Alumni & Student Success Stories
Leadership at its Very Best
The Gabelli School of Business Executive MBA focuses on building your knowledge and network, bringing cohorts of highly accomplished executives together from diverse backgrounds and myriad industries. Below are just some examples of alumni and student success stories.
Matthew Catanzaro
Lieutenant, FDNY, U.S. Army Reserve Officer
A U.S. Army veteran and former analyst with Goldman Sachs,Matthew Catanzaro has built a distinguished and multifaceted career spanning finance, public service, and national security. Introduced to the Gabelli School EMBA program years ago while working in finance, his career path shifted in the period period after 9/11, leading him to join the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and serve nearly a decade on active duty in the U.S. Army. His military service included overseas deployments and specialized roles in intelligence, civil affairs, and diplomacy. Since relocating back to New York, he serves as a fire department officer and counterterrorism analyst. Catanzaro values the tight-knit cohort of students in the program, its dynamic curriculum, and the opportunities to build his network as he begins to consider his plans after retiring from the FDNY. “I want to leverage my past experience working in finance combined with the leadership skills I gained in the military,” he noted. “Once I’ve earned my Executive MBA, I will have a good foundation of knowledge to explore options for the next stage of my career.” With a wealth of experience and a strong grasp of international relations, Catanzaro is considering working with a U.S. company operating in Latin America, in a role with the U.S. State Department or within a U.S. embassy. For him, the EMBA is both a strategic investment and a platform for purpose-driven leadership in a global setting.
Rev. Dae Kim, M.M.
Assistant CFO, Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America
Father Dae Kim is a Catholic missionary priest with the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, officially known as the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America. Ordained in 2013, he has served in South America, primarily in Bolivia and Brazil, answering a deep vocational call to mission work. However, with a background in chemistry and chemical engineering, as well as professional experience in IT prior to entering religious life, Father Kim brings a unique perspective to ministry and leadership that has opened up a new career path within the organization. “I enjoyed my missionary work in South America, but there was a need for more mission support work,” he noted. “We are a large 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and because of our Catholic structure, it was decided that a priest was needed who would eventually be in charge of all of our financial operations.” Now based in New York at Maryknoll’s headquarters, Father Kim is in training to step into the role of chief financial officer while he builds his financial expertise through the Executive MBA program at the Gabelli School. He was drawn to Fordham for its Jesuit values, holistic education, and strong sense of community, all of which aligned closely with his own faith and worldview. Father Kim has been deeply inspired by his cohort of diverse, mission-driven students. While his path may be distinct, he finds common ground with his classmates in a collective desire to make a positive impact. As he blends faith, leadership, and financial stewardship, Father Kim embodies service at the intersection of mission and management.
Colleen Lee
Director of Corporate Partnerships - NE, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Colleen Lee built a successful career in the nonprofit sector by bringing a dynamic blend of strategic thinking, relationship management, and innovation to leadership roles at organizations such as Ronald McDonald House New York and the Make-a- Wish Foundation. Her strategy to consistently deliver impactful partnership strategies has earned her awards and national recognition and has demonstrated her potential to have an impact on a wider scale.
She enrolled in the Gabelli School EMBA program initially intending to transition towards a career in corporate and social responsibility within the private sector, taking what she’d learned in the nonprofit world into the corporate environment. However, the program’s value-driven, Jesuit approach has been both inspiring and transformative. The integration of leadership and compassion into every aspect of the curriculum, including finance, has reshaped Lee’s professional outlook and career ambitions.
“We are learning how you can do good business while doing good for the world as well, which is critical for building a sustainable nonprofit,” she commented. The coursework’s emphasis on ethics, sustainability, and social impact reaffirmed her commitment to making a difference in the nonprofit sector. Lee already has secured a new role as director of corporate partnerships - NE with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, where she is applying the strategic acumen and practical skills, she’s learning in classroom to create meaningful, lasting impact through purpose-driven work. “The Gabelli School is teaching us what business leaders need to be successful—especially those focused on leading teams effectively and making well-informed decisions,” she concluded.
