American Council for Technology, serves as a member of Industry Advisory Council’s executive committee, and is a founding member of Chief Washington DC, a network that connects and supports women leaders. Last month, she was named a finalist in the WeQual Awards for Leadership Excellence, where she was recognized for amplifying her voice on behalf of female corporate leaders.

Manuel Fernandes ’10 (M.S. in Accounting ’11) and his wife, Denise Kaw (A&S ’10), are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Ezra Maliah Kaw Fernandes, born in January 2021. Big brother Noah Regis is just over 2 years old. The family lives in Oman, where Manny currently works with his family’s business in retail of musical instruments and rental of audiovisual event productions. Denise will be back to teaching in the near future.

Latané Conant ’99, Chief Market Officer at 6sense, has published a book, No Forms. No Spam. No Cold Calls: The Next Generation of Account-Based Sales and Marketing.

Robert G. Saunders ’90 was recently appointed by the Virginia legislature to serve as a Judge on the General District Court for the city of Newport News, VA, after practicing law for 24 years.

Laurel Wittman ’00 recently joined the board of the Well Spouse Association and is serving as president-elect. She expects to begin a term as president in October 2021. The Well Spouse Association is the only 501(c)(3) membership organization for the spouses and partners of people living with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Wittman is Managing Director, Head of Life Sciences Credit–East at Oxford Finance, a venture lender focused on the healthcare space, where she has been employed since 2004. She has been married to Eduardo Lopes (Architecture ’95) since 2005; they live in Falls Church, VA.

Ron Skufca ’92 was selected to the 2021 Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite in construction law. He was also recognized as a 2021 North Carolina Super Lawyer in the area of construction litigation. Skufca is Managing Attorney at Skufca Law in Charlotte, NC, where he represents businesses and individuals in business, construction, motorsports, and family law.

Shannon Nash ’92 (Law ’95) has been elected to the board of directors of UserTesting, a leading provider of on-demand human insights. Nash brings more than two decades of experience to the board, and is currently the Chief Accounting Officer at Reputation, the global leader in reputation experience management. Previously, Nash held executive finance roles at Insidesource, Cumulus Media Inc., Aspire Public Schools, and Sunseeker Media. She is also a board member of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and the McIntire School Advisory Board, and on the CalCPA Diversity Equity & Inclusion Commission.

Pierce Coffee ’04 has been appointed President of Transurban North America. She previously was Vice President, Customer Experience and Operations at the transportation company.

Brian Argrett ’85 is President and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based City First Bank, which is merging with Broadway Federal Bank. The merger, which is expected to finalize this year, creates the nation’s largest Black-led bank, with more than $850 million in deposits and $1 billion in assets. Mr. Argrett is Vice Chair and CEO of the new combined institution.

Grégoire Riobé ’11 and his wife, Lucie, are pleased to announce the birth of their son, David Riobé, born in December 2020. Big sister Raïssa (4) and big brother Joseph (2) are thrilled!  The family resides in Aix-en-Provence, France, having recently returned from living the last two years in Oman, where Grégoire, with fellow McIntire friend Manuel Fernandes ’10 (M.S. in Accounting ’11), started a music business. Grégoire now works remotely as Director of Strategic Initiatives for Kx Advisors, a healthcare consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.

Sherlonda Goode-Jones ’95 (Darden ’01), Partner at global professional services firm Guidehouse, is a recipient of a Diversity in Business Award, by the Washington Business Journal. The award program celebrates diversity and inclusion in the workforce and honors inspiring business leaders of color in Greater Washington. Goode-Jones was also recently named Public Sector Financial Services Practice Leader at the firm.

Thomas Gayner ’83, Co-CEO of Markel Corporation, recently sat down with “We Study Billionaires—The Investor’s Podcast Network” to discuss how a practical approach to investing can lead to unprecedented returns, how a frugal life leads to fulfillment, and his thoughts on index funds, among other timely topics. For over 30 years, Gayner has been producing investment returns in the high teens for Markel Corporation, referred to as a “Baby Berkshire” because it is structured similarly to Berkshire Hathaway and has produced stellar results.

Dina Tamimi ’99 is Global Vice President of IoT and Network Security for Palo Alto Networks. She previously was Director of Smart Cities and Industry Verticals for High Growth Regions at technology conglomerate Honeywell.

Carol Sawdye ’85 has been named Chief Financial Officer at Creative Artists Agency. Sawdye has held multiple senior management roles at PwC, including the post of Vice Chairman and CFO before being elevated to COO. She also served as Executive Vice President and CFO of the NBA and as CFO of law firm Skadden Arps. In addition to this new role, she has been named Chair of McIntire’s Global Advisory Board.

Virginia Sharma ’99, Vice President of Brand Solutions at JioSaavn, in India, is one of 10 women named to exchange4media’s Impact Digital Power 100 2020 list in the Business category. The Business 100 list comprises promoters and heads of media companies who have pioneered the digital revolution in India through their vision, passion, and commitment. Sharma is also a member of McIntire’s Global Advisory Board.

Viktor Josefsson ’04, a Director at Forensic Risk Alliance’s London and Stockholm office, and his co-author share their perspectives on an information-sharing initiative between banks and law enforcement in Sweden, which have joined forces to enhance the fight against money laundering. The article is titled “Sweden Moves Anti-Money Laundering Efforts Forward with Public-Private Partnership.”

Jason J. Tabalujan CFA ’03 is currently a Principal at Ares SSG, the $6 billion Asia-based special situations investment arm of Ares Management. He focuses on sourcing, executing, and managing private debt and private equity investments across multiple sectors. He resides in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he has lived since 2010.

Elizabeth (Foltz) Koehler ’03 is the co-author of a Dec. 19, 2020, Business Insider column titled “8 Organization and Wellness Tips for Balancing Career and Family while Working from Home, According to Well-Being Experts.” Based on her recent research at Penn on helping us unapologetically take back our well-being amid constant choice, change, and distractions, the article, Koehler says, is particularly relevant today as we balance many competing priorities. She adds, “Although the article is geared toward women, much of the research and tools can help all of us.” Feel free to contact Liz or her colleague, Clare Davenport, to discuss any of these in more depth.

Nancy Harrity (M.S. in MIT ’14) has been accepted into the six-month BunkerLabs and WeWork Veterans in Residence business incubator program starting January 2021. Harrity is a transformation coach who helps professionals who have hit a wall or are getting in the way of their own success to unleash their confidence and voice to rewrite their personal stories, so that they can finally be heard and lead the change! Veterans in Residence is a six-month in-person/virtual incubator and leadership program that provides veteran and military family member entrepreneurs the community, business support, and workspace to help launch and grow their businesses.

Yvener J. Petit ’09 recently joined EY-Parthenon’s Los Angeles office and is a Director in the Corporate and Growth Strategy Practice. He joins the L.A. office after working as a Strategy Consultant with the company’s San Francisco office mainly focused upon clients in technology, media, and telecom. He earned his MBA from University of California, Berkeley.