MSBAi AMBASSADORS
Villanova's MSBAi Admissions Ambassadors are current graduate students who can answer your questions about the program, student life, and professional development opportunities. We invite you to connect with our students who may have a similar background to yours or contact them to hear their unique perspectives.
Hayden Coates
Contact Hayden via Email or LinkedIn
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Virginia Tech, Business Information Technology
Hometown: Malvern, PA
Work Experience: Currently a senior operations analyst at SEI, I’ve been with the company for over 2 years.
Why did you choose the Villanova MSBAi: I chose the MSBAi program to sharpen my analytical skills and gain a stronger understanding of AI. I’m personally interested in finding the “what” and “why” behind AI, how it works, and the reasoning behind implementing it. This program has and will continue to provide both opportunities for me.
Goals or plans for a career after graduation from Villanova: After graduation my goal is to explore a data analyst or data scientist role in the finance, tech, or sports industry.
James Damiano
Contact James via Email or LinkedIn
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Penn State University 2015, Supply Chain and Information Systems
Hometown: Chadds Ford, PA
Work Experience: 11 Years of Progressive Operations and Finance Roles at Amazon, currently a Senior Finance Manager.
Why did you choose the Villanova MSBAi: I’ve seen firsthand how automation and AI can completely change the way teams work and make decisions. Villanova’s MSBAI program feels like the right next step, connecting what I’ve learned in operational finance with deeper skills in analytics, AI strategy, and leadership. Gaining a stronger grasp of today’s tools and how to use them to dig into data will be key to shaping the future of finance.
Goals or plans for a career after graduation from Villanova: I plan to integrate the tools and frameworks from the MSBAI program into my daily leadership routines, driving smarter, quicker, AI-enabled decision making across my team’s financial and operational planning.
MSBAi Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2027
Connect with Admissions
James Dietz
Associate Director, Admissions
MSBAi Program