Meet Our Visionary
SUSAN J. BRUNO | FOUNDER & CEO
Susan is a CPA Financial Planner and is passionate about creating a social movement to improve financial literacy for college students that is engaging, relevant and fun. As CEO, Susan is working with the CCFO corporate team and college student ambassadors to make their offering both unique and disruptive to attract a community around the College CFO brand. For students who have problems with academic performance and do not manage to close all the deadlines on time, Susan recommends using the help of the top writing service https://bestwritingservice.com/, so that the rating in college remains at a satisfactory level. In addition, such delegation of responsibilities will allow more time to be devoted to courses and trainings on financial literacy and time management. Susan’s mission is to empower students to become their own Chief Financial Officer just as she has done with her own children!
Susan is excited to be working with our esteemed and dedicated Board of Advisors to guide CCFO’s team of amazing college students across the country. Check out her interview with the AICPA for more information. Susan loves what she does and it comes across in her energy and dedication. To students everywhere she says, “Be prepared, Not scared”TM.
Meet Our Team
With special thanks to Shreya Patel, Callan Danielson, Kevin Meng Pan, Julia Maloof, Rachael Conti, Samantha Zeiss, and Sophie Lacava for helping College CFO become what it is today!
LAURA FORTH | MANAGING DIRECTOR
Laura is a recent graduate of Boston University with degrees in Marketing and Psychology. She has worked with College CFO since its inception, helping to build the website and coming up with initial strategy. She now manages day to day operations and marketing. As someone who’s travels abroad have often pushed her budget past the limit, she understands the value of financial literacy well. She hopes that her work with College CFO will empower other college students to become their own chief financial officers.
VALENTINA PANI | GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Valentina Pani comes from a beautiful island in Italy called Sardinia. She came to the United States to follow her American dream and study. In May 2014, she will earn an A.S. degree in Graphic Design at Norwalk Community College. While there she became a proud member of Phi Theta Kappa and The National Society Of Leadership And Success. Starting Sept 2014, Valentina will be transferring to finish her Bachelor degree in Graphic Design. She has already interned at various graphic design firms. Please visit http://valepan9.wix.com/valentinadesign for her graphic design portfolio.
CARRIE UHLEIN | AMBASSADOR
Carrie joined College CFO in the summer of 2013 and helped transform the company into what it is today. Unable to market DivaCFO to her age group, you would find Carrie reaching out as the “College CFO” though Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, LinkedIn and more. After Carrie left for the London School of Economics for the 2013-2014 school year CollegeDiva continued to grow and eventually resulted in College CFO. She rejoined us for the summer of 2014 and continues to be involved in the project. Carrie is heading into her senior year at Hamilton College where she is majoring in economics and plays on the Varsity tennis team.
TENG TU | AMBASSADOR
Teng is a recent graduate student from Fairfield University, where he majored in Finance. As an international student, living in a new environment challenged Teng. Thus, he believes it is very important for to understand the financial system and manage his own finances in this new country. College CFO provides a great financial literacy platform for everyone, and he hopes that it will benefit students across the country.
CHARLOTTE SCHAFFER | AMBASSADOR
Charlotte Schaffer is a current senior at Stanford University and will graduate in 2015 with a B.A. in Economics. On campus she is a member of Stanford Women in Business, Alpha Phi, and has participated in Stanford’s Freshman Council. She has previously held internships in the fields of investment banking and non-profit. CollegeCFO’s emphasis on financial literacy for college students excites Charlotte and through her work as an ambassador she hopes to help students plan for a more stable and successful future.
RACHEL MARCH | AMBASSADOR
Rachel March is a senior at The Pennsylvania State University, in State College, Pa. She is a statistics major studying to become an actuary. As an actuary, she hopes to manage financial risk, and advise people using statistics and mathematics background on how to safely manage their money. She is involved in the Actuarial Science Club, and will be graduating in May 2015. She wants to work with College CFO because she believes it is very important for women to be capable of handling their finances properly. She feels that we all work hard for the money that we earn and an important part of being a responsible adult is handing your money the right way! College is the perfect time to learn how!
