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2007 - 2008 BRV Managers
The Fund Managers are second year MBA students at Cornell's Johnson School of Management.
Max Cann
Alumni Officer
Max has returned to the Johnson School of Management for his third Cornell University degree. Previously he earned Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Engineering School, with a focus in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering. Between his Engineering and MBA studies, Max spent five years with Provenir, a financial software and professional services provider. Max was a Manager in the Professional Services group, working with the Commercial Lending and Small Business Lending business units of some of the country?s largest financial institutions. He utilized his operations research background, focusing on the efficiency of his client?s customer facing and back-office operations, helping them to cut costs and reduce loan turnaround time. The last position that he held before returning to school was the Commercial Lending Segment Leader. Here he was responsible for the sales and delivery of all Commercial Lending clients and projects.
Alumni Officer
Max has returned to the Johnson School of Management for his third Cornell University degree. Previously he earned Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Engineering School, with a focus in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering. Between his Engineering and MBA studies, Max spent five years with Provenir, a financial software and professional services provider. Max was a Manager in the Professional Services group, working with the Commercial Lending and Small Business Lending business units of some of the country?s largest financial institutions. He utilized his operations research background, focusing on the efficiency of his client?s customer facing and back-office operations, helping them to cut costs and reduce loan turnaround time. The last position that he held before returning to school was the Commercial Lending Segment Leader. Here he was responsible for the sales and delivery of all Commercial Lending clients and projects.
Gwen Graziano
Events Officer
Prior to attending the Johnson Graduate School of Management, Gwen was in the Healthcare Investment Banking group at CIBC World Markets where she executed over a dozen equity and M&A transactions for biotech and specialty pharmaceutical companies. Gwen graduated from Cornell with a BS in Applied Economics and Management. In addition to serving as an officer for BRV, she is a Vice President of the Healthcare and Biotech Club and a TA for core Finance. She is looking forward to working at Merck & Co, Inc. this summer in their Financial Evaluation and Analysis group focusing on M&A and licensing transactions.
Events Officer
Prior to attending the Johnson Graduate School of Management, Gwen was in the Healthcare Investment Banking group at CIBC World Markets where she executed over a dozen equity and M&A transactions for biotech and specialty pharmaceutical companies. Gwen graduated from Cornell with a BS in Applied Economics and Management. In addition to serving as an officer for BRV, she is a Vice President of the Healthcare and Biotech Club and a TA for core Finance. She is looking forward to working at Merck & Co, Inc. this summer in their Financial Evaluation and Analysis group focusing on M&A and licensing transactions.
Irena Johnson
Technology Officer
Irena is responsible for liason with CCTEC, Cornell technology transfer office, and other external relations. She is currently pursuing Accelerated MBA with focus on Venture Capital. Irena started her career at GlaxoSmithKline optimizing vaccine production, and subsequently spent 5 years in operational capacity at biotechnology start-ups raising over $7 million. Prior to attending The Johnson Shool she worked as Technology Manager at CCTEC outlicensing Cornell life science inventions as well as assisting entrepreneurs in start-up formation. Irena holds a combined BS and MS degree in Biotechnology Engineering from University of Chemical Technology of Russia, and an MS in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University.
Technology Officer
Irena is responsible for liason with CCTEC, Cornell technology transfer office, and other external relations. She is currently pursuing Accelerated MBA with focus on Venture Capital. Irena started her career at GlaxoSmithKline optimizing vaccine production, and subsequently spent 5 years in operational capacity at biotechnology start-ups raising over $7 million. Prior to attending The Johnson Shool she worked as Technology Manager at CCTEC outlicensing Cornell life science inventions as well as assisting entrepreneurs in start-up formation. Irena holds a combined BS and MS degree in Biotechnology Engineering from University of Chemical Technology of Russia, and an MS in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University.
David Leonard
Financial Officer
Prior to attending The Johnson School, David worked in healthcare consulting at The Advisory Board Company in Washington, DC, assisting healthcare providers improve financial performance. In addition, he launched a number of the company's new product lines in a sales and marketing capacity and led the development of a multi-million dollar information technology product. At Cornell, David has started a children's foreign language teaching business, is vice president of the Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Club, and is a TA for courses in entrepreneurship and private equity. David graduated with a BS in Business and Spanish from Vanderbilt University. This summer he will be working as an intern for Aym Technologies, a startup healthcare IT company in Charlotte, NC.
Financial Officer
Prior to attending The Johnson School, David worked in healthcare consulting at The Advisory Board Company in Washington, DC, assisting healthcare providers improve financial performance. In addition, he launched a number of the company's new product lines in a sales and marketing capacity and led the development of a multi-million dollar information technology product. At Cornell, David has started a children's foreign language teaching business, is vice president of the Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Club, and is a TA for courses in entrepreneurship and private equity. David graduated with a BS in Business and Spanish from Vanderbilt University. This summer he will be working as an intern for Aym Technologies, a startup healthcare IT company in Charlotte, NC.
James B. Macon
Operating Officer
James is responsible for general management of the BR Ventures team and process. Prior to attending The Johnson School, James spent five years in cross-functional business development and strategic planning roles at eSecLending, a global financial technology joint venture with CalPERS. At eSecLending he focused on client acquisition and corporate strategy with particular emphasis on the sale of the business to TA Associates. Prior to eSecLending, James was Managing Director of AIDC Imports, a wine importing and distribution venture with clients in South Africa, Argentina, Italy, France and Russia. He began his career in high net worth client relations at Eaton Vance Management, a Boston-based mutual fund manager. James was a Summer Associate with CEI Community Ventures where he focused on new financing rounds for portfolio companies and conducted an opportunity assessment for a new fund targeting underserved regions in New England.
