The College of Business features a diverse group of Distinguished Guest Speakers each year. Speakers connect with students, faculty, and staff by sharing knowledge and real-world business experiences. Explore some of the College's past guest speakers below.
Distinguished Guest Speakers
Apurva Baruah—Technology Manager, Revex Technologies Inc.
Apurva 23' is passionate about renewable and green energy. He worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at Michigan Tech while studying for his PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Apurva's area of study at the time was in wind turbine vortex dynamics and aero-elastic analyses of turbine blades. He continues his contribution to global decarbonization at Revex Technologies, a company focused on more efficient material extraction from mine resources.
Michael Cleveland—Retired VP and GM, Honeywell UOP
Michael 82' has been at UOP, which is headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois, for over thirty years. The firm is a unit of Honeywell International, and Michael is the global business director, accountable for about one-fifth of UOP’s revenues in the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. These days, he spends much of his time in Asia, a key growing market for UOP.
Brian S. Goldman—Senior Executive Vice President, Comerica Incorporated
Brian S. Goldman is Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer for Comerica Incorporated. He is a member of Comerica’s Management Executive Committee.
Goldman is responsible for overseeing risk on an enterprise-wide basis, including governance of all risk management operations at the company; integration of risk principles into strategic planning; leading the second line risk management function; and identification of emerging risks related to regulation, products, services, customer types and channels.
Prior to joining Comerica in December 2023, Goldman held numerous risk management roles at both Goldman Sachs and Citibank, most recently serving as Head of Operational Risk for the Institutional Clients Group (ICG) and Citibank NA (the primary US banking subsidiary of Citigroup). He spent 23 of his 26 years in leadership roles at Goldman Sachs where he was instrumental in establishing critical risk functions.
Goldman earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Rutgers University.
Gabrielle B Haskins—CEO, Project Executive LLC
Visionary and Creative with extensive international experience, she is a dedicated manager of human capital, focused on diversity, inclusion, and respect. Gabrielle is President, CEO of Project Executive LLC since 2009, a firm specialized in Organizational Project Management and Past-President, CEO of PMI-MCAC since 2017. She excels in project portfolio and program management, particularly in IT and manufacturing process integration. She works to integrate the principles of project management with industry standards, best business practices while managing the overall implementation of corporate Portfolio.
She was responsible for Transformation Delivery services at KPMG and previously to
Norma, OSRAM, Bosch-Home service division for Tiba in Americas since 2017. She is
proficient in strategic planning, governance development, analysis and performance
indexing, communication, and risk management. SME in development and revision of Standard
PMI(c) PMBOK© Standard of Risk Management©, Operational Project Management, OPM©.
Standard of program management©. She brings a decade of expertise in training and
creating several specialized curriculums in project management. She has a BSC in Food
Science and Technology from McGill University, (2) Master's Certificate in Project
Management, GWU, USA.
Gabrielle has served as the College of Business Advanced Project Management teams
PMP® Mentor for 7 years.
William J. Raduchel—Chairman/CEO, Ruckus Network
The students of the MIS 2000 classroom were visited by honorary Ph.D. recipient, Harvard graduate, CEO, and author William Raduchel. Throughout his career, William has held many titles. A few include Ruckus Network Chairman/CEO, Time Warner Inc. Executive Vice President/Chief Technology Officer, America Online Inc. Chief Technology Officer, Sun Microsystems Inc. Chief Strategy Officer/Chief Information Officer, Harvard University lecturer, and author of The Bleeding Edge. William used his extensive expertise to speak on the importance of digital transformation in today's world."
Claudette Stork Reid—Assistive Technology Consultant, Michigan Rehabilitation Services
Claudette Stork Reid is the Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) Assistive Technology Consultant with the Business Network Division (BND). As an Occupational Therapist with BND for 26 years, her professional interests focus on the use of assistive technology for vocational accommodations as well as ergonomics and organization skills development. In her new position she will be supporting the use of assistive technology by client and business customers through case consultation, training, and collaboration with the Michigan Assistive Technology Program (MATP) through the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition. Claudette earned a Bachelor of Science in occupational therapy from Wayne State University.
Alex Saari—Senior Applications System Engineer, University of Washington
Alex is a Michigan Tech graduate with a Bachelor's in Management Information Systems. With a varied career all in higher education serving Michigan Tech, Washington State University, and most recently the University of Washington, roles include data analyst, business systems analyst, senior report developer, and senior applications system engineer.
Jennifer Schoenherr—Mechanical Forensic Pathologist, Model e Division-Ford
Jennifer Schoenherr, '94, is a Michigan Tech graduate with a bachelor's degree in
Mechanical Engineering. Since graduating, Jennifer has worked in the automotive industry.
Starting with Chrysler right out of college, she went on to receive her Master's in
Engineering Management from Oakland University while still working for Chrysler. Six
years after starting at Chrysler, she left and began working for Ford, where she continues
to work today. She has been with Ford for 24 years and counting.
Today, she applies Six Sigma fundamentals in her work at Ford, where she holds the
title of Six Sigma Master Black Belt, the highest level achievable in the program.
