School of Management (SOM) Advisory Council

Haider Alawami graduated from the University of Southern California in 1985 with Bachelor of Science in Public Administration & Planning. He has worked for the City of Thousand Oaks for 27 years, 25 years as a planner in Community Development Department and 2 years as Economic Development Manager in the City Manager’s Office. As Economic Development Manager, he is the liaison between the business community and the City.

Mr. Alawami’s major planning accomplishments include: the adoption of the Thousand Oaks Boulevard Specific Plan, the Oaks mall expansion and renovation, The Lakes shopping center, Many Mansions and Area Housing Authority affordable housing projects, Gardens of the World, and he is also a graduate of the 2008/2009 Thousand Oaks Leadership Academy.

He has been married to his wife, Cathy for 31 years and raised two kids; Andrew age 27, and Nesreen age 24.

Bryan Bradley is a high-impact global senior executive with leadership strengths in Retail, Recording, Music Production, Music Publishing/Intellectual Property, Tour and Cinema Audio, and broader Professional Audio. Currently, he is President of Group One Ltd., a holding and distribution company of leading professional audio and lighting brands from around the world including BlueSky, Calrec, Digico, Klang, MC2, Avolites, Elektralite, and others.

Before joining Group One, Bryan served as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Harman International’s Entertainment Division, as General Manager of JBL Professional, and as COO of Alfred Music Publishing. Throughout his corporate career, he created and led high performing global teams in sales, marketing, R&D, distribution, QA, finance, business development and HR. 

Bryan is a board member of NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants, and he holds an MBA from California Lutheran University.

Jay Bradshaw is a Manager with Disney’s Enterprise Strategic Programs, Enterprise Technology. Jay is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO). Jay has led numerous technical and business projects with increasing complexity, strategic value and high visibility within multiple business segments, and across the enterprise. He frequently interacts with senior executive staff regarding project status, issues and risk and issue management.

As a Senior Project Manager with Disney's Technology Solutions & Services, he has led projects and portfolios of projects, including delivering a multi-year, multi-phase transition of banking relationships for TWDC globally, impacting areas such as disbursements, payroll, cash vault and lock box services.

Jay received his Master’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in International Business from California Lutheran University.

William (Bill) Burkley is an experienced business executive with extensive management and international experience. Throughout his career, he has designed and executed sales, marketing, financial, and technology strategies, consistently exceeding corporate objectives. His expertise spans the life sciences, medical devices, and software technology industries. Notably, he contributed to driving revenue growth at Agilent Technologies, where he held various leadership roles.

As Director of the Global Inside Sales & Sales Enablement for the Diagnostic Genomics Group (DGG), he contributed to achieving global revenue of $1 billion USD. Additionally, as Director of Sales Development & Enablement for Pathology in Western Europe, he focused on value-based selling and achieved a -3.3% point decline in discounts. William also helped to build an Infectious Disease Global Commercial Sales Team. Finally, William also held the position of Director, Business Development, Americas Pathology Commercial team where he helped to turn the business around from negative growth to double digit growth. William’s track record of success includes transforming sales teams, developing and executing sales training programs, driving digital sales growth, and preparing organizations for market shifts. His innovative approaches and results-oriented mindset make him an asset in any business context. He has also been recognized as President’s Club Award winner and Innovation Award Winner for Sales Process Improvement.

William has an MBA in Marketing from California Lutheran University, a BS in Accounting from the Pennsylvania State University, a Certificate in Financial Planning from the University of California Santa Barbara, FPA Financial Planning Residency Program Graduate from University of California Irvine and is a Certified Challenger Sales Trainer. Over the years William was active in Youth Soccer as a Coach and Referee. William resides in Ventura, CA with his wife Joanne.

Suzanne M. Chadwick is Senior Vice President & Private Client Advisor serving clients and the community of Ventura County.

Ms. Chadwick joined SBB&T in 1993. She was selected to launch the Bank’s presence in Ventura County in 1995, and has subsequently been widely recognized for her successful cultivation of that market, and her deep involvement in community activities throughout the county.

Ms. Chadwick is a long-time resident and veteran Ventura County banker, with a 39-year financial services career in those communities. For the 21 years prior to joining SBB&T, she held a variety of positions with the former Bank of A. Levy.

Ms. Chadwick is a 1994 graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School affiliated with the University of Washington in Seattle.

