Class Notes

1964-FT

Richard Sandberg

Dick reports real progress in developing the world’s first pharmaceutical for long-term chronic traumatic brain injury and the world’s first charity exclusively focused on this condition. “The charity has a venture philanthropy twist because donated funds are used not for grants but for mission-related investments and, if successful, create a donor-advised fund for contributors,” he writes. “It’s a donation with a payback.” He is also serving as CEO of the drug development company, and he writes that his learning curve is almost vertical.

1970-FT

Robert Campbell

In 2018 Robert started the Speech and Debate team at the University of California San Diego. What started as a club has matured into an official program of the university, a sponsored organization of the Department of Communication. The largest speech and debate team in the nation (among more than 100), UC San Diego’s team has become a regional powerhouse, winning 13 of the last 15 major Southern California tournaments it competed in. In addition to being the head coach of the team, Robert created the first debate course in UC San Diego history and teaches business courses at the university.

1971-FT

Robert Dexheimer

In retirement Robert has been an interim pastor at three Methodist churches in Illinois: New Baden, New Athens and Mt. Olive.

1976-FT

Bon French

Bon ’75, ’76 MBA is chairman of Adams Street Partners and is in his 44th year with the firm. Bon is active on a number of committees at Northwestern and Kellogg, including Northwestern University’s Board of Trustees and the Kellogg Global Advisory Board. Bon has kept up with many of his Kellogg classmates, including Glenn Burdick, Rich Strup, Jeff Crane, Fernando Chico, Phil Dodson and Parker Smith. Bon’s wife, Holly, passed away in the summer of 2023 after a long battle with liver and kidney disease. They had been together for 45 years.

1976-E&W

James Nelli

After his retirement, James decided to follow his lifelong passion and began a new career writing fiction for publication. Since starting his new career, James has had a variety of stories published in online and printed publications. His newest works include the stories “An Unexpected Lie,” “Benjamin’s Lures,” “The Timely Death of Peter Usher,” “Passing Notes” and “Finding Refuge.” James is currently working on a murder mystery, “The Confessional,” that he hopes to publish in 2024.

1979-E&W

Lawrence Duran

Larry recently retired from his position as a U.S. administrative law judge with the Social Security Administration in Sacramento, California. He is now a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching English at Universidad Tecnologíca de Izúcar de Matamoros in Puebla, Mexico, for two years.

1980-FT

Brian Curtiss

Brian recently retired after a 43-year marketing career spanning the CPG, retail and healthcare industries. He and his wife, Sue, have relocated to Franklin, Tennessee, to be near their daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren, who also live in the Nashville area. He is enjoying making new friends, hiking, attending classes at Vanderbilt, getting involved with the local church and looking forward to more travel. He and his wife recently spent two and a half weeks in Italy.

1980-FT

Martha McGuire

Martha concluded her banking career as EVP/Large Corporate and Lease Finance Group for First Bank Chicago in 2022. The following year, she was appointed to the Board of TAB Bank, based in Utah.

1982-FT

Gwen Cohen

Gwen has “rewired” after a 36-year career at Morgan Stanley. She has launched Bee Attitudes LLC, a consulting organization that seeks better outcomes through collaboration, creating pathways to a more fulfilled life. Now working on a nonfiction book, she also speaks to audiences about how to live their best lives. Gwen continues to serve on two advisory boards and the Smithsonian’s Regional Council.

1983-FT

Steve James

Steve has lived in the San Francisco Bay area since 1987 with his wife of 30 years, Maria, and has two children, Sarah (Washington University in St. Louis class of 2020), and Matt (Saint Mary’s College of California class of 2019). Steve and Maria are semi-retired and spend their time in Woodside and Carmel-by-the-Sea and on charitable causes. A member of several biotech boards, Steve spent the past 18 years discovering and developing novel drugs in kidney disease, neurology and oncology as the CEO of three biotech companies. Steve often gets back to the Evanston area, where his daughter and her fiance reside.

1983-FT

Ted Martin

Ted recently joined classmates Tod Francis ’81, ’83 MBA and Rodrigo Etchenique ’83 MBA for a week of kitesurfing in Brazil. The three met on their first day at Kellogg in 1981 when they all signed up for windsurfing lessons at NU Sailing Beach. Along the way they switched from windsurfing to kitesurfing, and they try to meet every year to pursue their passion. Fellow windsurfer Kip Sides ’83 MBA could not make the trip this year. In the photo, the three wear soccer jerseys that Rod provided last year during their trip to Jericoacoara to support Brazil in the World Cup qualifying game.

1983-FT

Jean Burns Pudlo

Jean has spent many years in Greensboro, North Carolina. She founded a nonprofit literacy agency in the early ’90s and then founded a nonprofit consulting practice where she served five stints as interim executive director. “I’m winding down now, doing coaching and small projects,” she says. “With Ron now retired from his pediatric practice, we travel in our camper van, kayak and enjoy our more flexible time.” They enjoy yoga, tennis, gardening, skiing and volunteering as well. “Three grown children in D.C., Asheville and San Diego and two grandkids also keep us on the go!”

