Center for Sustainable Business | Advisory Board

Amanda D.H. Allen  (MBA ’10) is the Chief Financial Officer at Nuritas, an AI-enabled biotech company making everyday products safer, healthier and greener with their plant-based peptides.  She has focused her career on creating and evaluating stakeholder value from advisor, strategic, operational and investor perspectives. She leads strategic planning and guides the development of a unified and scalable finance, accounting, tax, and treasury platform to support her company’s rapid growth. She began her career as an investment banker and has since held strategic planning and corporate finance roles at both large, multinational public companies (PepsiCo) and smaller, private equity backed companies (High Ridge Brands, Edible Arrangements, Waterworks, LightBox). She received her BS in Economics with honors from Duke University and her MBA with honors from the Stern School of Business.
 

Giannella Alvarez is a Global executive with P&L experience across a wide range of consumer categories in the US and globally. Led multi-billion-dollar brands for Fortune 50 and Fortune 100 companies such as Procter & Gamble and The Coca-Cola Company in senior executive positions, and have driven growth in private companies like Barilla and start-ups like Harmless Harvest Inc, as President and CEO. A highly creative and decisive leader, a catalyst of change and a talent builder capable of energizing organizations across countries, customers and channels. Significant on-the-ground international experience. 

Nana Baffour (MBA '01) is the Chairman, CEO, and Chief Cultural Officer of Qintess, one of Brazil's top 10 tech companies; Co-founder and Chairman of NVH Studios, a group that owns premier luxury shoe brands Zeferino and Twins for Peace; and the CEO and Founder of Bottega S.a.r.l., an investment holding company focused on technology-enabled opportunities worldwide. Passionate about technology and innovation, he is also the Executive Chairman at Roost, a company specializing in Edge Computing and Smart Cities. Born in Ghana, West Africa, Mr. Baffour moved to the USA at age 20 and graduated in Economics from Lawrence University. He went on to receive a Master’s in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and an MBA from the Stern School of Business at NYU, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) and a Founding Board Member of the School of Data Science at UNC-Charlotte. An avid entrepreneur with a unique creative spirit, a seasoned investor and operator with particular expertise in technology and lifestyle businesses, innovation-inspired growth, balance sheet restructuring, managing turnarounds, and creating shareholder value, Baffour is a visionary management executive with hands-on operating experience in companies across the globe.

Raphael Bemporad is the founding partner of BBMG. He is a passionate champion for a new approach to brand innovation that uses sustainability to create shared value. An expert in brand strategy, innovation strategy, CSR/cause marketing and public affairs, Raphael has created national campaigns, drafted public policy, designed consumer and nonprofit brands, managed cause-related partnerships and managed communications for local, state and federal elected officials. He received his BA in Philosophy with honors from the University of Texas at Austin.

Gordon B. Fowler, Jr. served as Chief Executive Officer of Glenmede and a Director of The Glenmede Trust Company, N.A. An independent and privately owned investment and wealth management firm with more than $40 billion of assets under management, Glenmede serves individuals, families, endowments, foundations and institutional investors. During his tenure, Mr. Fowler launched Glenmede’s Sustainable and Impact investing group and services. Mr. Fowler joined Glenmede as Chief Investment Officer following a career with J.P. Morgan where he served in several management positions, including Global Head of Investment Management for the Private Bank and Head of Structured Equity Management in JPMIM. Over the course of his career, Mr. Fowler grew and transformed Glenmede from a regional to a nationally prominent Multi-Family Office and Endowment and Foundation OCIO serving  larger families and institutions.  He also created the institutional fund business, Glenmede Investment Management, and greatly expanded Glenmede’s Sustainable and Impact Investing capabilities.  Similarly, at  JP Morgan, Mr. Fowler created and managed JP Morgan Investment Management’s Structured Equity product line. Mr. Fowler received a Bachelor of Arts degree, Phi Beta Kappa, from Brown University and a Master of Science degree from New York University Graduate School of Business. Mr. Fowler is on the Board of Directors of The Jeffrey Company, a family investment office and trust company. He has served on the board of numerous national and community organizations including the Curtis Institute of Music, the Princeton Theological Seminary, the Church Pension Fund, Philadelphia Futures, as well as the Advisory Board for InvestCloud, a financial software company and NYU’s Center for Sustainable Business. Mr. Fowler received the Ken Heath Award, which recognizes male executives who have championed the advancement of women in finance.

