Forté Foundation is led by a dynamic team of professionals—from distinguished board members to energetic partners, volunteers and staff—who believe in the value of women in the workplace.

Pepe Carreras

Director, Products and Marketing Services
GMAC

Michelle Chevalier

Director—Graduate Business Career Center
University of Minnesota—Carlson School of Management

Michelle has spent over eight years in MBA career services with two highly ranked programs: the Olin Business School at Washington University and the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Prior to beginning her academic career, Michelle spent twelve years in a variety of corporate and recruiting positions. Currently, Michelle is the Director of the Graduate Business Career Center at the Carlson School of Management. There, she works closely with graduate students in the MBA (full-time, part-time and executive), MA-HRIR, MBT, and MAcc programs. She leads an active national and international business development and corporate outreach initiative, and manages a comprehensive career education series. Michelle has a unique blend of professional experiences including corporate, academic (with one private and one public university) and recruiting. In addition, her career services experience has included coaching and advising, corporate relations and career education. She is currently on the board of the MBA Career Services Counsel (MBA CSC).

Prior to joining the Carlson School, Michelle was with Washington University's Olin Business School where she spent over five years working in the Career Center in employer relations, career advising and business development. Prior to her work at the Olin School, She was a Vice President for Brand Management Executive Recruiting at the O'Connell Group executive search, a Management Consultant with Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, a Sales Representative for General Mills, and a Marketing Intern for Nestle Purina. Michelle has also taught a variety of marketing courses at the graduate and undergraduate level. She has been an active member of the MBA Career Services Council, Forté Foundation, American Marketing Association, and Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. Michelle has an MBA from the Washington University Olin Business School and a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri.

Alice Davison

Vice President, Central Services Division
Capital Group Companies

Alice Davison is a senior HR Manager with responsibility for global Investment Group Recruiting and a vice president of the Central Services Division for The Capital Group Companies. She has previously served as a general human resources manager for CGC's East Coast offices, a fund administrator and consultant for Capital Research International, and the coordinator of The Associates Program (TAP). Alice was a TAP participant before attending graduate school.

Alice received a bachelor's degree in economics from Bowdoin College and an M.B.A. with distinction from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business. She is a Trustee of the Far Brook School in Short Hills, New Jersey, a volunteer at the Lawrenceville School, and involved in area admissions for Bowdoin.

Melissa Evers-Hood

Enabling Finance Controller,Software and Services Group
Intel

Melissa Evers-Hood is the Software and Services Group (SSG) Enabling Controller at Intel.  Joining Intel in 2004, she’s worked in their Communications group, Business Client Group and SSG.  In her current capacity she oversees strategic and business management of Intel’s software enabling from Operating Systems to Tools/middleware, to Developer Relations.  She’s launched two software businesses and successfully disinvested in another.  Earlier in her career she’s managed competitive analysis, forecasted CPU demand, and analyzed features for the CPU roadmap.  Prior to Intel, Melissa worked at Dell in Corporate Finance in Texas and at ExxonMobil as an environmental territory manager in New Jersey.

Melissa resides in lovely Portland, Oregon with husband, three kids and dog.  Melissa has both her MBA and BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.   

Suni Harford

Managing Director and Citgroup’s Regional Head of Markets for North America
Citi

Suni Harford is a Managing Director and Citi's Regional Head of Markets, NA.  In this capacity she oversees Citi's Sales, Trading and Origination businesses in the United States and Canada. Ms. Harford has served in a variety of posistions, including Global Head of Fixed Income Research and Co-Head of Citi's Capital Markets Origination business.  Ms. Harford has a bachelors degree in Physics and Math from Denison University and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth. Suni is currently on the MBA Advisory Board at Tuck.  She lives in NYC with her husband and three children, Devon (11), Jenna (8) and Liam (5).