MCKAYLA MARCH | AMBASSADOR
McKayla March is a freshman at Temple University, in Philadelphia, Pa. She is a marketing major with a minor in entrepreneurship in the Fox School of Business. After graduation she plans on working for a company and helping them reach their targeted audiences. McKayla also hopes to put her entrepreneurship skill set to work in creating personalized programs and products for specific demographics. McKayla is an initiated sister of the Greek fraternity Alpha Xi Delta and will be graduating in May 2018. She has an interest in working with College CFO as a college representative to help her fellow classmates learn how to use, save, and make money.
ANNIE MAGUIRE | AMBASSADOR
Annie Maguire just graduted from Elon Univeristy with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Human Services. This fall she will be starting at Southern Connecticut State University to earn her Masters in Social Work and hopes to help adolescents struggling with mental illness in her future. Annie is eager to be involved with College CFO as she also believes it is important that both college students and recent graduates improve their financial literacy and understanding of how to manage their own finances. She believes College CFO is an engaging and informative way of enlightening her peers!
GHISLAIN LIGAN | AMBASSADOR
Ghislain is a senior at Baruch College, majoring in Finance with a minor in Business Communication. He will graduate from Zicklin School of Business in 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree. Originally from Benin, a small country in West Africa, Ghislain struggled his first few years in the States with the language and the unfamiliar education system. The experience inspired him to create BMCC International Students Club. The club organizes weekly activities, including educational trips, community service opportunities, and job and scholarship searches. Ghislain also took an internship with Hephzibah House NYC, a non-profit Christian organization on the Upper West Side. There he serves as head of student programming, creating a safe place for international students throughout the New York metro area to build friendships and celebrate their cultural diversity. Ghislain is thrilled to be part of College CFO, because this is the perfect pathway to become financially literate and share that knowledge with others.
SOPHIE LACAVA | AMBASSADOR
Sophie is a junior at The Johns Hopkins University, where she majors in Writing Seminars. Working with College CFO in its early stages made her realize the importance of a financial understanding for young adults, especially for those like herself without a formal education on the subject. She is now thrilled to be a part of the College CFO Marketing Team, and hopes to show others how easy and interesting it can be to take on financial responsibility with the help of College CFO. Sophie has a background in financial and technical writing, is currently a staff writer for the Johns Hopkins Newsletter, and has also received several awards for her creative work.
MIA CAPOBIANCO | AMBASSADOR
Mia is a current sophomore at The Johns Hopkins University, where she is working towards a B.A. in Writing Seminars as well as a minor in Visual Arts. On campus Mia has served as the Co-chair of Design and Marketing for a large intercollegiate conference. Through her internship experiences with larger companies, she has gained a passion for business and marketing. She is excited to work with College CFO because she believes financial management and planning are integral to success and too often overlooked. She hopes to help students learn how attainable these skills can be with College CFO.
Meet our Board of Advisors
DAVID M. TAIT, OBE
David Tait has spent most of his career in commercial aviation working closely with some of the industry’s most legendary innovators and characters. These include Sir Freddie Laker of Laker Airways fame, and Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson. In 1983, shortly after Laker Airways success led to its major competitors conspiring to drive it out of business, David, was sought out by another maverick, Richard Branson, who at the time was little known outside of the music industry. David agreed to act as a consultant for Branson who had what seemed like a crazy notion to start a new transatlantic airline. Learning from Laker Airways’ mistakes, David helped draw up a business plan for what would become Virgin Atlantic Airways. It focused on value pricing combined with industry leading service innovations and delivery standards. “Under-promise and over-deliver” became the fledgling carrier’s mantra.
