Ralph A. Gigliotti, PhD
Assistant Vice President for Strategic Programs in the Office of University Strategy and Director of the Center for Organizational Leadership at Rutgers University

Ralph A. Gigliotti, Ph.D. is Assistant Vice President for Strategic Programs in the Office of University Strategy and Director of the Center for Organizational Leadership at Rutgers University, where he also teaches in the Department of Communication and Ph.D. Program in Higher Education. He also teaches part-time at Villanova University in both the College of Professional Studies and Department of Public Administration. Ralph’s research and consulting interests explore the intersection of organizational communication, leadership, crisis communication, and training and development within the context of higher education.

His research appears in numerous books and scholarly journals, and he has authored and co-authored several books, including the following:

• Crisis Leadership in Higher Education: Theory and Practice
• Leadership: Social Influence in Personal and Professional Settings
  

Ralph is a National Examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States Department of Commerce). He is also actively involved in various professional associations, including the leadership team of the Training and Development Division for the National Communication Association and the Board of Directors for the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation in Higher Education.

Diana Lind

Executive Director at Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia

Diana Lind  is a writer and urban policy specialist. Her book, BRAVE NEW HOME: OUR FUTURE IN SMARTER, SIMPLER, HAPPIER HOUSING (Bold Type Books), was published in October 2020.

At the Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia, Diana's work fosters an exchange between the creative and business communities. She also serves as VP, Community & Culture for the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.

In 2008, Diana moved to Philadelphia to become the editor in chief of Next City, a leading urbanist website and nonprofit. Diana later also became the organization’s executive director. She also served as a founding adviser to the New Cities Foundation and received a fellowship from the Van Alen Institute. A graduate of Cornell University (B.A., English) and Columbia University (M.F.A. in Creative Writing), Diana has held positions at Architectural Record magazine, Rizzoli International Publications, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The University of Pennsylvania. She is also the author of Brooklyn Modern: Architecture, Interiors & Design (Rizzoli, 2008). 

A regular op-ed contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer and The Philadelphia Citizen, and author of an extensive number of articles for Architectural Record and Next City, Diana’s writing has been published in The New York Times and The Hill, among other venues. She is a frequent public speaker, and has given keynotes or participated in panels at more than 100 events. She serves on the boards of Next City and The Philadelphia Citizen.

Archna Sahay

Head of Platform, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures
Former Director, Entrepreneurial Investment (City of Philadelphia)

Archna Sahay serves as Head of Platform for Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, NM’s corporate venture capital arm. At NMFV, we operate in a collaborative and supportive culture to be the go to corporate venture fund for the marketplace of early stage FinTech, InsurTech, and Digital Health startups while also being the go to business partner delivering key insights to our internal teams in support of their strategic initiatives all with an eye on driving growth for NM and maintaining NM’s competitive advantage and relevancy in the marketplace.

As Head of Platform, Archna is responsible for leading the post investment efforts in providing strategic operational support to the NMFV portfolio companies. Areas of support available include establishing strategic partnerships, supporting talent acquisition needs, and securing marketing, communication and PR resources for founders.

Archna brings a diverse professional background to her role having worked in the private sector, public sector and as an entrepreneur herself where she launched a successful consulting practice working with cities, corporations and philanthropies focused on driving economic mobility through the lens of entrepreneurship and inclusive tech ecosystem development.

Joanne Morris, CPS '19

VP, Morris Animal Inn

Joanne Morris is the Vice President of Morris Animal Inn in Morristown, NJ.  Ms. Morris has worked alongside her parents, Walter (VU Class ’64) and Marianne Morris, to develop a world-class pet resort. Morris Animal Inn has grown into a small corporation with plans to open two additional pet resorts in 2020, and has been featured on Good Morning America, CBS News, The Today Show, and CNBC.

In addition, Ms. Morris has been a principal owner of Morris Pet Care Consulting, LLC, and owner/operator of four Invisible Fencing® dealerships. Ms. Morris is a national speaker on topics related to staffing, recruiting, retaining, and training. Her passion lies in helping small business owners obtain their dreams of successful and profitable businesses.

Patrick Murray '02

President & CEO at STP Investment Services

Patrick Murray, a third generation Villanova graduate, founded STP Investment Services in 2008. Under Patrick’s leadership, STP solves the front, middle and back office challenges of institutional, enterprise, fund and wealth managers across the globe with a technology powered, service first approach to outsourced operations. 

