Fords on Friday (2016-17)
Fords on Friday is an opportunity for students to chat with alumni about their career path and industry trends. Alumni offer career advice and field questions from students.
All events take place on Fridays at noon in the CCPA unless otherwise specified.
Spring 2017
Bruce H. Andrews '90
- Wednesday, January 25, 3:00 p.m.
- MCC Stokes 106
Bruce Andrews was confirmed as the Deputy Secretary of Commerce on July 24, 2014. Andrews was named Acting Deputy Secretary of Commerce by President Obama and Secretary Penny Pritzker on June 9, 2014. Prior to this, Andrews served as Chief of Staff to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce, a post which began in October 2011. Prior to joining Commerce, Andrews served as General Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, where he served as the chief counsel for the Committee and was responsible for policy, legal and jurisdiction issues. Before joining the Committee staff, Andrews served as Vice President of Governmental Affairs for the Ford Motor Company, where he oversaw the company's federal and state government affairs. Prior to joining Ford, Andrews practiced law as an attorney in the Public Policy and Telecommunications Groups at Arnold & Porter. He was also a founding member of the firm Quinn Gillespie & Associates (QGA), where he worked with clients on a variety of issues related to transportation, technology, judiciary, telecommunications and financial services. Andrews began his career on Capitol Hill where he served as Legislative Director for Representative Tim Holden (D-PA), Legislative Assistant for Representative Gus Yatron (D-PA) and on the staff of Senator Alan Cranston (D-CA).
Andrews, a Syracuse, New York native, is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center and Haverford College. He, his wife and children live in Washington, D.C.
Ann Marie Baldonado '94
- Friday, February 3, 12:00 p.m.
- Stokes 300B
Ann Marie Baldonado is a producer at Fresh Air with Terry Gross, an arts, culture, and current events interview program, distributed nationally by NPR, National Public Radio. The Peabody Award-winning show, broadcast on over 500 NPR stations across the country, is heard by over 5 million people a week. It is currently also the No. 1 most downloaded podcast on iTunes. Ann Marie is in charge of booking the interviews having to do with film, television, and theater. She also produces and edits the interviews after they are recorded. She recently began contributing her own interviews to the program.
Ann Marie began her career in journalism working as an unpaid intern for WHYY almost 20 years ago. Her first paid job was as a radio production assistant, working with reporters on their stories and helping produce the local broadcast of Morning Edition. She began working at Fresh Air in 1998 as an Associate Producer. Ann Marie graduated from Haverford College with a degree in Anthropology. She was also Pre-Med and had a concentration in Women's Studies. She received a master's degree from Emory University, where she studied Anthropology, Feminist Theory, and Film Studies. Ann Marie lives in Center City Philadelphia with her husband Rick Swedloff (HC '94) and their two daughters. When she isn't working or dealing with said children, she is probably watching television, although she knows she will never, ever be caught up on everything.
Alexandre Turner '93
- Friday, February 10, 12:00 p.m.
- Stokes Hall 300B
Alexandre Turner is a Lawyer at The Law Offices of Alexandre Turner, LLC and a graduate of Haverford College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He dedicated the first seven years of his legal career to representing low-income clients accused of crimes, first at the Miami-Dade Public Defender, and subsequently at the Defender Association of Philadelphia. Mr. Turner has tried hundreds of criminal matters before judges and juries. He has obtained favorable results in numerous serious cases, including where his clients were charged with firearm possession, arson, and attempted murder.
Prior to opening his own practice, Mr. Turner was associated with the law firm Ballard Spahr LLP, where he litigated complex matters on behalf of local and national businesses. While at Ballard Spahr LLP, Mr. Turner participated in several internal investigations for high-profile clients facing potential government prosecution.
Danny Karpf '92
- Friday, February 10, 2:00 p.m.
- Stokes Hall 300B
Danny Karpf is currently the Head of School Elect, Rodeph Sholom School. After graduating in 1992, Danny started his career as a 5th Grade Associate Teacher at Wilmington Friends School in Delaware. He then taught 3rd and 5th Grades at Friends School of Baltimore while receiving a Masters of Science in Education from The Johns Hopkins University. He spent three years teaching overseas in Frankfurt, Germany (4th Grade), and Milan, Italy (6th Grade Math/Science), before returning to Wilmington Friends as the Assistant Head of Lower School.