In January 1984 David became the new airline’s first employee and in June of that year, with a single leased Boeing 747, the company began service between London and Newark New Jersey. Based in New York, the next eighteen years were spent as a board member, running the company’s North American business, and building the upstart into a critically acclaimed and consistently profitable carrier with over four billion dollars in annual revenues. Much of Virgin Atlantic’s success is built on David Tait’s leadership skills, his passionate focus on customer service, and his flair for smart, edgy, marketing and jugular promotions. It has also been said that today’s multi-faceted Virgin Group owes much of its global awareness to the foundation-building Tait did with the airline’s brand on both sides of the Atlantic and in Asia. A marketing consultant, published author and columnist, gifted public speaker and skilled communicator at all levels, Tait says that of all the awards and compliments that have been paid to Virgin Atlantic over the years, his stand-out favorite was when someone described it as, “An outstanding marketing company with an exceptionally good airline department”. On May 1st 2001 at Buckingham Palace, David’s achievements were recognized when he was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of The British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth for “services to British aviation in the United States”.
GALIA GICHON | PERSONAL FINANCE EXPERT
Galia Gichon is an independent personal financial expert with more than 18 years of experience in financial services, including nearly 10 years on Wall Street and an MBA in Finance from Fordham University. She runs her own company, Down to Earth Finance, where she offers individual sessions and seminars to address personal financial needs and concerns. Galia is the author of, “My Money Matters”, a boxed set of financial cards with money affirmations, instant money tips and workbooks. She has spoken at Pennsylvania, Texas and Massachusetts Governor’s Conference for Women, and is a frequent speaker at Freelancers Union, Barnard College’s Financial Fluency Program, and Athena Center for Leadership. She has been quoted in Newsweek, CNN, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal.com, NY1, Good Housekeeping, Self, Essence, Glamour and MSN Money and much more. Before starting her own company, Galia worked at Bear Stearns, Nomura Securities, and Institutional Investor.
LOUISE JOY | LEGAL HEALTHCARE EXPERT
Louise, a partner of Joy & Young, L.L.P. in Austin, Texas, practices in the regulatory, licensing, and administrative areas of health law, and is board certified in Administrative Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Before law school, Ms. Joy received her Masters in Health Administration (MHA) from The George Washington University and Ms. Joy worked in hospital administration. After law school, Ms. Joy served as a briefing attorney for Justice Raul Gonzalez of the Texas Supreme Court, and then as an associate in the Austin office of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P until 1999. Ms. Joy speaks regularly on health law topics and has taught Health Law at the University of Texas School of Law as an adjunct law professor. She served as a Director of the American Health Lawyers Association from 2002 to 2008 and as a member of the Health Law Examination Committee for the Texas Board of Legal Specialization from 2002 to 2007.
Jessica M. Bibliowicz | Senior Advisor, Bridge Growth Partners
“I strongly believe in the importance of developing and enhancing women’s financial literacy and am so thrilled to join the team at DivaCFO. Susan and Stephanie have developed unique and inviting ways to empower women to take charge of their finances. DivaCFO has already accomplished so much and I look forward to participating in its ongoing success.” Jessica M. Bibliowicz is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of National Financial Partners (NYSE:NFP), recently ranked eighth on Business Insurance’s 100 Largest Brokers of U.S. Business and ninth largest global broker by AM Best. NFP and its benefits, insurance and wealth management businesses provide diversified advisory and brokerage services to companies and high net worth individuals, partnering with them to preserve their assets and prosper over the long term. NFP advisors provide innovative and comprehensive solutions, backed by NFP’s national scale and resources.
Ms. Bibliowicz became President and CEO of NFP in 1999 when the Company was funded by Apollo Global Management, LLC. She became Chairman of the Board and took the Company public in 2003. Prior to joining NFP, Ms. Bibliowicz served as President and Chief Operating Officer of John A. Levin & Co., a registered investment advisor. Ms. Bibliowicz’s career in the financial services industry began in 1981. She spent eight years in the Asset Management Division of Shearson Lehman Brothers and joined Salomon Brothers after they purchased Lehman Management’s Private Client Group. In 1992, she became the Director of Sales and Marketing for Prudential Mutual Funds and in 1994 became head of Smith Barney Mutual Funds. In 2003, Ms. Bibliowicz was honored as the “Innovator of the Year” by American Banker. She has been a guest on CNBC, CNN, and Fox Business News and has been featured in national publications such as Private Wealth, BusinessWeek, Crain’s New York Business, Financial Planning, Investment Advisor, InvestmentNews and The New York Times. Ms. Bibliowicz is a member of the Board of Trustees for Cornell University, a member of the Cornell NYC Tech Campus Task Force, a member of the Board of Overseers of the Weill Medical College and Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, a member of the Board of Directors of Lincoln Center Theater, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Asia Pacific Fund. Ms. Bibliowicz graduated from Cornell University and lives with her husband in New York.