Jennifer spoke in the OSM 4650 (Six Sigma Fundamentals) classroom about seven problem-solving
strategies.
Denny Socha—Senior Manager - Global Product Research, General Motors
Denny Socha is a marketing professional with over three decades of experience in the automotive industry. Much of his experience, which includes four years in Switzerland with the GM Europe marketing team, has supported Chevrolet with Brand and Advertising Research. He provided the customer insights behind such memorable campaigns as "An American Revolution," "Chevy Runs Deep," "Find New Roads," and "Real People/Not Actors." His efforts were recognized by the Advertising Research Foundation with the prestigious David Ogilvy Gold Award.
Denny is a member of the Advertising Research Foundation and the Association of National Advertisers. He has been married for 35 years to Kristi, and they have three children. Denny enjoys traveling with his family and snowboarding.
Mike VeCasey—Director - Global Launch Readiness, Methode Electronics, Inc.
Mike VeCasey has led the North American purchasing organization for a European-based automotive supplier, which included overseeing the logistics group. Mike and his company have successfully navigated the complex supply chain challenges of the post-pandemic years. Mike visited and spoke to the OSM 3150 classroom.
Jaxon Verhoff—Senior Marketing Specialist, Dow
Jaxon Verhoff is a Michigan Tech alumnus. Graduating in 2022 with a Bachelor's degree
in Business Marketing, Jaxon has since begun working at Dow. Starting as a Digital
Marketing Analyst intern, Jaxon is now a Senior Marketing Specialist at the company.
Jaxon spoke in the MKT 4100 class, discussing the Dow technical sales concept, internships,
and sales as a professional career.
Jeff Voorhees—Vice President, Bread Financial
With an MBA and a doctorate in a STEM field, Jeff Voorhees has built a career leveraging
AI and analytics to drive business growth. He has developed enterprise capabilities
and patented technologies that guide operational execution and shape go-to-market
strategies for several Fortune 500 companies.
Currently, Voorhees is the Vice President of Artificial Intelligence at Bread Financial,
where he leads the AI Center of Excellence—an industry-defining organization that
harnesses machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), natural language processing (NLP),
and generative AI (GenAI) initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, profitability,
and cost reduction.
Voorhees is a people-oriented leader who thrives at the intersection of business and
technology. He views data and technology not just as tools for delivery, but as engines
for growth.
Frank Wardynski—Ruminant Educator, Michigan State University Extension Ofice
Mr. Wardynski is an expert in the cattle industry from his work for Michigan State University and his private ownership of his own farm. He supports the local community of the UP by assessing and assisting local farmers in growth of their cattle operations. He leads talks on better farming practices and ways to grow their herds.
Paul Wetzel—Principal, ProductWerks Consulting
Paul is a proven B2B/B2B2C Product Leader for companies committed to a product model. Paul creates a compelling product vision, drives product innovation, and fosters a collaborative team environment. Paul has managed the full product lifecycle for startups to global SaaS companies. He has led the creation of compelling consumer and staff experiences in Financial Services, Travel, Healthcare, and eCommerce. Paul received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota.
Andrea Collins—Managing Director and West Michigan Practice Leader - State & Local Tax Consulting, BDO USA
The Michigan Tech Kappa Sigma Iota club welcomed Andrea Collins to speak on behalf of BDO. Andrea graduated from DePauw University in 1993 with a Bachelor's in Economics. She went on to earn an MBA from the University of Michigan in 1997. She now works at BDO USA, a tax consulting firm, as the Managing Director. With more than 18 years at the company and over 20 years in the profession, Andrea spoke about career possibilities within the firm.
Connor Magnuson—Professor of Economics, Grand Canyon University
Connor Magnuson received his undergraduate degree in Economics with a minor in Math and Political Science from the University of New Mexico and earned his doctorate in Economics from the University of Wyoming. His current research agenda focuses on morality and gender discrimination in wage negotiations. Connor visited the Conflict Economics classroom and spoke about behavioral and experimental economics.
Dan Schudlich—Senior Auditor, UHY LLP
Dan Schudlich is a COB alumnus who graduated with a Master of Science in Accounting, as well as dual undergraduate degrees in Accounting and MIS. As a student, Dan completed the APMP and internships with Bemis and Oppenheimer. Dan is a Certified Public Accountant and is currently employed with UHY LLP. Dan's message to students was to make the most of every career and educational opportunity.
Erika Carne—Project Engineer, Milwaukee Tool
Erika Carne has worked for Milwaukee Tool since 2020. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2020 and earned her MBA in 2022. While visiting the Six Sigma Fundamentals classroom, she discussed the applications of the 5S methodology used in reengineering work at Milwaukee's Power Tool production facility.
Jeff Voorhees—VP of AI, Bread Financial.
Jeff Voorhees has built a career using AI and analytics to grow companies. He has developed enterprise capabilities and patented technologies that guide operational execution and shape go-to-market strategies for several Fortune 500 companies. Currently, Jeff serves as the Vice President of Artificial Intelligence at Bread Financial, where he leads the AI Center of Excellence. A multi-year effort has culminated in an industry-defining organization that harnesses ML, DL, NLP, and GenAI initiatives to drive operational efficiency, profitability, and cost reduction. Jeff is a people-oriented leader who thrives at the intersection of business and technology. He views data and technology not just as tools for delivery but as engines for growth.
