Lester manages a team of 60,000 employees globally across Corporate & Investment Banking, Commercial Banking, Wealth Management, Consumer Banking & Shared Services. He serves on the Wells Fargo Operating Committee and is based in New York.
Lester has more than 30 years of leadership, risk management, and operations experience in the financial services industry. He joined Wells Fargo from Bank of New York Mellon, where he was Global Head of Operations, responsible for a team of 20,000 employees supporting every stage of the client investment lifecycle, including initiation, account creation, trading, clearing and settlement, and asset servicing.
Prior to joining Bank of New York Mellon, Lester spent 10 years at JPMorgan Chase, where he was responsible for Global Wholesale Banking Operations, among other roles. He previously led significant operations functions for Deutsche Bank, Citibank, and Bankers Trust.
Lester was a member of the Board of Directors of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) in 2016 and chaired the Clearing House Interbank Payments Systems Board in 2015 to 2016. He is currently Chairman of the board of directors of Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health, Inc., the leading academic health system in New Jersey.
Lester is a graduate of Long Island University and the Fairleigh Dickinson Executive MBA program.
Lustgarten oversees the company’s information technology function and advertising operations. He provides strategic leadership for many of the company’s new technology initiatives, including artificial intelligence, machine learning and analytics; has played a critical role in overseeing Hearst Television’s cloud transformation; and has lead all aspects of its security program.
During his tenure at Hearst Television, Lustgarten played instrumental roles in the development of the company’s sales and financial reporting systems and its IT and communications infrastructures. Lustgarten also has held leadership roles within the television industry, especially focused on efforts to modernize business practices. He was a founding member of the TV Interface Practices (TIP) Initiative, a working consortium formed by local television broadcasters dedicated to promoting open interfaces to streamline advertising transactions for broadcasters and their media agency partners.
In 2022, in partnership with colleagues from Gray Television, Graham Media, and CoxReps, Lustgarten was instrumental in Hearst Television’s investment in a Media Sales Gateway named Admiral — a sell-side tool that provides both the infrastructure and workflows to automate converged advertising sales.
Lustgarten serves on numerous industry and Hearst corporate advisory committees and boards, representing the interests of Hearst Television’s technology, security, and ad operations, and has been a frequent speaker at industry and partner conferences. In 2022, he was named among “Broadcast Media’s Top Tech Leaders” by Radio+Television Business Report
Prior to Hearst Television, Lustgarten served in several finance, accounting, and technology positions within Hearst. He first joined the company in 1981, in the Hearst Magazines accounting and finance department.
Lustgarten received his undergraduate degree from the University of Hartford and holds a master’s degree in business from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is a member of the Fairleigh Dickinson Silberman College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board.
In this role, Rita has oversight responsibility for all accounting at Merck including developing accounting policies for Merck, the interpretation of those policies for specific transactions and the consolidation of Merck’s results. Rita also oversees Merck’s external reporting, the accounting for business development activity, managing the financial supply chain of intercompany sales transactions as well as the accounting and reporting associated with collaborations.
Rita joined Merck in 2007 as an Assistant Controller for Schering-Plough and continued as Assistant Controller for Merck after the merger between Schering-Plough and Merck in 2009. In these roles, Rita led the integration of Schering-Plough’s acquisition of OBS, a Netherlands-based company and also led the implementation of a global consolidation system.
Before joining Schering-Plough, Rita worked at AT&T Corp. and it’s leasing subsidiary, AT&T Capital, for 16 years. Her last position with AT&T was Assistant Controller and Chief Accountant. Rita held a variety of roles at AT&T of increasing responsibility, including investor relations manager and controller of corporate units. Prior to AT&T, Rita was a senior at Arthur Andersen & Co.,
Rita is a member of the Board of Directors for JBWS, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is the prevention of domestic violence through the protection and empowerment of the victim, the rehabilitation of family members, the advocacy for social reform to prevent partner violence, and the education of the public about domestic violence and its consequences. Rita is also a member of Financial Executive International’s (FEI) committee on corporate reporting and an advisory member to the AICPA’s future of finance initiative.
Rita is a certified public accountant and a chartered global management accountant, earning a B.S. degree in accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University, graduating Summa Cum Laude.
