COLLEGIAL COMMUNITY
Alumni panel reflects on rise of women in C-suite jobs S
ome of Bryant’s most successful alumni gathered in Boston to discuss
trends in diversity and inclusion — specifically the growth of women in leadership — and provide advice about paths to success.
The panelists included Ellen Wilson ’79, Office of the Chief Executive and Executive Vice President, UnitedHealth Group, and Bryant Trustee; Ann-Marie
Boards are not only looking at this statistically, but saying, ‘We have to look at ourselves.’ ANN-MARIE HARRINGTON ’86
Harrington ’86, Partner, Scribo and Rhode Island Foundation Board member; and Scott Voss ’92, Managing Director,
HarbourVest Partners. The panel was moderated by Diya Das, Ph.D., Chair and Associate Professor of the Department of Management. According to a McKinsey report, organizations have seen an increase in women in the C-suite from about 17 percent in 2015 to 21 percent in 2019. While noting this trend is a moderate step in the right direction, the panelists cited some concrete steps being taken by corporate America that might explain it. “Recruiting and development, that’s a piece of it — but the numbers tell only a tiny part of the story. Inclusion is actually the bigger piece,” said Wilson, who is the head of human resources at UnitedHealth. The company, she explained, has set up emerging leaders groups sponsored by company CEOs. Their
aim is to create inclusive mentoring and help the top decision-makers gain exposure to a diverse pool of talent to promote. The panelists gave some advice about what individuals could do to be part of the trend. In addition to finding a mentor who believes in you, the panelists told the audience, advocate for what you want, whether it be pay or opportunities, and From left, Scott Voss ’92, Ann-Marie Harrington ’86, and persist in reaching your goals. Ellen Wilson ’79 took part in a panel discussion moderated The discussion resonated by Professor Diya Das, Ph.D. with many of the Bryant students and alumni in empowerment and confidence that the attendance. “The panel was panelists illustrated was motivating a perfect representation of what and made me truly believe that if I can Bryant University is about,” dream it, I can do it.” Julia Di Natale ’22 remarked. “The
I D E AS W O R T H S H A R I N G
2020 Vision guides alumni TEDxBryantU talks B
ryant alumni were among those taking center stage at February’s TEDxBryantU event. United by a desire to change the world, the alumni were among the eight presenters drawn from across the Bryant community who came together to share ideas, perspectives, and advice at TEDxBryantU 2020. The theme of this year’s event was “Vision 2020.” “TEDx is such a respected organization; to be included is truly an honor,” says Don Wilson ’92, ’94 MBA, who spoke about building confidence
to get up on stage and say, ‘This is my knowledge, this is my strength, this is what I have to share.’”
NEW PRESIDENT continued from page 1
Bryant does a great job of involving alumni and bringing the community together. It’s great to come back and be part of the community. LAUREN FRIEDRICH ’07
A COMMUNITY EVENT TEDxBryantU 2020 gave voice to a wide range of Bryant community members, including students, alumni, staff, and friends of the University. “We’re all united in that we care about the world. We care about learning and we care about being better as people. I think the best way to do that is with a diverse group,” notes presenter
IDEAS WORTH SHARING A student-run initiative, TEDxBryantU is independently organized and licensed by the TED media platform. Samantha Scoca ’18, inspired by Bryant’s culture of innovation, applied for a TEDx license in 2018 and brought the conference to campus. The 2020 committee was excited to continue her legacy.
or the fourth consecutive year,
the Gap: An Alumni of Color Panel.
alumni who talked about their
multicultural alumni returned to
The audience — students of similar
experiences and discussed how to
backgrounds — heard from six
prepare to enter the workforce as
campus to participate in Bridging
a person of color.
“Being able to navigate among different groups of people here at Bryant and getting to know different people is important,” said Shirley Carrington ’18, a second-year law student at New England Law. “Once I started reaching out and getting to know people outside of my friend group, I was able to get a better grasp on where I wanted to go and build my network.”
Other panelists agreed, and talked about the special challenges people of color might experience in the workplace. They urged students to be clear about their own unique value propositions and use them to their advantage. Panelists also encouraged students to take full advantage of all the resources available to them at Bryant, including The Amica Center for Career Education, and the University’s extensive alumni network. The February event was organized by the PwC Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the Alumni Engagement Office, and the Multicultural Student Union.
the Bryant Board of Trustees Academic and Faculty Committee and Associate Provost for Budget & Planning at Boston University. As the human resources leader for over 300,000 GE employees worldwide, Conaty was widely acclaimed for his track record of innovation and the architect behind many of GE’s HR practices in the areas of workforce differentiation and succession planning. Dr. O’Brien previously served as Deputy Dean of Harvard College, Dean of the Simmons College School of Management, on the faculty of the Harvard Business School, and held teaching positions at Babson College and Brandeis University.