Her commitment to local civic and charitable organizations in Ventura County continues to distinguish her among the community’s most dedicated residents. She has received Ventura County Leadership Academy’s first Distinguished Community Leader Award. She has received the “Carl F. Lowthrop – Golden Eagle Award” from the Ventura County Economic Development Association; the “Woman of Distinction Award” from the Girl Scouts of Tres Condados; the “Women Helping Women Award” from Soroptomist International of Oxnard; the “Woman of Achievement Award” from the Buena Center Business and Professional Woman’s Organization; 2006 Oxnard Woman of the Year, Top 50 Women in Business, 2007 Clara Barton Spirit of Community Volunteer of the Year Award, 2007 Woman of the Year for California State Senate District 19 and United Way Women’s Leadership Award in 2011.

Ms. Chadwick currently serves on the Community and Foundation boards of St. John’s Regional Medical Center, member of the California Lutheran University CERF Board, KCLU Advisory Board, Ventura County Economic Development Association, Carnegie Art Museum, Ventura County Fair Foundation, Ventura County Farm Bureau Foundation, Economic Development Corporation of Oxnard, American Cancer Society Community Council and the Board of Counselors for the California Lutheran University School of Business. She is also a member of the Oxnard Rotary Club.

Primo Custodio retired in March 2016, after a career spanning 44 years.   He held the position of Vice President of Human Resources for NBC Universal since September 2001.   In this role, Custodio was responsible for overseeing the Human Resources function on the West Coast for the Operations & Technical Services consisting of Universal Studio Operations including production and post-production and West Coast Technical Operations consisting of engineering & technology, and Universal Technical Operations.  Custodio began his career with what is now NBC Universal in 1972, holding various management positions in Employee Benefits, Training & Development, Labor Relations, Staffing, and Employee Relations.  During his tenure with NBCUniversal, he has overseen the Human Resources team through 6 significant mergers and acquisitions.   

Custodio holds an M.B.A. in Management and Organizational Behavior and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from California Lutheran University.

Steven D. Dorfman is the retired Vice Chairman of Hughes Electronics. During his time at Hughes he served as CEO of Hughes Space and Communications Company, the world’s leading builder of communication satellites and a provider of Space Systems for the NASA, NRO, Navy and Air Force; Hughes Communications, a leading owner and operator of communication satellites; and Hughes Telecommunications and Space, a unit responsible for the above businesses plus the international development of DirecTV.

While CEO of Hughes Communications, Dorfman was responsible for the development of the Galaxy System, the leading North American satellite service provider, subsequently merged with Intelsat; the JCSAT system for Japan, in partnership with Mitsui and Itochu; the initiation of the direct to home business at Hughes which ultimately became DirecTV; and several other satellite businesses. After retiring from Hughes, Mr. Dorfman was the Hunsaker Visiting Professor at MIT, the Chairman of ProtoStar Ltd and a member of the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee.

Mr. Dorfman has served on the Boards of Hughes, Raytheon, PanAmSat, American Mobile Satellite, Galaxy Latin America, JCSAT, DirecTV, Galaxy Institute, ProtoStar and HRL Laboratories. He has been a Trustee of the Boys and Girls Club and the Devereux Foundation. He is currently a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), the Tennenbaum Capital Advisory Board, the Thoroughbred Owners of California, and is a Senior Fellow of the California Council for Science and Technology. He has served on advisory committees for NASA, FCC, USIA, Department of Transportation, Air Force, USC School of Engineering, Hughes Network Systems, Boeing Satellite Systems, JPL, Ames Research Center and the National Research Council.

Among Mr. Dorfman’s awards are the Distinguished Public Service Award, NASA’s highest award, for his work on Pioneer Venus; the Society of Satellite Professionals Hall of Fame; and Via Satellite’s Satellite Executive of the Year for 1995.

Mr. Joe is a business executive who has built a highly successful career in such diverse industries as telecommunications, manufacturing, education, healthcare, information technology, software development, and petroleum. Throughout his career he has demonstrated his ability to build and grow businesses by articulating vision, creating strategic plans, streamlining operations and removing silos. He is respected by his peers and colleagues for his insistence on adherence to corporate values that create cohesive teams that deliver better bottom line results.

Mr. Joe is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Education Management Systems (EMS), Inc. and Pathways Management Group (PMG) which manages independent study public Charter Schools. In this role, Mr. Joe is responsible for managing all operational aspects of the company which includes having the proper operational controls, administrative and reporting procedures, and systems in place to ensure the successful growth of the company.

Prior to joining Education Management Systems, Mr. Joe served as the President of DEX Services worldwide Supply Chain Services, an industry leader of reverse logistics supply chain services, President and COO of ISD Corporation a leader in the Justice Software industry, President and COO of Public Communications Services, a telecommunications and software application enterprise for law enforcement.