Danny then served as the Middle School Director at the Gordon School in East Providence, RI, for nine years before spending last year as the Assistant to the Head of School for Strategic Initiatives while also completing the NAIS Fellowship for Aspiring School Heads. He has also coached baseball and soccer as well as served on Board and Faculty committees focusing on areas ranging from student assessment, math curriculum, and laptop integration to facilities master planning and strategic enrollment management.
Danny has joined Rodeph Sholom School - a Nursery-8th Grade Reform Jewish Day School in Manhattan - as the Head of School Elect for the 2016-2017 school year. He is working together with current Head of School Jerry Katz before beginning his service as Head of School once Dr. Katz's term is complete this summer.
Friends in Business: Bring your Deepest Personal Values into the Workplace Panel
Co-Sponsored by Quaker Affairs and CCPA
- Friday, February 17, 12:00 p.m.
- Bryn Mawr Room, Dining Center
Four Quaker Haverford alums, all working in business, of different ages, career trajectories, and life experiences share both the joys and the struggles of showing up for work as people with clear personal convictions. What questions and challenges have guided their career paths so far? In what ways have their personal values been welcomed? Where have they been stifled? How have they navigated conflicts between their own values, the values in the work place, and the request to be a "good team player"? The program will consist of a moderated panel discussion followed by informal conversation and time for questions and answers.
Panelists:
Andrew Thompson '12, Sales Engineer at CartoDB
Andrew Thompson graduated from Haverford in 2012 with a major in Growth and Structure of Cities and a minor in Computer Science. In the years since he has gained professional experience as a technologist in Geographic Information Systems and open source software; and as a business person in sales and marketing. As a Sales Engineer at CARTO, a venture capital funded startup, he works with the sales team to provide technical consulting, develop web applications, and generally have fun thinking about geographic data and maps for companies and organizations buying CARTO's online mapping software. Previously, Andrew worked at Azavea, a Philadelphia-based firm dedicated to advancing civic impact through geospatial analytics and open source web applications. His Quaker faith and business career mutually reinforce and influence each other.
John Morse '73, President and Publisher at Merriam-Webster
John started his publishing career at Encyclopedia Britannica in 1976 and joined Merriam-Webster in 1980. Serving first as Manager of Editorial Operations and Planning and then as Executive Editor, he was responsible for all product-development operations. He became Publisher in 1996 and was named President and Publisher in 1997. Before his retirement earlier this year he remained actively involved in the company's product-development activities, including the creation of Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's English Dictionary, a dictionary for people learning English as a second or foreign language in 2008; the re-launched Merriam-Webster Unabridged website in 2013; and the newly released Nglish website and app for Spanish speakers learning English in 2015. He writes and speaks regularly about the evolution of reference books in print, online, and mobile formats. John is a graduate of Haverford College and holds a Masters of Arts degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Chicago.
John is an active supporter of educational organizations and has served on the Board of Managers of Haverford College and currently serves on the Board of Director of the World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts and of the Children's Study Home, an organization that serves children, adolescents, and families with special needs throughout Western Massachusetts and Cape Cod. He also serves as President of the Board of Trustees of the Mason Wright Retirement Community, a donor-supported assisted living facility for low-income senior citizens.
Joy Y. Takahashi '87, SVP and Property Underwriting Manger, Munich Reinsurance America, Inc.
Joy Takahashi is Senior Vice President of the Reinsurance division of Munich Reinsurance America headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey. She is responsible for the underwriting of Munich Re's global, national, and brokered regional clients property catastrophe treaties written in the United States. Prior to property underwriting she was Head of Underwriting Support of the Broker Market division where she was responsible for contracts, underwriting analysis, and underwriting operations for the Broker Market client group. Before that Joy was Chief Marketing Officer of Munich Reinsurance America responsible for market and competitor analysis, general marketing, research, and communications. She also led the implementation team for Munich Re Group's U.S. strategy, and she was involved in Munich Re America's strategic planning.