Operating Officer
James is responsible for general management of the BR Ventures team and process. Prior to attending The Johnson School, James spent five years in cross-functional business development and strategic planning roles at eSecLending, a global financial technology joint venture with CalPERS. At eSecLending he focused on client acquisition and corporate strategy with particular emphasis on the sale of the business to TA Associates. Prior to eSecLending, James was Managing Director of AIDC Imports, a wine importing and distribution venture with clients in South Africa, Argentina, Italy, France and Russia. He began his career in high net worth client relations at Eaton Vance Management, a Boston-based mutual fund manager. James was a Summer Associate with CEI Community Ventures where he focused on new financing rounds for portfolio companies and conducted an opportunity assessment for a new fund targeting underserved regions in New England.
David Marr
Alumni Relations & Fundraising Officer
Prior to attending the Johnson School, Dave spent two years at OppenheimerFunds, Inc in a variety of roles in Fund Operations and Accounting Control. Most recently he was the Senior Fund Analyst responsible for portfolio trade processing. Before starting a career in finance, Dave performed biomedical research at the University of Colorado Health Science Center in both Dermatology and Infectious Diseases. Specifically, he investigated anti-apoptotic defenses and the UVR-related etiology of melanoma as well as immune responses in recent HIV seroconverters. He graduated from Colorado State University with a BS in Microbiology. In addition to serving as an officer in BR Ventures, Dave is President of the Golf Club, Vice-President of the Healthcare and Biotech Club, a Johnson School Leadership Fellow, and a TA for the core Managing & Leading Organizations class. Dave will be spending his summer at Genentech in San Francisco performing valuations and profitability analysis in R&D Finance.
Alumni Relations & Fundraising Officer
Prior to attending the Johnson School, Dave spent two years at OppenheimerFunds, Inc in a variety of roles in Fund Operations and Accounting Control. Most recently he was the Senior Fund Analyst responsible for portfolio trade processing. Before starting a career in finance, Dave performed biomedical research at the University of Colorado Health Science Center in both Dermatology and Infectious Diseases. Specifically, he investigated anti-apoptotic defenses and the UVR-related etiology of melanoma as well as immune responses in recent HIV seroconverters. He graduated from Colorado State University with a BS in Microbiology. In addition to serving as an officer in BR Ventures, Dave is President of the Golf Club, Vice-President of the Healthcare and Biotech Club, a Johnson School Leadership Fellow, and a TA for the core Managing & Leading Organizations class. Dave will be spending his summer at Genentech in San Francisco performing valuations and profitability analysis in R&D Finance.
John Paul
Information Officer
John is responsible for information management of the BR Ventures team. He is currently pursuing an MBA focusing on cutting-edge ways for private enterprises to achieve financial success in base of the pyramid markets. Prior to attending The Johnson School, John was a Research Analyst with the World Resources Institute's Development through Enterprise Program. As a developer and moderator of Nextbillion.net, John wrote extensively on private sector strategies for poverty alleviation. He has performed field research in Nepal and Ghana, and has spent a year living in India working for n-Logue Communications, an IIT-incubated business that is setting up wirelessly connected franchised rural Internet kiosks throughout the country. He has also consulted for USAID's Last Mile Initiative, a global program to expand the access of the rural poor to communications. John will be a Summer Associate at the Acumen Fund, where he will be evaluating potential investments.
Information Officer
John is responsible for information management of the BR Ventures team. He is currently pursuing an MBA focusing on cutting-edge ways for private enterprises to achieve financial success in base of the pyramid markets. Prior to attending The Johnson School, John was a Research Analyst with the World Resources Institute's Development through Enterprise Program. As a developer and moderator of Nextbillion.net, John wrote extensively on private sector strategies for poverty alleviation. He has performed field research in Nepal and Ghana, and has spent a year living in India working for n-Logue Communications, an IIT-incubated business that is setting up wirelessly connected franchised rural Internet kiosks throughout the country. He has also consulted for USAID's Last Mile Initiative, a global program to expand the access of the rural poor to communications. John will be a Summer Associate at the Acumen Fund, where he will be evaluating potential investments.
Ben Weissbourd
Human Capital Officer
Prior to attending the Johnson School, Ben worked at Thomson Financial as a Senior Associate in the Corporate Advisory Services group. At Thomson, he analyzed market information and developed investor relations strategies for publicly traded technology companies. Before working at Thomson, Ben was at the Dun Partnership, LLP. At Dun, he was responsible for asset allocation decisions and investment recommendations. In addition to serving as an officer of BR Ventures, Ben is the President of the Associate Real Estate Council and will be a core marketing TA in the fall. He graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in History, with honors. Ben will spend his summer as an intern with the Ackman-Ziff Realty Group, LLC.
Human Capital Officer
Prior to attending the Johnson School, Ben worked at Thomson Financial as a Senior Associate in the Corporate Advisory Services group. At Thomson, he analyzed market information and developed investor relations strategies for publicly traded technology companies. Before working at Thomson, Ben was at the Dun Partnership, LLP. At Dun, he was responsible for asset allocation decisions and investment recommendations. In addition to serving as an officer of BR Ventures, Ben is the President of the Associate Real Estate Council and will be a core marketing TA in the fall. He graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in History, with honors. Ben will spend his summer as an intern with the Ackman-Ziff Realty Group, LLC.
© 2008 The Johnson School