1984-FT

Andrew Beran

“I’ve started my third career,” writes Andrew. “The first was as an executive with Intel. The second was as an entrepreneur and small-business owner. Now, after completing my doctorate, I’m a professor and committee chair for doctoral students. I’m enjoying working with students on their research and guiding them through the dissertation process. I’m also spending a lot of time with the pro-Israel community during these difficult times. Still happily living in Phoenix and enjoying family — especially our four grandchildren ranging from 2 to 9. Never a dull moment.”

1984-FT

David Lynn

David continues to lead a small consulting firm providing specialized analysis and litigation defense to the boards of nine leading mutual fund complexes. His excellent staff allows him ample time off to enjoy winters in Sanibel, Florida; summers in Connecticut; and self-guided biking trips overseas. David is looking to connect with classmates in the Sarasota-Naples corridor.

1985-FT

Bryan Bennett

Bryan was the keynote speaker at the 2023 Annual Northwestern School of Professional Studies (SPS) Symposium in October 2023. His presentation, “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Your Healthcare,” was well received by the students, alumni, faculty and administrators in attendance. Bryan has been on the SPS faculty since 2013, teaching courses in marketing and analytics.

1985-FT

Dennis Canfield

Dennis and Anne recently welcomed their first grandchild. Dennis also celebrated his 35th anniversary with Northwestern Mutual with his best year yet, advising clients regarding life, long-term disability and long-term-care insurance planning.

1985-FT

Leslie Glick Goldberg

After 35 years in New Jersey, Leslie sold her home and moved to Franklin, Tennessee (right outside of Nashville), to be closer to her son, daughter-in-law and first grandchild, Monroe. She also left her job on Dec. 15, 2023, after 23 years with the same company, when the company was bought by a private equity firm. Not quite ready for full retirement, she is currently looking for a part-time gig.

1985-FT

Spyros Kapsalis

Spyros ’81, ’85 MBA is looking forward to seeing his classmates from the class of 1985 in September in the Netherlands. The 40-year reunion of students from Kellogg and others who were in the 1984 exchange program will be held in Delft. The group is seeking Bruce Boissonnault ’85 MBA to tell him about the reunion and were saddened to learn of the passing of their dear friend Tom Horan ’85 MBA.

1986-FT

John and Karen Coons

John and Karen are enjoying retirement in their home in Chicago’s East Lakeview neighborhood as well as the growth of their two adult children. They love travel and recently returned from celebrating Karen’s father’s 100th birthday with him in his birthplace, Kona, Hawaii. They will travel again soon to visit Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, and later this year to Panama, Argentina, Chile and Easter Island. All good!

1986-FT

Spencer Disher

Spencer continues his dedication to volunteer work, recently taking on the chair position at Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region. His commitment extends beyond local borders, from building homes in El Salvador to making a significant impact closer to home. Most recently, he worked on the Carter Work Project, a weeklong effort to build 27 homes, with eight families receiving keys to their new homes.

1986-FT

Thomas Loeffler

After 25 years in Boston, Tom and his wife, Betsy, are enjoying the beautiful climate of North Carolina. Tom retired as deputy treasurer of Citizens Financial Group, a large regional bank, in May 2020, and keeps busy volunteering at the USO and at a local golf course.

1986-E&W

Pankaj Shah

After 38 years in oil, gas and petrochemicals, Pankaj retired from Honeywell UOP as senior director. He has been married to Sonal for 42 years, and he is the proud father of two kids. His son, Sahil, is a Blackstone banker. Sahil and his wife, wealth adviser Brigitta Gerber, are parents to 4-month-old Julian. Pankaj's daughter, Amisha, and her spouse, Chris Seneca, work for the U.S. State Department and are parents to 18-month-old Jaiden. Pankaj says life is good, and he is active with the Kellogg Dean’s Leadership Circle, the Chicago Council and the Chicago Architecture Society and scholarship initiatives. He also enjoys traveling and serves as a mentor for students at Kellogg, Ohio State and the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai.

1987-FT

Doug Milliken

Doug recently left Clorox after 35 years in the marketing organization. He was most recently VP of marketing transformation, leading Clorox’s digital transformation journey. He has since launched Creamer & Milliken, a boutique consultancy focused on helping companies build competitive advantage through culture. Since leaving Kellogg, he and his wife, Jennifer, have lived in the San Francisco Bay area with their three kids.

1987-E&W

Amy Sanders

Amy represented the United States as part of the delegation to the World Radiocommunications Conference 2023. This treaty-making conference under the United Nations International Telecommunications Union determines the use of radiocommunications spectrum around the globe. Amy works for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. She served as U.S. spokesperson on certain topics and chaired one of the groups at the Radiocommunications Assembly 2023, which preceded the conference.

1989-E&W

Darren Gilbert

Darren ’83, ’89 MBA was recently named director of business development for Covvalent, a specialty chemicals company that specializes in B2B cross-border trade.

1989-E&W

Jim Scherr

Jim relocated to the Dallas-Fort Worth area last year after spending 31 years in Colorado Springs. Following a successful stint as the CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee, Jim now serves as the CEO of World Lacrosse, overseeing the successful effort to include lacrosse in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Jim and his brother Bill were honored recently with the Adrienne Arsht Leadership Award upon the 10th anniversary of the reinstatement of wrestling in the Olympic Games for their work on that cause.