PATRICK SHOUVLIN | PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP, RETIRED PARTNER
“There is an alarming lack of financial literacy today among young people as well as in various sectors of our older generation. DivaCFO has put forth an easy to use proposition that enables women to increase their financial literacy at their own pace. Increasing financial literacy is a critical part of the empowerment process that will give women the confidence to participate more fully and equally in society, thereby facilitating greater gender equality. I am happy to lend support to Susan and Stephanie in their efforts.” Patrick Shouvlin is a recently retired partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He spent 35 years with PwC in a variety or roles and locations. Pat has significant Board experience, international awareness and familiarity with large, complex organizations. Patrick was elected by fellow partners twice to be a member of PwC’s U.S. Board of Partners and Principals, comprised of 18 partners and principals. He served as Chair of the Finance Committee of the Board for five years.
In that role, worked very close with the CFO on various financings, construction of a data center, financing of several acquisitions, restructuring of benefit plans, balance sheet management, resolution of complex litigation and annual financial results and reporting to the partners. Patrick was the leader of PwC’s U.S. Insurance Group from 1996 to 2011. Served as Chair of the Finance Committee of the Board for five years. In that role, worked very close with the CFO on various financings, construction of a data center, financing of several acquisitions, restructuring of benefit plans, balance sheet management, resolution of complex litigation and annual financial results and reporting to the partners. He drove the post-merger integration of PW’s and C&L’s Insurance Groups, with responsibility for financial results, talent development, client relationships and audit quality. Patrick attended over 150 audit committee and Board meetings of over 20 priority clients, providing extensive experience with Board-level communications and relationships. Patrick spent four years (2008-2012) living in Zurich, Switzerland and serving as the global engagement partner on Zurich Insurance Group. The role involved travel to 20 countries, interaction with regulators in Switzerland, Ireland and the UK, and a variety of cultural challenges and experiences. Prior thereto, he served in lead partner roles on Ace Limited, Arch Capital, New York Life, The Guardian Life Insurance Company, Swiss Re, and other smaller companies. He had significant roles at AIG, Conseco and Prudential. Patrick was selected to be PwC’s representative on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Insurance Companies Committee for five years, including two as its Chairman. He drove several projects shaping accounting and auditing rules specific to the insurance industry including the adoption of the NAIC’s codification of statutory accounting principals by the state insurance departments. In this role, he was closely involved with standard setters and insurance regulators on developing solutions to many important industry issues. Patrick led the successful proposal effort for the audit of American Express Company, the largest audit client win to-date in the history of PwC. He served as the global engagement partner for four years. In 1977, Patrick started accounting career and spent 9 years in Cincinnati, Ohio serving clients in a variety of industries. He worked four years (1986-1990) in the PwC Home Office in New York in the Strategic Planning Group, an internal planning group for PwC, and two years (1990-1992) in the PwC New York Office Mergers & Acquisitions Group before transferring to the Insurance Group in 1992. Patrick received his Bachelor Degree in History from Denison University and his Masters of Business Administration with a major in accounting in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Patrick is meritus member of Board of Trustees of the St. John’s School of Risk Management. He joined the Board of its predecessor organization, the College of Insurance, in 1997 and retired from the Board in 2012. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the Board as well as the head of the Nominating Committee and helped orchestrate the merger of the College with St. John’s in 2001. Patrick is a licensed CPA in New York, Connecticut and Ohio, and a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Connecticut Society of CPAs.
