Alumni Class Notes

Ron Sayco ’99 recently joined Herrick Technology Laboratories, a provider of high-performance signals intelligence/electronic warfare/communications products and systems to the U.S. Department of Defense, as its new Chief Financial Officer. Before joining HTL, Mr. Sayco was CFO of Merlin Cyber, a provider of cybersecurity solutions to the federal government. Before Merlin, he was CFO of Ovzon, a managed satellite services company initially focused on the Special Operations community. Mr. Sayco has held senior strategy and corporate development roles for Thales Communications (the tactical software defined radio business of Thales Group) and BAE Systems. He is a CFA Charter holder and passed the CPA exam.

Vanessa Smith ’97, President of ServiceNow.org, has been selected by Women We Admire as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of Pennsylvania for 2024. Smith is a digital technology executive with more than 20 years of experience across sales and go-to-market functions. She was previously the SVP of global go-to-market for ServiceNow, where she oversaw the company’s global go-to-market strategy, with a focus on maximizing success and accelerating time-to-value for ServiceNow’s customers. Smith joined ServiceNow in September 2020, and the global go-to-market organization has been a key element of ServiceNow’s commitment to drive deeper customer success and build an exceptional partner ecosystem as it scales growth to $10 billion and beyond. Prior to ServiceNow, Smith spent 16 years at SAP in increasingly senior roles. Most recently, she was the head of SAP’s SuccessFactors Line of Business in North America, where she was responsible for driving human capital management sales and go-to-market strategy, overseeing core operations, including pipeline development, demand management, and revenue growth. Prior to that, Smith was Regional Vice President for SAP’s Strategic Customer Program, driving multiyear technology-enabled strategic engagements with strategic accounts across North America. Smith also served as Chief of Staff for former SAP CEO Bill McDermott and instituted the chief diversity officer role as part of the Office of the CEO’s mission to drive diversity and inclusion as a marketplace differentiator for SAP.

R. Mark Cox ’91 has been appointed Senior Vice President, Corporate Development at Terex Corporation, a global manufacturer of materials processing machinery and aerial work platforms that designs, builds, and supports products used in maintenance, manufacturing, energy, recycling, minerals and materials management, and construction applications.

Jeannette Lichner ’79 (M.S. in Accounting ’80) is a Senior Advisor at TSB Global Advisors, the new advisory arm of The Sustainability Board, set up “to help boards and management teams to create preparedness” for CHANGE factors: climate, human rights, AI, nature, geopolitics, and equality. Jeannette has been part of The Sustainability Board since its inception in 2019, and acts as a sounding board for engagements on strategy and governance, with a particular focus on leadership.

Mike Kirkman ’07, Managing Director at Blackstone Growth, is one of GrowthCap’s Top 25 Healthcare Investors of 2024. At Blackstone Growth, Kirkman is focused on investments in the healthcare sector. He is based in San Francisco. Before joining Blackstone, Kirkman was a Director at GI Partners, where he helped lead investment activity in the healthcare and software sectors. During his time at GI, he invested in and served on the boards of such companies as Netsmart, Generate Life Sciences, Clinical Ink, and MRI Software. Prior to GI, Kirkman was with JLL Partners in New York, where he began his investing career, focusing on private equity investments in North America. He currently serves on the board of the San Francisco Private Equity Network.

Matt Emery ’02, General Partner at JMI, is one of GrowthCap’s Top 25 Healthcare Investors of 2024. Emery, who joined JMI in 2006, focuses on JMI’s investments in software and healthcare IT businesses. He’s held numerous board positions at JMI portfolio companies during his tenure, and currently oversees the investments or serves on the boards of CipherHealth, Clio, Jane Software, PointClickCare, and TimelyCare. Emery is also on the Board of Trustees for The Gillispie School. Prior to joining JMI, Emery was an Analyst in the technology investment banking group at Thomas Weisel Partners and a Research Associate at Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley.