1990-FT

Andy Cohen

After a good run at various tech startups, Andy started a new career as a venture capitalist and joined a firm called WiL with offices in Palo Alto and Tokyo. “I’m learning a lot being on the other side of the table, and it’s been fun to renew my interest in Asia,” says Andy. “In other news, my daughter Carly is starting at Kellogg this fall!”

1990-FT

Gaetano Mastropasqua

Says Gaetano, “I just started a great new chapter running the company of Cesar Millan, aka The Dog Whisperer.” Gaetano and his wife, Donna, have four amazing kids and moved to Los Angeles in 1997. He is in touch with classmates Andrew and Amy Larson, Peter Franz and Dave Henderson.

1990-FT

Timothy Staub

Tim has retired after nearly 38 years in senior executive roles in industrial biotechnology to complete his PhD in leadership and social change at Antioch University. Tim and his wife, Susan, are planning a move to Venice, Florida, where he will work on climate adaptation and migration reform, not pickleball.

1991-PHD

Sonya Grier

Sonya ’87, ’91 MBA, ’96 PhD is a professor at American University’s Kogod School of Business. She has been formally installed as the Arlene R. and Robert P. Kogod Eminent Scholar Chair in Marketing, a distinction that honors her contributions to the fields of both marketing and business. Sonya will continue her critical research on the relationship between race and the marketplace — work she started as an MBA student at Kellogg.

1991-FT

Christine Mason

Rosebud Woman, the intimate wellness company Christine ’88, ’91 MBA founded in 2018, is thriving and recently opened a distribution center in Connecticut. Christine’s podcast on love and liberation, “The Rose Woman,” ranks in the top 5% worldwide. In 2023, she launched Radiant Farms, a line of gentle psychoactives. Her ninth book, “Mantra, Tantra and Ayahuasca: Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll in Search of the Sacred,” will be released in November. She splits her time between her eco-village project, Sundari Gardens in Hawaii; Mill Valley, California; and visiting her kids in Montana, California and New York.

1992-E&W

David Kirshenbaum

David ’86 ’92 MBA, founder of virtual merchant bank MeadeCo, has launched a new business — Meade Connect Direct. MCD is a virtual lead generation/business development platform dedicated to helping companies increase sales through the productive and connected MCD network. MCD’s first client is Bonfire Women, a leadership development organization that has roots in Kellogg. In addition, David recently launched his second Tiger 21 group in Chicago as the peer membership organization continues its worldwide growth.

1992-FT

Phil Warren

Phil is president of Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center, which serves the homeless and formerly incarcerated on Chicago’s West Side. The organization offers free, walk-in behavioral health services for substance use disorders. He says those interested in supporting these vulnerable and disenfranchised populations can contact him at Pwarren@anb.today.

1993-FT

Betty Andrikopoulos

Betty is an executive managing director at Willow Street, a Jackson, Wyoming-based trust and fiduciary services firm. Willow Street works with over 200 ultra-high-net-worth families across the globe and is an independent sister company to Pathstone, a U.S. multifamily office that oversees more than $100 billion in assets.

1993-FT

Terry (Tanguay) Steele

Terry recently left her long-time position as managing partner of a medical education company and pivoted to consulting. She enjoys meeting new clients and helping them achieve their goals. With more flexibility in her schedule, she says she is having a ton of fun — traveling with family and friends, writing, reading, working out and watching movies. She continues to raise awareness about human trafficking and encourages everyone to learn more about it by visiting polarisproject.org.

1995-FT

James Gardner

James is now teaching graduate students in digital media and marketing at Boston University and Northeastern University. His assignments are challenging, there’s a lot of assigned pre-reading and James often cold calls his students. Does it sound like a Kellogg-type experience? It should!

1996-CERT

Mike Doyle

“After 40 years in the futures and derivatives industry in Chicago, I am retiring,” writes Mike. “My last 10 years were spent as a managing director at the CME Group running the global infrastructure and operations organization. While retirement is bittersweet, I have moved on to board adviser work along with continued mentoring and volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity and OpenBooks.org.”

1996-FT

Rekha Hemrajani

Rekha recently caught up with classmates Kim Aldrich and Jennifer Yun. “It was such a joyful time reminiscing,” she writes in to say. “While we graduated from Kellogg 28 years ago, the conversation flowed like it was yesterday!”

1996-FT

Rob Herman

Rob writes in to say that he and classmates Daniel Bryant and Ken Brodkowitz recently joined forces to build a differentiated, next-gen multifamily office. Daniel will oversee the multifamily office effort, working alongside Rob and Ken, as leadership of the 4100 Group Financial Services (4100FS), a holding company that owns stakes in registered investment advisers and complementary services companies. 4100FS owns Gries Financial Partners, an RIA founded in 1978, where Rob and Ken are CEO and CIO respectively. Working together has been years in the making!

1996-E&W

Andrew Pines

Andrew is founder and president of Cosmodog Ltd., an arcade game development company and publisher of the latest version of the popular Bowl-O-Rama video bowling game. Jukebox Bowl-O-Rama, manufactured in the U.S. by Bandai Namco Amusement America, was featured at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas alongside other Cosmodog titles, including Pac-Man Pixel Bash. Andrew founded Cosmodog in 1997 shortly after earning his MBA from Kellogg.