SUSAN HIRSHMAN | INVESTMENT AND WEALTH MANAGEMENT EXPERT
Susan is a Certified Financial Analyst, Certified Financial Planner®, CPA, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™, an MBA with a concentration in taxation, and a successful author on the financial needs of women. She was also president of the consulting firm SHE Ltd., focused on enhancing the financial literacy of women globally, and on helping financial advisors and their clients work more effectively together. In 2010, she authored the book, Does this Make My Assets Look Fat? – A women’s guide to finding financial empowerment and success (St. Martins Press). She has been a frequent speaker at wealth management conferences throughout the country, and her insights have appeared in such venues as The Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Forbes, CNN, CNBC, FOX and ABC. Susan lives in Manhattan and serves on the board of the College of Financial Planning, which governs the CFP® professional designation, and Women In Need. Prior to forming SHE Ltd., Ms. Hirshman was a Managing Director-Wealth Advisor with JP Morgan Private Wealth Management, working with high net worth clients across the full scope of their financial pictures. She also served as a Wealth Strategist in the Funds Management group within JP Morgan. Ms. Hirshman came to JP Morgan from KPMG where, as an experienced financial advisor and CPA, she counseled corporate executives, families and business owners on their tax and personal financial planning issues. Ms. Hirshman lives in Manhattan and serves on the board of the College of Financial Planning, which governs the CFP® professional designation, and Women In Need.
JANET HANSON, IMMEDIATE PAST CEO AND FOUNDER OF 85 BROADS
Widely respected as a leading entrepreneur, Janet Hanson is recognized as a unique voice and champion for women globally. As CEO and Founder of 85 Broads, Janet has built a global network community of 30,000 trailblazing women who want to leverage their best personal and professional relationships to create greater success for themselves and each other. Launched in 1997, the “founding members” of 85 Broads were women who worked for Goldman Sachs at 85 Broad Street, the firm’s NYC headquarters. Today, all trailblazing women are invited to join 85 Broads from every corner of the globe and from every possible career path. Together, these women make up the most powerful, intellectually savvy network of women in the world. As a multi-cultural, multi- generational network, 85 Broads members live, work, and study in 82 different countries and work for thousands of for–profit and not–for–profit companies worldwide.
After graduating from Wheaton College and Columbia Business School, Janet joined Goldman Sachs in 1977. In 1986, she became the first woman in the firm’s history to be promoted to sales management. Following her 14-year career at Goldman Sachs, Janet founded Milestone Capital Management, a $2 billion institutional money management company. From 2004 to 2007, Janet was a Managing Director and Senior Adviser to the President of Lehman Brothers. Janet is also an avid investor and frequently speaks and writes about the importance of women becoming savvy investors. Janet is a member of the Kellogg Center for Executive Women’s Steering Committee. She is a member of the Forbes Executive Women’s Board. She is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Wheaton College and a current member of the Board of The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. She is an Associate Fellow of Pierson College at Yale University and serves on the Advisory Board of the Center for Talent Innovation. She has received a number of awards and honors, including an honorary degree from Middlebury College in 2007. Janet’s greatest passions are her two spectacular children. Meredith, who graduated from Wheaton College in 2011 with a degree in Studio Art, is currently taking the Nantucket art world by storm. Chris is a senior at Dartmouth College, where he is a Psychology major. He is ranked as one of the 10 best college squash players in the country, is First Team All-American, First Team All-Ivy, and was named a Scholar Athlete in his junior year. Chris’s goal is to play squash professionally when he graduates in 2013.
JOAN AMBLE, FOUNDER OF W.O.M.E.N.
“I am an avid proponent of helping women develop both personally and professionally. When I learned about DivaCFO I was so impressed with the manner and ease with which it focuses on essential ingredients a woman’s personal development…. building financial acumen and thus self-confidence and empowerment. DivaCFO tackles these areas in a practical way dealing with the building blocks of a sound personal financial model” As Executive Vice President and Principal Accounting Officer for the American Express Company (AXP) from 2004 to mid-2011, Ms. Amble was responsible for all Controllership, M&A advisory, and Six Sigma Quality across AXP. Ms. Amble retired from AXP December 30, 2011. Immediately prior to joining American Express, Joan served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of GE Capital Markets.
