Gabelli School Alumni Award Recipients

Acknowledging Excellence

Each year, the Gabelli School of Business celebrates the accomplishments of an outstanding alumna/alumnus, who has excelled personally and professionally and who embodies the values of the Jesuit education we provide. We are extremely proud of these individuals, their achievements, and their continued support of the Gabelli School of Business and its students.

2025 - Alexander Wright (GABELLI ‘00)

Alexander Wright serves on the Fordham University President’s Council and is chairman of the Fordham Gabelli School of Business Alternative Investment Council. He earned an M.B.A. from the Gabelli School of Business and is a current partner, and global wealth strategist for Apollo Global Management. Previously, he was a portfolio manager for Apollo’s closed end funds, CLOs, and private BDC. Prior to joining Apollo in 2011, he was with GSC Group, where he served in a variety of different roles, most recently as chief administrative officer, chief financial officer, and head of US corporate debt. Before that, Wright was with IBJ Whitehall Bank & Trust Corporation and Chemical Banking Corporation. His incredible success is truly an inspiration to us all.

2024 - Valerie Leeder (GABELLI ‘09)

Valerie Leeder is managing director and global head of HR platform, risk and infrastructure at BlackRock. In this role, she is responsible for the strategic planning and implementation of HR technology and services to employees across the firm. Prior to joining BlackRock, Leeder spent 23 years at Goldman Sachs, where she held several leadership positions focused on business development, and operational and regulatory oversight. Most recently, she was the chief risk officer of Human Capital Management (HCM), head of HCM Operations, and head of Mergers & Acquisitions People Strategy. Leeder earned a B.A. in Economics and Management Science from the State University of New York College at Cortland, a B.S. in Accounting from Mount Saint Mary College, and an M.B.A. from Fordham University. She serves as a member of the Gabelli School of Business Advisory Council.