Dean's Advisory Council

Timothy "Tim" P. Keenan

David T. Kollat

David Kollat earned his Doctor of Business Administration degree at Indiana University and was a Professor of Marketing in the College of Administrative Sciences at The Ohio State University from 1965 until 1972.  During this time he co-authored seven books and dozens of articles dealing with various dimensions of consumer behavior, corporate marketing strategy and business and corporate strategy.  He was also instrumental in founding the Association for Consumer Research and the Journal of Consumer Research.

From 1972 to 1976 he was Executive Vice President, Director of Research, and Director, of Management Horizons, a research and consulting firm specializing in marketing and retailing.  He co- founded the Retail Intelligence System, pioneered new demographic, psychographic and store positioning techniques in retailing, and adapted strategic and long-range planning systems to retail companies.

From 1976 to 1984 he was EVP of The Limited Stores with responsibilities for marketing, human relations and strategic planning.  From 1984-1987 he was also CEO of Victoria’s Secret Catalogue.  During this period,  EPS grew at a 43 percent compound annual growth rate and return on equity averaged 44 percent per year.  Total Shareholder Return increased 50X.

Since 1987 he has served on more than 25 boards of directors including five public companies:  LBrands, Sleep Number, Big Lots, Cooker Restaurant Corporation, and Cone Mills.  He has been selected as one of the outstanding directors in America by the Outstanding Directors Exchange and  also by the National Association of Corporate Directors

He has served as a Trustee of The Ohio State University Foundation; a Trustee of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Chairman of its Foundation; and a member of the Marketing Committee of the Columbus Foundation.

Ryan Lepene

Ryan Lepene is Co-President of Peppertree Capital Management, Inc. Peppertree Capital is a private equity firm focused on making investments in communication infrastructure companies. Peppertree Capital has more than $6.25 billion of assets under management and has made more than 145 investments in communication infrastructure companies since inception. Ryan earned his BS degree from The Ohio State University and his MBA from the Yale School of Management.

Joyce Mace

Joyce is a retired PwC partner and served as the North Texas Industry Tax Team Leader. She was responsible for the strategic and operational aspects including client assignments, client satisfaction, practice development, risk management, talent recruitment and development. She also served as a specialized tax client service partner providing tax consulting services to Fortune 500 multinational corporations as well as privately held companies in various industries and sectors.

Joyce held several leadership roles throughout her 36 year career including Diversity Partner Champion, Accounting Methods National Projects Leader and Managing Director Admission Committee Chair while working in the Columbus, OH, Washington, DC National Tax, Detroit, MI, Atlanta, GA and Dallas, TX offices. Notably, she was the first female tax partner in the PwC Detroit practice.

During the course of her career, Joyce was a frequent tax seminar speaker and instructor for numerous PwC technical and management training sessions. She is a former member of the AICPA, Ohio, Georgia and Texas Societies of CPAs.

Joyce is a current member of the Fisher College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council and Leadership Initiative Group. She established a Women’s in Leadership fund to provide scholarships, programmatic support, leadership and professional development to mentor and advance female Fisher students. She is a recipient of the college’s Excellence in Service Award.

Joyce is active in the Dallas community serving as a United to Learn Liaison for JP Starks Elementary school. In addition, she and her dog, Bella, are certified as both an Accredited Animal Crisis Team and Therapy Dog Team through Pet Partners. They love to visit and provide support to local students and teachers.

Joyce earned her BSBA degree from The Ohio State University in 1984.

John McEwan

John recently retired as the Managing Partner of Deloitte for the Central Ohio market. John was responsible for the growth, quality, strategy, client satisfaction and talent initiatives of the firm’s business.  For almost four decades John served clients ultimately as the Lead Client Service Partner, Audit Partner and Advisory Partner for a diversified portfolio of Deloitte’s most significant clients in the insurance and financial services, consumer and industrial products, food service, retail and public sector industries. John held numerous leadership roles at Deloitte including the Global leader for the Deloitte CFO Forum Programs, Regional Insurance Practice Leader, Deloitte Board Advisory Council and Central Region Executive Committee. As a leader in Deloitte’s Center for Board Effectiveness, he was an executive sponsor for numerous client programs addressing key issues and leading practices for corporate boards  

John has been an active supporter of the community. He has served as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, The Ohio Business Roundtable, The Columbus Partnership as well as numerous charitable organizations over his career.

John currently serves as a senior advisor to executives and advisory Boards.

James "Jim" McNamara

Jim is an advisory director of Goldman Sachs in the Consumer and Investment Management Division. He serves as president and trustee of the Board of Trustees of Goldman Sachs Trust, Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs MLP Income Opportunities Fund; Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; and Goldman Sachs ETF Trust.  Jim joined Goldman Sachs in GSAM (Goldman Sachs Asset Management) in 1998 and was named managing director in 2000 and partner in 2006. 