1996-FT

Benoit Rossignol

Benoit is happy to celebrate 24 years of strategic advisory and M&A in Greater China and Japan at Shiyao Investment Ltd, which he founded in 2000. “I have been fortunate to participate modestly in the amazing development of agriculture and food systems in PRC. What a change between 1996, when I joined the World Bank in Beijing after Kellogg, and 2024!” he writes. “I welcome any Kellogg alumni active in agriculture, food and beverage, and related activities to reach out. If you come through Shanghai, please let me know!”

1996-FT

Cécile Tiano

After working for 10 years as an independent business transformation consultant in the U.K., the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Ghana, Singapore, China, India and the Caribbean, Cécile is excited to report that she has switched gears and launched a business and life coaching practice a few years ago. As a new digital nomad and 9 to 5 escapee, she can currently be found with her bright yellow suitcase on an island in Thailand. In other news, she catches up regularly with Christopher Iwata ’96 MBA when they both find themselves in Paris to visit family.

1997-FT

Stephanie (Gordon) Farsht

Stephanie has jumped into entrepreneurship and launched Small Wonder (smallwonder.world), which offers a salon-grade powder concentrate that activates in the shower into creamy, luxurious hair care. In addition to its efficacy, the product lets you bid adieu to the wasteful practice of filling single-use plastic bottles with heavy, watery goop. This idea was born when Stephanie was teaching at Kellogg with one of her co-founders, Paul Earle ’99 MBA. A third co-founder joined, and they were off and running. The company is based in Chicago.

1997-FT

Manfred Ferber

Manfred is a managing partner for Munich-based finance advisory firm Ferber & Co and the co-president of the Kellogg Alumni Club of Germany. The club recently held a reception in Berlin, coinciding with students and faculty visiting as part of the Global Initiatives in Management course. Learn more about the club here.

1997-E&W

Erik Britt-Webb

Erik ’91, ’97 MBA has lived in Newton, Massachusetts, since 1997 with his wife and three kids (William & Mary ’23, Northwestern ’25, high school ’27). Since 2017, he has led strategic alliances/channels for several cybersecurity software companies. In his spare time, he’s been incubating GreatAlbum.net, a digital-media organizing app that helps groups capture, organize, celebrate and relive their shared experiences. Since June 2023, he’s also been fractional CIO/CFO for PetCompanionsInc.com, which his wife purchased and now runs. Woof!

1997-FT

Charlotte Vere

After nearly five years as a minister with the Department for Transport in the U.K. government covering roads, buses, aviation, maritime and much else, Charlotte was “reshuffled” (an unusual event in the U.K. political system when the prime minister moves his ministers around!). She has now moved to His Majesty’s Treasury, where she covers economic security, economic crime and green finance. Her role includes not only domestic policy but also close work with international partners, particularly the U.S. Treasury.

1998-E&W

Jilana Dellal

Jilana ’79, ’98 MBA retired from a 24-year career at AT&T in July 2022. Recently she has been working as a contractor for telecom corporations, traveling, singing in a community choir, and volunteering with her synagogue and with a tutoring and mentoring organization for elementary and high school students. Jilana has also been taking classes at Montclair State University to fill in areas of her education that she didn’t have a chance to complete earlier.

1999-FT

Kimberly Fields

Kimberly has been named the next president and CEO of ATI, a manufacturer of aviation and aerospace components, and she has joined its board. She has served as the company’s COO since 2022 and became president in July 2023.

1999-FT

Eila (DeBard) Johnson

Eila has re-entered the working world as an application reader for Williams College, QuestBridge and the Gates Scholarship, where she also serves as an interviewer for last-dollar scholarships.

1999-FT

Gary Krieger

Gary writes, “2023 was a year of change in the Krieger family as I got married for the second time to Carolina Nader on Aug. 4, 2023, in Asheville, North Carolina. Although our residence is in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Asheville has become our place to celebrate family events as we built a home there, and we hope to hear from all Kellogg family in the area. We are almost empty nesters as Charlotte is a junior at Oklahoma in the musical theater school, and Ben is a sophomore at NYU at Tisch in the Clive Davis School of Music. AJ is a sophomore in high school.”

2000-FT

Joe DeLuca

Joe has started a new role with Hubbell Inc. as vice president and general manager of the electric utility automation business unit. In this role, he leads the development and manufacturing of products and technologies that support grid resilience and stability through the growth of electric vehicles, renewable energy, and impacts of climate change. Joe and his wife, Alison, are also excited that their daughter is starting her college journey at Ohio State University!

2000-E&W

Darin Prado

After a 19-year career with PepsiCo, Darin joined Stryker Corporation as the senior director of IT project management for global SAP deployment. Darin resides in Geneva, Illinois, with his wife and daughter.

2000-FT

Niraj Singh

After more than 25 years with Fortune 500 companies, Niraj has joined Nile, an early-stage startup in San Jose, California, as chief business development officer. Nile has a first-of-its-kind offering for wired and wireless LAN as a cloud service that encompasses cloud-native software delivery, AI and automation, zero trust networking security, and custom-built wired, wireless and sensor network infrastructure.

2000-E&W

Andy Young

Andy moved to Malta late last year to enjoy the sunshine and laid-back lifestyle of the Mediterranean.

2001-FT

Andrew Malkin

Andrew writes, “We had two Kellogg connections in one week: Stewart Barry’s daughter not only attends the same boarding school but has our daughter as her big sister in the dorm! James Lynch and I caught up over local beers and cocktails in downtown Dallas.”

