Lawrence P. Ward ’92 was appointed president of the University of Hartford effective July 1, 2024. Prior to joining UHart, Ward served as vice president of learner success and dean of campus life at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. 

Mitch Zalko ’07 has been named vice president and chief financial officer at IBM Japan. During his 17 years with IBM, Zalko held numerous positions including director of finance and controller. 

Rick Dansereau ’05 was promoted to executive director, Underwriting, at Aetna, a CVS Health Company.  

Britany LeBlanc ’05 has been named chief executive officer of Herbivore Botanicals. LeBlanc most recently served as the chief marketing officer for Supergoop!. 

Chris Fidao ‘07 started a new position as infrastructure engineer at Laravel, based in Benton, AR. Fidao is also the owner of Internal Screaming LLC and the founder of Fideloper LLC.

Richard F. Almada, Jr. ’96 started a new position as chief strategy officer at CareAbout Health in New York City, responsible for the company’s strategic planning and execution of all reimbursement models and payer contracts. Prior to joining CareAbout, Almada served as COO of OptumCare Network of Connecticut & Senior Vice President – ProHealth Physicians.

Amanuel (Manny) Haile-Mariam ’01, ’11 MBA has joined Hannon Armstrong in New York City as senior managing director, responsible for the company’s structured investments in Grid-Connected renewable energy markets. Prior to joining Hannon Armstrong, Haile-Mariam held roles at GE Energy Financial Services, as well as with GE Corporate Audit Staff.

Reema Narang ’06 MBA was appointed chief strategy and innovation officer for Lee Health, responsible for crafting strategies that uplift patient experiences and reduce healthcare costs. Narang joins Lee Health from Advocate Health in Chicago, Illinois, where she was the senior vice president for strategic growth and transformation. Narang also served as the administrative officer for value-based care at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.