Author: James Schisler

Barton School of Business is delighted to announce that Tom Gentile, the inaugural Executive-in-Residence back in 2021, will now serve as the executive advisor to the dean. Gentile, a distinguished global leader with a background in top executive roles at Spirit AeroSystems, GE Capital and other esteemed organizations, has also been an engaged member of the school’s Dean’s “Fabulous 50” Advisory Board for the past two years. His commitment extends to lending invaluable expertise and insight, significantly elevating the collaborative endeavors of the board. Gentile earned his bachelor’s degree in economics magna cum laude and MBA from Harvard University and studied international relations at the London School of Economics.

“I’m thrilled to step into an expanded role at the Barton School of Business, building on my impactful journey as the inaugural Executive-in-Residence. Having been part of the dynamic Dean’s ‘Fabulous 50’ Advisory Board for two years, I’m excited about infusing even more energy into providing strategic guidance and elevating the school’s global profile” Gentile said.

The Barton School of Business is excited to announce a $100,000 commitment from T. Michael Young, a retired managing partner at The CapStreet Group, to create a new Barton School scholarship for business students with financial needs. Young was a first-generation college student who graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from WSU while married and working full-time.

“I believe that affordable and accessible education is imperative to the success of our society,” Young said. “The challenges I had and the lessons I learned during my time at WSU served me well throughout my career. I’m excited to be in a place where I can help other working students who desire a higher education.”

The Barton School of Business is adding John Cantele, co-founder and principal at Lexima Hotel Management Services, to its Dean’s Advisory Board.

“I’m looking forward to bringing my perspective to the board as we help prepare Barton School students for successful careers in business,” said Cantele.

As principal at Lexima, Cantele leverages his extensive 35 years of industry experience to provide third-party management services for the company. Prior to co-founding Lexima, he served as the executive vice president and chief operating officer for CorePoint Lodging Inc., a publicly traded real estate investment trust created to own the La Quinta real estate assets. In 2016, he served as the executive vice president and chief operating officer for La Quinta Holdings, LLC, where he was the operational, sales, and revenue management lead for the company and pivotal in positioning the business for sale to Wyndham in 2018. In 2000, Cantele helped launch LodgeWorks and worked as the company’s senior vice president of operations. During his time there, he led the operation repositioning Sierra Suites into Hotel Sierra and co-led the company’s shift into the boutique hotel market with the AVIA brand, while successfully managing more established brands including Hilton, Starwood and Hyatt.

The Barton School of Business and the Kansas Insurance and Financial Services Education Foundation (KIFSEF) have joined forces to create a new Certificate in Financial Services through the Barton School. This certificate reflects the modern and interconnected financial services sector, and comes as the result of a direct need for banking, insurance, healthcare and other industries.

“Frankly, there is a talent shortage across our industry,” said Jannett Wiens, executive director, KIFSEF. “The Barton School’s effort including the formation of its financial services certificate will help to provide students with the acumen needed to thrive in an industry that continues to grow and diversify.”

As part of the collaboration, KIFSEF will provide $1,000 scholarships for students who complete the certificate.

“This certificate will provide Kansas companies with a pipeline of students who will be knowledgeable and excited about the possibilities the sector provides,” said Dr. Timothy Craft, Barton School associate professor and leader of the program. “We’re very grateful for the support from KIFSEF to help us make this certificate a possibility.”

The Barton School of Business welcomes Darren Ercolani to its Dean’s Advisory Board. Ercolani serves as the senior vice president and chief financial officer for Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP.

“As an alumnus of Wichita State and the Barton School, it’s an honor to become one of the fifty industry leaders helping advance the School that shaped me,” Ercolani said. “I can’t wait to get started.”

A proven leader with nearly three decades of industry experience, Ercolani has served as a change agent in Chevron Phillips Chemical’s finance organization and innovation champion for numerous companywide initiatives. Prior to his current role at Chevron Phillips Chemical, he was the company’s senior vice president of business transformation as well as a general auditor. He has held several finance management and treasury functions at the domestic and international levels, including owner relations manager, Asia-region controller, as well as CFO and finance manager at Q-Chem in Qatar. Ercolani began his career with Koch Industries in 1993 before transitioning to Phillips Petroleum in 1997. He later joined Chevron Phillips Chemical as treasury associate in 2000.

