Passing the Torch

— July 25, 2025

Earl Fitzhugh (MBA ’12) steps in to lead the Council forward

The new Alumni Council Chair Earl Fitzhugh (MBA ‘11), chief operating officer of global SMB sales at Microsoft, has been involved with Stern as an alum for years including hosting a Corporate Ambassadors event at Microsoft

After ten years of dedicated service on the NYU Stern Alumni Council, including three years as Chair, Tony Watkins (MBA ’11), director of global partnerships at Google, is passing the torch to Earl Fitzhugh (MBA ’12), global lead, cloud & AI solutions advisors, Global SMB at Microsoft. Fitzhugh stepped into the role of Chair on August 1, 2025.

A longtime member of the Council, Fitzhugh has demonstrated a deep commitment to the alumni community through his service as vice chair of the Digital Connections Committee since 2022. Fitzhugh is also an enthusiastic participant in the Corporate Ambassador Program. He hosted an event at Microsoft alongside Professor Arun Sundararajan, where they led a dynamic discussion on emerging trends in technology. He also spearheaded the Council's first partnership with Stern Solutions, where MBA students teamed up with a faculty expert and the Digital Connections Committee to tackle a real-world business challenge on scaling the reach of our Stern Network, the School’s alumni engagement platform, bringing classroom insights directly into action.

Earl Fitzhugh (MBA ’12, left) and Tony Watkins (MBA ’11, right)

From left to right: Earl Fitzhugh (MBA ’12) and Tony Watkins (MBA ’11)

“I’m thrilled to take on this role as chair,” said Fitzhugh. “The Alumni Council is such an important part of the School because it serves as a bridge between alumni and Stern. Over the past four years that I’ve served on the Council, I’ve witnessed how passionate alumni are about giving back and staying engaged with Stern—whether through student recruitment, mentorship, or supporting scholarship. I’m excited to work with alumni on an even larger scale.”

The new Alumni Council Chair Earl Fitzhugh (MBA ’12), global lead, cloud & AI solutions advisors, Global SMB at Microsoft, has been involved with Stern as an alum for years including hosting a Corporate Ambassadors event at Microsoft

The Alumni Council is an alumni volunteer leadership group that works with the administration to guide alumni programming, support School initiatives, and encourage philanthropy. It is composed of several committees, each headed by alumni leaders.