2002-E&W

Cindy Axne

Cindy was named senior adviser for rural delivery, engagement, and prosperity for the Biden-Harris administration. She and her husband, John, moved to Washington, D.C., in August 2023. When Cindy’s not traveling for work, she and John (and their dog, Addie) explore local food at Eastern Market and find new places to hike in nearby states.

2002-E&W

Beth Ida Stern

Beth is the chief development officer for the Selfhelp Home in Chicago. Founded in 1938 to aid Holocaust survivors who landed in the city, Selfhelp is now the only Jewish comprehensive care community for seniors in the state of Illinois.

2003-FT

Ryan Ross

Ryan is vice president at Meadows & Ohly, a full-service healthcare real estate firm focused on creative development deals with health systems and physician groups. He also serves as a strategic adviser to providers, payers, healthcare technology companies, and universities. He resides in Sarasota, Florida, and Carmel, Indiana, with his wife and children, ages 13 and 9.

2003-FT

Andre Winarto

After an 11-year innings, Andre finally left EY in early 2024 to start a new adventure. Having traveled around the world nearly 50 times in the past decade for work and leadership strategy workshops, he’s looking forward to being grounded for a while!

2004-E&W

Karen DeToro

Karen was named president of the Worksite Division for CNO Financial Group Inc., effective January 1, 2024. Karen previously served as CNO’s chief actuary beginning in 2019. Prior to joining CNO, she held roles of increasing seniority at Ernst & Young, Allstate, Deloitte, and New York Life. A fellow of the Society of Actuaries, Karen holds a BA from Butler University.

2006-E&W

Brett Kurland

Brett ’98, ’06 MBA was named an assistant dean at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in December 2021. He oversees the school’s signature capstone professional immersion programs, leads faculty associate training, and helps lead the master’s degree program in sports journalism. A professor of practice at Cronkite since 2014, Brett is also the lead instructor for the school’s foundational, intensive first-semester multimedia skills class for all immersion graduate students.

2006-FT

Sonita Lontoh

Sonita was named one of the Most Influential Women in Business by the San Francisco Business Times. She was also featured in Manufacturing Today magazine’s inaugural Women in Manufacturing section as a trailblazer in tech and manufacturing. Sonita sits on the boards of battery service company Sunrun and workforce solutions company TrueBlue, and is an adviser to VC firm Sway Ventures.

2006-E&W

Carrie Merritt

In March, Carrie was promoted to director of internship and new-career development at financial-planning firm Northwestern Mutual. In her new role, she continues to lead the firm’s college program while guiding its career development programs for the next generation of financial professionals. She lives in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood with her husband and two sons.

2007-FT

Deepak Jha

Deepak stands stronger today, having started two companies amid the pandemic. His journey with bipolar disorder has been challenging, yet he continually navigates the hurdles. If you’re interested in supporting mental health awareness, he encourages you to reach out. Your understanding can significantly contribute to dismantling stigmas. Each conversation, shared story, and open mind brings us closer to a more empathetic world. Deepak believes that, together, we can shift societal attitudes toward mental health.

2007-FT

Shawn Keenan

Shawn and his colleagues founded Navagant, a lower-middle-market investment bank focused exclusively on sell-side M&A for the education and training industry. The team successfully capped off its first year by winning M&A Advisor’s 2023 Deal of the Year Award for the sale of a continuing education and test prep company for healthcare professionals.

2007-FT

Todd Melby

Todd, Leslie (his wife of 15 years), and their three boys continue to love their home in North Carolina. Todd recently celebrated five years as the president of Leadership Edge, a nonprofit, Christian leadership development organization. He says moving from a for-profit biotech startup to a small nonprofit has been a great career challenge and a wonderful fit for this season of life.

2008-E&W

Vikas Murthy

Vikas was recently promoted to vice president, client solutions at Asurion, the global leader in device protection with over 300 million customers. In this role, he leads a team in driving product strategy and innovation for large North American clients. Vikas lives in the Nashville area and loves traveling with his wife, Stephanie, and their children, Terrick (15), Alexander (12), and Chloe (9). He’s always up for helping the Kellogg community, so feel free to reach out.

2008-FT

Enrique Nehme

Enrique writes in to say he has “woven Kellogg into every aspect of his life, from his upbringing in Mexico to planting family and career roots in Houston, Texas.” He credits Kellogg with giving him a supportive community of friends across Evanston, Mexico City, and Houston, who helped him foster a corporate career with various general manager roles at retail giants like GAP, Nike, Inditex, and Charming Charlie. Last year, Enrique ventured into entrepreneurship as a new partner and CEO of Texan Western apparel retailer Pinto Ranch. Under Enrique’s leadership, Pinto Ranch is reaching beyond its traditional audience to fashion aficionados who value a dash of Western elegance in their wardrobe.

2009-FT

Prateek Aneja

Prateek moved to Scarsdale, New York, with both kids in tow. He writes, “Left traditional private equity and made a first investment in a large homecare company in Nebraska! Looking forward to this new adventure.”