Julia Petersen—Keweenaw Peninsula Project Manager, The Nature Conservancy
Julia Petersen joined The Nature Conservancy in May 2023 as a project manager in the Keweenaw Peninsula. In this role, she directs land use and land management planning, science, and community relations for TNC's long-standing preserves and recent acquisitions in the Keweenaw Peninsula. She serves as the principal contact for government agencies, conservation organizations, local businesses, foundations, and community members in their collective endeavor to develop a rural prosperity plan that balances conservation values, cultural resources, land use, land management needs, and the interests of the Keweenaw community. She spoke to the Natural Resource Economics class about the applications of natural resource economics and her role as manager of TNC's Heartlands project.
Justine Eatherton—Continuous Improvement Manager, Grande Cheese Company
Justine Eatherton '16 is a Michigan Tech alumna with a Bachelor's degree in Engineering Management. She has worked at Grande Cheese Company for more than eight years and currently serves as a Continuous Improvement Manager. Justine visited the Six Sigma Fundamentals classroom to discuss the applications of Six Sigma tools used at Grande Cheese Company.
Mark Strang—Owner and Manager, American Industrial Motor Service
Mark Strang graduated from Michigan Tech in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He began his career working for General Electric in their Large Apparatus Repair/Service divisions. Over the next 20 years, he held various positions in sales, sales management, and plant management. In 1988, Mark purchased a GE repair plant, becoming the owner and manager of American Industrial Motor Service. He expanded the one-plant business into four plants before selling it in 1998. He then started a home repair service, which he owned and managed until selling it in 2005. Mark visited the Operations and Supply Chain Management (OSM3000) classroom.
Michael Cleveland—Vice President of Sales Americas and Europe, Geno.
Michael Cleveland graduated from Michigan Tech with a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering. He then worked as the Vice President and General Manager at Honeywell. He is now the Chief Operating Officer at Revex Metals, where he uses technology developed at Michigan Tech to create an innovative lithium-ion battery recycling facility. Additionally, he works at Genomatica as the Vice President of America and Europe Sales. Michael spoke in the Sales and Sales Technology classroom on sales career success.
Nathan Sodini—Assistant Product Manager, Milwaukee Tool
Nathan graduated from Michigan Tech in 2022 with a dual-major degree in Engineering Management and Finance. Since then, Nathan has been working with Milwaukee Tool as an Operations Development Associate and an Assistant Product Manager. Nathan used that experience when he visited the Quantitative Problem Solving and Six Sigma Fundamentals classrooms. At both, he discussed the application of the course concepts used in his work at Milwaukee Tool.
Nick Laurila—Manager of Business Intelligence, Americans for Prosperity
Nick Laurila '10 is a Michigan Tech graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing. After earning his Bachelor's, he went on to receive his MBA from the University of Alabama. Later, he ran his own business, Pelican Sports Group, until he eventually began working full-time at Americans for Prosperity as the Manager of Business Intelligence. Nick spoke on the value of understanding data analytics and its application to a variety of business settings within the Quantitative Problem Solving class.
Paul Stinson—Chief Growth Officer, Sunguest Information Systems
Stinson is an accomplished, seasoned executive with 35 years of experience in the field of Healthcare Information Technology. He has delivered hundreds of global products and services to the healthcare community, from conception to commercialization. After completing his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Michigan Tech in 1984, Stinson went on to hold multiple VP and C-suite positions at leading healthcare IT companies, including Sunquest, Sage, and MediQuest. As a key member of the senior leadership team at Sunquest, he has implemented Agile development techniques to improve product time-to-market and delivered order intake above expectations and quota for eight straight quarters. Stinson is currently a member of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Product Development and Management Association, and Dean's Advisory Council.
Rick Kraas—Instructor, Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Rick Kraas graduated from Michigan Tech in 1975 with a Bachelor's degree in Economics. He went on to work for Citibank as the Vice President of Systems Development. While at Citibank, he helped establish an internship pipeline from Michigan Tech to Citibank for job-ready students. His second career was in teaching. He taught at both Northern Michigan University and Kalamazoo Valley Community College, where he still instructs. Rick visited the Principles of Economics classroom and spoke on the usefulness of an economics degree.
Robert J. Currey—Executive Chairman, Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc.
Mr. Currey has served as one of Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc.'s directors and as a director of its predecessors since 2002. He served as CEO from 2002 until December 31, 2014. From 2002 to November 2013, he also served as the company's President. From 2000 to 2002, Mr. Currey served as Vice Chairman of RCN Corporation, a competitive telephone company providing telephony, cable, and Internet services in high-density markets nationwide. From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Currey served as President and CEO of 21st Century Telecom Group. From 1997 to 1998, Mr. Currey served as Director and Group President of Telecommunications Services at McLeodUSA, which acquired Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc.'s predecessor in 1997. Mr. Currey joined the company's predecessor in 1990 and served as President through its acquisition in 1997. Mr. Currey previously served as a director of Cartesian, Inc. Mr. Currey earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan Technological University and an MBA from Eastern Michigan University.
