Equity and Access Council
The Equity and Access Employer Council is a group of forward-thinking industry leaders who are partnering with UChicago to re-imagine diversity recruiting and expand career opportunities for under-represented students.
If you're interested in joining the council, please contact Cristina Rodriguez.
Council Members
Sarah Adams
Talent Acquisition Lead
Boston Consulting Group
Sarah is a Talent Acquisition Lead in the Chicago office overseeing recruiting at the University of Chicago as well as other undergraduate and graduate programs across the Midwest. Sarah joined BCG in 2017 in the Washington, DC office and has held a variety of roles across recruiting during her tenure. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys working out, baking, and exploring Chicago. Learn more about diversity and opportunities at BCG.
Jacky Barry
Manager, Global Diversity and Inclusion Programs
Paypal
Jacky Barry is a seasoned Talent Acquisition Leader with over 20 years of experience in the Tech industry. She designs global strategies and programs to scout, attract, recruit and retain top diverse talent. Learn more about diversity and opportunities at Paypal.
Chelsea Beckford
Customer Engagement Consultant
Morningstar
Chelsea Beckford is a valued member of the customer engagement team at Morningstar, Inc. In her current role, she is responsible for training facilitation and content creation for the MorningstarSM direct platform – Morningstar's premier investment analysis software. Prior to this, Chelsea worked as a marketing associate for the workplace solutions group for Morningstar. Chelsea is currently the co-president of VIVA, the Latinx employee resource group at Morningstar, and is also the coordinator for the reverse mentoring program at Morningstar. Chelsea holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bard College and was awarded a Posse scholarship to pursue her undergraduate education.
Blanca Berthier
Director, SBDC and Entrepreneurial Services
Women's Business Development Center
Blanca is a seasoned business and non for profit executive with skills in business development, non for profit management, events, marketing and business advising. She enjoys helping clients in their entrepreneurial path and creating positive connections. Learn more about diversity and opportunities at Women's Business Development Center.
Cecelia Bolden
Chief Experience Officer
SDI Presence
Ms. Bolden’s history includes 30 years’ experience in the information systems industry. At SDI Presence, Ms. Bolden is the Chief Experience Officer. In her role, Ms. Bolden is responsible for Quality Management in SDI’s delivery of services to customers, Customer Experience, Employee Development Programs as well as the creation of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs that focus on Human Capital Management and Productivity. Learn more about diversity and opportunities at SDI Presence.
Monica Brown
Vice President, Human Resources and Administration
The Cleveland Foundation
Monica Brown is a highly regarded human resources professional and business leader that has been with the Cleveland Foundation since January 2007. In her current role she is a valued member of the leadership team, responsible for the ongoing, organization-wide development of human capital strategies that align with the foundation’s mission, values and strategic objectives and promote a diverse and inclusive culture that ensures the foundation’s ability to carry out it’s critical work in the community. Monica holds a master’s degree in labor relations and human resources management from Cleveland State University and is certified as a senior human resources professional by the HR Certification Institute. She also serves as an executive member of the board of directors for the Cuyahoga County Public Library Foundation and is the co-founder of the Collaboration for Nonprofit HR Professionals. Learn more about diversity and opportunities at The Cleveland Foundation.
Alex Cantero
Manager, Next-Gen Talent
Electronic Arts
Alex Cantero, AB'07, is a Manager for Next-Gen Talent at Electronic Arts (EA). Alex manages EA's intern and University Graduate global recruitment team. He is also a recruitment pillar lead for SOMOS EA, Electronic Arts' Latinx employee resource group. Learn more about diversity and opportunities at Electronic Arts.
Cat Goodin
Recruiter
McKinsey & Co.
Cat is the University of Chicago undergraduate Recruiter at McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm that specializes in advising many of the world’s most influential businesses and institutions. Prior to McKinsey, she worked in higher education roles at Chicago Booth. Cat resides in Chicago and spends her free time on the lakefront trail with her dog and explores the various neighborhoods of Chicago. Learn more about diversity and opportunities at McKinsey.
