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.
Areej Duval ‘98 MBA was appointed vice president of Reinsurance at EFG Companies, responsible for business oversight and leadership of EFG’s profit participation programs. Duval most recently served as senior vice president and U.S. controller of Aspen Insurance Holdings.
Jonathan Couch ‘96 MBA joined Clearwave Fiber as chief financial officer (CFO) overseeing the company’s finance, accounting, corporate development, and administrative functions.
Joseph Olin ‘08 has joined Chicago-based Dayton Street Partners as director, acquisitions. Olin was most recently vice president of acquisitions at Banyan Street Capital in Miami.
Nicole Hughey ‘93 was elected chair of the Board of Directors of Urban League of Greater Hartford, effective July 1, 2023. Hughey is senior vice president of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Impact at SiriusXM/Pandora.
Kevin W. Ahern ‘92 MBA was appointed by Horizon Bancorp, Inc. to serve as an independent director on the Board of its wholly owned subsidiary, Horizon Bank. Ahern is currently the co-founder and managing partner of Brush Creek Partners, a private equity investment firm, and brings over 35 years of experience to the Board.
Oriana D. Freidenberg ’16 MBA has been named by Transamerica to a new position as Head of Customer Experience and Marketing for the company’s Individual Solutions division, which provides life insurance and annuities to customers throughout the U.S. Ms. Freidenberg will direct Transamerica’s vision for the customer journey and an enhanced customer-centric experience.
Ilona Bastiaansen ’23 Ph.D. has successfully defended her dissertation titled, “Bankruptcy Spillovers in Firm Payout Policy”. Bastiaansen has accepted a position as an assistant professor at the University of Notre Dame.
Paul Zikmund ’98 MBA has received the prestigious Certificate in Risk Governance by the Directors and Chief Risk Officers (DCRO) Institute. Zikmund currently serves as the chief enterprise risk, compliance, and information officer for Berkadia, a joint venture between Berkshire Hathaway and Jeffries Financial Group.
Ben Arsenault ’22 MBA has been appointed deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Arsenault is one of the youngest deputy commissioners within the state of Connecticut.