Ron Staley—Senior Vice President, Christman
Ron serves as principal in charge of both Christman's Southeast Michigan business unit, located in Detroit, and the company's historic preservation unit, having returned to Michigan after establishing Christman's Washington, D.C. operations in 2003. Joining Christman as a project manager in 1985, Ron was promoted to vice president in 1990, and to Christman's board of directors in 1995. In 1992, he founded Christman's historic preservation group and has since led it to national prominence, directing multiple, highly visible preservation projects to national, state, and local awards for teamwork, unique delivery methods, and quality. At Michigan Tech, he spoke to the Operations and Supply Chain Management class on challenges in the construction industry.
Sean McLeod—Portfolio Manager, Vice President, Dana Invesrtment Adivsors
Sean joined Dana Investment Advisors in October 2016 and is currently a Portfolio Manager and Analyst. Sean graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BA in Finance, Investments, and Banking in 1994 and earned an MS in Finance, Investments, and Banking in 1996. Sean has held numerous positions, including Equity Analyst, Portfolio Manager, and Director of Equities, since entering the industry in 1996. Sean is a CFA charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute. Visiting the APMP classroom, Sean spoke on portfolio management and asset valuation.
Steve Williams—Vice President of Innovation and Pre-program Concepts, Stellantis
Steve Williams (1986, Mechanical Engineering) spoke to the Change Management class (MGT4500) about the various changes he experienced during his many years as a project engineer and design engineer at Chrysler, now Stellantis. This included Chrysler's response to a federal government order to address safety and recall issues, as well as restructuring and cultural changes related to several acquisitions and mergers. Steve also led the development of an innovation space during his time there. Steve's presentation helped illustrate several concepts related to the reasons for change, resistance to change, and managing change. Steve also gave the class a few interviewing tips for responding to questions using the STAR method (Situation: set the scene, Task: describe the purpose, Action: explain what you did, Result: share the outcome).
Thomas Seel—Chief Vehicle Engineer, Stellantis
Thomas Seel graduated from MTU in 1985 with a degree in mechanical engineering and is a retired automotive executive with over 35 years of experience. Most recently, Thomas was Chief Vehicle Engineer for RWD SUV programs at Stellantis and was responsible for the 5th generation Grand Cherokee L, Grand Cherokee, and Grand Cherokee PHEV. Thomas's career experience also includes positions at Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, and U.S. Steel. His scope of responsibilities spanned design engineering, validation quality, marketing, and finance. In retirement, Thomas now focuses on sharing lessons he learned throughout his career with others. This includes guest speaking in various classes on campus, such as Economic Decision Analysis (EC 3400), where he emphasized how cross-disciplinary knowledge enhanced his career success by understanding both the business and engineering aspects.
Tyler Botbyl—Senior Operations Engineer, Cleveland-Cliffs.
Tyler Botbyl discussed the steps Cleveland-Cliffs uses in the Analyze phase of the DMIAC Six Sigma methodology. Tyler graudated Michigan Tech in 2012 with a Bachelor's degree in Material Science Engineering. Now he works at Cleveland-Cliffs as a Senior Operations Engineer and has for almost 3 years.
Allen C. Johnston—Professor of Cyber Security and Management Information Systems,
University of Alabama
Allen C. Johnston, who visited our MIS2000 class, is the Hewson Professor of Cyber
Security and Professor of Management Information Systems (MIS) in the Culverhouse
College of Business at the University of Alabama. His research centers on behavioral
information security, collective security, data loss prevention, innovation, and privacy
and is published in industry journals, including Communications of the ACM, Decision Sciences, Decision Support Systems, Information Systems Journal, Journal of Information Technology, and MIS Quarterly. Johnston serves as a senior editor for the European Journal of Information Systems as well as a member of the editorial review board for the Journal of the AIS. He is a founding member and current chair of the IFIP Working Group on Information
Systems Security Research.
Johnston also serves as a consultant, visiting professor, and invited speaker at universities,
workshops, panels, and companies in the U.S. and abroad.
Dan J. Green—Principal, Blackfin Group
The Michigan Tech Economics Club invited Dan Green '83, a principal at Blackfin Group
with more than 35 years of experience in the mortgage industry. He counsels executives
on setting and achieving their goals for profitability and growth. Green earned his
BSBA from Michigan Tech.
Kevin Wampler—Chief Financial Officer, Dollar Tree, Inc.
The Michigan Tech accounting major and the Kappa Sigma Iota Club welcomed Kevin Wampler '86
on September 27, 2021. Mr. Wampler is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Dollar Tree, Inc. First-year accounting and management dual major Jaylen Body was in attendance, and he says that one of the takeaways he learned from Kevin's presentation was to venture into different areas of a company to gain insight into what's working—and what's not. "I learned the importance of seeking opportunities that will challenge me while also benefiting the company," Body says.
