Executive Employment




Dana Feller, A.B.'95

Location:

Virtual,

Dana founded Hudson Gate Partners in 2010. Hudson Gate is a 100% female owned, New York based, boutique executive search firm with deep expertise in placing talent at leading private equity firms, hedge funds, VC firms, investment managers, fintechs and banks. Before founding Hudson Gate, Dana previously spent over ten years at Lehman Brothers, in both New York and London, where she served as a senior strategic business partner to both the Investment Management and Investment Banking divisions. Dana has an MBA from Stanford University and a BA from Duke University.

Kelly Brown (Sanchez), '06

Location:

San Rafael, CA

Whether you’re switching careers, trying to find greater balance in your current career, or not sure what you’d like to do next, I specialize in helping people move forward with clarity and confidence. Clients describe our sessions as effective, warm, and inspiring and our conversations often lead to immediate and meaningful change. 

I’ve been coaching for over ten years and hold certifications from the University of California Berkeley, and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. In addition to my private practice, I’m currently a Faculty Coach at UC Berkeley and a Career Coach at Parentaly.

Prior to becoming a coach, I worked at Google and Duke Corporate Education. My knowledge of the corporate world helps me understand the nuances and rewards of building a career while juggling a personal and family life. 

On a personal note, I’m a mother of three, a lover of RV camping trips with my family, and a frequenter of coffee shops. I’ve called many places home including Chicago, Durham, and currently, San Rafael, California.

Julia Faye Wuench (Korn), MBA'17

Location:

Raleigh-Durham, NC

I am a life-long learner, omnivert and empath. I have been through many career and life transitions, but no matter my function, I have always been a coach and teacher first. An adopted North Carolinian, I have loved what this region has to offer, professionally and personally. I currently do leadership and executive coaching for emerging female leaders.

Patricia Elias, '95

Patricia Elias, '95

Location:

Virtual,

Patricia Elias is Chief People and Places Officer at CSG Systems, responsible for all aspects of human resources and workplace management, attracting and retaining top talent, and building a safe, inclusive, and diverse work environment for CSG employees worldwide.  Prior to CSG, Patricia served as Chief People and Legal Officer for ServiceSource International, overseeing global human resources and all legal and compliance matters for the company.  She also served as corporate counsel for ViaWest and Flextronics, and as a full-time lecturer of law and public policy at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business. Patricia began her career practicing corporate and securities law at the firms Hogan Lovells; Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison; and Holland & Hart. She holds a J.D. from Georgetown University and a B.A. in Psychology from Duke University.  In her free time, she enjoys hiking and in-line skating, and supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. 

Chris Coward, '87

Location:

Denver, CO

|

(267) 226-7935

Chris works with Executives and Leaders to create a fulfilling career and life. She is trained to help her clients discover their strengths, challenges and what truly lights them up so they can excel in their career. The industries that she most works with are non-profit, government, academia and financial. Her clients say that through their work with Chris they increase their confidence, productivity and life satisfaction.

Ashley Zaslav, '12

Ashley Zaslav, '12

Location:

Virtual

Ashley works at Spencer Stuart in the CEO Practice across industries and is passionate about executive development and organizational culture. Prior to Spencer Stuart she received her MBA at NYU Stern and started her career and spent time working at Bridgewater Associates and TPG. Ashley was a 2x Captain of the Women's Soccer team while at Duke so also enjoys helping former athletes navigate the transition from their sport to new industries.

Rayner Jae Liu, '16

Location:

Elkhorn, NE

|

(408) 515-6785

I help conscious leaders stand tall. In an age where old systems are crumbling and each individual is called to empower themselves and discover their unique leadership style, I help creative problem solvers make their visions an undeniable reality. My clients include organizational leaders, visionary entrepreneurs, highly sensitive professionals, and activists. Through deep inner and outer work, I help you gracefully handle complex situations, expand what you can accomplish, and claim your place in the family of things. A certified Integral Coach® and faculty member in New Ventures West’s ICF-accredited professional coaching course, I have worked with leaders from the Big 4 and Fortune 100 and have been recognized by 4x NYT Bestselling Author Marianne Williamson for my insight on the human condition. Through our work, you’ll learn how to find your frequency and establish new patterns in the world.

Heidi Giusto - PHD'12

Location:

Apex, NC

|

(919) 698-6408

Heidi Scott Giusto, PhD, is a writer, editor, and communications consultant. She owns Career Path Writing Solutions, a consulting firm dedicated to helping people communicate when it matters most. Heidi delights in helping job seekers navigate career change and guiding business owners to present their value proposition persuasively. She holds certifications in resume writing, interview preparation, and empowerment coaching and previously sat on the Certification Committee of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches. She collaborates with clients from diverse professional backgrounds and, for book editing, specializes in working on business, leadership, and self-help books. Heidi recently published her first co-authored book, The Third Paradigm: A Radical Shift to Greater Success (Entrepreneur Press). She lives in Apex, North Carolina with her husband and children.