2009-CERT

Belinda Fernando

Belinda is the head of audit practice at Reyes Tacandong & Co., a Philippines-based accounting firm. She says, “After all the changes and challenges that we embraced during the pandemic, we now choose to be optimistic about the future and maintain a high tolerance to uncertainty. Instead of getting overwhelmed, we focus on giving the best service approach to the changing needs of our clients and guiding our people to easily adapt to the many developments in our practice and the evolving use of technology.”

2010-E&W

Sumita Ghosh

Sumi, who leads the Reynolds Wrap and Bakeware business at Reynolds Consumer Products, received an innovation award for the successful launch of Hefty Fabuloso products. Prior to joining Reynolds, she led TruSens Air Purifiers online during the pandemic with ACCO Brands. Sumi says that from Kimberly-Clark to PepsiCo, the Kellogg network has been a source of inspiration and council with mentors and mentees alike. She finds peace through yoga and with her husband and two children.

2011-E&W

Yoni Danieli

Yoni was promoted to chief commercialization officer at ADB Companies, a PE-backed platform in telecom and utility infrastructure services. He leads M&A, executing the company’s buy-and-build growth plan. The firm recently acquired a business (its seventh add-on) in Southern California. “We are now ‘coast to coast’ and a leading provider of BEAD construction services, delivering broadband to unserved and underserved communities across the United States,” he writes.

2011-E&W

Aaron Davidson

In May 2023, Aaron ’04, ’11 MBA took on the role of CEO at Relay Platform, a broker desktop insurance software company. Aaron lives with his family in Denver, where he enjoys the beautiful weather and spending time outdoors whenever he can.

2011-FT

Scott Kaplan

Amazon Sports has announced that the documentary film “Go Deep” — produced by Scott and his new production company, Cover Story — will be premiering after Thursday Night Football this year. His last film, “Queenmaker,” was highly successful in its spring premiere on Hulu last year and was a top trending film for six weeks.

2011-E&W

Shyam Kashyap

Shyam “Kash” and his wife, Suman, are thrilled to announce the birth of their first child, a daughter named Anjali, in July 2022. Kash is transitioning into his new role as vice president of sales and operations planning for Pladis Americas in New York, where he leads the integration of company strategy with cross-functional operations to achieve organizational goals.

2011-FT

Kevin Neal

Kevin and Laura live in Delray Beach, Florida, and welcomed their second set of twins in November 2023. They now have two sets of twin sons under the age of two. The founder of Neal Development, Kevin is developing a 10-story, 70-unit apartment project in Hollywood, Florida.

2011-FT

Steve Robinson

Steve joined Originator Studios last year to launch PAW Patrol Academy, a preschool app that became the No. 1 Kids App in the U.S., U.K. and Canada at launch and earned Google Play’s Best of 2023 App for Families award.

2011-FT

Lorena Sánchez Garcia

Lorena ’11 MS, ’11 MBA is the COO of Erudit.ai, a maker of AI-powered software for human resources professionals. She writes, “2023 was an exciting year since Erudit fundraised a series A. Our startup helps companies measure employee pulse in real time without surveys.”

2012-FT

Peter Chmielewski

Peter married Emily Jensen in Park City, Utah, on October 14, 2023. More than 30 fellow 2012 graduates and their plus-ones were able to attend and celebrate!

2012-FT

Paulino Moreno

In November 2023, Hong Kong-based fashion retailer 6ixty8ight officially opened its first store in Indonesia through a licensing agreement. It has been a big accomplishment for the company and for Paulino, regional managing director for Southeast Asia. “Indonesia is a young, big, growing market, but also very difficult to enter, hence the satisfaction of 6ixty8ight’s team,” he writes.

2012-FT

Chris Reynolds

Chris and his wife, Kat, a Chicago Booth graduate, celebrated the birth of their first child, Alice Eleanor Reynolds, on Dec. 12, 2023. Where possible, Dad selected the purple versus maroon option for every registry gift.

2014-FT

Nicole Christopoulos

In November 2023, eight Kellogg alumni and JVs from the class of 2014 met up in New Orleans for a kids-free gathering to enjoy great food, live music and friendship.

2014-FT

Mike Schroder

Mike has recently launched Future Fans, a brand that re-imagines how young kids learn sports through stories and parallel games. The company’s first product, Future Fans Football, is for 4- to 10-year-olds and football-loving adults. It has won two national toy awards.

2016-FT

Blake Halperin

Blake ’16 MBA, ’16 JD was recently promoted to partner at Proskauer, a leading international law firm. He works in the firm’s Boca Raton practice and is a partner in the Private Funds Group.

2017-FT

Taylor Clagett

Taylor appeared as a contestant on “Jeopardy!” last summer. A marketing director who lives in Maryland, he donated his two-day winnings of $31,800 to the Taylor Anne Foundation, which funds pediatric-cancer research in honor of his late niece. In February, Taylor had the honor of returning to the “Jeopardy!” stage for the Champions Wildcard Tournament, which features winners from the previous season.

2017-FT

Sahoon Kim

Sahoon will join the University of Hawaii at Manoa this fall as an assistant professor in marketing.

2018-FT

Alayna (Soehlke) Beidler

Alayna ’13, ’18 MBA and Ben Beidler ’18 MBA welcomed a son, Tobias Grant, on Aug. 6, 2023. Both started new roles after their parental leave — Ben as VP of product for Ethermed, an early-stage healthcare AI company, and Alayna as executive director and chief of staff to Labcorp’s chairman and CEO. The Beidlers reside in Raleigh, North Carolina, and look forward to connecting with other alums in the area.

