Alphie Aiken ’08 EMBA was honored at the Women in Business Summit on April 21st, 2017. She is the President of Junior Achievement Jamaica and previously spent 15 years at the General Electric Company. Most recently, she was an eBusiness Leader, overseeing $600 million in online-sales annually. As a certified Six Sigma Black Belt, she led the implementation of quality management systems globally across the Motors and Controls manufacturing business within GE. Ms. Aiken has led the GE Women’s Network for Greater Hartford, as well as the GE African American Forum in the Northeast.

Bruce Shuman ’09 MBA has been appointed as chief digital and customer experience officer at The Hartford. This new position reinforces the company’s commitment to understanding and developing capabilities that meet the expectations of customers and distribution partners. Most recently, Mr. Shuman was with Travelers, where he held leadership positions in enterprise e-business and operations, including small business customer and agent service through traditional and digital channels.

James G. Coogan ’02, ’04 MSA has been promoted to Vice President of Investor Relations at Kaman Corporation. Since joining Kaman in 2008, Mr. Coogan has been responsible for external reporting and SEC compliance and was most recently promoted to Assistant Vice President of SEC Compliance and External Reporting back in 2013. He is a graduate of the Kaman Leadership Development Program.

Kristen M. Manginelli ’03, ’04 MSA has been promoted to senior vice president of Marketing at Webster Bank. Ms. Manginelli joined Webster in 2009 as part of the Financial Reporting and Accounting Policy team, and moved to Marketing in 2014 as Vice President, Manager, Segment Strategy. Prior to joining Webster, she worked for Deloitte LLP. She is also a certified public accountant.

Dhrumil A. Shah ’04, ’11 MBA has been named group controller for High Concrete. High Concrete provides financial, marketing, human resource and information services to High Industries and High Real Estate Group. He previously held positions as accounting and finance manager at Hershey Co. Mr. Shah has both a bachelor’s and MBA degrees from the University of Connecticut.

Brandon T. Parrinello ’09 MBA has been promoted to audit manager at the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General in Denver Colorado. Most recently, Mr. Parrinello held the position of senior analyst in the Tampa, Florida field office. While in Tampa he served as a Team Leader and Auditor-In-Charge on multiple audits and reviews, and has worked on audits of the VA Fiduciary Program, Technology Acquisition Center, Implementation of HSPD12, and Denver Replacement Hospital to name a few. He is a 2016 Graduate of VA’s prestigious Leadership VA program.

Shelly J. (Ouellette) Nicholas ’08 MBA owner of PRETTY KNOTTY, has announced the launch of FIT Ties. This patented hair accessory is the first to be created for athletes and active users. Its low-profile design, innovative manufacturing process, and proprietary material blend, combine to create a durable product that keeps hair securely in place while reducing friction on hair. Ms. Nicholas began developing her idea while studying her MBA at UConn. Her product can be purchased at www.prettyknotty.com.

Christopher T. Calio ’00 MBA, ’00 JD has been appointed as president of Pratt & Whitney’s commercial engines business. Pratt & Whitney is a division of United Technologies Corp. Mr. Calio joined UTC in 2005 and has served several positions across the company. He has been a business partner in leadership roles at Otis, UTC Aerospace Systems, and chief of staff for the UTC Chairman and CEO.

Erik D. Choisy ’08 has joined the Atlanta office of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP. He is an associate on the Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Team. Previously, Mr. Choisy worked in the New York office DLA Piper, where he advised client on regulatory and transactional issues such as cross-border mergers and acquisitions and capital market transactions. He focuses his practice on business and finance, securities, and mergers and acquisitions

Michael J. Zacchea ’12 MBA has been elected as the new chair of the Brookfield Democratic Town Committee. Mr. Zacchea is a retired Marine and a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient. He founded the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans at the University of Connecticut, as has advocated for veterans for many years. He has been featured in several documentaries and his book, “The Ragged Edge: A U.S. Marine’s Account of Leading the Iraqi Army Fifth Battalion” is available for pre-order on Amazon.