Mr. Goldmacher is one of the most sought after real estate advisors in the United States. He specializes in national corporate services with an emphasis in tenant representation and strategic planning. His scope of expertise includes various types of real estate requirements in addition to complex multi-market assignments with large corporate accounts.
Additionally, Mr. Goldmacher is experienced with corporate services work in the financial services industry, with a roster of premier financial services and other corporate clients including: Alliance Bernstein, Blackstone, Citigroup, EY, Goldman Sachs, Solomon Partners and Wells Fargo.
Prior to joining Newmark, Mr. Goldmacher was associated with Williams Real Estate Co.
Mr. Goldmacher is a member of the Industrial and Office Real Estate Brokers Association and the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), where he serves on the Leasing Brokers Committee. He also serves on the Board of Creative Art Works and the Garden of Dreams Foundation.
Mr. Goldmacher received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he lived and studied at the Rutherford Campus.
Known to family and friends lovingly as Aunt Marye, Marye (Trinkle) Ruzila, who graduated from FDU’s Rutherford Campus in 1958, generously gifted $1.1 million to FDU. Her gift was endowed to the Career Development Center and the Silberman College of Business.
The gift to the Career Development Center provides grants to cover part of the costs of transportation, wardrobe and lost wages for students completing unpaid internships. In honor of her generosity, the Career Development Center on the Florham Campus was named the John Robert Ruzila and Marye Trinkle Ruzila Career Development Center. John Robert Ruzila, an alumnus himself, graduated from FDU’s Rutherford Campus in 1956.
Aunt Marye’s experience as one of the first few women to receive a B.S. in business management inspired her to establish the John Robert and Marye Trinkle Ruzila Endowed Scholarship in the Silberman College of Business. Rosemary Trinkle Baran, BS’83, also a graduate of FDU’s Rutherford Campus, noted, “Though Aunt Marye and Uncle John didn’t live to see the full impact of their gift, their spirit of altruism lives on in many FDU students.”
One of the best things about this award is accessibility. This grant is open to all students regardless of year, major, financial-aid status or citizenship.
DONNA ROBERTSON University Director FDU Career Development Center
Learn more about the Students First campaign at SUPPORT.FDU.EDU/STUDENTSFIRST
Maroa joined BBH in 1995 as the head of the Audit department. She served as Comptroller from 2000 until 2007. Maroa was appointed Partner and assumed oversight of Operations in 2008.
Prior to joining BBH, Maroa was the general auditor at Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield and, before that, she managed the audit division of Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co., with responsibilities for the global audit program of capital markets trading activities, trust, securities services, private banking, and finance. Maroa has also worked in the public accounting area of Deloitte & Touche, where she specialized in brokerage and banking institutions.
Maroa holds a B.S. degree in accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is a Certified Public Accountant.
Schwamb was born on July 14, 1939 – French Independence Day (“Bastille Day”) – and spent over 30 years of his career working for international companies based out of Switzerland and Germany well before the term “global economy” became a staple term of American business.
After joining Bloomingdale’s Executive Training program upon graduation from FDU in 1962, Schwamb spent seven years there before joining Swiss-owned Spinnerin Yarn Company as Vice President of their Sport and Ski apparel division. This would lead to an association with Bogner of America, based out of Munich, Germany, in 1973. His first role was as Eastern Sales Manager for the innovative, family-owned company who was at the time, were the world’s leading producer of high-end fashion ski, tennis and golf apparel.
Schwamb would go on to spend over 25 years with Bogner, moving up the ladder to National Sales Manager and Executive Vice President of Marketing before retiring in 2000 as its Chief Operating Officer. While working with Bogner, Schwamb in 1982 became the managing partner of the first franchised Callahan’s Hot Dogs location in New Jersey, a legendary staple of the Garden State for decades.
Besides his family, one of Schwamb’s greatest loves has been the FDU men’s basketball program. He began playing basketball at age 11 and went on to have a Hall of Fame career on championships teams at Cliffside High School which led to a basketball scholarship to FDU in 1958. He has remained an ardent and passionate supporter of the program since his graduation.
The eldest of two children, his family owned The Maple House, a legendary upscale North Jersey furniture store and he developed a love of music from his mother and of fishing from his father. His grandmother owned an ice cream parlor in Jersey City and his maternal grandfather was a diamond cutter in New York’s famous diamond district. He has traced his family roots back to 1538 in Germany.
