BUSINESS CAL POLY - Key Persons

Adam Armstrong

Job Titles:

Vice President of Customer Success at Specright

Adam is currently the Vice President of Customer Success at Specright, the leading software platform for product and packaging specification data management. Before joining Specright, Adam worked in Digital Strategy and Analytics for the National Football League and helped grow early-stage technology startups Meltwater News and Brand Affinity Technologies. He earned his MBA from UCLA Anderson and a BA in Economics from UCLA as well. Adam lives in Costa Mesa, CA with his wife Kimberly and daughters Kate (4) and Caroline (2).

Al Carrasco

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Member of the Advisory Board
Area Director of Human Resources, Ernst & Young

Al Eschenbach

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Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, Glenn Burdette

Alyssa Johnson

During her undergraduate studies in business administration, Santa Cruz, CA native Alyssa Johnson developed a strong interest in tax accounting. The problem? She realized soon after graduation that she had a lot more to learn about the subject before pursuing a career in the field. After researching her options for advanced tax degrees and even reaching out the Cal Poly alumni for advice, she enrolled in Cal Poly's Business MS Tax program… and hasn't looked back since. Initially nervous about her ability to keep up with the demands of the program, she credits small class sizes, personal attention by her professors, and helpful classmates and study groups as reasons for success in the program. "Our teachers were some of the best in the profession. They challenged us and were always willing to go out of their way to help us learn." Now working in tax for Deloitte in San Jose, she says "I put in many hours studying, going to office hours and collaborating with my classmates. Even though it was a lot of hard work, it was definitely worthwhile in helping me launch my career."

Amy Wright

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Tax Associate, PWC past Cal Poly Accounting Club President

Arjun Reddy Toom

A computer science undergrad from BMS College of Engineering in India, Arjun Reddy Toom was looking for a graduate program that would prepare him for the real world of business. Cal Poly's MS Business Analytics program hit the mark. It was the program's Learn by Doing approach and unique integration of real-world industry projects into the curriculum that really piqued his interest, something he hadn't found when researching other graduate programs. "The collaborative industry project curriculum allowed students to share ideas and thoughts in smaller groups and collaborate to crunch data," he says, while also providing the opportunity to "interact with senior business leadership from the best companies and firms in California." "More than anything, Learn by Doing is something that I got to experience at every moment during my course and project work," he says.

Ashley Goodin

As a finance major during her undergraduate studies, Ashley Goodin was certain she wanted a quantitative focus to her career. However, as she began to pursue the positions she was most interested in she came to realize that a stronger technical skillset would make her a more competitive candidate and equip her for longer-term success. It is with that in mind that she pursued Cal Poly's M.S. in Business Analytics program. When accepting her offer of admission, Ashley was concerned that she lacked some of the technical skills to keep up with the fast-paced environment of the 10-month program. "I decided to take an additional statistics course in R and completed some tutorials for Tableau," she said to better prepare for the program. Once the program started, "we created study groups" and "the small class sizes made me feel very comfortable…I was never nervous to ask for clarification… and it was [clear both faculty and peers] wanted every individual to succeed." "The industry projects were my favorite courses in the program. They offered a real-world perspective on everything we had learned in the program up to that point. I think the most valuable thing I learned from the projects was being able to interpret the solutions we had come up with into an actionable business decisions and strategic recommendations…"

Ben Koos

Job Titles:

Economist

Brooke Stran

Brooke Stran loved her time as an undergraduate at Cal Poly, where she studied business administration and psychology. In fact, she loved it so much she decided to stay a bit longer. "I chose to further my degree at Cal Poly because I couldn't leave this town quite yet…the hiking trails, beaches, local wineries, farmers market with live music, beautiful sunsets and the welcoming community," she recounts. "I couldn't imagine going to school anywhere else." So she enrolled in the MS Accounting program and had no regrets. "It's hands down the best decision I have ever made," she says. Stran found the program to be the next step needed to help her reach her career aspirations, but a step that also turned out to be a great value for the money. "The MS Accounting program is a great return on investment," she says. "It is very affordable for a high-quality university." After recently completing the MS Accounting program, Stran is studying for her CPA exams and has already landed a position as a core assurance associate at EY's office in San Francisco. "Cal Poly has recruiters all over California and other states," she says, which she urges students to take advantage of like she did because the "school has the professional connections to get them there." Stran is living proof that indeed it does.