Mr. Joe began his career as an engineer for Exxon Company, USA, where he progressed up the management ranks for 17 years and managed multi-million dollar offshore oil and gas exploration and development projects in the Gulf of Mexico and California. Mr. Joe then became Chief Operating Officer for CyberOptions, Inc., a consulting and product development firm specializing in the healthcare industry.

Mr. Joe received his MBA in Information Technology Management from California Lutheran University and his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He is active and has served in several community and professional groups, including: Vistage International, Forum for Corporate Directors, UCLA Global Access Program Judge, and USC Maseeh Entrepreneurship Prize Competition Advisor. He is a Certified Director and was a Board Member for the Los Angeles Area Council of the Boy Scouts. He is also a member of Tech Coast Angels since 2011 and has invested in a number of local startups.

Andrew Kiefer, CPA, Managing Director at CBIZ and Shareholder at Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. a national public accounting firm.  He began his career with the firm in 1998, and now oversees all of the attest, tax and accounting services to privately held commercial entities in the construction, manufacturing, software, and retail industries.  His clients range in size from small start-up companies to those in excess of $100 million in revenue.  Andrew also holds the designation of a Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP).  He has also been a National Level auditing instructor and a training director for the Southern California offices.  Andrew earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Accounting from California Lutheran University.  He is based in CBIZ’s Ventura County office and serves the role of engagement shareholder or engagement quality review shareholder for most of the attest engagements in his office location.  Andrew resides in Camarillo with his wife, also a Cal Lutheran alum, and their two boys. 

Jerry Knotts is an entrepreneur and has worked with entrepreneurs for over 20 years. He co-founded the California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks Venture Forum, was co-operator of numerous venture forums though-out Southern California, and helped create the Central Coast Venture Forum, now known as the California Coast Venture Forum. Over this period of time, he started four companies and mentored over 250 start-ups.

Currently, Jerry is President, California Coast Venture Forum, Inc., parent of the Clean Business Investment Summit (CBIS), held annually in Santa Barbara, and serves as mentor for the LARTA Institute, Maverick Angels, and the Southern California BioMedical Council (SoCALBIO).

Jerry serves as Chairman, Executive Committee for BioQuip Products, Inc., and as a member of the Blue Ocean Sciences.

In addition to his service on the Advisory Council, Knotts has been an advisor to the CLU Entrepreneur Roundtable and is President, South Coast Youth Leadership Conference, Inc, Thousand Oaks; Treasurer, Youth Enrichment Foundation, Inc., Alexandria, VA; and Executive Secretary, Society of Wild Weasels.

His previous executive positions included Commander, (USAF) Washington Area Contracting Center, Andrews AFB, MD; DCASPRO Detroit Diesel Allison, Indianapolis, IN; Vice-President/General Manager, Government Electronics Division, California Microwave Inc., Woodland Hills, CA; and Vice-President, American Nucleonics Corporation, Westlake Village, CA.

Jerry holds a BSEE (Electrical Engineering) from The Pennsylvania State University; and an MBA from Auburn University. In addition, he is a graduate of the Defense Acquisition University, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College.

Sireen Moriarty is an accomplished finance professional who is currently at Amgen, specializing in aiding the Development department's forecasting, planning, and closing processes. Their journey to becoming a dynamic finance expert began during their college years at California Lutheran University’s School of Management. During their time at the university, Sireen actively contributed to the community by tutoring at-risk youth in the surrounding area. Additionally, they were an active member and officer of Delta Sigma Pi, a prominent business fraternity, where their leadership roles allowed them to shape the fraternity's direction, creating opportunities for personal and professional growth for its members. Sireen's journey toward becoming a finance professional also included being the first generation of students to participate in a new internship program involving a large biotech company. This groundbreaking experience provided valuable insights into the finance sector, laying the foundation for their expertise and ability to deliver outstanding results in their professional role at Amgen. Their proactive approach is further underscored by their impressive achievement in their current role of saving the company an additional $1 million in unforecast recoveries. They've also played a pivotal role in implementing new options for BARDA contracts within the company's invoicing procedures, collaborating closely with leadership to ensure efficient financial transactions. Furthermore, Sireen is committed to ensuring a seamless transition to new finance software, guaranteeing the continuity and efficiency of financial operations.is currently a doctoral candidate in Global Leadership and Change at Pepperdine University.

Jeannette Pugh is an accomplished Human Resources professional with extensive experience including unique HR generalist, specialist, and line management roles across diverse functions and a successful history of developing practical, sustainable solutions for organizations. Having worked for organizations such as Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Amgen, Technicolor, and Pharmavite / Nature Made, Jeannette has a proven track record in empowering employee networks, leading transformational retention initiatives, and serving as a strategic business partner within peak performance organizations. Jeannette holds a bachelor's degree in Engineering from Princeton University, a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently a doctoral candidate in Global Leadership and Change at Pepperdine University.is currently a doctoral candidate in Global Leadership and Change at Pepperdine University.