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs Jim was a senior vice president and eastern regional sales manager for the Dreyfus Institutional Service Corporation. 

Jim Earned a BS from The Ohio State University in 1985.

Carl A. Nelson, Jr.

Chris Phillips

Christopher (Chris) Phillips is Vice President and General Manager of Geo at Google LLC, a role to which he was named in June 2021. Most recently, he served as Chief Product & Technology Officer and Executive Vice President at SiriusXM Holdings, Inc. He joined SiriusXM as part of the Pandora acquisition in 2019, where he served as Pandora's Chief Product Officer & EVP of Engineering since May 2017. Phillips joined Pandora Media in October 2014 as Chief Product Officer. He was previously a product and design executive at Amazon.com, Inc., for the Amazon Music worldwide portfolio. Before that role, he was at Intuit Inc., spending almost nearly a decade in various roles, including Director of Product Strategy for the Global Business Division, Director of Product Management for Intuit Real Estate Solutions, and Director of Quickbooks for Apple Mac OS, iOS business and products. Prior to joining Intuit, Phillips was Vice President of Product Management at Workspeed (acquired by MRI), a web and mobile real estate operations and services solution. He also consulted at Accenture in the Financial Services practice. Phillips holds a BSBA (’97)  in Finance from the Ohio State University's Max M. Fisher College of Business.

Krishna Prasad

Krishna is responsible for creating and delivering services and solutions that bring value to customers.

Krishna is an energetic business leader with over two decades of experience in the technology services industry. He has led companies through rapid growth while building long term customer relationships.

With his multinational exposure, he excels in formulating and implementing strategic initiatives. He has a passion for technology and leadership and is a frequent speaker at industry events on these topics.

Earlier, Krishna was the General Manager for India and the Chennai Center Head at UST Global. Prior to that, Krishna was the Global Head of Delivery Excellence at UST where he helped the company gain visibility into project health and improve profitability.

Earlier, he also set up and ran the G A Menon Academy (GAMA), to enable holistic competency development within the company.

Before joining UST,  Krishna was an Associate Partner with IBM Business Consulting Services (earlier PricewaterhouseCoopers) based in the United States.

He led business transformation and ERP implementation initiatives for clients in the BFSI vertical. As an entrepreneur, Krishna started Global Conductor Solutions Group, a services organization focused on project management and ERP consulting. He grew it into a multimillion dollar business within the first two years. Krishna has his roots in technology and started his career as a Software Engineer at Infosys Technologies.

Krishna holds a bachelors degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, India and an MBA in Finance from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Jo Ann Quinif

Jo Ann Quinif is President and Chief Client Officer at Diamond Hill, a Columbus, Ohio-based valuation-disciplined boutique asset manager focused on institutional-oriented investors. Diamond Hill offers active, capacity-constrained and differentiated strategies across four key asset classes — US equity, international equity, alternatives and fixed income – in a range of vehicles.   

In 2017, Jo Ann joined Diamond Hill serving as Managing Director – Business Development & Marketing.  In 2020, she assumed the newly created role of Chief Client Officer with a focus on delivering excellent client experiences while also serving as a member of the firm’s management team which is chartered with setting and delivering on the firm’s strategy. She was named President of Diamond Hill in 2023 in acknowledgement of the material contributions she has made in delivering for Diamond Hill clients and building a sustainable business.  

Jo Ann has over 20 years of experience in the asset management industry. She began her career with Cincinnati Financial Corporation, where she ultimately focused on business development efforts for the firm’s asset management subsidiary, CinFin Capital Management. In 2003, she joined Ariel Capital Management, Inc. in Chicago, serving in various business development and leadership roles. In 2008, she joined Weitz Investment Management, Inc. in Omaha, where she served as Vice President – Director of Sales & Marketing.   

While at Ariel, Jo Ann developed an interest in giving back through her work as a board member for The Enterprise Kitchen, a non-profit social group that provides transitional employment, as well as job and life skills training to women who are working toward self-sufficiency and independence. She joined the board of the Women’s Fund of Omaha, a non-profit addressing gender-based inequities in the Omaha community while at Weitz. Jo Ann continues to advocate for women’s causes by working with organizations such as the Women for Economic and Leadership Development.  

Jo Ann has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University and a Master of Business Administration from Xavier University.  

Stephanie Revish

Stephanie Revish is currently the Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis at Target. In this role, she is responsible for partnering across the Enterprise to optimize and prioritize over $4 billion in annual capital spend while also driving growth via strategic market positioning and valuation for Target’s overall portfolio of approximately 2,000 stores.