He met his wife JoAnn (Cusanelli) in 1957 and the high school sweethearts have been married for over 60 years. Together they raised three children – Stephen, Wendy and Tracy.
Besides his volunteer work on behalf of FDU, where he was recognized in 2015 as its “Volunteer of the Year,” Schwamb has stayed busy in retirement giving back to his communities. He is a member of the Park Ridge, NJ Planning Board, currently serving as Chairman and spent five years as co-chairman of the Park Ridge Open Space committee. He spent 14 years as Vice President of Bears Nest Board of Directors and 20 years a co-chair of the landscape committee.
An avid tennis and golf player, he also enjoys boating and fishing and has been a long-time member of the Hackensack Golf Club and the Long Beach Island Yacht and Tennis Club.
Not surprisingly, given his long ties to international businesses, he loves to travel with family and friends. Besides seeing nearly all of Europe he has also visited Australia, New Zealand, Grenadines, St. Croix, Jamaica, Japan, Macao and the Dominican Republic as well as extensive travels across North America.
As the founder and Executive Director of the New Jersey Association of School Resource Officers, a non-profit 501c(3), Kissane was instrumental in developing, introducing, and passing the Safe Schools Resource Officer Training Law. A certified New Jersey Police Instructor, he has been teaching the Police Training Commission (PTC) SRO/Liaison Training Course for the New Jersey Association of School Resource Officers over the past 16 years. Since the inaugural class, he has instructed Law Enforcement/School Relations as part of the School Safety Specialist Certification for the New Jersey Department of Education Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning (OSPEP).
With over 30 years of experience in public safety, Patrick Kissane is recognized as an expert in school safety and schoolrelated policing.
The firm has developed a reputation as a specialist in tax planning, business advisory services, litigation support and forensic accounting. Tim is a nationally recognized expert and speaker on a variety of accounting, tax, audit and business topics. Many fortune 500 companies as well as many national associations regularly feature Tim as their keynote speaker. Among the more noteworthy positions that Tim holds, he is the National Director and Editor-inChief for the world’s largest accounting and tax training program, the Becker Gearty CPE professional program. Tim has frequently been called upon over the past twentyfive years to present accounting, tax, auditing and business topics to large groups, organizations, and corporations, accounting firms and in legal proceedings.
Tim is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is also a member of the New Jersey Society of Public Accountants and has been a trustee of the organization. Tim is also a member of the New Jersey and American Bar Associations. Tim holds a BS in Accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University where he was inducted into their Hall of Fame, and both an MBA in Finance and a Law Degree (JD) from Seton Hall University.
Paying it forward and making it count
Tim Gearty’s family, friends, colleagues, and especially his students will attest to his dedication to mentorship and education. Introduced by his daughters, Kristi and Julie, here is Tim Gearty’s induction into The Pinnacle Society at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Follow your heart, but make sure you’re willing to work.
Your investment in an FDU education will never depreciate.
Inspired by her grandmother, who owned a restaurant in Liberia, Adenah is now the owner of 8 restaurants including 4 IHOP franchises in northern New Jersey. She opened her first IHOP in Irvington Township, New Jersey at the age of 27, making her one of the youngest franchisees in the country at that time. In late 2017, Adenah launched Cornbread, her first independent fast casual, farm-to-table, soul food restaurant, which she co-founded with fellow entrepreneur, Zadie B. Smith. They recently opened their second location in downtown Newark, and a third in Brooklyn, NY. Additionally, in keeping with Adenah’s mission of bringing high quality food and services to urban communities, in the summer of 2021 she launched her latest restaurant concept, Urban Vegan, in downtown Newark.
In addition to her restaurants, Adenah is a successful real estate developer with a portfolio of several major residential and mixed-use urban redevelopment projects across northern New Jersey, including the former Irvington General Hospital site, and several other urban locations. Most recently, she was awarded a 9% NJHMFA affordable housing credit for her 100% affordable, 40-unit property located in Newark’s Southward, making her the first black woman developer in the US to accomplish the feat.
Despite her numerous successes as a restaurateur, real estate developer, and philanthropist, Adenah’s proudest achievement is being a mother to her 2 children.