Ali Sadreameli brings nearly two decades of experience in the Banking Industry to his new role as the Director of Development at Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association. A resident of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties for over 30 years, Ali most recently served as the Branch Manager for Montecito Bank and Trust's Regional Commercial Banking Office in Camarillo. Ali's banking career includes positions at Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America, and Citizens Business Bank, where he served in roles ranging from Business Banking Specialist to Business Relationship Manager.

Active in community service, Ali has dedicated his time to various nonprofits including the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce, the Boys and Girls Club of Camarillo, and the advisory council for the school of Management at California Lutheran University. Ali’s deep passion for aviation had led him to volunteer at the Commemorative Air Force Museum at Camarillo Airport.

Ali holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Executive Master of Business Administration from California Lutheran University (CLU). Ali graduated from the Ventura County Leadership Academy, underscoring his commitment to continuous learning alongside industry leaders. 

Beyond his professional endeavors, Ali is passionate about aviation, education, and community engagement. Ali believes in creating lasting relationships with his team, community, and clients. Ali resides in Ventura County where he enjoys spending quality time with his wife and daughter, alongside his interests in aviation, flying, photography, and cycling.

More information is available from Ali’s LinkedIn profile at
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisadreameli.

Elaine Salewske is a Director within Takeda’s Sustainability Integration team where she focuses on corporate sustainability strategy, ESG reporting and disclosure.

Elaine joined Takeda as part of the company’s acquisition of Shire in January 2019 where she was part of the company’s Responsibility department. Prior to joining Shire, Elaine established and led the Sustainability program for Baxalta, a new company that was founded after Baxter International spun off its biopharmaceutical division. Elaine spent nearly 10 years leading sustainability-related communications at Baxter. Prior to joining Baxter, Elaine held various healthcare marketing and communications roles.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communication from Iowa State University and a Master of Business Administration from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management focused on international business. She resides outside of Los Angeles with her husband and two children. 

Nick is a Managing Director and Senior Financial Advisor specializing in investment and wealth management for high-net-worth individuals and families. He takes a comprehensive, relationship-driven approach to financial planning, helping clients navigate investment strategy, long-term planning, and generational wealth considerations. Nick holds the Certified Financial Planner designation, having completed the required education, experience, and ethical standards.

Nick graduated from California Lutheran University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and began his career in the wealth management industry shortly thereafter. He has built his practice through a commitment to client service, disciplined planning, and community involvement. Nick remains actively engaged in local leadership and mentorship initiatives and lives in Southern California with his family.

John Tone serves as Managing Director of Default Servicing at PennyMac Loan Services, a nationwide independent mortgage banker that began operations in January 2008 as a start-up venture and has since grown into a top-five mortgage servicer and originator with over 2.7 million customers and more than $700 billion in mortgages under management. Since joining PennyMac in July 2009, John has held executive leadership roles across several Servicing groups and currently manages Collections, Loss Mitigation, Claims, Property Preservation, Valuations, and Final Loan Reconciliation and Loss Analysis. Prior to PennyMac, he held senior and middle management positions in both retail and mortgage banking operations at Countrywide Home Loans, Home Savings of America, and The Bank of New York, overseeing divisions including sales, operations, compliance, customer service, communications, and collections/loss mitigation. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, John holds a U.S. Soccer National D coaching license and serves as an assistant coach for a Thousand Oaks–based soccer club, where he dedicates his evenings and weekends to developing young players. A proud graduate of California Lutheran University’s School of Management with an MBA, John resides in Newbury Park with his wife of over 30 years, Anne (also a Cal Lutheran alumna, M.A. in Education), and their twins, James (CLU B.A. ’24) and Jillian (current CLU graduate student).

 

 

Kristen Upton is a global business leader with experience in Marketing, Sales and Learning & Development and a passion for people development and organization effectiveness. She is currently a Partner at The Partnering Group. Prior to this role, she has been the Director of Global Marketing Development at Otsuka Pharmaceutical in West Hills, CA, a Japanese conglomerate with more than 100 subsidiaries and many more brands globally, including Crystal Geyser water and Nature Made vitamins. Before joining Otsuka, she served in leadership positions at Pharmavite and SC Johnson in Canada and the United States.  Kristen has an undergraduate degree from the Ivey School of Business in Canada, and is currently pursuing a graduate degree at Pennsylvania State University.