Prior to joining Target, Stephanie spent time at Cardinal Health, Henry Schein, PricewaterhouseCoopers and OCLC.

Stephanie participates in a number of leadership efforts focused on the advancement of the Columbus community, mentorship and diversity in the workplace. Stephanie has also been awarded the 2020 Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Luminary Award, the 2020 National Diversity Council’s Top 50 Financial Leaders Award, the Fischer College of Business Project Thrive Alumnus of the Year award and is a graduate of Leadership Columbus.

Stephanie earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Accounting from The Ohio State University and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).

Stephanie lives in Powell with her husband Jerome and 2 daughters, Madison and Sydney

Marna Ricker

Marna Ricker is an EY veteran of more than 29 years. Having assumed the role of Global Vice Chair – Tax on 1 October 2022, she leads our talented group of more than 77,000 Tax, People Advisory Services (PAS) and Law professionals worldwide. Marna oversees all aspects of the Tax strategy, including operations, people development, client relations, quality control, risk management, thought leadership, knowledge, and learning. For the previous four years, Marna was the EY Americas Vice Chair – Tax, where she guided the Tax team in providing exceptional, digitally-enabled services and solutions to clients across North, Central and South America, and Israel. 

Marna serves on the Global Executive, EY’s most senior management body that focuses on strategy, execution and operations, and brings together all the elements of our global organization. She also leads the Global Tax Executive Committee, which sets the strategy for the EY Global Tax, PAS and Law practices. Marna is also a member of the Global Practice Group, which seeks to ensure common understanding of EY strategic objectives across all member firms and consistency of execution across the organization. 

Over the course of her EY career, Marna has held various leadership roles, including EY US Central Tax Managing Partner, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska Market Segment Leader, and Tax Markets Leader for Minneapolis. In her client service roles as an International Tax Partner, Tax Account Leader and Global Client Service Partner, Marna assisted multinational companies in global transactions, transformation and business strategy, with a focus on tax transformation efforts, international structuring (including transactions, financing, IP and services), as well as tax compliance and reporting. 

As a transformational leader, Marna is passionate about authentic leadership development and building high-performing, collaborative teams. She focuses on tax as a business driver and shaping the future of the profession through policy, innovation and a technology-focused mindset. Marna promotes diversity, inclusiveness and anti-discriminatory ideals beyond tax, throughout EY and universally, and is keenly focused on a culture of care and well-being. She is a Board Member of Junior Achievement USA, an organization focused on inspiring and preparing the next generation for success. 

Marna is a recognized leader in the business and tax world. In 2021, she was named the Bronze Stevie Award winner for Woman of the Year, the Silver Best in Biz Award winner for Executive of the Year, the Silver Women in Business and the Professions World Award winner for Female Executive of the Year, and the Finance Monthly Taxation Award winner for Tax Advisory Firm of the Year. 

Marna earned a B.S. from Ohio State University and a J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Minnesota and New York Society of Certified Public Accountants. Marna and her husband, Erick, have two sons, Colton and Cooper, and a golden retriever, Bear.

Laura Ritchey

As CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Radial North America, a bpost company, Laura Ritchey builds on her experience and leadership, continuing her commitment to innovating and optimizing eCommerce solutions. Laura’s diverse experience makes her distinctly qualified to serve as a strategic partner to Radial’s clients, helping them to achieve their objectives.  Given her background in retail, she supports digital transformation through capability building in talent, processes, and systems.

Prior to this role, Laura served as Radial’s Chief Operating Officer, where she directed omnichannel order management, fulfillment, transportation, and customer care solutions with a strategic mindset and client-centric focus. Laura has more than 25 years of experience leading retail, manufacturing, distribution, and business operations with a successful track record of steering transformational initiatives, developing high-performing teams and improving financial results.

Laura began her career in finance working at Arthur Andersen and Cardinal Health. After moving to L Brands in finance, she expanded responsibilities working her way through several senior leadership roles in supply chain before moving to Victoria’s Secret Beauty as Executive Vice President, Operations.  She was also the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at FullBeauty Brands before moving to the Chief Operating Officer role at Centric Brands.  

Laura is passionate about making a social impact through providing meaningful work opportunities and mentoring. Laura holds a BA, MBA and JD from The Ohio State University and currently serves on the Board of Goodwill Manasota, Florida.  She and her husband reside in Columbus, Ohio.

Anu Saxena

Ami Scott

Ami is a Consultant and Coach at Volta Talent Strategies in Washington, DC, working with a team focused on developing and strengthening legal professionals in various roles through one-one-one coaching and counseling and programmatic initiatives.