Joy joined Munich Re America in 2001 where she initially was responsible for strategic development in the Broker Market business unit. Prior to joining Munich Re America, she worked for ACE USA/CIGNA P&C for a number of years, most recently as head of the ceded reinsurance department for several years. Prior to that, she worked as an actuary in primarily pricing capacities for CIGNA P&C.
Joy has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Haverford College and is a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and an Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society. She is a member of the Friends' Central School Board of Trustees, the Haverford College Corporation, and Haverford Monthly Meeting. She and her husband live in Bryn Mawr, PA with their two teenage children.
Rachel Melroy-Husser '02, Senior Vice President Investment Counselor, Capital Group Private Client Services
Rachel Melroy-Husser '02 is a Senior Vice President and Investment Counselor with Capital Group Private Client Services in New York City. Rachel works with high net worth individuals and families to create customized plans for protecting and growing their wealth, often across multiple generations. She also helps nonprofit foundations and endowments to realize their long-term financial objectives through effective planning and investment management. Prior to joining Capital Group in 2016, Rachel spent seven years with JPMorgan Private Bank as a Vice President and Banker. She earned an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in History from Haverford College. She is a Certified Financial Planner CFP®. Prior to attending business school, Rachel worked in development for Collegiate School and for the International Rescue Committee. She also completed an AmeriCorps year of service teaching at a school on New York City's Lower East Side.
Rachel is a graduate of Moorestown Friends School ('98) and grew up attending Medford Monthly Meeting. She has been an active volunteer for all of her alma maters, including Haverford, Moorestown Friends and Columbia Business School ('09). She is currently involved with the leadership of the Haverford Fords in Finance group in New York and serves on the Nominating Committee for the American Friends Service Committee Northeast Region. Formerly, she served on the AFSC Executive Committee for the Northeast Region, the Haverford College Young Alumni Annual Fund Executive Committee, the Moorestown Friends School Headmaster's Advisory Council and was a member of the 5 year reunion planning committee for Columbia Business School. She is married to Brad Husser and they reside in Manhattan with their daughter Nora and son Adam.
Julieanne Herskowitz '06
- Friday, March 17, 12:00 p.m.
- Stokes 300B
Julieanne Herskowitz is a graduate of Haverford College, Class of 2006, where she majored in Romance Languages and minored in Growth & Structure of Cities. Upon graduating Haverford, Julieanne worked as a Planner/Architectural Historian for AKRF, Inc. - a consulting firm based in NYC specializing in the environmental review of real estate development, transportation, and land use projects. In this capacity, she worked on such projects as the NJTRANSIT/Amtrak Portal Bridge Capacity Enhancement Study, the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project, and the Rezoning of Coney Island.
Ms. Herskowitz completed her Master in City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011 with a Concentration in Public Private Development and a Certificate of Historic Preservation. Since graduating from UPENN, she has worked for the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and currently serves as a Vice President in the Development Department, where she focuses on Brooklyn planning, real estate and development projects. In her tenure at NYCEDC, she has worked on the award winning East River Esplanade project in Lower Manhattan, the Redevelopment of Staten Island's North Shore with the New York Wheel - the western hemisphere's tallest observation wheel, and the East New York Rezoning - the first residential rezoning of the de Blasio Administration's mandate to build and preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing by 2020.
Ms. Herskowitz is also an Urban and Regional Policy Fellow of the United States German Marshall Fund. Through this fellowship, she traveled to London in the fall of 2014 to study the United Kingdom's Community Infrastructure Levy and its funding of Crossrail for potential application to New York City.
Christian DuComb '01
- Friday, March 24, 12:00 p.m.
- Stokes 300B
Christian DuComb is Assistant Professor of Theater at Colgate University, and taught English and writing at Haverford from 2010 to 2012 while completing his Ph.D. His research interests include theater history, dramatic literature, and performance studies. His first book, Haunted City: Three Centuries of Racial Impersonation in Philadelphia, is forthcoming from the University of Michigan Press later this year, and his articles and reviews have appeared in several academic journals and anthologies. His honors include the Cambridge University Press Prize from the American Society for Theatre Research (2012) and a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship (2001). His research has been supported by grants and fellowships from the Winterthur Museum and Library, the Library Company of Philadelphia/Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Central New York Humanities Corridor, and both the Arts Council and the Research Council at Colgate University. Christian is also a former member of Dead Genius Productions (2002-2007), a theater ensemble he formed with three members of the Haverford class of 2002.
