Alumni & Friends News

Every time Jimmy Franklin ignores his “fear voice,” something good happens. Overcoming that hesitation and doubt has led to professional roles managing major brands at Unilever and Suntory Global Spirits, landing on Out Magazine’s Out100 list, coordinating a successful brand partnership with GLAAD and meeting celebrities, and producing an album of original songs.

Meet Akanksha Gupta, whose MBA was a catalyst for her transformation from oil and gas engineering to a career in strategic operations at Uber.

Venkatesh G. Rao (MBA '06) is Accenture’s Data and AI Lead for the Americas. In this role, he leads business transformation by scaling gen AI, helping global clients make smarter decisions, automate processes and create resilient business models.

Building on Ohio State’s 85-year history of scientific leadership research, the Fisher Leadership Initiative hosted more than 200 professionals for a unique opportunity to assess their personal leadership styles and hear from storytellers, peers and behavior experts at the inaugural Conference on Principled Leadership.

Rachel Friedman, founder and CEO of TENFOLD and TENSPACE, former Alumni Award winner, and keynote speaker for Fisher’s Pre-Commencement ceremony, says the sky’s the limit when you live with purpose, passion and principles.

The 2025 Community Impact Awards honor individuals and businesses who demonstrate exceptional support for student organizations at Fisher. See who was nominated this year and learn more about the individual and corporate award recipients.

More than 400 people of all ages and professions attended Fisher’s fourth annual Women’s Leadership Symposium. Many shared how the event’s keynote and engaging presentations left an impact on them as they gained strategies and insights on how to thrive personally and professionally.

Michael Gade (BSBA ’74, MBA ’75) knows why gas and convenience stores like Sheetz seem to be popping up on nearly every street corner. A senior advisor in the convenience retail industry and Fisher’s 2025 Pace Setters Executive Award recipient, Gade has spent his career understanding consumer behavior.

Alumna Sally Wallace Heckman comes from a trailblazing family whose impact has been felt from Newark to Ohio State’s main campus. As a fourth-generation banking leader, she’s continuing her family’s legacy of providing financial stability and educational opportunities, helping shape the futures of countless central Ohio residents.

Financial advisor and alum Sam McCoy (BSBA ’11, MAcc ’12) joins the Now at Ohio State podcast to talk about the complexities of finances, home ownership, growing your savings and investing in not only your future, but the future of your family.

Former Alumni Award winner Corrine Burger (BSBA '85) talks about the resilience she's showed during her long tenure in Columbus, first at BankOne and then as JPMorgan Chase's first managing director and site lead locally.

Neil Hegde has gone from free throws to finance, taking his lifelong love of basketball and turning it into a professional career. Discover how he’s made his hoop dreams a reality.

Alumnus Robert Sanders (BSBA '00) was honored by the Association to Advance College Schools of Business (AACSB) for his entrepreneurial commitment to creating positive impact through real estate development in his hometown of Cincinnati. Sanders was one of 24 individuals selected internationally as an AACSB Influential Leader for 2025.

Lucas Tai’s (BSBA ’23) academic and professional careers have been an intersection of his many interests: government service, the automotive industry, sustainability, emerging technologies, economics and public policy. Recently selected as Ohio State’s first-ever Schwarzman Scholar, Tai is excited for the global fellowship ― and its potential to help him revitalize the Midwest.

A clinician at heart, Jess Pfister (MBA ’19) loves creating exceptional experiences for patients at the Wexner Medical Center Outpatient Care New Albany. As an advocate for family, patients and staff, she finds ways to speak for those who don’t have a voice. Find out how this servant leader has leaned into the uncomfortable to not only stay patient-centered, but to advance her career.

As the third-generation chief executive of Crane Group, Tanny Crane (BSBA '78) leads by example in the boardroom and through her extensive civic involvement.

Meet the family behind the newest addition to Fisher’s campus ― the Daley Family Pavilion and Terrace. The new, award-winning space is a premier destination for events and gatherings at Ohio State and celebrates the Daley family’s longstanding connection to business education at Fisher.

Leading teams, building and making connections and creating inclusive environments have propelled Chris Phillips (BSBA ’97) to top positions in technology. Discover how this vice president and general manager of Geo at Google, and former Alumni Award winner, is using the latest technology to deliver products that matter for the world.

Meet this year’s Alumni Award honorees: Elicia Azali (BSBA ’05), Archie Griffin (BSBA ’76), Mark Johnson (MBA ’80), Jerome Revish (BSBA ’98), Michael Ritenour (BSBA ’05), Bruce Wimbish (MBA ’02, MEd ’08), and corporate partner Nationwide. All were recognized for their leadership, service to the college and community, achievements in business and entrepreneurial spirit.

During Ohio State’s homecoming weekend on Oct. 26, the Daley family joined Fisher administrators, faculty and staff and members of the Buckeye community for the dedication and ribbon cutting of the newest addition to Fisher's campus, the Daley Family Pavilion and Terrace.

See how an entrepreneurship course at Fisher helped shape Tovah Kaiser's unique and winding path from a potential career in architecture to founding her own design firm.

Ratan Tata, who led the Tata Group for more than two decades, passed away at age 86. Tata earned an honorary doctorate of business administration from Ohio State in 2001. The Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate of more than 100 companies, employing some 660,000 people, remains one of Fisher's leading supporters of executive education and experiential learning offerings.

Para canoe athlete Blake Haxton (BSBA '13) brought home a bronze medal from the French capital after entering the Paris 2024 Games with high expectations. He's turned his sights to his next opportunity: Los Angeles in 2028.

Fisher’s fourth annual Alumni of Color Network Weekend celebrated eight alumni for their work as trailblazers and change agents dedicated to making a positive impact in business and academia. Meet the distinguished graduates who were honored for being leaders in their profession, in business and throughout their communities.

Get to know MBA alumna Jaimie Lea Santmyer, a “hard-working, naturally optimistic, risk taker, who values community and integrity.” Jaimie talks about her unique path to Fisher's MBA, what she's enjoyed about the program and why being part of Ohio State's professional network is such a unique career differentiator.