Fielding Arnold, '01, MBA'10

Company:

Third Mast

Location:

Durham, NC

|

(617) 939-4676

Fielding is an integral coach. She looks at the whole person and their whole life in supporting her clients as they work through the challenges they bring to coaching.That includes all aspects of life - work, leadership capacity, family and friendships, health and fitness, spirituality, culture - believing these are all interrelated, and often the need for support in one area can show up as an issue in another. Fielding works with entrepreneurs, executives, and leaders to address the issues that they feel are keeping them from achieving their goals and dreams.

Specialties/certifications:
Training, Certificate etc.
New Ventures West, PCC

Stephen Bear, '73

Stephen Bear, '73

Location:

Virtual

I have held senior management positions in marketing, general management, and human resources. As Senior Vice President of Human Resources, I worked with two chief executive officers at Bristol-Myers Squibb to revitalize earnings growth, upgrade executive talent and establish a culture that fostered high performance with the highest integrity. I have also served as an Associate Professor of Management at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

John Marth '59

Location:

New York, NY

|

(212) 433-1390

John’s expertise is recruiting and placing professionals across functional disciplines and industries.  He guides his clients through the job search process, prepares clients for job interviews and assists with networking and mentorships. John volunteers his services and there is no charge to Duke Alumni.

Katy Hansell '84

Location:

Chicago, IL

|

(847) 687-3469

Executive and leadership coach + high performance coach + experiential transformation coach + strategic advisor to founders, early-stage entrepreneurial teams.

With two decades of business advisory experience and a decade of coaching experience, Katy empowers leaders to create breakthrough innovation, foster diversity, and deliver massive impact. Katy is pivoting away from helping clients get a new job and focuses on helping clients thrive in their existing jobs or in creating new businesses from idea through scaling. Reach out to her if you are interested in: executive coaching, leadership coaching, experiential transformation/co-active coaching (I am a certified CPCC), high performance (individuals, teams) coaching at your workplace or organization. If you are a founder or someone with a great idea and want business advisory services, reach out to her. Global clientele served over zoom.

Susan Gurnik - MBA'90

Company:

Strategic Gain

Location:

Orlando, FL

|

(407) 718-0895

Susan specializes in clients that are looking for a change but not sure which direction to go, or don't know how to do the job search because they have no clarity surrounding the perfect job. She helps clients gain clarity, discover and define their personal brand, and network to that next job.

Ann Park '87

Company:

Ann Park, M.D.

Location:

Virtual, West Coast,

Ann Park, M.D. is a Board-certified psychiatrist, therapist, and coach who specializes in working with women.  Ann brings cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness approaches to managing stress, work-life integration, and relationship building. She is a certified Executive Coach with the Financial Times Top 10 ranked Center for Creative Leadership network, where she coaches C-suite and Senior women managers to navigate and lead in their organizations. Ann helps her clients thrive in their personal and professional lives.

Marsha Egan '74

Company:

The Egan Group

Location:

Boynton Beach, FL

|

(610) 780-1640

Marsha is an International Coaching Federation board certified Professional Certified Coach (PCC). She specializes in working with entrepreneurs and mid to executive level organizational leaders to assist with goal attainment, leadership strategies and confidence building.  Marsha is hired by individuals and organizations to clarify goals and to define actions to work through obstacles and to accelerate personal growth.

Alexandria Smith, B.A.'03

Location:

Virtual,

Alex Smith is head of Strategy and Execution HCM Public Sector at Oracle. Nationally Recognized Cross-Industry HR Innovator. 2019 TN SHRM  HR Management Excellence Award Recipient. Business leader with public and private sector HR experience, who has demonstrated the ability to transform the diversity composition of top senior leadership teams, develop strategies to hire 1000s of employees, drive HR transformation and culture change.

David Cheong profile image

David Cheong '01

Location:

New York, NY

David is a Partner at Antler Capital, a US$800M global venture capital firm with 27 offices across six continents. Previously, he looked after Partner executive recruitment at McKinsey & Company. Based in New York, David brings deep experience and expertise coaching executives on how to effectively navigate career transitions. David has served a broad range of prominent corporate clients around the world and has helped hundreds of executives prepare for and secure aspirational job opportunities. He has cultivated a deep global network and leverages the full breadth of his relationships across the US, Europe, and Asia helping candidates - and Duke alumni - navigate their careers.

Karen Shapiro '88

Location:

Haverford, PA

|

(610) 642-4313

Karen’s goal as a coach is to help her clients rise to new heights, with a renewed sense of accomplishment and self-confidence. Whether it be a career or life related goal (or both), Karen supports clients to navigate hurdles and be their best, most authentic self. She is a certified coach and lawyer. She coaches primarily by phone.

Anna Mann, '12

Anna Mann, '12

Location:

Virtual

Anna Mann is the Senior Vice President of Talent and Culture at GovExec. Anna Is responsible for leading the company’s talent and employee engagement strategy. She has extensive experience in talent acquisition, talent management, benefit plan design, and compliance. Before joining GovExec, Anna served as the Director of Talent and Culture at Atlantic Media. Anna earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Duke University.