While at the General Electric Company, from 1989 to 2004, Joan served in in various finance capacities, including Vice President and Controller for GE Capital Services, CFO of GE Commercial Real Estate, and Technical Advisor for GE Structured Finance Group and for GE HQ. Prior to joining the General Electric Company, from 1984 to 1989, Joan specialized in derivatives and other financial instruments as well as pensions, for the Financial Accounting Standards Board. She was actively involved in developing Financial Accounting Statements and related publications, including SFAS 87 and 88 (Pension related) and supporting Q & A books, and SFAS 105 (Off-Balance-Sheet Instruments). Joan, a CPA (inactive), also spent seven years in public accounting with Ernst & Young. Joan serves on the Board of Directors of three Public companies—Booz Allen Hamilton, Brown-Forman Company, and Sirius XM Satellite Radio, where she sits on the Audit Committee of each Board and Chairs the Audit Committee for Sirius XM Satellite Radio. She recently completed a 4 year term as a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council, the Technical Advisory Board to the FASB. Joan also sits on the inaugural Advisory Board for UCLA Health Services comprised of UCLA Medical School, Hospitals and Medical Facilities. Joan, alum of The Pennsylvania State University, was honored in 2005 with the Pennsylvania State University Alumni Fellow Award; and in 2010, received the Pennsylvania State University Distinguished Alumni Award. An avid proponent of business ethics and integrity, in 2010 Joan co-sponsored theInaugural Partners in Business Ethics Symposium, aimed at promoting Business Ethics in Academia and Corporate America. This annual event is co-hosted by a leading Business School and a Corporation. Joan, Co-Founder and Chair Emeritus of W.O.M.E.N In America (www.womeninamerica.net), a 501 c (3) Leadership Program, is also an avid proponent of helping business women develop professionally. Joan actively mentors and speaks at Women’s forums for the advancement of women in the workplace Recent engagements include Key Note Speaker at the 2010 UCLA Anderson School of Business “Distinguished Speakers Series” and the 2012 Brown-Forman Women’s History Month (this speech was selected for publication in the June 2012 Edition of Vital Speeches of the Day): and panel participant at the 2012 Women in Business Summit sponsored by the US Chamber of Commerce Women in Washington DC.
LISA FEATHERNGILL, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AT ABBOT DOWNING
“I am interested in helping with this mission because financial literacy for women has long been a passion of mine. I believe that financial literacy can lead to empowerment for women. In particular, I think about women who have not been exposed to these concepts such as older women and poor women. Without this knowledge, they are vulnerable. However, with financial literacy comes financial control and ultimately enhanced freedom. DivaCFO is providing the information to enhance financial literacy in a clear and engaging format.” Lisa Featherngill is the managing director of Planning at Abbot Downing. She leads a team of experienced and credentialed professionals who collaborate to align traditional planning services with clients’ values and goals.
She is responsible for a comprehensive suite of services, including customized financial and wealth transfer planning, multigenerational wealth planning and financial administration. Lisa’s team also manages day-to-day financial affairs for clients and provides information that helps guide future investment strategies. Lisa has provided tax and financial planning services to affluent clients and families for more than 25 years. She previously was regional managing director for Wachovia’s Financial Planning Group, and spent the first 11 years of her career with Arthur Andersen, where she was a senior manager of the personal financial planning and family wealth planning group. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in accounting from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, Lisa became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a CFP® professional and earned the Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) designation from the American Institute of CPAs. As a member of the American Institute of CPAs, she sits on the National Financial Literacy Commission and previously chaired the PFS credential committee. She is also on the board of the Winston-Salem Estate Planning Council and Bermuda Run Country Club. Her board role with the Jerry Long YMCA is an outgrowth of her passion for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. At home, Lisa and her husband are raising two growing boys.