While on campus, Wampler also visited Sheila Milligan's accounting class, where he emphasized the importance of lateral moves within a company. He described the impact data analytics can have on decision-making and challenged students to develop solid people-management skills, which can dramatically impact career advancement.
Monica Hahn—Franchisee, Elements MassageTM
Students members of the Michigan Tech chapter of the American Marketing Association(AMA) heard from College of Business alumna, brand management expert, and entrepreneur
Monica Hahn in September. After a successful career in marketing for well-known global
brands, Hahn is now thriving as a franchisee with Elements Massage™. Elements Massage
is one of the largest retail massage franchises in North America. Hahn owns and operates
two studios in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Zhouli "Pye" Yuan—Senior Investment Analyst/Investment Officer, Boy Scouts of America
Asset Management, LLC
Pye Yuan '12 is an investment analyst and officer for Boy Scouts of America Asset
Management (BSAAM) LLC. In his role, he conducts the strategic asset allocation study
and investment research and analysis. Prior to joining BSAAM in 2015, he served as
an investment analyst for the Dallas, Texas-based Meadows Foundation while pursuing
graduate degrees. Yuan holds a BS in Finance from Michigan Technological University,
as well as both an MS in Finance and an MS in Information Technology Management from
The University of Texas at Dallas. He also holds professional designations of Chartered
Financial Analyst, Chartered Financial Risk Manager, Chartered Alternative Financial
Analyst, and Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement.
Brandon Hutchison International Equity and FX Trader, Artisan Partners
Brandon Hutchison '15, '18 earned a BS in Finance and a Tech MBA® from Michigan Tech.
He began his career as a municipal bond trader, transitioning into a senior trader
covering municipals and U.S.-traded equities for Crossmark Global Investments in Houston,
Texas. Currently, Hutchison is with Artisan Partners, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
as an international equities and FX trader. He is a CFA charterholder and a member
of the CFA Society of Milwaukee.
Ryan Layton—Founder, EmraldSpark Investments
Ryan Layton '04 is an alumnus of the Michigan Tech Applied Portfolio Management Program
with 17 years of experience as a portfolio manager, primarily focusing on economic
analysis, asset allocation, security selection, and behavioral finance. In 2015, he
founded EmraldSpark Investments, a location-independent registered investment adviser
that provides private wealth management services. He has earned the Chartered Financial
Analyst (CFA) designation and regularly volunteers for the CFA Institute.
Marie Cleveland—Worldwide Account Manager, FedEx
Alumna Marie Cleveland '82 was a guest speaker in Ulrich Schmelzle's operations and
supply chain management classes. Marie highlighted her career as a worldwide account
manager with FedEx while explaining important strategic decisions used to enhance
the company's competitiveness. She also shared career advice with students and offered
to provide job-hunting tips, mock interview opportunities, and résumé feedback.
Larry Durland—Senior Vice President, Equitable of Iowa Companies
Mr. Durland is a retired fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a member of the American
Academy of Actuaries. He served in senior management positions in the financial services
industry, including as senior vice president of Equitable of Iowa Companies. He earned
a BS in mathematics from Montana State University and served as the chair of the Michigan
Tech College of Business Applied Portfolio Management Program Advisory Board from
2005 to 2021.
Thomas Verhagen—Founder, WeESG
Thomas Verhagen, who presented to Michigan Tech Finance Club students, is the founder
of WeESG, a boutique ESG strategy advisory and training company. Verhagen is an active
practitioner-researcher at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability
Leadership and is an expert in banking, banking insurance, financial regulation, and
sustainable asset management, specializing in business model innovation, finance,
and sustainability.
Carrie Schaller—I/T Director for Manufacturing and Engineering, Dow Chemical
Carrie Schaller '86 spoke with the students in MIS2000 IS/IT Management. She focused on Industry 4.0 and its impact on Dow manufacturing systems. The five primary components are: analytics (critical skills for all business professionals), robotics, mobile communications, process control systems, and digital thread/visibility (integration). The key driver is value. She included a discussion of the levels of security covered by ISA-95 International Standards, from the shop floor to the enterprise level.
Schaller has been with Dow for more than 30 years and is currently leading a global team that is securing cyber information critical to the work processes for manufacturing. She is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an MIS concentration from Michigan Tech. Schaller serves on the North American steering team for the Women's Innovation Network at Dow and resides in Midland, Michigan, with her husband and family.
Denise Blankinship
Denise retired in 2017. Throughout her career, she held numerous positions in the Information Technology field, with a focus on Business Analysis and Resource Management. Most recently, Denise served as the Vice President of Business Analysis at the Church Pension Group (CPG), where she was a senior IT manager responsible for partnering with corporate business leaders to define, prioritize, and develop IT strategies to support both IT and business projects.
During her tenure at CPG, Denise:
- Established an enterprise Business Analyst program.
- Implemented numerous process improvement projects spanning web self-service, policy administration, document automation, and enterprise content management with a focus on efficient workflow automation.
- Served on numerous vendor Customer Advisory Boards.
