Receptionist
Elizabeth is the administrative assistant for the Business Engagement Center, and ensures the support structure for the office. She is also responsible for coordinating the effective sharing of the Galleria Building between the Business Engagement Center and its partner tenant, the Office of Technology Transfer.
Elizabeth began her career working at the University in the Office of Technology Transfer in September 2007, and transitioned to the Business Engagement Center in 2008.
Marketing and Administrative Specialist
Nick oversees the promotion and communication strategy for the Center and develops the tools needed to support an efficient operating structure.
Prior to joining the University of Michigan, Nick served as the communications director for the Ann Arbor Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for seven years where he supervised the creation of a diverse set of media relations, print, and interactive marketing campaigns.
Nick is an Ann Arbor native and received a B.A. in communications from the University of Michigan.
Director
Umesh works as a direct liaison between the business community and the University. In this role, Umesh works closely with automotive, health care, and technology companies to match University assets to industry needs.
Prior to joining the University of Michigan, Umesh was a senior manager with Accenture where he managed business process and information technology change for a diverse group of global 500 clients. Prior to joining Accenture, he worked as a project engineer with Westinghouse Electric Corp.
Umesh received an M.B.A. from Carnegie-Mellon University and a B.S. in electrical engineering from The Ohio State University.
Senior Director
Susan manages the University’s relationships with approximately 30 key companies that have interactions with multiple units on campus. She works closely with staff and faculty in the schools, colleges and research centers to match the interests and needs of external partners with the strengths of the University community.
Prior to moving to Michigan, Susan served as director of corporate relations for the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota for 11 years. She has also worked with student recruiting, admissions and advising, alumni relations and annual giving programs at the University of Minnesota.
Susan received an M.B.A. in marketing communications from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and a B.A. in social science and elementary education from Shimer College in Illinois.
As executive director of the Business Engagement Center, Daryl oversees the campus-wide strategy for corporate interactions at the University of Michigan.
He joined the University in 1999 as director of corporate relations for the College of Engineering. In 2006 he was promoted to senior director of corporate and government relations. Before joining the University he served as the director of procurement strategy for Aon Corporation at their worldwide headquarters in Chicago. Prior to his work at Aon he was vice president of commercial banking with Bank One, also in Chicago.
In 1992, Daryl volunteered for a year of service abroad with the National Service League, coordinating the Joint Energy Efficiency Project. This project brought together resources from the U.S. Department of Energy; the City of Pécs, Hungary; and the Pollack Mihály Müszaki Föiskola (Mihály Pollack Technical College) to promote energy efficiency within Hungary and East Central Europe. Daryl also served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal from 1987 to 1989, working on the Appropriate Technology program of the Agricultural Development Bank. Daryl received a B.S. in industrial and operations engineering and a B.A. in economics from the University of Michigan.
Daryl currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce, and on the Development Committee of Allen Creek Preschool.
Director
Stella works as a direct liaison between the business community and the University, identifying corporate partnership opportunities and matching University assets to industry needs.
Before joining the Business Engagement Center, Stella was the national sales director for CFI Group, a customer and employee satisfaction research and consulting firm. Prior to CFI, Stella worked for Nortel Networks. During her tenure in a variety of senior management roles in marketing, sales and customer satisfaction, she acted as a strategic university team leader, and served as corporate liaison to the University of Michigan.
Stella is an alumna of the University of Michigan, where she received a B.A. in general studies with a focus on business and communications. She is originally from Ann Arbor but spent many years in Tennessee and North Carolina.
Senior Administrative Assistant
Christine Vladu joined the BEC in March of 2009, after working at the College of Engineering's Corporate and Government Relations Department since January 2006. Previous to that, she worked at the University of Michigan in Dearborn as a secretary in the Research and Sponsored Programs Department. She also served as the Institutional Review Board Administrator for the protection of Human Subjects in Research.
Prior to joining the University, Vladu worked for a nonprofit organization coordinating fundraising events and working with sponsors. In addition to her University work, Vladu volunteers for various nonprofit organizations throughout the year and serves as a volunteer child mentor.
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