Throughout higher education, we need new models for enhanced student success aligned with economic growth and opportunity, and societal needs. With its exceptional student learning outcomes, engagement with industry, and deep commitment to educating future leaders, Bryant University is at the forefront. I am excited to begin the next era.
Multicultural alumni panelists share career knowledge and experiences F
Dr. Patricia O’Brien P’15, Chair of
ROSS GITTELL, PH.D. INCOMING BRYANT PRESIDENT
From left, Jennifer Shahady ’05, Don Wilson ’92, ’94 MBA, and Lauren Friedrich ’07 were alumni speakers for TEDxBryantU.
and facing uncertainty in both life and business. “Especially when you can share something you truly care about and you think can help other people.” Lauren Freidrich ’07, who urged the audience to “Be the Catalyst” and use their unique skills and knowledge to ignite change, says being part of a TED event had been a life goal. “It’s exciting
Jennifer Sahady ’05, who discussed the importance of honesty in managing finances in a relationship. “More than ever we need opportunities where we can share ideas and different perspectives.” “Bryant does a great job of involving alumni and bringing the community together. It’s great to come back and be part of the community,” added Freidrich.
“I’ve always wanted to be part of something bigger and I wanted to create a difference on campus,” says the 2020 conference’s lead organizer Sarah DeSantis ’21. “It was a special experience to help create a platform for the Bryant community to share their perspectives and bring the community together.”
Members of Bryant’s Presidential Search Committee also included Bryant faculty members Diya Das, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Management; Kirsten Hokeness, Ph.D., Professor of Biology; and Christopher Roethlein, Ph.D., Professor of Management; in addition to trustees Tim Barton ’88;
Bob Calabro ’88; Lisa Churchville ’09H; Joe Paparelli ’17; Ed Santos ’81, P’18; Peg Van Bree, MHA, Dr.PH; David Weinstein; and Rita Williams-Bogar ’76. Tim Paige,
Bryant University Vice President for Human Resources, served as ex-officio member of the search committee.
From left: Moderator Matthew Caruso ’21; Anthony “Ant” Thomas ’10; Jasmine Perkins ’19; Shirley Carrington ’18; Nicole Yong ’16; Dylan Zhou ’14; and Matthew Yong ’17.
ALUMNI AND PARENT NE TWORKING EVENTS
View more pictures at facebook.com/bryantalumni/photos
January 22 | Denver, CO
March 5 | Boston, MA
Patterson Benero ’51 and Luke Lorenz ’18 were among
The historic College Club of Boston (the oldest and first women's collegiate club in the US) provided the perfect backdrop for a dynamic diversity and inclusion discussion. Left to right: Alina Aksjonova ’12, ’13 MPAC, Haley Connors ‘14, ‘15 MPAC, with Bryant Dean's Council Member and panel speaker, Scott Voss ’92, and Laura Timmerman ’12, ’13 MPAC.
the alumni and parents to get together in Denver.
March 10 | Chapel Hill, NC March 6 | Naples, FL Eric R. Handa ’97 hosted nearly
January 30 | Fort Lauderdale, FL The Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Beach Resort was the setting for a wonderful sunset and evening with guest speakers Bill Smith, Director of Athletics, and Chris Merritt, Head Football Coach at Bryant. Pictured are Charlie German ’69, who hosted this reception; Joanne Spirito; and fraternity brothers, Bill Martin ’69, and Bernie Spirito ’77.
4 Engage | April 2020
February 27 | Fairleigh Dickenson, NJ Alumni cheered on the Bryant Bulldogs Men's Basketball team at Fairleigh Dickenson.
50 alumni, parents, and friends at a special reception at the Clubhouse at StoneCreek. Left to right: Edward A. Magro, Executive Director of Development, Rita Williams Bogar ’76, Bryant Trustee and National Alumni Council President; Connie (Bartkiewicz) Rainone ’57, ’68; Paul Fioravanti ’97MBA; and Mike Langlois ’86.
Parents of Bryant lacrosse were joined by alumni to cheer on their Bulldogs in what turned out to be a challenging and very difficult game. Up against UNC Chapel Hill, ranked no. 5, the Bulldogs scored record setting goals but were just shy of taking the Tar Heels with a 16-18 loss.
Engage | April 2020
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