- Was the recipient of the 2011 Woman in Insurance Leadership Award.
Denise holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Michigan Technological University. As an alumna, Denise has:
- Served as Alumni Chapter President for New York City.
- Served as a member of the MTU Presidential Council of Alumnae (PCA).
- Sponsored high school students for the Summer Youth Program.
- Presented at numerous MIS-related classes.
Marie Cleveland
As a worldwide corporate account manager for Federal Express, Marie Cleveland handled
six major accounts and was responsible for bringing in over $50 million in sales each
year. Cleveland has found a talent and a passion for high-level client interaction.
She became a regional recruiter for Roadway Package Systems (RPS) in 1988 and went
on to hold various positions with the company. When FedEx purchased RPS in 2000, Cleveland
was named a corporate account executive. A passionate Michigan Tech supporter and
advocate, she has served on the Presidential Council of Alumnae, in various roles
for the Alumni Association, and gives regular presentations to students on campus.
Steve Fairbanks
Steve is a seasoned executive with over 18 years of experience serving at the CEO/President/Board of Directors level. He has successfully taken over and worked with numerous engineered product manufacturing businesses, turning them around from distressed situations in both Private Equity and Fortune 500 settings.
Fairbanks started his career as an engineer and grew through market/product management and engineering leadership roles. His efforts contributed to industry-changing new products viewed as either "state-of-the-art" or "disruptive technology." He further gained experience in the operations and finance areas as he progressed to his President/CEO positions.
His turnaround successes, the tools and techniques used to achieve them, and his understanding of the dynamics in smaller companies, led to multiple guest lecture invitations to MBA and EMBA schools. Post-lecture demand from these executives/students for a hard copy of documentation of this well-received information led to the new book "Performance-Based Strategy: Tools and Techniques for Successful Decisions." Here, Fairbanks shares his strategic planning process and practical approaches developed over the years—specifically aimed at use in these unique time- and resource-constrained organizations.
Fairbanks graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and an MBA from Baldwin Wallace University. He earned his Professional Engineer's License, has been awarded eight United States patents, is a trained Six-Sigma Black Belt, and has been additionally recognized with "Distinguished Alumni" and "Executive of the Year" awards. A practicing Servant Leader, he has also been involved with and certified as a facilitator with the "Lead Like Jesus" organization and is passionate about leadership development concurrent with his turnaround efforts.
Fairbanks is currently CEO of SIXFAIR Ventures, LLC, where he is now focusing his efforts on helping other small business leaders replicate his success.
Dana M. Johnson
Johnson has over 37 years of experience, including in industry, consulting, and academia,
starting at Michigan Tech in 1981 as an accounting instructor. Upon her departure
in 1984, she worked for a variety of manufacturing and consulting firms, ultimately
owning her own business that supplied training and consulting primarily to the automotive
industry in quality engineering, supply chain management, business assessment, and
project management. In 1999, Johnson returned to the College of Business to teach
supply chain, operations, and engineering management-related courses.
Ryan Layton, CFA
As an alumnus of the Applied Portfolio Management Program, Ryan has over ten years of portfolio management and research experience involving asset allocation, strategy implementation, economic analysis, and investment research in equities, fixed income, real assets, and alternative assets.
His resume includes the following positions and activities:
- EmeraldSpark Investments, LLC – Chicago: Founded EmeraldSpark in 2014 as a fiduciary investment adviser serving community bank trust departments, 401(k) plan sponsors, and other fiduciaries, as well as individual wealth management clients.
- MainStreet Advisors – Chicago: Portfolio Manager who advised community bank trust departments on the management of over $2 billion in assets.
Wells Fargo WMG – Minneapolis, MN: Team Lead for Asset Allocation and Analysis on the Wells Managed Portfolio (WMP) Team.
Jeffrey C. Littmann
Jeffrey Littmann of Grosse Pointe Park is a life trustee and chairman of the Ralph
C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. For more than 25 years, Littmann served as the director
and CFO of Buffalo Bills, Inc., operating within the National Football League. He
received a bachelor's degree in accounting, a master's degree in taxation from Walsh
College, and a law degree from the Detroit College of Law.
Mark C. Roualet - Executive Vice President, Combat Systems
Mark was named executive vice president of General Dynamics in March 2013. He is responsible for the company's Combat Systems group, which includes three companies: European Land Systems, Land Systems, and Ordnance and Tactical Systems. He was appointed vice president of the corporation in October 2008.
Previously, Roualet served as president of General Dynamics Land Systems from October 2008 to March 2013. He joined General Dynamics Land Systems' predecessor, Chrysler Defense Inc., in 1981 as a quality engineer. He held positions of increasing responsibility throughout his employment with General Dynamics Land Systems, including plant manager of the Sterling, Mich., manufacturing facility; vice president of the Interim Brigade Combat Team program; vice president of Wheeled Vehicle Systems; and senior vice president and chief operating officer.
Roualet earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Michigan Technological University and a master's of business administration from the University of Dayton. In 1993, he was recognized by Crain's Detroit Business Magazine as one of their "40 Under 40" executives, an annual acknowledgment of the top 40 executives under 40 years old in the state of Michigan.