Bryce Boggs

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, Longcrier & Associates CPAs, LLP

Charles Hu

After earning his bachelor's degree in hydropower engineering from Wuhan University in China, Charles Hu decided to further his studies abroad. But when he began researching graduate programs in the U.S., he found that most focused nearly exclusively on construction management, not an area of interest for his career pursuits. Then he heard about the MS Engineering Management program at Cal Poly. The program was one of the only ones, he says, that encompassed both industrial engineering and business, and allowed him to earn two master's degrees in two years. Looking back now, he says, "Choosing Cal Poly was the best decision I've ever made in my life."

Chris Boucher

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, Apercen Partners, LLC

Dan Mennel

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, Grant Thornton LLP

Dana Lance

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, Grant Thornton LLP

Danny Allustiarti

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board

David Kanner

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Member of the Advisory Board
Partner & Owner, Seiler, LLP

David Kral

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Member of the Advisory Board

Emily Hall

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Managing Director, Andersen Tax

Eric Greenberg

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Juris Doctor in Law / Cornell Law School / Principal Attorney at Eric F. Greenberg, P. C

Garrett Perez

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board

George Famalett

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Member of the Advisory Board

Henry Danielson

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Cloud Computing Expert With Expertise in Amazon Web Services

James Huang

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Member of the Advisory Board
Technical Accounting Senior Manager, LinkedIn

James Hughes

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, Grant Thornton LLP

Jason Ainsworth

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, Deloitte

Jeff Ernst

Armed with an undergraduate degree in busines adminstration, including a concentration in finance and minor in statistics, Jeff Ernst decided that he wanted to pursue a career in the growing and high-demand field of business analytics. He just wasn't sure how to get there. "I didn't have the right skills or experience to break into the field," say Ernst. "I realized that the MS Business Analytics program at Cal Poly was the perfect solution for me to follow my passion and do something I love.". Once enrolled in the intensive 10-month program, Ernst says he benefited tremendously from the program's Learn by Doing approach. "My biggest concern was finding a job in data analytics with no prior work experience in the field. However, the experience I gained from the industry projects, class assignments and class projects was extremely impressive to employers." The balance of skills taught was also a plus. "Cal Poly offers a warm, friendly environment with a strong focus on building the technical side, but also the soft skills required to succeed in the real world."

Jeff Sokol

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, Deloitte

Jennifer Campbell

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Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, KPMG

Jon Peck

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Project Analyst, Google past Cal Poly Accounting Club President

Jordan Sligh

Jordan Sligh knew that earning a master's degree would not only better prepare him for a career in accounting, but also up his chances for landing a great job in the field. As a recent graduate of the MS Accounting program working at the Big Four firm of EY (formerly Ernst & Young), his instincts were spot on. "In the accounting profession, it's becoming more and more advantageous to earn a master's degree," says Sligh. "Also, because I knew that I'd be pursuing a CPA license, the MS Tax program was a very effective way to ensure that I met all the education requirements for certification too." Sligh says that the MS Accounting program's well-rounded approach to learning, its experienced faculty, close student cohorts and diversity of real-world guest speakers were key to his success in the program. "I had many unique experiences during the program that motivated and excited me about accounting and business in general," he says. "One of the most unique was the great conversations I regularly had with my professors."