2019-E&W

Hannah Keogh Gates

Hannah is the director of business development at Novos, a consumer longevity biotech startup focused on empowering people to live longer, healthier lives by translating the latest scientific advances into accessible products and achievable solutions. Hannah and her husband, Teddy, live in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood and recently welcomed their first child, Beatrice.

2020-E&W

Olivia Roth

Olivia and her husband, BJ, welcomed their first child, Wilona “Willa” James Roth, on Dec. 23, 2023.

2020-E&W

Pranam Shetty

Pranam and his family experienced a significant year in 2023. They relocated from Minneapolis to San Diego, traversing nearly 2,000 miles across seven states in two cars with their parents and children. The trip was filled with enjoyment, and they are now settled in their new home. Professionally, Pranam continues to build and grow his bootstrapped business focusing on health mobile apps, marking a milestone by hiring his first two full-time employees.

2021-CERT

Andres Balcazar

Andres ’21 MS, MBA, chief of staff at technology company Lido and the proud recipient of a Kellogg Managerial Analytics Certificate, was recently featured in a leading entrepreneurship and VC newsletter. “It got me thinking about the people in my life who have helped me get this far. Northwestern and the Kellogg community are at the top of that list,” he writes. “I want to thank the Kellogg family for all the work they do preparing students to achieve their goals. I can say with full conviction that I would not be where I am without their support. Excited to pay it forward and help students and alumni achieve their career aspirations.”

2021-FT

Jessa Kamerow

Jessa and her wife, Anna, welcomed their first child, Gabriel Deutsch Kamerow, into the world in July 2023. He is the light of their lives!

2021-CERT

Willyn Villarica

Willyn recently became the first Filipino certified member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers, an international appraisal organization specializing in jewelry and watches.

2021-E&W

Emily (Steingart) Sims

Emily ’14, ’21 MBA and Nick Sims ’21 MBA got married in New Hampshire on Sept. 29, 2023. They met in October 2018 at a back-to-school event for Evening & Weekend MBA students and had been dating ever since. “At our wedding, we were joined by fellow Kellogg family and friends: Kevin Leckey ’21 MBA, Brett Sims ’11 MBA, Nancy Sims (a former Kellogg administrator), Allison Norman ’20 MBA, and Anna Steiger ’21 MBA.

2023-E&W

Sherif Badawy

After Kellogg, Sherif ’16 MS, ’23 MBA pursued his love for food and his passion for health and fitness. Believing that “healthy baklava is possible,” he toured the Middle East until he found it. In December 2023, Sherif launched Dar Baklava, which makes healthy baklava bites with minimal syrup and premium nuts. He invites alumni to learn more on the company’s website (darbaklava.com) and on Instagram at @darbaklava. He sends a huge thank-you to William Glastris ’82, ’84 MBA; Kevin McTigue ’05 MBA, Emily Petersen ’21 MBA, Alexa Anderson ’22 MBA, Aly Schreck ’23 MBA, Pauline Kulka ’23 MBA and Professor Julie Hennessy.

2023-E&W

Jake Bewley

Jake and his wife, Liz, welcomed their first child, Ethan Jacob Bewley, on Sept. 28, 2023. Ethan and mom are both happy and healthy!

2023-FT

Brendan McCreary

Brendan and Rheana McCreary welcomed their first child, Thomas, into the world on Aug. 29, 2023, in Yokosuka, Japan.

EMBA Cohort 3

Sandy Murdock

After a 50-plus-year career in aviation (including at the FAA, law firms and associations), Sandy technically retired. He now writes a blog on aviation safety, finding fulfillment in explaining what really happens in this high-visibility, technical, and regulatory/legal arena. Additionally, he has written a historic novel about Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806), a self-taught naturalist and astronomer and the son of freed slaves.

EMBA Cohort 24

Kerry Cunnion

Kerry operates the historic Rosemont Inn on the shores of Lake Michigan in Douglas, Michigan. He also serves as the vice chair of the Saugatuck/Douglas Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, a destination-marketing organization tasked with building year-round tourism on the “Art Coast of Michigan.” He encourages all alumni and friends to come and visit this unique area.

EMBA Cohort 31

Dave Lumley

Dave is the retired CEO of Spectrum Brands and a board director for Valspar, Husqvarna, and SPB. He recently published a business guide for managers titled “It’s Impossible to Commit to Maybe,” which has been named a bestseller by the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Barnes & Noble e-books, and Amazon. Dave lives in Santa Barbara, California, and provides business turnaround and leadership direction via Dolphin Consulting. He also speaks at CEO conferences and PE meetings. He can be reached at davidrlumley.com.

EMBA Cohort 32

Tetsuya Sogo

Tetsuya resigned from the position of CFO at NTN Corporation as of March 2023 after 41 years of service, beginning as an industrial engineer in 1982. He concentrated on establishing a global learning organization under autonomous FP&A functions, particularly during his last 12 years as a corporate executive officer. He did not remain at NTN as an adviser and has embarked on a new life in Osaka, Japan.