With Patrick at the helm, STP has grown at a breakneck pace, crossing $330 billion in assets served and capturing the industry recognition along the way, including Soaring 76 and Inc. 5000 growth awards, as well as several Philadelphia Business Journal, Philadelphia Inquirer and Inc. Magazine Best Places to Work accolades. STP was named FTF’s Best Outsourcing Provider two years in a row, in 2020 and 2021. 

Prior to founding STP, Patrick served as the Chief Technology Officer for PRP Performa Ltd., and held prominent positions at both Merrill Lynch (Technology Leadership Program) and J.P. Morgan Chase, leading to his recognition as a Philadelphia Business Journal 40 under 40 and E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.

Patrick serves on the advisory board of Tech Impact and the Innovative Technology Action Group (ITAG), and is an affiliate member of the CFA Society of Philadelphia and the CFA Institute. In addition, Patrick coaches youth soccer and basketball, and regularly volunteers with local church and community organizations.

Patrick holds a B.S. in Management Systems Information and Finance from Villanova and an M.S. from Boston University in Computer Information Systems and a Graduate Certificate in IT Project Management. Patrick has remained a diehard Villanova basketball fan, continuing his family’s tradition of being a season ticket holder for the last 75 years. 

Louis P. Kassa III, MPA '07

Executive Vice President & COO at Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center

Louis Kassa is the Chief Operating Officer of The Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, and Hepatitis B Foundation since December 2014. Kassa oversees daily operations, finance, business development, and compliance at the Pennsylvania Biotech Center, which is home to the Hepatitis B Foundation and its research entity, the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute. In 2017, Kassa was promoted to Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer.

From 2015 to 2017, Kassa worked part-time as the Chief Executive Officer for non-profit social services agency Youth Services Agency.  In 2017, he co-founded Family Foundations Partnership and is currently the Chief Executive Officer.  He previously served as State Director and Chief Operating Officer at VisionQuest National, Ltd, an national behavioral health company. In 2020, Kassa was named one of “The 10 Best COO’s of 2020” by Industry Era, a global technology media outlet. Kassa received his undergraduate degree from Penn State University and received a Masters in Public Administration from Villanova University in 2007.  

Ansa Yiadom

Vice President, Enterprise Services - Global Business Services at Pfizer

Ansa Yiadom is the Vice President of Enterprise Services within Pfizer’s Global Business Services (GBS) Division, where he leads a global team of 700+ colleagues and contractors towards operational, compliance, and quality excellence; all in support of Pfizer colleague effectiveness and corporate business excellence. Prior to this role, he was the Sourcing & Procurement Lead for Pfizer’s Global Sterile Injectables Manufacturing (Mfg) and Supply Division, where he led a team of 70+ colleagues across 10 sites and five countries to manage over $1B of direct and indirect material expenses in support of ~$8B in commercial revenue. Penultimately, Ansa was the Strategy Leader for Pfizer's Commercial Vaccines Business, serving on the Global Vaccines Leadership Team (LT) to ensure that the Business Unit’s strategy and execution maximized value for patients, governments, and stakeholders around the world.

Over the years, Ansa has led many global teams towards exceptional performance. He has held various positions of increasing responsibility in the areas of Clinical Trial Recruitment, Clinical Research Services Outsourcing, Mfg Material Sourcing & Procurement, Communications, and Prof. Services Procurement. Through the variety of his roles, Ansa has not only obtained a deep and wide understanding of the operational, financial, R&D, Mfg, and commercial workings of a corporation, but he has also demonstrated an ability to translate them into meaningful results against various internal and external goals. Beyond just focusing on quantitative performance, Ansa served as a leader within Pfizer’s Global Black Community CRG from 2014 – 2020 and currently Co-Leads Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for Pfizer’s GBS Division.

Ansa attended Swarthmore College, receiving a BA in Economics, and has since expanded his education in the areas of Clinical Trial Management and Lean Six Sigma Methodology. Additionally, he completed his Master's Degree in Public Administration at Villanova University, graduating with honors. On a personal note, Ansa speaks both conversational Spanish and conversational Twi, enjoys spending time with his family, and has a passion for supporting youth development through various scholarship, mentoring, coaching, and community activities.