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School of Business Administration

Elliott Hall, Room 427
275 Varner Drive
Rochester, MI 48309-4485
(location map)

School of Business Administration

Elliott Hall, Room 427
275 Varner Drive
Rochester, MI 48309-4485
(location map)

Two women seated across a desk from each other, having a conversation.

Executives in Residence

In business, mentorship makes a difference. Through one-on-one business and career mentoring with undergraduate and graduate business students, the Executives in Residence (EIR) program at the Oakland University School of Business Administration bridges the gap between theory and practice.

Connect with an Executive in Residence

Mentee spots are available to all OU business students.

Participate in EIR

MEET THE OU BUSINESS EIRS
Dr. Mariana Atanasovski

Dr. Mariana Atanasovski
Founder and Owner
Modern Dermatology

Dr. Mariana Atanasovski is an entrepreneurial Dermatologist who decided that after a decade in practice that it finally time to start her own Dermatology practice. Modern Dermatology opened its doors April 2021.

Dr. Atanasovski loves getting to know her patients and understanding how she can help their skin, in the way that works best for them. Building rapport and supporting her community is her favorite aspect of her profession.

Dr. Atanasovski enjoys all aspects of Dermatology, including complex medical, surgical, cosmetic and pediatric Dermatology.
Scott Cieslak

Scott Cieslak, FIN '96
Chief Financial Officer
Detroit Manufacturing Systems

Scott Cieslak is an accomplished business leader with over 24 years of Tier 1 automotive experience. He has developed a broad expertise in strategic planning, operational excellence, financial leadership, and talent development through analyzing business situations and crafting plans based on strong financial practices and unwavering principles. As CFO for DMS Scott is responsible for the financial and strategic leadership of a $1.3B Minority Business Enterprise.

Prior to DMS, he held multiple roles at Faurecia with increasing responsibility including VP of Finance, North American Seating Division, and CFO, North America.

Scott earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Oakland University, and an MBA from the University of Michigan. He is Board Member of the Financial Executives International and a member of the Detroit Athletic Club.
Judy Hegelund

Judy Hegelund, ACC ‘95
U.S. Policy Strategy and Compliance Leader
Deloitte

Judy Hegelund is a proud alum of OU. She graduated from OU in 1995 with a BS in accounting and was also in the Honor’s College. After graduating, she began her career at Deloitte. During her 27 years with Deloitte, she has served large public companies in Audit and M&A and held leadership positions including Finance Managing Director, Chief Talent Officer, and Chief Inclusion Officer. She currently serves as the Leader of Policy Strategy and Compliance.

Judy has a lot of passion for OU and currently serves as the Chair of the Oakland University Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Judy is involved in the community with most of her involvement revolving around opportunities to help elementary, high school and college students reach their full potential.
Amy Helner

Amy Helner
Director, People Success
Solarwinds

With 20+ years of experience in Human Resources, Amy Helner is a results-focused leader who delivers HR strategies and solutions that help companies harness the full power of their most valuable assets – their people. Amy’s efforts in aligning HR strategies with overarching business goals have resulted in considerable increases in recruitment speed, improved overall onboarding experience, employee development, quality of employee experience, improved engagement, and retention. She has experience across multiple industries including education, banking, automotive and software.

Amy is an active member of National SHRM and is Director of Student Relations for the OakMac SHRM Chapter (Oakland and Macomb counites). She is also married with three children, enjoys anything outdoors and loves staying active. She also enjoys volunteering with various youth extracurricular activities.
Jeff Hix

Jeff Hix, SEHS ’05, ‘10
Manager and Human Resource Business Partner
Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan

Jeff Hix is a proud alumnus of Oakland University graduating with his Bachelor’s in Human Resource Development in 2005 and Master’s in Organizational Development in 2010.

He has been a leader in the Human Resource field for over 17 years working for large, global organizations as well as start-up companies. He is currently a Manager, Human Resource Business Partner for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Previously he worked as an HR leader for Amazon, Stellantis (then Fiat Chrysler Automobiles), McDonald’s Corporation and Kava Restaurants, LLC. On a personal side, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Sandy, and their son.
Jody Guastella Jones

Jody Guastella Jones
Diversity and Inclusion Manager
Mercedes-Benz Financial Services

Jody Guastella Jones provides a range of consultation services to managers and supervisors on the development and implementation of strategies for creating and sustaining a culturally competent and diverse workforce. With a focus on developing and maintaining an inclusive culture, she serves as an internal consultant to leaders as they recognize, identify and resolve issues throughout the organization.

She also manages corporate wide D&I programs including six Employee Resource Groups and the D&I council. She also leads the development of cultural events and dialogues designed to educate and enhance employee engagement.

Jody holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor and an MBA in Finance from Wayne State University. She is also a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP).
Rhonda Patterson

Rhonda Patterson
North American Platform Planning and Strategy Manager
Stellantis

Rhonda Patterson is an experienced Global Propulsion Planning Lead with a demonstrated history of working in the automotive industry. She is skilled in Value Stream Mapping, Root Cause Analysis, Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, and Leadership. A strong operations professional, Patterson graduated from Kennedy Western University.
Travis Peterson

Travis Peterson, ECN ‘12
Director of Sales and Program Management
Lear Corp

Travis Peterson is a 2012 graduate of Oakland University’s School of Business, majoring in Business Economics. He has gone on to obtain his MBA from Wayne State University and pursued Executive Education at Kellogg School of Management as well as the Eli Broad School of Business.

Travis is currently the Director Sales & Program Management, North America & Japan, for Lear Corporation’s textile division. He is a Principal at CPT Capital, a commercial real estate investment group. Travis is also a Venture Partner at Chapter 1 Group, a Detroit-based venture capital firm. Additionally, he advises start-ups and companies in various industries including automotive, industrial, and tech.

He is the President of the Michigan Chapter for the Cheetah Conservation Fund, a board member of the Economics Board of Advisors for the OU SBA and an ACHIEVE volunteer.
Alexandria Salvaggio

Alexandria Salvaggio
Director of Marketing
Koucar Management

Alexandria Salvaggio has been in the financial industry for over a decade. Currently, she is the Director of Marketing for Koucar Management, a private management company that specializes in real estate, mergers, acquisitions, and operations.

She has experience in recruiting, sales, business development, and networking. Alexandria is also passionate about community engagement, Alexandria is on the Board of Directors of the Italian American Chamber of Commerce of Michigan. Additionally, she supports many causes including Families Against Narcotics, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 154, Henry Ford Health System, Friends of Foster Kids, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation as the Director of the Thrilla at the Villa fundraiser.

Alexandria values being a mentor of the Women’s in Business program at Oakland University.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Through the Executives in Residence program, OU business students are paired with accomplished business leaders. EIRs will enrich and enhance the OU business education by bringing the real-world knowledge directly students.

Driven by student interest, EIR mentor-mentee meetings focus on business and career elements, such as:

  • Resume and cover letter development and refinement
  • Career exploration and career path planning from first post-graduate job and beyond
  • Job search and interview strategies
  • Navigating career-related challenges
  • Guidance on internships and extracurricular activities that will enhance career development
  • Professional networking advice

Contact: OUSBAExecinRez@oakland.edu