Felicia Jadczak '04
- Friday, March 31, 12:00 p.m.
- Stokes 300B
Felicia Jadczak is Co-Founder of She Geeks Out and is a recognized voice in the field of gender diversity. She has worked in the technology industry for over ten years, specializing in the creation and development of innovative programs and solutions for an R&D audience. She has extensive experience in providing strategic guidance for diversity and gender inclusiveness across cross-functional teams.
She received a BA in Comparative Literature (French, English) from Haverford College and holds an MBA and a Masters in Information Systems from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University. Felicia is the product of an entrepreneurial family and continues that tradition with her work on She Geeks Out. Felicia loves street art, fitness and wellness, wine and french fries.
Jon Kelman '06
- Friday, April 7, 12:00 p.m.
- Stokes 300B
Jon Kelman is a Business Consultant at ZS Associates, a leading sales and marketing consulting firm. He is responsible for helping businesses across a range of industries solve their most challenging growth strategy issues. Prior to entering the world of strategy consulting, he worked in several roles related to sales & marketing, including with a sports & entertainment marketing agency, a pharmaceutical marketing agency, Breyers ice cream, and a small CPG manufacturer/distributor (owned by a fellow Haverford alumnus). Jon graduated with a B.A. from Haverford College and holds an MBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. He lives with his girlfriend in Chicago, IL.
Matthew Stitt '09
- Friday, April 14, 12:00 p.m.
- Stokes 300B
Matthew Stitt serves as Chief Financial Officer for the City Council of Philadelphia in the Office of the President. As Chief Financial Officer, Matthew is directly responsible for: (1) providing financial and programmatic support to City Council, including the facilitating of City Council’s annual review of the City’s $8.7 billion operating and $3.2 billion capital budget, and strategic five-year plan; (2) overseeing City Council’s annual departmental budget of over $16.7 million, including the management, forecasting, and tracking of finances to ensure compliance with City regulations and guidelines; (3) advising City Council and staff on fiscal matters related to proposed legislation and initiatives; (4) managing City Council’s Finance and Budget Team; (5) serving as the City Council appointee to the City of Philadelphia Board of Pensions and Retirement; (6) carrying out the duties of the Chief Financial Officer as defined in the Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement with the School District of Philadelphia; and (7) coordinating and staffing Committee hearings and internal working groups analyzing the City’s fiscal stability, overall financial health, and other relevant financial policies and/or initiatives.
Prior to being promoted to Chief Financial Officer, Matthew worked for four years in City Council, most recently as the Deputy Chief Financial Officer. Before joining the Philadelphia City Council, Matthew also worked at Independence Blue Cross as an Account Support Representative for National Accounts, and at the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter as a Youth Services Coordinator.
Matthew received his Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Haverford College in 2009, where he competed as an intercollegiate varsity basketball player. He then received his Masters of Public Administration and Certificate in Public Finance from the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania in 2012. Matthew serves as a Board Member for the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA since being appointed in November 2014. He also serves on the Board of the Columbia North YMCA, where he chaired the Financial Development and Annual Campaign Committee, and was the recipient of the Association Most Valuable Campaign Chair Award in 2014 and 2015. Matthew also serves as a member of the Audit Committee for the Philadelphia Housing Authority and was recently appointed to serve on the Board of the City of Philadelphia Pension Fund.
Matthew resides in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia, where he was born and raised. He has been selected as one of Philadelphia’s “40 Under 40” by the Philadelphia Business Journal, one of Pennsylvania’s 40 Under 40 – Rising Stars – by City and State PA, one of 10 People Under 40 to Watch in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Tribune, and as a “Connector and Keeper” by LEADERSHIP Philadelphia.
Fall 2016
Jeff Kotzen
- Thursday, September 8, 11:30 a.m.