Darnishia Slade
Darnishia is a proud Detroiter turned Yooper; she graduated from Michigan Tech in 1998 with a degree in Industrial Management, minoring in International Business. She currently serves as Manager of Global Engagement Programs in the Pavlis Honors College and is working on a doctorate in Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors at Michigan Tech. Since her first international trip to Finland in 1997, she has studied, traveled, and performed community service in over 25 countries.
As an alumna, Darnishia served on the Alumni Association's Board of Directors from 2008 to 2016. She is the second woman and the first African-American to serve in the role of President of the Board. In 2014, she was inducted into the Presidential Council of Alumnae, and she earned the inaugural Bayard Rustin Award presented by the National Society of Black Engineers in 2019.
Dar is a foodie who enjoys impromptu road trips and spending quality time with friends, family, and her pup, Trotter. Her favorite pastime is watching a good comedy and serving as a volunteer minister at Harvest Church of the Keweenaw in Calumet, Michigan.
Miklos A. Vasarhelyi
He is credited with developing the original continuous audit application and is the
leading researcher in this field. At Rutgers Business School, Professor Vasarhelyi
heads the Continuous Auditing and Reporting Laboratory, which works on projects for
leading companies such as Siemens, KPMG, Procter & Gamble, AICPA, CA Technologies,
and Brazil's Itaú Unibanco. Additionally, he leads the RADAR (Rutgers AICPA Data Analytics
Research Initiative) project, supported by the 8 leading CPA firms, AICPA, and CPA
Canada.
Eric Waara - Houghton City Manager
Waara was a guest speaker in Professor Tom Merz's Public Sector Economics class on
March 3, 2020. Eric graduated from Michigan Tech with a degree in Civil Engineering.
Upon graduating, he worked as a consulting engineer in the private sector until he
was appointed City Manager in 2014. In 1986, Eric completed an economics class taught
by Professor Merz.
Danielle (Lorenzetti) Cyrus - Director of Purchasing, Michigan Tech University
Danielle serves as the Director of Purchasing and is responsible for university Purchasing, Strategic Sourcing, and the University Card Program. Prior to joining Michigan Tech in 2017, Cyrus spent 22 years in healthcare supply chain management and logistics. She played a major role in working with the UP-wide Group Purchasing Organization (GPO), which collaborates with all healthcare organizations in Upper Michigan to ensure cost-effective group buying.
In addition, Cyrus is part of the university Emergency Management Incident Command Team (ICT) and serves as Chapter Advisor to the Alpha Gamma Delta international women's fraternity on campus.
Cyrus is a 1993 Michigan Tech graduate of the College of Business with a B.S. in Business Administration. She and her husband, Michael, live in Houghton with their children, Dante and Jillian.
Larry Durland Jr.
Larry is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (retired) and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. He served in senior management positions in the financial services industry, including as Senior Vice President of Equitable of Iowa Companies. He received a B.Sc. in Mathematics from Montana State University.
John Farquhar - Chief Credit Officer of Superior National Bank and Trust Company
John's roles include developing policies and procedures for the loan area of the bank, managing the credit risk of the loan portfolio, and supervising the credit department, collections department, and loan operations department.
John joined Superior National Bank in 2014 and has 30 years of banking experience. Prior to working at Superior National, John was a special loan administration officer for a holding company in Lower Michigan specializing in financial risk management for the member banks owned by the holding company. John holds a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from Ferris State University and an MBA in finance from Grand Valley State University.
Joel Florek - Owner of JF Holdings: Residential Multifamily Properties
Joel Florek graduated with a Finance degree from Michigan Technological University
in 2015 and was a participant in APMP during his senior year. Post-graduation, he
began a career as a Program Manager for Trident Maritime Systems based out of Iron
Mountain, MI. While starting his career, he began investing in small multifamily real
estate in Iron Mountain. Joel currently owns 31 units across 4 properties and transitioned
to managing his portfolio full-time more than a year and a half ago. He is now focused
on partnering with investors to tackle larger multifamily projects in Indiana and
Southwest Michigan, and helping others learn how to get started investing in real
estate themselves.
Barbara Johnson-Rossi
Barbara has worked in the healthcare industry for nearly 30 years. Her first role was with Marshfield Clinic, based in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Her career with Marshfield started as an Internal Auditor, which led to her position as CFO for Security Health Plan. She served for 9 years on the Board of Trustees of the Marshfield Clinic Retirement Plans.
In 2009, she took a job as CFO for SMDC Health System in Duluth, Minnesota, overseeing approximately 500+ staff in Accounting, Business Intelligence, and Revenue Cycle. SMDC was part of Essentia Health, which included hospitals and clinics across Northern Minnesota and North Dakota.
In 2010, she was appointed Vice President of Financial Operations for Essentia Health. Recently retired from Essentia Health, she continues to work as a consultant, helping with payer contracting and data related to the cost of care.
Eli Karttunen - Trust Investment Officer for Superior National Bank and Trust Co.