Brian Healy ’93 was elected to the board of Mueller Water Products in February 2024; he was initially appointed to the board as an observer commencing in November 2023. Mr. Healy is a Lecturer of Finance at the McIntire School. He previously served as Managing Director and Co-Head of Mergers and Acquisitions in the Americas at Morgan Stanley and was a member of the Investment Banking Management Committee from 2019 to 2023. Mr. Healy also held various leadership roles at Morgan Stanley, including Global Chief Operating Officer of Investment Banking and Head of Firm Strategy and Execution. He serves as a board member of Children’s Aid and Family Services of New Jersey.

Bill Crutchfield ’65 was honored with a Virginia Senate Joint Resolution recognizing the 50th anniversary of Crutchfield Corporation, an electronics retailer based in Charlottesville. Crutchfield founded the company in 1974, when he was unable to find a modern stereo for the Porsche 356 he was restoring. He was named Ernst & Young’s Master Entrepreneur of the Year for Virginia in 1999 and inducted into the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame in 2007.

Tom DePasquale ’82, Founder, Chairman, and Executive Vice President of Cerium Pharmaceuticals and a member of the UVA Board of Visitors, received the Crockett Award, one of UVA Wise’s highest honors, in April, in recognition of his dedication to the college and for his commitment to strengthening the ties between UVA Wise and the University.

Jaime Vasquez ’03 (M.S. in Accounting ’04) has been named the managing shareholder of Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s San Antonio office. Jaime concentrates his practice on federal, state, and international tax controversy matters. He has counseled clients in tax litigation matters, handling cases before the U.S. Tax Court, U.S. District Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is Board Certified in Tax Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and earned his undergraduate and Master of Accounting degrees from the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce, his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, and his Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University. He’s been named to Legal 500 in US Taxes: Contentious category as Next Generation Partner (2020 and 2021) and Leading Lawyer (2022 and 2023). He’s been named to Best Lawyers in America each year since 2018, including “Lawyer of the Year” for San Antonio for Litigation and Controversy – Tax by US News Best Lawyers in America in 2019, 2021, and 2023. He was also named “Outstanding Lawyer” and “40 Under 40” by San Antonio Business Journal. He is the 2020 recipient of “Lawyer on the Rise” Texas Legal Award from Texas Lawyer. Moreover, he has been named to Texas Rising Stars between 2014 and 2021 and Texas Super Lawyers (2022-2024).

Lita Cunningham ’92 is CEO and Founder of luxury skin care and wellness brand LALAIS, which launched exclusively with Bergdorf Goodman in late October 2023. Eight days later, one of the products, THE BLOTTING COMPACT, won Oprah’s Favorite Things 2023. LALAIS has been noted by Forbes as “groundbreaking skincare” that found white space in the crowded beauty market as the first brand dedicated to oily and combination skin. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Cunningham had a distinguished career as a senior human resources executive. She was a public company CHRO as SVP; was a Global Human Resources for Elizabeth Arden Inc.; and also held senior HR positions at New Line Cinema, Time Inc. and GE Capital.

Mark Straub ’04, CEO of Smile ID, has been named to Okta Ventures’ Identity 25 list, an initiative designed to recognize emerging leaders in the growing identity space who are working together to improve identity, security, and privacy for businesses and their clients, for consumers, and for global citizens. With the Identity 25, Okta honors the magnitude of their achievements and the depth of their commitment as they advance identity standards, technology, and processes to better the lives of the shared global digital community.

Susan Wedge ’95, IBM Consulting’s Managing Partner for the U.S. Public & Federal Market, is a 2024 Wash100 Award winner, placing her among the top 30 winners. A prominent figure in the consulting industry who commands a $2.2 billion portfolio, she leads a team of over 4,000 professionals across government, education, life sciences, and healthcare industries, overseeing the delivery of consulting services and technology solutions aiming to improve the performance of customers within the U.S. Wedge’s career at IBM began in 2002 as a Senior Consultant and Program Manager. Her journey within the company saw ascending leadership roles, including Senior Partner and Growth Platform Leader for the U.S. federal operational transformation practice and Senior Partner in the civilian and health aspects of the U.S. federal market business. Wedge started her career at American Management Systems, where she focused on financial planning for the company’s public sector clients, progressing from an intern to a Consultant and Principal.

