Alumni Class Notes

Michael Scarola ’08 has been appointed Chief Financial Officer ContextLogic Inc., effective June 30, 2025. Prior to taking on this role, Mr. Scarola developed a wide array of back-office skills and knowledge from his role as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Compliance Officer of Altai Capital. At Altai Capital, Mr. Scarola is primarily responsible for all non-investment functions, including fund accounting, compliance, operations, legal, information technology, and investor relations. Before joining Altai Capital in March 2011, Mr. Scarola previously worked at KPMG as an Associate in the Financial Services Taxation practice. Mr. Scarola is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Theresa Major Payton (M.S. in MIS ’90) and her husband, Chris Payton, recently established the Major-Payton School of Business at Immaculata University. Formally announced on May 18 at Immaculata’s 101st commencement ceremony, the Major-Payton School of Business will house the university’s undergraduate and graduate business and leadership programs. Payton graduated from Immaculata in 1989 with a double major in Economics and Business, along with certificates in Computers and Business Management. She was the first woman to serve as White House CIO, overseeing IT operations for President George W. Bush and 3,000 staff members from 2006 to 2008. Prior to that, she held executive roles in banking technology at Bank of America and Wells Fargo. She is the Founder, President, and CEO of cybersecurity consulting firm Fortalice Solutions and also co-founded Dark Cubed, a cybersecurity product that was sold to Celerium. A best-selling author and public speaker, she appeared on the 2017 CBS reality show “Hunted” and frequently contributes to national news programs, including NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Fox Business, CBS Evening News, CNN, MSNBC and international outlets. She is also a member of Immaculata’s Board of Trustees.

Jose Andres Mayora ’13, Senior Portfolio Manager at Divita Capital, is the author of Wall Street’s Blind Spots. To be released in fall 2025, the book discusses how investors often misread reality when trying to value businesses.

Saori Okada ’14, Founder and Managing Director of Mogami Ltd., a Japanese wellness brand headquartered in London, U.K., has written a new book titled The Wisdom of Ancient Japan. Out this November with Michael O’Mara Books Limited, this will be Okada’s second book—a pocket-sized collection of 60 timeless lessons inspired by Japanese wisdom and everyday philosophy.

Mohamed Ali Vaid ’99 was appointed CEO of Nice North America in June 2025. With over 20 years of transformational leadership at global organizations, including General Electric, Toyota, and most recently Dematic, Mohamed brings proven expertise in smart home technology, large-scale automation, and robotics and a proven track record of driving growth, profitability, and operational excellence across both established and emerging markets.

Anton Levy ’96 has been added as an Independent Director to Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.’s board of directors. Levy is an Advisory Director at General Atlantic, a leading global investor with more than $103 billion in assets under management. He began his career at General Atlantic in 1998 and has held a number of senior leadership roles, including serving as Co-President and Chairman of Global Technology until January 2025 and on the firm’s Investment, Portfolio and Executive committees. With significant investing experience and an exceptional track record of value creation, he led many of General Atlantic’s most notable investments in technology companies, such Airbnb, Alibaba Group, Crowdstrike, Facebook, Klarna AB, Mercado Libre, Slack, Snapchat, Squarespace, and Uber. He has been named to the Forbes Midas List of top investors each year from 2014 to 2024.

Andrew Yancey ’23 has joined Lakeland Capital as a Senior Accounting Manager. Yancy will oversee corporate and investor accounting functions at the Charleston, SC-based private, multifamily investment company. Previously an Investment Accountant at Greystar, Yancey brings valuable experience managing joint ventures and financial reporting, further enhancing Lakeland’s operational efficiency and portfolio oversight.

Kevin Duvall (Engineering ’13, M.S. in MIT ’17) is starting a new position as HHS Deputy Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, Duvall will be the senior career official for technology at HHS.

Drew Cassidy (M.S. in MIT ’21) is starting a new position at Marriott International as Flex Director, Release Train Engineer.