Before Volta, Ami spent over two decades in private practice representing lenders and borrowers in complex financing transactions.  She was a partner at Mayer Brown LLP in Chicago and, most recently, Schiff Hardin LLP in Washington, DC.
Ami earned a BSBA and an MBA from Fisher through the 3/2 Program and a JD from the University of Michigan Law School.

Ami serves on the Board of Directors of Washington Performing Arts and the Board of Directors of the National Veterans Leadership Foundation.  She is a member of the National Black MBA Association and the Greater Washington Area Chapter, Women Lawyers Division, of the National Bar Association.

Donald "Don" Shackelford

Don Shackelford retired in 2015 as chairman of Diamond Hill Investments, a mutual fund company in Columbus. He is the retired chair of Fifth Third Bank of Central Ohio and previously was chair of State Savings Bank for 28 years. During the savings and loan crisis, Don served as the national chair of the thrift industry trade association, now part of the American Bankers Association.

He is the retired chair of the Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin County, served on the Board of The Columbus Foundation, and was chair of The Ohio State University Hospitals’ Board of Trustees. He has served as a trustee of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and United Way of Central Ohio.

Mr. Shackelford is a graduate of Denison University (BA-Economics), where he also serves as a Trustee. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School where he was a Baker Scholar. He also attended The Ohio State University where he received the degree of Doctor of Business Administration (honorary).

Narayan Surabhi

Narayan Surabhi founder VNDLY, a software SaaS platform that solves the contingent workforce needs for enterprises of all sizes in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2017. Together with his co-founder, Narayan raised approximately $60 million in funding and scaled the organization to 200 people before it was acquired by Workday in 2021 for $510 million. Prior to his entrepreneurial journey, Narayan had spent more than 15 years in the corporate world where he led $250 million global retail and consumer portfolios for CSC. His passion and prior experiences led him to uncover the possibilities of modern technology and the non-employee workforce. Narayan earned his Executive MBA from Fisher in 2010. When he isn’t solving problems through technology, he enjoys spending time with his family exploring captivating places and cultures around the globe.

William "Bill" Troxil

Jesse J. Tyson

Retired, Global Aviation Director, ExxonMobil - For more than 45 years, Jesse Tyson has been a thought leader, business strategist and implementer. Through technological innovation, keen business strategy and aggressive business tactics, his career grew from an early interest in marketing and sales with initial successes in sales strategy and operations; to his regional expertise in energy policy, to leading road transportation, safety and efficiency operations at the world’s largest oil and gas corporation, ExxonMobil. Tyson’s acumen for not only business operations, but strategy, also put him in the position of leading the Global Aviation business for ExxonMobil based in Brussels, Belgium, where he worked across multiple industry groups developing strategic customer segmentation solutions, operations and shareholder return requirements. He directed a $10 billion business with clients in over 50 countries and 500 locations that delivered significant double digit returns for ExxonMobil and over $30 million per year in operating efficiencies. Mr. Tyson is an international business trailblazer, a global marketing and operations expert and a recognized name in the multinational oil and gas industry.

Post retirement from ExxonMobil, Jesse became President & CEO of the National Black MBA Association, an organization of over 20,000 members and over 500 corporate and university partners. In this role, his primary function was to create employment opportunities for its members as well as lead in the development of future leaders. He retired from this position in 2019 and now spends his time overseeing his entrepreneurial interests in hospitality and food service as a multi-brand franchisee.  Jesse is currently the CEO of T&S Food Services, LLC.

Jesse grew up as a sharecropper and, throughout his career, he has generously focused on giving back to create educational opportunities for underprivileged youth. To this end, he has established endowments at Lane College, Spelman College and The Ohio State University in honor of those who open doors for him.

Melinda Whittington

Melinda Whittington is president and chief executive officer of La-Z-Boy Incorporated (NYSE:LZB), one of the world’s leading residential furniture producers and retailers, and serves on its board of directors. Prior to her appointment in 2021, she served for three years as chief financial officer for the company.

Prior to joining La-Z-Boy, Melinda was the chief financial officer for Allscripts Healthcare Solutions (NASDAQ:MDRX), a healthcare information technology solutions company, and was senior vice president, corporate controller and chief accounting officer for Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (now The Kraft Heinz Company) (NASDAQ:KHC), one of North America’s largest consumer packaged food and beverage companies.

From 1993 to 2014, Melinda held various finance roles of increasing responsibilities at The Procter and Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), including roles in Global Home Products, North America Home Care, Corporate Accounting, and Global Business Services. Her experiences included international assignments in Belgium and Costa Rica.

Melinda is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at Fisher and serves on the boards of the American Home Furnishings Alliance, Business Leaders for Michigan and the YMCA of Monroe, Michigan. She is a summa cum laude graduate of The Ohio State University, earning her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She is also a Certified Public Accountant.