The Frank Barton School of Business has hired four new faculty members in the areas of accounting, human resource management and supply chain management who joined this fall 2023 semester.

 “Our new faculty members are brilliant and talented academics with a pivotal grasp on industry needs and innovative research interests,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, dean, Barton School. “These hirings reflect a concerted effort to help the Barton School and our students bloom to reach the fullest potential.”

Na Rea Cho, assistant professor of supply chain management
Dr. Cho received her Ph.D. in Operations Management at Culverhouse College of Business at the University of Alabama. She received her Master of Arts in Management Decision Sciences and Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies Education and Business Administration from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea.

Sina Rahiminejad, assistant professor of accounting
Dr. Rahiminejad holds a Ph.D. in Accounting from the University of Calgary and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Sharif University of Technology. He also has an undergraduate background in mechanical engineering.

Ryan Terry, assistant professor of human resource management
Dr. Terry holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration and Management from The University of Texas at Arlington. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration and MBA from Fort Hays State University.

Leo Yang, assistant professor of accounting
Dr. Leo Yang holds a Ph.D. in Accounting from the University of Miami and has an undergraduate background in electrical engineering. Prior to joining the Barton School, he was an assistant professor at Southeast Missouri State University.

The Widener Global Leaders Program (WGLP) has announced that Jamie Harrison, chief growth officer at Meritrust Credit Union, will be joining its advisory board. WGLP is led by the Barton School of Business in collaboration with the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Fine Arts. It is an interdisciplinary program designed to create, nurture and empower the next generation of global female leaders, and to provide a transformative multidisciplinary educational experience in business, communication and arts during college that enables these leaders to be ahead-of-the game upon graduation.

“As a female leader in the banking industry, the heart of the WGLP’s mission aligns so closely with who I am and what I believe in,” Harrison said. “I wish this program existed when I was in school at WSU. The participants in this program are changing the world and I am happy to be a small part of their personal and professional growth and development.”

The Widener Global Leaders Program (WGLP), led by the Barton School of Business in collaboration with the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Fine Arts, is pleased to announce the selection of 12 exceptional students for its 2023-24 cohort. This transformational interdisciplinary initiative is specifically tailored to nurture and empower the next generation of global female leaders.

Having successfully graduated 18 students to date, the program stands as a testament to its commitment to diversity and inclusivity. It embraces students from various backgrounds, fostering a rich tapestry of perspectives and experiences within its ranks.

2023-24 WGLP cohort:

• Fabiola Ayarza Anorga
• Chloe Brown
• Alyson Goodwin
• Giselle Graciano
• Shaybree Hanes
• Suzette Cabrales Hernandez
• Shala Johnson
• Jude Khaldi
• Stacey Le
• Cassandra Onwugbufor
• Amy Nguyen
• An Nguyen

Pyet DeSpain — award-winning and global private chef, the first winner of Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef and the fall 2023 entrepreneur-in-residence at the Barton School of Business — will provide a keynote presentation, “Recipe for Success: When Business Meets Passion,” as part of the James Schwartz Lecture Series.

The keynote event is at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 2 in the Woolsey Hall Auditorium.

Doors open at 10:30 a.m. Following the presentation, a reception will be held in the Woolsey Hall Fidelity Bank Ballroom. All are welcome to attend the event at no additional charge.

The Barton School of Business has announced Pyet DeSpain, an award winning and global private chef, as its Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the fall 2023 semester. DeSpain was the first winner of Gordon Ramsay’s “Next Level Chef” TV show on Fox. In 2021, she was named one of the top 25 best private chefs in Los Angeles by Entrepreneur Magazine.

“I am very excited to share my passion for cooking, entrepreneurship and my heritage with the students and faculty of the Barton School,” DeSpain said. “While I now call Los Angeles home, my heart belongs with where I grew up – in the Midwest. This will serve as a pseudo homecoming for me.”

As the Barton School’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence, DeSpain will host a keynote presentation titled “A Recipe For Success: When Business Meets Passion” at 11 a.m. Nov. 2 in Woolsey Hall. There she will discuss her life’s journey and transformational experiences including winning “Next Level Chef.”