EMBA Cohort 34

Margaret “Meg” McDonald

Meg ’86 MM, ’96 MBA retired from Northwestern in 2018, after more than 30 years of service, to move with her Australian husband and son to Sydney. While at Northwestern, she was AVP for research and then senior director of the Buffett Institute for Global Studies. After relocating, she trained in native wildlife care and is now a licensed volunteer carer with Sydney Wildlife Rescue. She coordinates all new-member training for SWR and engages in fundraising and community outreach.

EMBA Cohort 35

Nick Cray

Nick has finally retired, a year after his first attempt. He stays engaged by tutoring, reading, volunteering, and networking on LinkedIn, when he’s not traveling with his wife or tackling never-ending house projects. He extends warm wishes and an open invitation for a coffee or beer near his Milwaukee-area home. Go ’Cats!

EMBA Cohort 52

Mary Olson-Menzel

Mary is an executive coach and leads MVP Executive Development (mvpexec.com). Her first book, “What Lights You Up? Illuminating Your Path and Taking the Next Big Step in Your Career,” will be published this fall. Mary’s expertise includes executive coaching, leadership, inspiring high-performing teams, retreat and offsite workshops, and more.

EMBA Cohort 56

Bruce Korman

Bruce is the founder of Titan Display and Packaging in Greeneville, Tennessee. Currently in its fourth year of operation, Titan employs 120 people and operates three shifts at a state-of-the-art, 170,000-square-foot facility. Titan is a leading manufacturer of high-end graphic packaging serving northeast Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

EMBA Cohort 69

Rodrigo Sierra

Rodrigo ’96, ’08 MBA has been certified in governance, risk, ESG, and more by the Latino Corporate Directors Association in preparation to serve effectively on corporate for-profit boards.

EMBA Cohort 82

Purvee Kondal

Purvee, a vice president for a global retailer, was named to Procurement Magazine’s list of the top 10 supplier diversity leaders in the industry.

EMBA Cohort 116

Ana Castillo Lanz

After a distinguished career at Coca-Cola with roles across the globe, Ana shifted to consulting, collaborating with colleagues on projects across new industries and specializing in C-suite marketing capabilities. She also launched a digital program in sustainable agile leadership. Accepted into the Board Leadership Institute by United Way, Gallagher, and Kellogg, Ana actively pursues nonprofit board service, always seeking to expand her capabilities and emphasizing her dedication to community impact and professional growth.

EMBA Cohort 118

Zarik Khan

Zarik marked the one-year anniversary of his weekly industry newsletter, Fintech Compliance Chronicles, which has more than 1,300 subscribers on LinkedIn and Substack. The newsletter demystifies the world of laws and regulations in the exploding fintech space, with a focus on consumer protection.

EMBA Cohort 124

Husein Attarwala

Skali Inc., an emergency-medicine-as-a-service platform founded by Husein, Dr. Vitaliy Poylin ’22 MBA, and Rick Adams ’22 MBA, won a $300,000 investment from Softeq Ventures at the 2023 Rice Business Plan Competition. Skali, which provides assistance for in-flight medical events, was founded in 2021, while the three founders were at Kellogg in the Executive MBA Program.

EMBA Cohort KH14

Olivier Berger

Olivier joined Ecolab in Dubai as corporate account leader in the Nalco Water Light division, covering India, the Middle East, and Africa.

EMBA Cohort KS06

Dave Frederickson

Dave recently completed his 11th year as EVP at Long View Systems, where he has grown the organization to more than $650 million and over 1,500 employees! “Loving how we are helping our clients through digital and AI transformation,” he writes. “On a personal note, my wife, Helen, and I are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary this summer, and our son Oscar is turning 17 and just got his first job as a ski instructor. I was also appointed to the board of trustees at the Ontario Science Center, and it’s been exciting times as we plan a major move. KS06 cohorts, let’s connect!”

EMBA Cohort KS12

Paul Sandberg

Completing an Executive MBA in 2014 provided Paul with the required tools to venture out on the entrepreneurial path. Paul is a founder of FDS Foundation Drilling Services, a specialized rental company for the construction industry. In 2022 FDS expanded to Tacoma, Washington, and in December 2023 expanded further with an additional facility near Allentown, Pennsylvania. Building teams to support the expansion is very rewarding for Paul, and he looks forward to recruiting Kellogg alumni.

EMBA Cohort KS20

Arun Sundararaman

Arun was part of the team that captured the first prize in the New Venture Design course and secured a cash prize of $5,000. The company, TheraSolutions Inc., connects parents of infants and toddlers with speech developmental issues to specialists and therapists. Arun was also elected alumni representative by his KS20 cohort. He has hosted many class and alumni networking events and serves on the board of the Kellogg Alumni Club of Atlanta.

EMBA Cohort KW05

Joseph Schrull

Joe started his own family-office advisory business in Gütersloh, Germany, after working for more than 25 years as a single- and multifamily officer in Germany and abroad. “If you are looking for a representative for your financial interests in Germany and Europe, I would love to hear from you,” he writes. “My new e-mail address is joe@schrull.com.”

EMBA Cohort KW07

Harald Graber

Harald has been invited to relocate to California’s Bay Area from Eindhoven’s headquarters in the Netherlands to further grow the expansion of EFFECT Photonics, a semiconductor company for the telecom/datacom market, as chief commercial officer. The global Kellogg network is helping him settle in, and he looks forward to connecting with alumni in San Francisco.