The list recognizes young professionals who are leaders in their industries and are civic-minded.
Torbert and Morrow expressed deep emotions at being chosen for the list.
“I was beyond excited but at the same time humbled to be mentioned for this distinction among the other award recipients,” Torbert said. “I’m hopeful that I stood out because I’ve given back to others over my career. Not just in my job but also in my personal life as well.”
“I was very honored and thrilled,” the 39-year-old Morrow said after the announcement was made.
The Bouchard Center’s mission is the preparation of students to be effective business leaders, hands-on decision makers and ethical citizens in a business climate that values critical thinking and adaptability. To that end, it offers access to experiential learning opportunities that give Girard School of Business graduates a competitive edge in launching successful careers.
When the opportunity to manage the Bouchard Center arose, Morrow recognized it as a great fit for her skill set and joined Merrimack in July.
“The Bouchard Center will provide GSB students with guidance and tangible support for career choices and preparation – this is meaningful to me as I wouldn’t be where I am today without similar guidance by educators and mentors early on in my career journey ,” Morrow said.
“The Girard School is fortunate to have someone of Michaele’s caliber as the inaugural leader of the Bouchard Center,” said Dean Catherine Usoff. “With her leadership, we look forward to creating innovative approaches to prepare students for a business world of accelerating change.”
Morrow is a certified public accountant licensed in Texas. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting at West Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas in 2001 and worked in public accounting in Texas. She earned her doctorate at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in 2008 before accepting a job as a professor of accounting at Northeastern University. She took a job at Suffolk University as a tax professor in 2014 where she earned tenure in 2017 and was promoted to full professor in February 2019. She was the director of the Center for Executive Education and program director for the Executive MBA program. Additionally, Morrow ran a low-income tax preparation center in Boston for 10 years, managing student volunteers who prepared tax returns for Boston-area residents and international students free of charge. She is also a national tax instructor for KPMG and PwC and is frequently quoted in the press for her research on tax policy issues.
Torbert is the chief executive officer at Ametros Financial in Boston. The firm is a leader in the healthcare and insurance services industry, focused on using state-of-the-art technology, ever-changing innovations and world class service to revolutionize how medical care and healthcare payment processing is coordinated for patients, insurance payers, and providers.
He previously worked on Wall Street as an investor, advisor, and strategist for insurance and business services companies and firms; and before that he was an investment banker in New York.
Torbert earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and his MBA from Harvard Business School.
In addition to serving as a trustee for Merrimack College, he is a member of the board of directors for University School, a private all-boys K-12 school in Cleveland, Ohio; and a member of Ametros Financial Inc.’s board of directors.
“My career has a balance of finance, investing, and now operations,” Torbert said. “Through those positions, I’ve been able to experience some variety in my career. I’ve had many mentors, coaches, and family members that have been my biggest advocates and support system. I’ve learned from many of these people who I consider my ‘personal Board of Directors’ to help make the best decisions in my career.”
Torbert said he chose his most recent career because it gives him a chance to help people, whether they are clients of fellow workers.
“My company, Ametros, works closely with those injured in personal injury accidents live happier, healthier and more productive lives,” he said. “However, in the process of helping those constituents, I’ve also been able to build a company that helps so many others including my colleagues and employees at the company. Those two factors bring a lot of satisfaction to me!”