Juan Carlos Castellanos

Juan Carlos Castellanos wasn't sure he was ready to step out into the "big world" after graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. When he decided to pursue a specialization in tax, Cal Poly's graduate program came highly recommended. The MS Tax program's small class sizes turned out to provide the perfect learning environment, he says, where professors were able to use more interactive, Socratic methods of teaching that encouraged critical thinking and active participation. The class settings were also more personal where he "really got to know my peers and professors in more than just a ‘study and work' environment." While Castellanos found the MS Tax coursework to be very challenging, the support of faculty, staff and fellow students kept him on track, who he describes as "people who really care to see you grow and succeed…and no matter how tough it may have been, the professors were always

Julie Rizzolo

Julie Rizzolo's motivations for applying to Cal Poly's MS Accounting program were twofold. First, she wanted her graduate education to be more than just an extension of the undergraduate accounting degree that she earned at Arizona State University. Her Cal Poly experience didn't disappoint. The coursework was challenging and lots of hard work, but she also found classes like Professor Westermann's that weren't anything like she'd taken before. "We were able to discuss real issues and form independent opinions about issues that we were sure to encounter in the future." The program's professional networking, guest speakers and industry connections were also highlights that she believes helped jumpstart her career. "The program broadened my professional network in the best way by adding everyone in my cohort to my future contacts. She adds, "Coming from Arizona, I didn't have many connections in the Bay Area, but now I have a large group of peers that I'll be able to keep in touch while we begin our careers." And her other motivation for applying to the program? An opportunity to live at the beach. "It doesn't get much better than San Luis Obispo. There's never a shortage of things to do in your free time, particularly outdoors. I fell in love with the town shortly after moving there." Though she misses SLO and her time at the beach, Rizzolo now works for KPMG in their Deal Advisory Practice in the Silicon Valley.

Julie West

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, BPM

Katie Ng

Recent MS Tax graduate Katie Ng knew that practical, real-world work experience in tax would be an important differentiator to potential employers post-graduation. So when she learned about the MS Tax program's Learn by Doing approach and required internship during tax season, the undergrad business major knew she had found the perfect match for her interests. "The program's winter tax internship allowed me to experience firsthand what it was like to work a busy season at an accounting firm," she says of her time as an intern in PwC's San Jose office. She also credits many classroom guest speakers from the Big Four accounting firms, as well as regional and local firms, for helping round out her real-world preparation during the program. Ng says her close relationship with students in her cohort, small class sizes and getting to know faculty on a first-name basis made getting through the rigorous program both do-able and memorable. "What surprised me the most was how personable the professors were and how

Kyle Vallejo

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Audit Associate, KPMG past Cal Poly Accounting Club President

Lincoln Clark

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Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, KPMG

Liz Dollar

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, Moss Adams

Mark Fernandez

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Mark Lynch

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
General Manager North American Services, Chevron

Matt Fagan

Matt Fagan describes the new world of data and business analytics a little like the Wild West, a professional area so new that business standards and rules have yet to established. This makes enhanced knowledge, skills and experience vitally important for those pursuing careers in the field, he says. "It used to be the case that a finance degree and some Excel knowledge could suffice throughout a career, but now, the world runs on SQL, Python and RDBM," says Fagan. "Data is the currency of the emerging business environment, and business analytics offers the perfect vehicle to building a skillset for one to manage and mine this new currency." "This is an emerging frontier that is growing too fast to define, and its rate of growth far exceeds the supply of minds that understand it," he adds.

Matt Mantani

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board

Mike Nolan

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Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, Hayashi & Wayland

Mike Tomasello

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Member of the Advisory Board
Partner, DeWinter Group

Mike Zabko

Job Titles:

Member of the Advisory Board
Senior Tax Manager, Frank, Rimerman & Co., LLP

Nikki Kong

When considering pursuing an MBA, Nikki Kong wanted to make sure that the experience wasn't simply a repeat of what she learned when earning her bachelor's degree in business administration. She also had concerns about programs that would take her out of the workforce for too long. The Cal Poly's MBA program was able to address both concerns, and Kong recently graduated with both her MBA and a certificate in business analytics. "Through the program, I was able to supplement the more management-centric courses with classes that focused on more quantitative topics. In general, the MBA program provided me with a lot of flexibility to pursue my own interests," she says.