The Career Advice You Probably Didn’t Get

Panelists

Al Chiaradonna – senior vice president, SEI and adjunct professor, Villanova School of Business

Denise L. Devine '77, CPA, MBA, MST – founder and chief excecutive officer of FNB Holdings

Karin Risi ’94, ’99 MBA – managing director, Vanguard Retail Investor Group

Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD – Helen and William O’Toole Dean and professor of management & operations, Villanova School of Business (Moderator)

Al Chiaradonna – senior vice preseident, SEI and adjunct professor, Villanova School of Business

Al Chiaradonna is on the executive management of SEI, and serves as an adjunct professor for Villanova University’s Executive MBA program.

Al is a true leadership expert and throughout his career, he has run businesses ranging from start-ups to billion-dollar enterprises and has worked on strategy for numerous Fortune 500 companies. He is passionately committed to evolving the workplace of tomorrow and, as a leader, fully embraces concepts like work-life integration and the growing need for employee value propositions.

For over 18 years Al has taught other executives as an adjunct professor at Villanova University. Al focuses his teaching in the areas of strategic management, leadership, and managing yourself and your career for the Executive MBA Program and also holds advisory roles with the Executive Business School. He also runs the executive coaching program at Villanova.

A seasoned motivational speaker, Al has spoken all over the globe on topics ranging from industry dynamics and global talent management to leadership, business strategy and work-life integration. An active member of his community, Al serves as Chairman of the board of Gwynedd Mercy Academy Elementary School, is a member of the SEI Women’s Network Advisory Council and resides on the Parent Leadership Council at Tufts University. Additionally he sits on the board of AIM Academy and is co-founder of the non-profit organization, Project Gumball. Al received a Bachelors in Business Administration in Accounting from Temple University and a Masters in Business from Harvard Business School. He is also a licensed CPA.

Today, Al writes about managing a journey of personal and professional growth and growing as leaders and individuals through everyday life experiences on a blog he authors for SEI, called Front and Centered. You can follow him on twitter @SEIAlCh and watch a recent TEDx he gave on work-life integration. Along his own journey, Al met and married the love of his life, Kristy, and together they have three beautiful children and reside in Ambler, PA.

Denise L. Devine ’77, CPA, MBA, MST – founder and chief executive officer of FNB Holdings

Ms. Devine is Founder and CEO of FNB Holdings, LLC. She has over 25 years of leadership experience in general management, operations and finance with particular expertise in technology platform development, intellectual property and IP strategy, acquisitions, licensing, joint ventures and other strategic alliances. She is a co-inventor on nineteen U.S. and international patents, has served as an “Entrepreneur in Residence” at The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania, and has received numerous Honors and Awards including the “Best 50 Business Women in Pennsylvania” Governor’s Award. Ms. Devine is a CPA, received her M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an M.S. in Taxation from Villanova University and a B.S. in Accounting from Villanova University.

Karin Risi ’94, ’99 MBA – managing director, Vanguard

As Managing Director of Vanguard’s Retail Investor Group, Karin Risi leads an organization that offers top-performing mutual funds and ETFs, Advice and thought leadership, and dedicated client service to more than eight million U.S. individual investors. With more than 20 years of experience, Karin has held various leadership positions throughout Vanguard’s Corporate, Institutional, and Retail divisions. Before joining Vanguard’s executive team in 2015, Karin led the development and launch of Vanguard’s Personal Advisor Services, which provides ongoing asset management with the support of a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP) professional. Outside of work, Karin serves as Board Chair for Unite for HER and is an active advocate for the compassionate care, treatment, and support of breast cancer patients. Karin also serves as a Board Trustee for Vanguard Charitable, a top U.S. grantmaking organization. Karin earned both her undergraduate degree in finance and an M.B.A. from Villanova University.

Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD – The Helen and William O’Toole Dean and professor of management & operations, Villanova School of Business (Moderator)

Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD, serves as The Helen and William O’Toole Dean of the Villanova School of Business (VSB) and Professor of Management. In this role, she serves as the chief executive, academic and fiscal officer for VSB and represents the school locally and nationally, to the University community and to all external constituencies, including the business community.

The Villanova School of Business boasts numerous top rankings for its undergraduate program and its portfolio of specialty master and MBA programs that serve over 2700 undergraduate, graduate, and executive students. Under Dr. Russell’s leadership, VSB was recognized as the #2 school in the nation in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Online Graduate Business specialty programs ranking and #13 for the Online MBA.

Dr. Russell was honored with the 2018 Women of Distinction Award by the Philadelphia Business Journal. Factors such as professional achievement, dedication to mentorship and community involvement were some of the most important elements in the selection process.

A sought-after keynote speaker, Dr. Russell also consistently volunteers her time to enhancing business knowledge to a variety of audiences by presenting papers and workshops.

She is a licensed industrial and organizational psychologist and has more than 30 years of experience consulting with both private and public-sector organizations. Her expertise is primarily in the areas of leadership and management development, negotiation tactics, executive coaching and change management.

Dr. Russell received her PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Akron, Ohio and her BA degree in Psychology from Loyola University in Maryland.