VIRGINIA GAMBALE, FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER OF AZIMUTH PARTNERS LLC
A strategic, global technology leader, financial executive and investor, Virginia Gambale is the founder and Managing Partner of Aximuth Partners LLC , a strategy and advisory firm in the fields of financial services, technology, data communications, energy and healthcare solutions. Whether her clients are multi-national corporations, or burgeoning, game-changing companies, Virginia, a classically trained musician, views each as a symphony, understanding the complexities and nuances that ultimately impact performance. Organizational success is as much an art as it is a science, and she is unique in her ability to bridge the gap with her creativity and pragmatism. She has always believed that being financially literate allows one to be fiercely independent, free to pursue their dreams, and able to live life to its fullest! As this literacy scales, economic conditions will improve, and we will strengthen our country and our ability to continue to solve real world issues.
Focused on growth and innovation strategies for early stage, mid-market and large corporations, Ms. Gambale has served as an advisor and board director, impacting an impressive roster of over 20 public and private companies: including: JetBlue (NASDAQ-JBLU), Piper Jaffray (NYSE-PJC), Motive (NASDAQ-MOTV), Workbrain (TSE-WB), Synchronoss Technologies (NASDAQ-SNCR)) and IQ Financial (Chairman). Though she is always an Audit Committee member, she also often serves as Compensation, Transaction or Technology Committee Chair. Ms. Gambale currently serves as a Director and Audit Committee member for JetBlue (NASDAQ-JBLU), and Director and Chair of Finance/Audit Committee for Remedy Analytics (private), and as an Executive Advisor for Aquiline Capital Partners, a private equity and venture capital firm specializing in growth, start-up and corporate divestitures in the financial technology and services sectors. Consistently challenging the status quo, prior to founding Azimuth in 2003, Virginia held senior operating executive roles at Merrill Lynch (CIO), Deutsche Bank and Marsh & McLennan and Bankers Trust Alex Brown, where, as CIO, she was recognized as one of “Wall Street’s Top Three CIO’s” by Wall Street & Technology Magazine. Additionally, she headed DB Strategic Ventures, where she successfully monetized their 100M investment portfolio, leading to her appointment as General Partner in Deutsche Bank Capital. Subsequently, all of the investments she led resulted in successful IPOs; e.g. Workbrain (TSE-WB) and Synchronoss Technologies (NASDAQ-SNCR). Sought after for her wealth of experience, and highly regarded for her holistic, innovative thinking, personal involvement and consistent results, Virginia has developed value creation strategies for legacy companies looking to “leap frog and innovate”, as well as guiding those on the leading edge to grow, perform, mitigate risk and lay a solid foundation to scale. In her role as a board director of public and private corporations, Ms. Gambale focuses on best practices, the effective use of technology in the development in corporate strategy and bolstering Shareholder value. She fosters innovation and facilitates the inculcation of social media and mobile technologies as an integrated component of corporate strategy through a paradigm of “Customer Connections”. She is also a very active member of the Risk and Audit Committees helping to shape the scope of Enterprise Risk Management. Virginia engages her broad range of clients with candor and tact, exhibiting strong, independent judgment and is known for anticipating and identifying operational and governance issues before they are readily apparent. Having served on European and Latin American Private boards, she is extremely comfortable, and has been well received in international cultures. Accordingly, she has garnered such awards as the Forbes Great Communicators (1999), and was also named by Directors and Boards Magazine as one of 12 “Directors To Watch” (2006), and among the first Directors to become a NACD Board Leadership Fellow in 2011. Ms. Gambale is a member of the Mentor Faculty and Thesis Evaluation board for Columbia University’s Graduate Masters in Technology Leadership. She is a frequent guest lecturer at Columbia University and speaker at CIO forums and NACD Master Classes for Board Directors. Additionally, she serves on the NACD Blue Ribbon Commission to publish best practices for Directors in Risk. Ms. Gambale earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Computer Science with a minor in Business from the New York Institute of Technology. She studied piano performance at the Julliard School and Hartt Conservatories and has been a Board Director of the Newport Music Festival since 2006. Ms. Gambale resides in Greenwich, CT with her husband, Dr. Austin Feeney, and their two children.
