The News & Notes is a resource for alumni and current students of the University of Connecticut School of Business to stay up-to-date with their alumni network. We hope by providing information about our accomplished alumni, students and other alumni will have the opportunity to gain a better understanding about their industry and broaden their network.
James M. Thomson ’79 has been promoted to the Regional Vice President for the San Diego based General Atomic Aeronautical Systems business development activities, as well as the global offices in the Middle East and North Africa regions.
James R. Valente ’95 MBA has been appointed to Global Head of Real Estate for MSCI Inc. Mr. Valente has been with MSCI since 2011, where he has managed both the North American client base, as well as the Global Product functions for Real Estate. He has more than 20 years of experience in the institution real estate investment management industry having previously held senior research and strategy positions at BentallKennedy, ING Clarion and SSR Realty. Mr. Valente is a Fellow of the Homer Hoyt Institute and a member of the Pension Real Estate Association’s (PREA) Research Affinity Group. He is also a frequent speaker at industry events and his research and views on real estate have appeared in both academic and trade publications.
Anthony L. Mattacchione ’98 MBA has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Bruker Corporation. Mr. Mattacchione previously served as Bruker’s Senior Vice President of Finance and Accounting. He has served as Chief Financial Officer of EMD Millipore Corporation as well as Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. He has also held various financial leadership roles during his 16 years at Gerber Scientific. Mr. Mattacchione has more than thirty years of financial, accounting, operational and management experience.
Thomas O. Barnes ’78 MBA has been elected as the chairman of the Connecticut Science Center Board of Trustees. Mr. Barnes has served on the Science Center Board since 2004; most recently as vice chairman. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of Barnes Group, Inc. and has served on the Board of Directors of the company for more than 30 years. He has also been chairman, trustee or director for many non-profit organizations, including the Connecticut Science Center.” .
Titian N. Solis ’12 has joined the New York Metro Market of The Siegfried Group as a senior associate. Mr. Solis was most recently with PricewaterhouseCoopers where he gained three years of audit experience in a variety of industries including healthcare, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing.
Janet S. Grace ’97 EMBA has been appointed as a chief regulator of the Captive and Alternative Risk division at the Connecticut Insurance Department. A former consultant for Towers Watson, Ms. Grace has more than 20 years of experience in risk identification and coverage analysis. She is also a veteran of the Hartford where she worked for 20 years as a senior account executive.
Eugene F. Martin III ’87, ’89 MBA has been appointed to chief executive officer at Gordon Brothers Finance Company (GBFC). GBFC is a specialty-lending business that principally invests in asset-based loans to middle market companies. Mr. Martin is a global capital markets and credit investment professional with over 25 years of experience in leveraged credit spanning from regional, middle-market companies to global enterprises.
Robert Becker ’93 MBA has been appointed to the HMS Holdings Corporation Board of Directors. Mr. Becker was the chief executive officer (retired) of Wolters Kluwer Health. Mr. Becker has held several executive positions at companies such as Jupiter-Media Metrix and Thomson Corporation.
Mary K. Fenton ’91 MBA has been appointed as a co-chair of CBIA’s Connecticut Bioscience Growth Council. Established in January 2015, the overarching mission of the Connecticut Bioscience Growth Council is to grow Connecticut’s bioscience sector. The Council also facilitates collaboration among the Connecticut life science community and communication with the Connecticut and federal policy makers, as well as the public. Ms. Fenton is currently the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Achillion Pharmeceuticals, Inc.
James E. Cotter ’82 has joined Salisbury Bank and Trust Company as the executive vice president and chief operating officer. Mr. Cotter was most recently the executive vice president and chief operating officer at Naugatuck Valley Savings and Loan. He has also held positions at Newtown Savings Bank and Fairfield County Bank. In such prior positions, Mr. Cotter was responsible for oversight of retail banking, deposit operations, investment sales, marketing, security, facilities and IT.