Tom Gayner ’83, CEO of Markel Group, has been named to Virginia Business’ 2024 Power 50 list, composed of the top 10% of the publication’s annual Virginia 500 list of the state’s most powerful people across 20 sectors, ranging from real estate and manufacturing to higher education and government. In 2023, Gayner became Markel’s sole CEO after serving more than six years in a co-CEO arrangement with Richard Whitt III, who retired after more than two decades. Gayner, also Chief Investment Officer, joined Markel in 1990. As CEO, he oversees three divisions: insurance, investments, and Markel Ventures. Gayner previously served as a Vice President at Davenport and was a CPA for PricewaterhouseCoopers. He is also Chairman of the Board for Davis Series Mutual Funds and a Board Director for Graham Holdings. Also in 2023, he was elected to Coca-Cola’s board of directors. In April, he and his wife, Susan, started the Gayner Family Sustainable Investment Fund and Scholarship Program, supporting students at the McIntire School.

Chris Nassetta ’84, President and CEO of Hilton, has been named to Virginia Business’ 2024 Power 50 list, composed of the top 10% of the publication’s annual Virginia 500 list of the state’s most powerful people across 20 sectors, ranging from real estate and manufacturing to higher education and government. Since 2007, Nassetta has been the head of Hilton, one of the world’s largest hoteliers, with more than 7,500 properties worldwide and new hotels opening this year in Nashville and Atlanta, among other locations around the globe. Nassetta previously served as President and CEO at Host Hotels & Resorts. He chairs the U.S. Travel Association board and sits on the board of CoStar Group.

Evan Rothschild ’97 has become the newest Principal at Adero Partners, a wealth management firm with offices in the San Francisco area and in Portland, OR, that caters to high-net-worth clients. As a Chartered Financial Analyst for over 24 years and a Certified Financial Planner, Rothschild excels in guiding thoughtful individuals and families through the intricacies of stock plan compensation, investments, estate planning, and personal risk management. Rothschild previously worked as a Financial Adviser at Morgan Stanley, Founder and Portfolio Manager at Morris Rothschild Capital, and Senior Equity Analyst at The Boston Company and Delaware Investments. He lives in Redwood City, CA, with his wife, Allyson.

Madison Smith (M.S. in MIT ’20) is the new Programs and Operations Supervisor for the City of Richmond. She will oversee all of the business systems that touch the Department of Public Utilities. The Richmond DPU operates five utilities: natural gas, water, wastewater, stormwater, and electric street lighting. DPU serves more than 500,000 residential and commercial customers. Previously, Madison served as the Client Services Manager for SafeGuard Cyber, a compliance and cybersecurity provider founded by two UVA alumni.

Shannon Nash ’92 (Law ’95), CFO at Wing, is the Executive Producer and Producer of “OnBoard,” which had its worldwide release March 8, on International Women’s Day. The film chronicles the rise of Black women on America’s boards. Nash was also named to Women We Admire’s Top Women Leaders in Finance for 2024.

Sami Siddiqui ’07, former President at Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, has been promoted to CFO at Restaurant Brands International, which owns the Popeyes brand.

Brit Morgan ’15, Electrification Lead at Uber, participated in the “Introducing the Voices from the Frontline Panel” at the EQUALL Conference March 7. The session aspired to unite pioneering women to recognize the indispensable role women play in driving sustainability forward and explored issues such as gender disparities in climate action and strategies for mitigation, pathways to careers in sustainability-related fields, and the intertwined narratives of profitability and sustainability.

Jasmine Jiamin Gao CFA, CPA, FRM ’11, Vice President at Jasper Ridge Partners, spoke at the Women’s Private Equity Summit March 5, joining a panel on Investing in Asia. The summit brings together women across the private equity sector to share insights, do deals, and make long-lasting connections.