Cam Pegg
Senior Vice President, Strategy, Critical Mass
With over two decades of experience guiding organizations through transformation, Cam Pegg specializes in aligning people, processes, and strategy to deliver measurable, sustainable impact in media and product management. Pegg’s decision to enroll in the Executive MBA program at the Gabelli School helped him fulfill a long-held personal goal while facilitating a strategic professional move. “I now have more tools to help me make decisions and I am looking at the world in different ways,” Pegg explained. “What I’m learning in this program is also helping me work more collaboratively with other senior executives because I have a better understanding of their roles and business functions.”
In particular, the EMBA is broadening his skill set and perspective in areas such as finance and strategic leadership, equipping him to better understand financial statements, collaborate with senior executives, and contribute more meaningfully in leadership conversations and strategy discussions with clients. Pegg also has connected with Fordham’s ethics-driven Jesuit philosophy and the School’s strong emphasis on moral, responsible business leadership. In addition, he has benefited from being immersed in a network of other senior-level business professionals who are making an impact in their industries.
Silvia Posada
Senior VP, Network Development and Growth, Essen Healthcare
Silvia Posada, who is currently in a senior leadership role at Essen Healthcare—the largest privately-owned health system in New York State—and who previously served as vice president of performance management at HealthCare Partners, has over 20 years of combined experience overseeing strategic initiatives across business units and operations supporting more than 400 physicians, 35 medical offices, and over 1,200 employees. Under her leadership, both of these organizations have experienced and increase in operations efficiency and sales, surpassing growth targets while launching products specific to the New York City market.
While Posada has been extremely successful in these ventures, she wanted to augment her knowledge base in financial strategy, operational analytics, taxation, and the role of IT in modern organizations. Although she had gained a strong base of skills and experience from hands-on training and supportive mentorship throughout her career, she felt a deep personal and professional drive to complete an executive-level degree to fully prepare for a C-suite role in the future.
“I feel that I'm closing the gap by gaining the financial expertise, measuring ROI and profitability,” she noted. “I've also had the opportunity to directly apply what I’m learning in class to implementing AI-driven projects at work.”
Posada’s journey wasn’t without challenges; after enrolling in the EMBA program in 2023, she had to pause her studies due to a family medical emergency. With the support and encouragement of the Gabelli School’s EMBA staff and faculty, she returned in 2024, and has been fully immersed ever since. Her experience has not only reignited her interest in advancement within healthcare leadership, it also has sparked her passion for women’s leadership and the possibility of running a mission-driven, women-focused organization in the future.
Justin Soto
Deputy Director, Finance and Budget, Naval Reactors
Balancing his desire for career growth with his aspiration to earn an executive-level degree, Justin Soto chose the Gabelli School’s Executive M.B.A. program for its flexible scheduling, strong reputation, and New York City base, which helps keep him connected to the center of the finance world as he commutes one weekend a month from his home and full-time job in the Washington, D.C. area.
Soto earned an MS in Applied Economics from The Johns Hopkins University and wasn’t initially planning on pursuing an MBA degree until a recent move into a leadership role sparked a deeper interest in management. The Gabelli School EMBA’s emphasis on humanistic and holistic instruction has resonated with Soto as he considers his future career path. “The focus on whole person instruction, particularly in the management courses, is distinctive compared to other programs,” he commented. Another key highlight of his experience has been the immersive, residential weekends that foster a sense of community among the cohort, creating meaningful connections that extend beyond the classroom.
“Spending time with other students has been really rewarding. Learning from their experiences has opened my mind to new ideas and has helped me to build relationships that will guide me in my career,” he added. The program has helped shape his leadership style and expanded his horizons, all on a schedule that allows him to manage his professional and personal commitments.