As executive vice president for the Retail group at Hormel Foods, John F. Ghingo (Advisory Board Chair) (MBA '00) is responsible for the general management of the company’s largest business unit and the stewardship of the company’s stable of iconic, consumer brands. Ghingo is an accomplished business leader with extensive experience in the consumer-packaged goods industry and has a proven track record of driving brand growth. He served as president of Hormel subsidiary Applegate Farms, LLC from 2018 through 2022. After his tenure at Applegate, Ghingo served as the chief executive officer of a better-for-you snacking company owned by private equity firm Kainos Capital. Prior to Applegate, Ghingo served as the president of plant-based foods and beverages at The WhiteWave Foods Company, where he led the Silk and So Delicious Dairy Free brands. Before joining WhiteWave, he spent more than 15 years at Mondelēz International where he held numerous domestic and global leadership roles in marketing and general management, supporting well-known brands such as Oreo, Planters, Cadbury and Trident. He is a National Board Member for After School All Stars, the leading provider of after school, in-school services for children in need across the United States and the Chair of the Advisory Board for the New York University Stern School of Business Center for Sustainable Business.

Samir Goel (BS '16) grew up in an immigrant family from New Delhi, India and witnessed the financial barriers and struggles his family faced as new residents in America. These experiences later inspired Samir and his Co-Founder to start Esusu under the premise that no matter where you come from, the color of your skin, or your financial identity it should not determine where you end up in life. Esusu’s platform provides renters the ability to build credit by paying rent, property management analytics, and rental assistance to unlock financial stability for renters and property owners. Most recently, Esusu was valued at $1 billion in their $130 million Series B round of fundraising. In 2021, Esusu was named to the Forbes Fintech 50 Most Innovative Companies List. Prior to Esusu, Samir Co-Founded Transfernation, a nationally recognized non-profit that used technology to direct excess food to underserved communities across New York City. Transfernation rescued over 5 million pounds of food and impacted nearly 2.5 million lives. Previously, Samir worked at LinkedIn across multiple divisions ultimately driving Sales Strategy & Operations for a $500m business unit across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Samir also worked at The United Nations and Venture for America. Samir’s work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, USA Today, CNBC, Quartz, Fortune, Vice, Inc Magazine, Yahoo! Finance, Cheddar, and he was named to the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. In 2021, he was selected by Goldman Sachs as one of the “100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs.” He received his Bachelor of Science from New York University's Stern School of Business.

Alfonso Gonzalez Loeschen is Chief Executive Officer of Nespresso North America, leading the brand in its journey to make coffee a force for good and innovate the premium coffee experience. Appointed in January 2020, Alfonso leads the Nespresso business across Canada, Mexico and the United States with a people-first approach, prioritizing positive change across the organization and industry. Alfonso’s key priorities include sustainability and purpose. He helped lead the brand through its global B Corp certification in 2022 and the launch of The Things We Hold, a platform making direct impact on the social issues that matter most to Nespresso’s employees and customers, including supporting mental health, LGBTQ+ youth, and students in economically under-resourced communities. Alfonso has a 30-year legacy career at Nestlé. Prior to his current role, he served as the Chief Customer Officer for Nestlé Nespresso SA, where he and his team developed a renewed brand purpose and identity, growing Nespresso’s brand equity and brand metrics globally. He was responsible for successfully expanding the Vertuo system across geographies, simplifying and integrating the customer experience and launching a new customer loyalty program. Alfonso started his career at Nestlé Mexico, where he held various positions in sales and marketing. He also served as Division Executive Manager for Coffee & Beverages and Food Service, achieving double-digit growth for these businesses. Alfonso’s other roles within Nestlé have included Country Business Manager of Nestlé Puerto Rico, Vice President of Marketing for the Beverage Division of Nestlé USA and Marketing Advisor in the Coffee & Beverages Strategic Business Unit of Nescafé in Vevey, Switzerland. Alfonso is a Mexican and American citizen. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing from the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey University in Mexico.
 

Jeffrey S. Gould (CAS '79) is the founder and president of Portable, Inc., a company that manufactures responsible, sustainable, living residences for workforce housing, veterans, home communities and people without homes.  After obtaining his Juris Doctorate, he joined his family business, Gould Publications/GouldLaw, founded by his parents, Norman and Jeanette Gould. This fully vertical manufacturing company provided our country’s law enforcement and criminal justice community with up-to-date laws and training materials. The family also owned residential and commercial real estate in Queens, NY. Gould serves on several philanthropic boards including the Federal Drug Agents Foundation, Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, the NYUAA, and NYU Board of Trustees. With his wife, Lenore, they created the 3E Fund (Education, Expression & Environment). He and his family also established several College Academic Scholarships, the Gould Law Library, a Criminal Justice Library, and a University Alumni & Student Welcome and Success Center. Gould is also a Dean’s advisory board member of; the NYU College of Arts & Sciences and the NYU School of Global Public Health.
 

