Class Notes – December 2009
Shubhalakshmi A. Panse, MBA ’99, is the new executive director of Vijaya Bank in India. Previously, Panse was the general manager at Bank of Maharashtra.
Daniel Fitzpatrick CPA, MBA ’93, president and chief executive officer of Citizens Bank, was listed as No. 33 on “The Power Fifty” in Philadelphia Magazine. “The Power Fifty” is a list of the 50 most powerful men and women in Philadelphia.
Robert Appleby, MBA, ’92, was appointed vice president, generic pharmaceuticals at H.D. Smith, a national pharmaceutical wholesaler. Prior to joining H.D. Smith, Appleby served as vice president of customer development at Cardinal Health.
Leonard A. Comma ’92, was promoted to senior vice president and chief operating officer of Jack in the Box, effective Feb. 1, 2010. Since 2007, Comma has served as vice president of operations, division II.
Marc Vetri ’90, owner and executive chef of restaurants Vetri and Osteria, was listed No. 29 on “The Power Fifty” from Philadelphia Magazine. “The Power Fifty” is a list of the 50 most powerful men and women in Philadelphia. Vetri was also interviewed in an article appearing in the Daily Pennsylvanian. He is a James Beard award winner and a Food and Wine “Best Chef of the Year.”
Peter Eelman ’81, was interviewed in front of an audience at the Trade Show Executive Gold 100 Awards & Summit in California. Eelman, the vice president of exhibitions and communications for the Association for Manufacturing Technology, shared his thoughts on the International Manufacturing Technology Show, an event for which he is responsible.
James J. Cuorato, Jr., MBA, ’80, has been appointed president and CEO of the Independence Visitor Center Corporation in Philadelphia. Most recently, he served as vice president of urban development for Brandywine Realty Trust.
Kevin M. Dotts ’86, was appointed chief financial officer of Gas Turbine Efficiency, an energy services and aviation products manufacturer and supplier. Dotts previously served as executive vice president and CFO at EarthLink from 2004 to 2009.
Philip A. Valvardi, III, MBA ’84, was promoted to chief executive officer of Maverick Network Solutions, Inc., a provider of debit payment services. Valvardi is a former president of the MAC Network, one of the largest debit-payment networks and processors in the United States.
Edward G. Wallace, MBA ’84, founder of The Relational Capital Group, was the author of a book titled Business Relationships That Last (Greenleaf, 2009). Wallace was interviewed about his book in an article appearing in The Bulletin, a publication based in Philadelphia.
Thomas G. Kadien, MBA ’83, was named senior vice president, consumer packaging and IP Asia at International Paper. He has been employed with the company for more than 30 years.
Mark K. Fine ’82, will become interim chief executive officer of Voltaix, a leading provider of materials that enhance the performance of semiconductor chips and solar cells, effective January 1. Fine has more than 20 years experience in the semiconductor and specialty chemicals industries. He previously served as president of Epichem, Inc.
Patricia A. DiFeliciantonio ’75, along with her husband, Mark (also a Drexel alum), produced a television show, “Leaning Green in Tredyffrin,” for public access television. Ms. DiFeliciantonio is a financial specialist at the nonprofit Devereux Foundation.
Rajiv L. Gupta, MBA ’72, was appointed to the board of managers at Delphi Automotive. Gupta is former chairman and chief executive officer of Rohm and Haas Company.
Ivan F. Lichty, MBA ’61, retired as a program manager at Unisys after a 33-year career with the company. At Unisys, he was responsible for managing finances, scheduling and supervising engineers, conducting meetings with project leaders, and implementing changes and new ideas.
