Merrimack College has a long history of alumni participation, rooted in the Augustinian tradition of service. The Girard School of Business is capitalizing on this tradition by involving alums in ways that enable them to share their unique talents. They teach classes, provide networking and career advice, serve on academic advisory boards, judge student competitions, offer coop and internship opportunities, and more. They say giving back to the Girard School is a privilege.
“The opportunity to pay it forward and make a difference in students’ lives, the way my professors did with me, was the reason I moved forward with the opportunity to teach,” said A. Aimee Tsakirellis ’08, a new instructor in Introduction to Business this semester.
Here is a snapshot of four alums who are involved in shaping the student experience at the Girard School.
In professions as dynamic as accounting and auditing, business schools must keep current with the changing skills they teach to students, says CPA Steve DiPietro, a partner at Deloitte. He was pleased to join the Girard School’s Accounting Curriculum Committee, providing advice and guidance to help shape the school’s expanding curriculum.
Read Steve DiPietro’s profile >>
Michael Cecere’s career at Gray, Gray & Gray CPAs began in 1989 as a staff accountant. He was elected a partner in 2002. Cecere credits his success to his Merrimack accounting professors – Richard DelGaudio, Donald Hanson and Elliott Puretz. Now he is imparting his experiences to current students, having taught an Introduction to Accounting class last semester.
Read Michael Cecere’s profile >>
Karen Cambray, chief financial officer at Cartera Commerce in Lexington, was named Boston Business Journal’s 2014 CFO of the Year in the mid-size private company category. She credits her success to her mentors throughout her 27-year career. And when Girard School Dean Mark Cordano asked her to become a judge for the graduate-level Marketing Analysis and Decision-Making class case competition, she quickly agreed.
Read Karen Cambray’s profile >>
Aimee Tsakirellis ’08
In the seven years since she graduated, Aimee Tsakirellis’ titles have included director of marketing at Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods in Ward Hill, reservations manager and marketing manager for Kalloni Beach Villas in Lesvos, Greece, and founder of two start-up food companies. She’s brought all of her entrepreneurial experience into teaching a section of Introduction to Business this semester.
Read Aimee Tsakirellis’s profile >>