Karttunen provides investment management and trust services to a variety of clients, including individuals, corporations, non-profits, and municipalities, with total assets under management of approximately $550 million. He is also a licensed Life, Accident, and Health Insurance Producer in the State of Michigan. Additionally, Karttunen is an Adjunct Instructor of Accounting at Finlandia University.
Karttunen received a Master of Science in Finance degree from the University of Michigan – Dearborn in 2016. He also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Michigan Technological University. Karttunen is a Keweenaw native and currently resides in Dollar Bay. He is actively involved in numerous activities throughout the area. He has served as President for the Rotary Club of Houghton and is currently the Treasurer for Dial Help, Inc. – a human services agency focused on the prevention of substance abuse and sexual assault – as well as an advisory board member for the Salvation Army of Hancock.
Laura Konkel - Attorney and Partner of Michael Best and Friedrich LLP
Laura spoke in the MGT3650 class about "Careers in Intellectual Property Law." She
is an attorney and partner at the law firm of Michael Best and Friedrich LLP, and
her practice focuses on all aspects of trademark and copyright prosecution and enforcement.
Amanda Massaway
Amanda was a guest speaker in ACC4100, Audit and Attestation and ACC5100 Advance Audit and Forensic Examination.
Amanda is responsible for the integrity of Walmart's domestic internal control environment for approximately $20B of retail store inventory. She also indirectly oversees the process to measure and post inventory shrinkage captured during each store's physical inventory reconciliation. Additionally, she supports internal and external auditors on inventory related requests and develops accounting system enhancements involving new inventory flows to accommodate new business projects and more efficiently/accurately account for inventory.
Amanda is the founder and Coordinator of the Houghton Women's Leadership Society and a member of the Rotary Club of Houghton.
Stephen Mattson - Regional Brokerage Manager, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
The LSGI Trading Room hosted guest speaker Stephen Mattson on Tuesday, March 31, 2015. Mr. Mattson is a Regional Brokerage Manager and Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo Advisors. As a Regional Brokerage Manager, Mr. Mattson is responsible for Wells Fargo Advisors' financial advisors across his Midwest U.S. region. In particular, Mr. Mattson presented a "how-to" on becoming a financial advisor to the students in the Applied Portfolio Management Program. Steve also discussed his role and responsibilities in the firm. The SBE and the APMP thank Steve for his long-time connection to Michigan Tech.
Dave Priem - in-house counsel at Medtronic
Dave spoke in the MGT3650 class in the spring. Medtronic is one of the world's largest medical technology, services, and solutions companies. Dave is responsible for the management of Medtronic's intellectual property portfolio.
Drew Randell - Facilities Purchasing Manager, Michigan Tech University
Drew Randell graduated from Michigan Technological University in 2013 with a B.S.
in Operations and Systems Management. He went on to work for Uline Inc. as a Corporate
Buyer, where he was responsible for maintaining the inventory levels of thousands
of products through the procurement of goods based on warehouse space, sales trends,
and forecasts. Drew left Uline in July of 2015 to become the Facilities Purchasing
Manager at Michigan Tech. He is responsible for procuring supplies and equipment for
campus maintenance, as well as negotiating maintenance contracts.
Special Agent Martin Rowe - US Dept of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General
Special Agent Martin Rowe spoke in both the ACC4700 and ACC5100 classes this spring.
Martin has worked as a special agent for the HHS department for 18 years. The goal of the Office of Investigations (OI) is to conduct criminal, civil, and administrative investigations of fraud and misconduct related to HHS programs, operations, and beneficiaries. State-of-the-art tools and technology assist OIG investigators around the country and help OI meet its goal of becoming the world's premier health care law enforcement agency. Martin is also a visiting faculty member at Georgia Southern University in the Criminal Justice and Criminology Department. He is also a retired Colonel from the US Army.
Ronald Staley-Sr. VP Southeast Michigan Operations, The Christman Company
Staley has been with The Christman Company for 33 years and is currently leading the reestablishment of a new construction management and general contracting office in the City of Detroit. He founded Christman's Historic Preservation Group in 1992, providing construction services for high-profile national historic landmarks across the US and foreign countries. Ron earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Industrial Management) and Associate of Applied Science in Civil Engineering Technology from Michigan Technological University. He is on the Board of Directors of The Christman Company and multiple non-profit boards and is honored as a Fellow in the Association for Preservation Technology International and an Honorary Affiliate of the Michigan Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Ian Wienke
Ian is an alumnus of the SBE, majoring in accounting and also a 4-year football athlete.
He has worked in the tax and accounting department at Greenstone for 2 years. GreenStone
Farm Credit Services offers land loans, construction loans, farm financing, leases
for real estate, operating, and farm equipment.
Adam Zawisza - Financial Supervisor of Kent County, Michigan
Adam supervises several Financial Analysts within the Fiscal Services Department.
He is responsible for overseeing the processing of bi-weekly payroll for almost 2,000
Kent County employees, assisting and overseeing the preparation and issuance of the
CAFR and Single Audit. He is also the point of contact for Accounting and Payroll
questions from other departments. Adam spoke in class about the need for data analytics
training within the college experience.