VICE CHAIR
Elizabeth Riley Hargrove

Associate Dean for Admissions
Fuqua School of Business at Duke University

Liz Riley Hargrove currently serves as Associate Dean for Admissions at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.  In her seventeen years with Fuqua, Liz has served in many capacities, joining the school as an Assistant Director of Admissions in 1993 and progressing to Associate Director, Director of Admissions, and Assistant Dean of Daytime Admissions before assuming her current role.  As Associate Dean, Liz oversees Fuqua’s five top-ranked graduate business programs: the Daytime, Cross Continent, Weekend Executive, and Global Executive MBA programs, as well as the recently launched Master of Management Studies: Foundations of Business program.  Her responsibilities encompass strategic planning, recruitment, and evaluation for all programs.  A graduate of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC, Liz earned her undergraduate degree in Communications and a Master of Education in Counseling.  Prior to joining Fuqua, Liz was Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions for her alma mater.  As a recognized leader in the field of graduation business admissions, Liz has been featured in such publications as BusinessWeek, U.S. News & World Report, and in numerous other publications.  Liz and her husband Marc live in Raleigh and have two children. 

CHAIR
Roxanne Hori

Associate Dean, Corporate Partnerships
Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management

Roxanne is the Associate Dean for Corporate Partnerships after serving as the Assistant Dean of Career Management at the Kellogg School of Management for close to 17 years.  Prior to joining Kellogg she worked in a corporate environment for a total of 16 years in various roles within Human Resources.  She currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Women’s Business Association and several task forces and search committees.  In the past Roxanne has also served on both the school’s and her former employer’s diversity committee.  In addition, has served as President of a regional and board member of a national professional organization.  Roxanne has over 22 years of experience in higher education coaching and counseling students on career choices which she believes is valuable to the organization.

Treasurer
Sandra Hurse

Vice President, Equities/FICC Recruiting
Goldman Sachs

Sandra joined Goldman Sachs in 2006 as Global Head of Securities Campus Recruiting.  Prior to joining Goldman, Sandra spent 8 years at JP Morgan Chase in various Human Resources and Marketing Roles.

Sandra holds a BBA in Finance from Baruch College and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Michigan.

Soojin Kwon

Director of Admissions
FTMBA, PTMBA, EMBA, BBA
Ross School of Business
University of Michigan

Soojin is the Director of Admissions at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Soojin has been with Ross since 2004 and is responsible for marketing,  recruiting, and evaluation for Ross' Full-time MBA, Executive MBA, Weekend MBA, Evening MBA and BBA programs. Prior to joining Ross, Soojin was a Manager with Deloitte Consulting as well as a budget analyst with the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, House Appropriations Committee and Department of Commerce. Soojin has an MBA from Ross, a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Political Science from Yale. Soojin and her husband live in Michigan with their two sons.

Rebekah Lewin

Executive Director of Admissions & Administration
University of Rochester, Simon School

Rebekah Lewin is Executive Director of Admissions & Administration at the Simon Graduate School of Business at University of Rochester.  As Executive Director, she oversees graduate admissions for full-time and part-time MBA and MS programs as well as the Registrar’s Office.  Rebekah’s 12 year career within the University of Rochester began as Assistant Director of Admissions at the Graduate School of Education.  She then transitioned to the Simon School, where she has advanced in roles of Associate Director, Senior Associate Director, and Director of Admissions, before assuming her present role.

Under Rebekah’s tenure, Simon has launched several new specialized MS programs, as well as an Accelerated Professional “PMBA” cohort program for evening students.  Rebekah is passionate about raising admissions standards and enrolling top candidates who will achieve academic and career success through their graduate business experience.  Her responsibilities encompass strategic planning, recruitment, marketing, and evaluation for all full-time and part-time Rochester-based programs.  Rebekah holds a BS in Business Administration from Roberts Wesleyan College and an MBA from the Simon School.  Prior to joining Rochester, Rebekah worked in undergraduate admissions at her alma mater.  Rebekah and her husband, Gary, live in Rochester and have one son.