Addy Awofisayo ’07, Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa at YouTube, discussed African music and culture and the growing landscape for African creativity with Ify Obi in “Shaping the Future of Music in Africa and Beyond,” in the March 2025 issue of Rolling Stone Africa.

Christopher Rännefors ’13 has joined Squarespace as VP of Sales. Rännefors is also Co-Founder of BatBnB, successfully pitching the startup on “Shark Tank” in 2019.

Lesley Field ’90, former Deputy Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy at the Office of Management and Budget, has been elected as a Director of the Procurement Round Table.

Kherlen Martin (M.S. in MIT ’22) has been promoted to Manager at Deloitte.

Mina Faltas ’00, Managing Member at Washington Harbour Partners LP, is joining the inaugural Policy Advisory Group for UVA’s new National Security Data and Policy Institute. The institute’s work with national security and intelligence community leaders, including its partnership with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, is dedicated to finding solutions for the pressing issues the United States and allied countries face.

Jay Sanne (A&S ’93, M.S. in MIT ’05) has started a new position at Truist as SVP, Head of Digital and Marketing Technology.

Ashley Ragsdale Stockton ’96 has been appointed Senior Director, Head of Investor Relations at Guardian Pharmacy Services Inc., one of the nation’s largest and most innovative long-term care pharmacy services companies. She will be responsible for leading the investor relations strategy and serving as the primary liaison with shareholders, analysts, and the broader investment community. Ashley joins Guardian with nearly 30 years of experience in equity markets. Most recently, she served as Head of Southeast Institutional Equity Sales for J.P. Morgan, where she built and managed strategic partnerships with institutional investors, delivering differentiated research insights and strategic access to capital markets. Earlier in her career, Ashley was an Equity Research Associate across several sectors and held a strategic marketing role in investment banking in New York. Her breadth of experience has equipped her with a strong, multidimensional foundation across finance, investor communications, and capital markets.

Edward Stelmack (M.S. in MIT ’14) recently started a new position as Senior Director, Field Force Effectiveness at Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Kristen Lewis (M.S. in MIT ’23) has started a new position as Product Manager at Capital One.

Chris Daniels ’87 has joined Pinnacle’s Financial Partners new Richmond, VA, team as Client Advisory Group Area Manager/Senior Vice President. Daniels brings more than 35 years of experience in commercial banking leadership and relationship management. Most recently, she served as Commercial Banking Leader for Wells Fargo in Central Virginia, where she led a team focused on middle market clients. She is widely respected across the region for her deep relationships, strategic insight, and leadership in the financial industry and the Richmond community, including board positions with Venture Richmond, Chamber RVA, and The Perkinson Center for the Arts and Education.

Emily Schade Lee ’16 and her husband, McNally Lee, joyfully announce the birth of their daughter, Meredith Lagler Lee, born April 1, 2025.

Dominic L. Hunter ’85 has been appointed Chief Financial Officer at Smith-Midland Corporation, a provider of precast concrete products and systems. Hunter will lead all financial functions of the company, including accounting, treasury, financial reporting, and investor relations, playing a pivotal role in shaping the company’s long-term financial strategy and capital allocation efforts. Hunter brings over 20 years of financial leadership experience to Smith-Midland, with a strong track record in strategic financial planning and operational excellence across a wide range of organizations, including a multinational public company, privately held firms, nonprofits, and startups. His executive experience includes leadership as Vice President at SRA International, a $1.7 billion publicly traded government contractor in Fairfax, VA. Hunter’s deep manufacturing acumen led multiyear growth as CFO of U.S. military contractor O’Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt Armoring Company. Complementing his corporate achievements, Hunter served as an Intelligence Analyst in the U.S. Army and as a member of the National Guard’s 29th Infantry Division. His service and professional career reflect a steadfast dedication to leadership, integrity, and mission-focused execution, principles that mirror Smith-Midland’s commitment to quality, innovation, and service to both customers and community. Smith-Midland Corporation, headquartered in Midland, VA, continues to innovate and lead in the precast concrete industry, with a focus on quality, customer service, and sustainable development.