- Stokes IITS Conference Room
Jeff Kotzen began his consulting career in 1991. He is a Senior Partner in the New Jersey office. He is the global leader of BCG's Shareholder Value Topic which focuses on optimizing shareholder value creation (TSR) by aligning business, financial and investor strategies leveraging BCG’s proprietary tools and methodologies.
Jeff has led more than 50 Shareholder Value Strategy projects over the past decade across a broad range of industries and geographies. The typical impact of this work has been a 15-30% increase in the client's relative share price and P/E multiple in the six months following initiation of the strategy.
Jeff has also led a wide range of work in the areas of cost reduction, business process re-engineering, organizational effectiveness and Transformation.
Jeff is the co-author of BCG's annual Value Creators Report and BCG's annual Investor Survey Report. Jeff has also co-authored “Winning Through Mergers in Lean Times”.
Prior to joining BCG in 1997, Jeff was a Director at Braxton Associates, the strategy consulting division of Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group. Before receiving his MBA, he was a financial analyst in the investment banking division at Salomon Brothers.
Jeff holds an MBA in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated from Haverford College with a BA in economics.
Jacob Zlotoff
- Friday, September 23, 12:00 p.m.
- Stokes Hall 300
Jacob Zlotoff is a Vice President at Citi working in the Structured Lending & Investments group of Citi Community Capital. He is responsible for sourcing, underwriting, and structuring equity investments and lending transactions that provide impact in low-income communities, with a focus on New Markets Tax Credit investments and structured lending solutions. Previously he worked for both an affordable housing developer and pre-development lender, and was a senior executive at a successful Internet start-up, Bunk1.com, which provides internet & communication services to the summer camp industry. Jacob graduated with a B.A. from Haverford College and holds an MBA in Finance & Entrepreneurship, with distinction, from NYU’s Stern School of Business. He lives with his wife and two children in Port Washington, NY.
Ellie Power
- Friday, September 30, 12:00 p.m.
- Stokes Hall 300
Ellie Power is the Senior Vice President of Client Services at Phase2 Technology, a technical consulting firm that solves problems for the most influential organizations in the world. A serial entrepreneur and technical jack-of-all-trades, Ellie has broad experience in software development and technical consulting.
After receiving a B.A. in English from Haverford College, Ellie toiled as a software developer for an online game startup during the dot-com era, where she was nominated for a Webby Award, then moved into developing web apps for a technical services firm. In 2003, she founded a company focused on life sciences software, for which she currently serves as board chairman. In 2013, she joined Phase2 to support the company's work in digital transformation for its clients.
Charles P. Robinson CFA
- Friday, October 21, 12:00 p.m.
- Stokes Hall 300
Charles P. Robinson is the Senior Vice President of Shenkman Capital Ltd. Charles joined Shenkman Capital in 2015 to lead the firm’s international business. Prior to joining the firm, he was Managing Director and EMEA Head of Black River Asset Management, Cargill’s investment business. He previously worked at Goldman Sachs Asset Management in New York and Hong Kong. Charles began his career at JP Morgan after completing his MBA as a Dean’s List student at Columbia Business School in 1995. He received a BA in French and English Literature from Haverford College in 1989. A Chartered Financial Analyst, Charles is also a fluent French speaker with an intermediate knowledge of Korean.
Shenkman Capital is a $30bn global investment management firm that specializes in leveraged finance. Founded 31 years ago, the privately owned firm manages money for many of the world’s leading institutional investors across the spectrum of sub-investment grade credit.
Jeremy Golan
- Friday, November 4, 12:00 p.m.
- Stokes Hall 300
Jeremy leads One Acre Fund Rwanda's Financial Advisory Services unit. Before One Acre Fund, he served in the Peace Corps in Cambodia and worked as a management consultant in the US and Switzerland.
Alan C. Farney M.D., Ph.D. '83
- Friday, November 18, 12:00 p.m.
- Stokes Hall 300
Alan Farney M.D., Ph.D. '83 is on the faculty at the Wake Forest School of Medicine as an Associate Professor in General Surgery with a cross-appointment in the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Farney is currently Clinical Director of Pancreas Transplantation, Islet Transplantation, and Pediatric Renal Transplantation and a Professor of Surgery. He is also a faculty member of the Wake Forest University Graduate School.