Brian Alvo '11

Company:

NextGen Center

Location:

Durham, NC

|

(703) 899-2824

Brian specializes in training and coaching the "Next Generation" of leaders, especially those transitioning in their career, managerial, or Executive roles. Because there is no cookie-cutter manual for success, he works with these individuals and their companies through an intentional process of coaching and consulting to create opportunities for them to discover their abilities, develop their skills, and ultimately deliver results.

Debby Stone '84, JD'89

Location:

Durham, NC

|

(404) 975-3000

Debby helps build competent, confident leaders.  Her clients are lawyers, entrepreneurs and corporate leaders who want to develop and implement practical strategies for continued career success.  She works with clients on a variety of topics including career pathing, executive presence, communication skills, emotional intelligence, self-promotion and developing core management and leadership competencies.  Debby is the author of The Art of Self-Promotion: Tell Your Story, Transform Your Career, and she helps her clients speak confidently and authentically about who they are and what they do.

Amarie Claire Bremel, '17

Amarie Claire Bremel, '17

Location:

Virtual

I am currently an analyst in the Industrial Practice at Spencer Stuart, meaning I mainly serve clients in the Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Manufacturing, and Chemicals industries. I am passionate about finding the right executives to improve organizations as they address important issues like diversity and sustainability.

Greg Janicik, Ph.D., '88

Greg Janicik, Ph.D., '88

Location:

Virtual

Greg Janicik founded Viest Consulting in 2020 to help leaders navigate the paradigm shifts in business (e.g., COVID19) that emerge in a constantly evolving environment. As an organizational consultant and leadership advisor with over twenty years of experience helping both start-ups and Fortune 500 companies manage change effectively, I currently work with CEOs, senior teams, and various business and non-profit executives to improve performance and achieve quantifiable outcomes.

Andrea Crane ’08

Andrea Crane ’08

Company:

Bigwin Talent

Location:

Virtual

Andrea is the founder and CEO of Bigwin Talent, an executive recruiting firm focused on operator roles at PE, VC, Search fund and family office backed companies.  Bigwin focuses on middle marketing and lower middle marketing companies looking for either generalist "Swiss Army Knife" operators or functional leaders.  Prior to starting Bigwin, Andrea was an operating executive for several private equity backed portfolio companies backed by Alpine Investors and Pacific Lake Partners.  Andrea holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BA in Public Policy Studies from Duke University, where she was a member of the Varsity Soccer team.  

Deanna Molina, A.B.'01

Deanna Molina, A.B.'01

Location:

Virtual,

People professional with deep business partner experience. Career experience has spanned recruitment, generalist, and internal communications responsibilities within fashion, sports, and non-profit organizations. 

Itir Keskiner, MBA, MBA'09

Company:

itirkeskiner.com

Location:

Durham, NC

|

(919) 599-3522

Itir (Duke MBA, '09) is an Executive, Life, and Leadership Coach who specializes in coaching professionals who want to get more satisfaction out of life. Whether her clients are in the midst of a career transition, trying to enhance their performance at work without compromising on life, or wanting clarity on life decisions, she helps them bring their values, strengths, and actions into alignment so that they can be their most powerful selves. Itir uses her 15 years of corporate leadership experience in creating brands and driving growth at Accenture, Unilever, Samsung, and Burt's Bees to help her clients develop and live their personal brand.

Free 30-minute coaching session offered to Duke students, alumni, and staff.

Certifications: International Coach Federation PCC (Professional Certified Coach), ELI-MP (Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner)

Caitlin Ariens, '09

Caitlin Ariens, '09

Location:

Virtual

Caitlin Thaeler is an experienced recruiter, having worked at Spencer Stuart, one of the nation's top executive search firms. Her more recent work experience includes strategy and project management at Walmart, the world's largest retailer. She loves helping companies find creative solutions to complex problems, whether that's a specific hire or streamlining processes.

Jessica Efird, '05

Jessica Efird, '05

Location:

Virtual,

Jessica Efird (A.B. '05, Psychology and History double major, English minor) has over 10 years of experience as an HR Generalist and holds PHR, SHRM-CP, and PHR-CA certifications. Her career has included roles in HR, academic editing, and account management, so she has personal experience in making career transitions. Jessica is currently self-employed/an independent contractor in both HR and editing roles. 

Rod Herrera, '91

Rod Herrera, '91

Location:

Virtual

Rodrigo works with Fortune 200 clients in nearly every industry as well as non-profits in education, government, and the arts sectors. He helps our client transform bosses into leaders, groups into teams, cost centers into strategic assets, and slogans into living cultures.

Cassandra Shepard, MBA'12

Location:

Colorado Springs, CO

|

(970) 439-0288

Cassandra brings her years of experience as a global C-suite executive to coaching her ideal clients: talented, driven women who are looking to move into higher levels of leadership and make greater contributions to their organization, while still living an amazing life.