SECRETARY
Kristina Liphardt

Americas Campus Recruiting Leader for MBA Recruiting and Transaction Advisory Services
Ernst & Young

Kristina is currently the Americas Campus Recruiting Leader for MBA recruiting and for Transaction Advisory Services at Ernst & Young.  Kristina has had an extensive career in campus and experienced hire recruiting and human resources. She has experience in employee relations, performance management, compensation and recruiting for audit, tax and consulting services. Kristina had spent the past several years focused on expanding the MBA recruiting stategy. She received her BS in Organizational Communications from Arizona State University.  She lives in Orange County, CA with her husband and two children.

Libby Livingston

Director of MBA Admissions, 2-Year MBA Program
Goizueta Business School
Emory University

I am Director of MBA Admissions for our Two Year MBA Program and have been at Emory for over 11 years.  I have served as the Goizueta Business School Forté Representative for the past six years, and I have a strong commitment to encouraging women to consider business education or business as a career.  Prior to Emory, I worked at a small liberal arts college in the Chicago area in admissions and student affairs.  I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Tennessee and my Master's degree in Higher Education from Indiana University.

Forté Fellow Representative
Adrienne Martinez

The Johnson School, Cornell University - 2008 MBA

Adrienne completed her MBA at The Johnson School, Cornell University in 2008 with a concentration in Capital Markets and Asset Management.  Upon graduation she joined the consultant relations team at DB Advisors, the institutional asset management business for Deutsche Bank.  As a student at The Johnson School, Adrienne was named a Forté Foundation Fellow, awarded a Toigo Foundation Fellowship, as well as a New America Alliance Institute Fellowship.  Under her leadership as President of the Women’s Management Council, the inaugural WMC Professional Development Trek took place.  She also served as Vice President of Community Outreach for the Hispanic American Business Leadership Association (HABLA) where she co-lead planning for Johnson Means Business 2007; was a student member of the school’s admission committee; and also served on the planning committee for Camp $tart-Up 2008.  A two time Cornellian, Adrienne received her Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.  Adrienne is the first alumna to be appointed to the Forté Foundation Board of Directors.

Deborah Merrill-Sands

Dean
Mills College

Deborah Merrill-Sands is the Dean of the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business and the Glenn and Ellen Voyles Chair in Business Education. She received her MA and PhD in applied anthropology from Cornell University, and her BA from Hampshire College. Dr. Merrill-Sands is an authority on women in leadership and gender dynamics in the workplace. Her recent work has focused on the areas of ethics, corporate responsibility, and sustainability. Prior to joining Mills, Dr. Merrill-Sands served as Dean of the School of Management at Simmons College for six years.  Prior to serving as Dean she was the Associate Dean and also a co-director of the Center for Gender in Organizations.  Before joining Simmons, Deborah worked extensively in international development in Latin America and East Africa.

Sara O’Reilly

National Women's Initiative (WIN) Chief of Staff
Deloitte

Sara O’Reilly currently serves as the National Women’s Initiative (WIN) Chief of Staff for Deloitte Consulting US where she focuses her energy devising and executing strategy on the critical business issue of attracting, developing, advancing, and retaining top female talent within Consulting to drive marketplace growth.  Prior to her WIN role, Sara specialized in the management of large mergers and acquisitions. She helped client organizations design, plan and execute complex M&A projects including integrations, carve-outs and start-ups focusing on transformational change, employee impact, realizing synergies and building a platform for growth. In this capacity Sara served a variety of clients within the financial services, healthcare and energy industries both in the United States and internationally. 

Sara holds her Bachelors of Science in Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her Masters in Business Administration from Lancaster University, UK with a specialization in international strategic alliances.

Elizabeth M. Philipp

Executive Vice President and Account Manager
PIMCO

Ms. Philipp is an executive vice president and an account manager in the New York office, and a senior member of the investment strategy group. In addition to her institutional client servicing responsibilities, she oversees PIMCO’s Northeast client service office in New York. She is also the co-head of  PIMCO’s Women’s Leadership Network and a senior member of the firm’s campus recruiting team.  Prior to joining PIMCO in 1996, she was with Bank of America in trading and credit.  She has 18 years of investment experience and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. She earned her BBA degree from the University of Iowa. Ms. Philipp is also a CFA charter holder.