Bill Graham (MBA ’00) is a purpose driven leader with a track record of success building high performance teams and solving growth challenges across a diverse range of consumer product categories, including food, dairy, consumer healthcare, and beauty.  Most recently as CEO Bel Brands USA, he led the transformation of the US business into a key growth engine for Bel’s global portfolio, including the creation and embedding of the company’s first-ever US sustainability strategy. Prior to Bel, Bill was the US CEO for MOM Group (GoGo squeeZ), supporting its founder in accelerating profitable growth and strengthening its commercial capabilities. He is the former President of Beiersdorf NA, and has held leadership positions at Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Unilever. Bill is currently the managing director of North Place Advisors, LLC, a firm focused on partnering with small to mid-size private CPG organizations, providing support, services, and mentoring to help maximize growth, profitability, and impact. He has previously served on several boards and advisory groups, including the national board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.  Bill graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and earned his MBA from the Stern School of Business at NYU.  
 

Oktay Kurbanov (MBA '01) worked at AQR Capital Management for more than 20 years through 2019, most recently as a Co-Head of Portfolio Implementation. He joined AQR in 1998 when the firm was just founded with 15 people, becoming a Principal in 2005. Oktay’s responsibilities included building and enhancing AQR’s portfolio optimization and trade generation infrastructure, establishing and managing portfolio implementation of asset allocation strategies, helping oversee portfolio implementation of stock selection strategies. In 2020, he retired from active involvement at AQR, becoming a Senior Advisor. Oktay’s non-profit experience includes 12 years as a Trustee of Whitby School, 8 years of which he was a Treasurer. He has a B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. in Finance and Statistics from NYU Stern School of Business. His future interests include environment, sustainability, and investments in the impact and energy transition space.

Richmond (Rick) Mayo-Smith (MBA '86) invests in private equity and start-ups with a sustainable focus in Asia and the USA. Examples include Trella, a company that plants trees in Chinese cities, Smart Sorting, a US company that recycles hazardous waste, KGRN an ETF focused on Chinese green companies. Prior to becoming an impact investor, Mr. Mayo-Smith was an entrepreneur, fund manager and real estate developer for 30 years in Asia, including 10 years in Hong Kong, 20 years in Vietnam and 5 years in Singapore. He is the co-founder of Indochina Capital, a fund management firm that invests in real estate, private equity and public markets. Prior to starting Indochina, he served as an advisor to Citicorp Capital and Morgan Stanley, sourcing investments in the Indochina region. From 1981 to 1991 he was an entrepreneur in the hospitality business, operating throughout Asia. He has an M.B.A. from New York University Stern and a B.A. in Urban Planning/ Environmental Design from Hampshire College. He is a member of the NYU Stern Board of Overseers. 

Kevin O'Connell serves as PwC’s ESG Trust Solutions Practice and Global Asset & Wealth Management ESG Leader. In both roles at PwC, Kevin works with clients to implement strategies to improve their ESG reporting and communicate progress to their investors and other stakeholders. He advises clients as they lead with purpose and articulate their story and value to society. Kevin brings extensive experience in delivering ESG reporting strategy, materiality assessments, risk assessment, information governance and data quality, measurement, reporting and assurance services. He has more than 25+ years of internal controls reporting, risk management, and compliance experience serving large multinational financial services companies.
 

Bracebridge H. Young Jr. serves as the President and CEO of FTAC Emerald, a SPAC focused on acquiring a private company with a focus on Impact. He also serves as Vice Chairman of Bracebridge Capital, a Boston based Hedge Fund. Mr. Young serves on the Board of Social Finance USA, a Boston based nonprofit dedicated to mobilizing investment capital to drive social change, he serves on the boards of directors for Social Progress Imperative, a nonprofit best known for measuring governments social and environmental performance, Cultivo, a platform designed to finance the regeneration of Nature and TerViva, an agricultural innovation company partnering with farmers to grow and harvest Pongamia. Additionally he serves as a member of the board of advisors of Newmarket Investment Advisors and Upwell, a technology enabled water asset management company. Mr. Young served as the CEO and Partner of Mariner Investment Group. He joined Mariner directly from Goldman Sachs, where he began on the Commercial Paper trading desk in 1980 and subsequently served as head trader of Institutional Liquid Assets, Co-Head of Money Market Sales and Trading Department in NY, Partner in charge of Fixed Income in Tokyo, Head of Fixed Income and FX sales in London and finally, Partner and Head of European Debt Capital Markets. Mr. Young received a BA from Bowdoin College in 1977 and an MBA from NYU Stern in 1983.

Guillaume Le Cunff is the Chief Executive Officer for Nestle Nespresso S.A. In addition to his Presidential duties, Guillaume has been appointed Chairman of the Nespresso Sustainable Development Fund announced in August 2014. Guillaume has been instrumental in creating shared value for society through Nespresso’s Ecolaboration™ mission. Guillaume began his career in audit and finance for various companies before joining the Finance and Control department of Nestlé Waters in 1998. Guillaume, a French native, holds an MBA in Business and Management.