MARC J. MINKER, CPA/PFS/CFF, MST, RIA, MANAGING DIRECTOR CBIZ MHM, LLC
Marc is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a B.S. in Accounting, with a minor in Economics, from the State University of New York as well as an M.S. in Taxation from the City University of New York – Bernard M. Baruch College. Marc specializes in providing Personal Business Management & Family Office Services, including personal & business advisory, tax, and personal financial planning services to high net-worth individuals and families, corporate executives, athletes & entertainers and closely held business owners, and has extensive professional experience spanning over 25 years. Prior to joining CBIZ, Marc was a partner with the international accounting and consulting firm of Ernst & Young.
During his 16+ years with Ernst & Young, Marc was responsible for Affluent and High Net Worth Client Services in the New York metropolitan area as well as national leadership of the Executive Planning Services group. Marc has extensive experience in individual tax, family wealth transfer, investments, estate and retirement planning, and charitable giving. He serves as the national leader for CBIZ’s Private Client Services group and the New York office leader for its Private Client/Family Office Services group. He specializes in providing personal financial and estate planning, family office, and personal business management services for high-net-worth individuals and families. Marc has developed a strong reputation for successfully helping clients make informed financial decisions regarding their personal finances. His representative clients include a long list of executives from well-known public and private companies, as well as entertainers, athletes and closely-held business owners.Marc counts among his clients executives and principals of companies such as Accenture, American Federation of Teachers (AFL/CIO), BBDOGroup, Becton Dickinson, Citigroup, General Electric, International Paper, Interpublic Group, Ipsos, Johnson & Johnson, Lehman Brothers, Long Island Lighting Company, McCann Erickson Worldgroup, McKinsey & Company, Merck, Merrill Lynch, Pfizer, Phillips Van-Huesen, Praxair, Prudential, Royal Bank of Scotland, Simpson Thatcher, Terex Corporation, Toys “R” Us, UST, UBS, Union Carbide and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. In his leadership role, Marc is responsible for the firm’s individual services group, specializing in Personal Business Management, Family Office Services, Closely Held Business Owner Services and Personal Tax & Financial Planning. Marc lectures frequently on many topics, including personal fiduciary responsibility, personal tax and financial planning at public programs and private sponsored events. He has written articles for the New York Journal of Taxation, Boardroom Reports, The Ernst & Young Financial Planning Reporter and Gannett Suburban News, has been quoted in publications by USA Today, Dow Jones, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Tribune Companies, has authored and co-authored articles for publication in professional journals, and has appeared on Bloomberg Personal Finance, CNN and CNBC and has hosted the “Barnes & Noble Tax Chat” and “USA Today’s Personal Finance Q&A” via the internet. Marc is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, and holds his CPA license in New York & New Jersey as well as the Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) and Certification in Financial Forensic (CFF) designations issued by the AICPA. He currently serves on the National Accreditation Commission of the AICPA and is a former Executive Committee member of the AICPA’s Personal Financial Planning Division, the senior technical committee for Personal Financial Planning, and as editor of the AICPA’s Tax Advisor PFP column, which is read by over 220,000 practitioners. Marc is also a board member on the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants Personal Financial Planning division. He spends considerable time working “pro-bono” on financial literacy initiatives, including Women’s Financial Literacy and in promoting financial literacy in public school educational curriculum. Since beginning my career in Personal Financial Planning, I have always felt a deep desire to bring financial education & literacy to as many people as possible. When my children entered college I realized that young adults, in particular, need to start understanding personal finance as early as possible. I believe very strongly in the mission of College CFO and am thrilled that there are tools and education available to help college students get smart on personal finance topics. I feel fortunate to be able to lend my perspectives and insight to further the mission and objectives of College CFO.
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