Undergraduate Programs

Executive Leadership Coach

Bio: Maureen received her Bachelor’s and her Masters from the University of Connecticut. She started her career at The Associated Press as a Sales Executive in the Satellite Networks division. She ended up running that division by the time she left. She joined Standard and Poor’s Comstock as Director of Operations. She managed many different departments there and became VP of Sales for the US and Managing Director building the business in the Asian and South American territories traveling the world. When S&P Comstock was sold, she was recruited to establish and run Mainstream Data’s east coast office. She signed the biggest deal in company history with Technicolor delivering digital cinema using satellite technology and got to sit in the director’s viewing room. A career highlight for sure!

Maureen then formed Ahern Consulting to help companies grow their revenue. One of her first clients was momAgenda, an e-commerce company. The consulting gig was so successful that Maureen joined momAgenda as the Chief Operating Officer and Partner. She spent 13 years building and running momAgenda and enjoying a successful entrepreneurial experience. Looking to follow her passion for coaching leaders and executives, she completed her leadership coaching certification at Georgetown University’s Transformational Leadership Institute and started up Ahern Leadership Coaching and Consulting.

Instructor in-Residence
Marketing

Bio:

Heidi Bailey has 27 years of private sector experience at the LEGO Group in various managerial roles, including as a global leader for the LEGO Club and Brand Manager for the LEGO Disney Princess line. She built strategy and growth of the LEGO Club from 20,000 members in the US to 5 million members in 17 countries driving mutual value creation for children and the LEGO Group across print, digital and in-person experiences. She also co-created innovative new products, content and experiences with colleagues, consumers and partners including Lucasfilm, Disney, Warner Brothers, Merlin Entertainment, TT Games and more. Her professional strengths include global team leadership, brand management, digital marketing and consumer relationship management.

Heidi began her career in higher education in 2018 when she joined the University of Connecticut School of Business as a Visiting Instructor.  She received the UConn Student Evaluation of Teaching Excellence Award in 2018, 2019 and 2020.  She has also been a Lecturer at UMass Amherst where she has taught Product Management and an Honors Marketing course called “Tools for Professional Success.”

Heidi will join the UConn faculty as an In-Residence Instructor in Fall 2023.  She will teach Consumer Behavior, Personal Branding, Introduction to Marketing and Marketing Planning and Strategy courses to UConn undergraduates at the Storrs and regional campuses.

Head of Industry for Aerospace & Defense Services
SAP America INC

Bio: Sharon Hamilton has over 20 years of experience leading customer and business transformation strategies, driving business growth and financial performance. Sharon has led complex organizations and business units in the A&D industry. In her current role as A&D Head of Industry and Transformation Engagement Lead at SAP, she is focused on helping customers successfully accelerate digital transformations to meet the strategic priorities in the industry.
Sharon is passionate about leading with integrity, developing talent, and creating a positive and inclusive environment that inspires and motivates future leaders. She is an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion and supports several organizations focused on increasing diversity in leadership roles.
Sharon received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Connecticut and completed her MBA at Fairfield University.

Director
Business Career Development Office

Bio: Learn more about Kathy here!

Assistant Professor in-Residence
Professional Communication & Business Writing

Bio: Brent Lucia teaches business writing and communication courses for the School of Business at UConn. In the past he’s taught both literature and composition courses for The City University of New York and William Paterson University. Brent is also Chair of the Advisory Board for the International Rhetoric Workshop and a past member of its Organization Committee. He graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2018 with a Ph.D in Composition and Applied Linguistics. His current research explores the rhetorics of technology and its relationship to spatial operations and user experiences. 

Current Doctoral Candidate

Northeastern University

Bio: Elizabeth (Liz) Mattern is a financial services professional with a fifteen-year track record of top-tier performance. Throughout her career, she has worked for some of the largest and most respected firms in the insurance and asset management industries. As an investment specialist and sales executive, she has helped raise billions of dollars selling a variety of financial products.

Over her career, she has attained expertise in consultative sales, relationship management, business development, marketing, and product analysis and implementation. Additionally, she has acquired deep capital markets knowledge and proficiency in portfolio management.

Presently, Liz is studying law and policy as a doctoral candidate at Northeastern University. Her research focuses on wealth inequality. She is interested in the linkages between housing, location, education, opportunities for upward mobility, and wealth. Even more specifically, she is focused on the impact of discrimination and segregation on the Black-White wealth gap.

Liz holds two degrees from UConn - a B.A. with a concentration in International Relations and an M.B.A. with concentrations in International Business and Finance.

Managing Partner
Siller and Cohen Family Wealth Advisors

Bio: Randy received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a minor in Finance from the UConn School of Business in 1979, graduating with distinction. He continued his academic career at Pace University earning his Masters in Taxation as well as completing Harvard University’s financial leadership program.

Randy earned the designations of Certified Public Accountant, and Certified Investment Management Analyst in conjunction with the Wharton School of Business.

Randy started in Big 8 Accounting with Coopers & Lybrand and Touche Ross, then became a Tax Planning Director at CIGNA Individual Finance Services. There he met Jeff Cohen, and together they founded Siller & Cohen Family Wealth Advisors over 30 years ago.

While affiliated with Lincoln Financial Advisors, Randy ran Lincoln’s Metro NY/NJ region.  Under Randy’s leadership, as Regional CEO, the region grew in revenue and profitability from the middle of the pack to number 1, out of 40 regions, in only 3 years.

Today Siller & Cohen is a nationally recognized financial advisory firm which manages over $1 billion in investments and over $1 billion in life insurance.

Randy is a member of the UConn School of Business’ Dean’s Advisory Cabinet, where he serves on the Publicity Subcommittee. He also serves on the Hightower Advisors Executive Leadership Committee. He was recently the Chair of the NYS Society of CPA’s Estate Planning Committee and has been featured in Marshall Loeb’s best-selling financial advice books.

Philanthropy has always been important to Randy. He has served on the board of the Community Health Care Network for over 10 years and has created a donor-advised fund that is managed by his daughters. He created the Siller Family Leadership Scholarship which provides a student annually with a cost of attendance scholarship in addition to a Scholarship in the NEAG School of Education in honor of his father, Bernard, who was an educator.

Randy is an avid UConn basketball fan and has always enjoyed going to games, including the 2023 Final Four where the men won the championship!

Randy lives in NYC with his wife Sheri. He is very proud of his 3 daughters-Meredith, Stefanie, and Isabella- and his granddaughter Samara. Meredith, a JD, is a psychotherapist and general counsel for a nonprofit. Stefanie, a PhD who teaches at Columbia University as a science fellow, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with Randy. Isabella, a 7^th grader, has performed with the Broadway cast of Six.

Director, Trust and Safety Service Delivery
Google

Bio:  Anna Thompson is a Director of Trust and Safety at Google, where she has been for over three years. In this role, she is responsible for leading a global team that works to protect users from abuse and other harmful content.  She is an advocate for user safety and is committed to making the internet a safer place for everyone.

Prior to joining Google,  Anna held positions at American Express and PayPal, where she was responsible  for  managing large scale operations and risk management.   She also has extensive experience in leading global teams and working with cross-functional partners.

Anna graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2000 with a degree in Accounting.  She began her career in public accounting with Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young, where she  gained experience in auditing and financial reporting.

Anna lives in Stamford, CT with her husband and two boys ( 5 and 7 years old). She enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.