Eiren Hendrie
Managing Director
BDT & Company
Eiren Hendrie is a Principal and the Head of Human Resources at BDT & Company. Prior to joining BDT, Eiren worked in a variety of HR roles at Neuberger Berman, Citadel, and Morgan Stanley partnering with investment professionals on recruiting, new hire onboarding, training and development, employee relations, immigration, mobility, diversity and inclusion, compensation, performance reviews, advancement and engagement. Eiren received a BBA from the University of Michigan.
Carolyn Lambert
Coordinator, Recruiting
Bain & Co.
Carolyn works as a coordinator and manages Bain’s summer internship program and recruiting efforts for University of Chicago. Prior to Bain, she has worked in a variety of recruiting roles closely related to campus recruiting across North America. In her free time she enjoys cooking, running along the lakefront trail with her dog, and reading/listening to new books and podcasts. Learn more about diversity and opportunities at Bain.
Helen Luz
Campus Recruiting Specialist
Deloitte
Helen is a Campus Recruiting Specialist who works closely with the University of Chicago for Deloitte Consulting. In her spare time, she enjoys working out, reading, travelling, and eating her way through Chicago! Learn more about diversity and opportunities at Deloitte.
María Meléndez
Chief Diversity Officer
Sidley Austin LLP
María D. Meléndez is Sidley Austin LLP’s Chief Diversity Officer and leads the firm’s efforts to further advance and increase diversity and inclusion across the firm’s 20 global offices, and within the legal profession as a whole. She works closely with the firm’s Management and Executive Committees and two partner-led diversity-related committees: The Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Committee on Retention and Promotion of Women. She is a member of the Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals and proudly serves on the boards of The Thurgood Marshall College Fund, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and the Advisory Board of the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession. Learn more about diversity and opportunities at Sidley Austin.
Patricia Mota
President and CEO
Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement
Patricia serves as an advocate for access and equity, striving to create a multi-generational, diverse, and inclusive support network and programming to catapult the career growth of Latinos and underrepresented groups across the country. Patricia is the President & CEO for the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE), leading strategy, fundraising & development, and national impact. Patricia earned a double Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University-Bloomington in Spanish and Communication & Culture and a Master’s in Public Affairs (MPA) in Public Management from Indiana University’s School of Public & Environmental Affairs (SPEA)-Indianapolis. Patricia is also a certified coach and Insights Discovery© licensed practitioner, and a proud Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow. Learn more about diversity and opportunities at HACE.
K. Nicole Nieto
Executive Vice President
National Hispanic Institute
As a leader in the National Hispanic Institute, Nicole Nieto has committed her career to expanding the supply of leaders who are developed and trained to provide community leadership in Latino communities. NHI focuses on the intellectual development of high potential youth around communications, policy/democracy, and inquiry as a foundation for community development.
Sarah Nork
Campus Recruiter
Accenture
Sarah is the University of Chicago campus recruiter at Accenture. She has been with Accenture for 2 and half years always working as a campus recruiter with entry level recruiting team. Prior to Accenture she worked at other consulting firms and in healthcare. In her spare time she loves to run, read, and bake! Learn more about starting your career with Accenture here.
Alexander Papandreou
Managing Counsel - Procurement, Construction & Digital Contracting Law Group
Chevron Upstream
Alexander C. Papandreou is a strategic legal advisor with responsibility for the delivery of legal services supporting the Chevron's global energy business. In his current role, Alexander is responsible for being a leader within and managing the legal support for Chevron’s Technology, Projects, & Services (TPS) organization and the Chevron Technical Center (CTC). Accountabilities include ensuring that legal needs are proactively and effectively addressed for both base business and capital projects across the globe (Upstream, Downstream & Chemicals, and Midstream), while protecting Chevron's enterprise interests with emphasis on industry-leading returns, cost management, progressing digital technology/cybersecurity initiatives in light of Cloud-computing growth strategies, as well as delivering superior talent management, development, and planning programs. Learn more about diversity and opportunities at Chevron.
Tarin Payne
Manager, University Relations and Diversity Recruiting
Silicon Valley Bank
Tarin Payne currently leads Silicon Valley Bank's initiatives to create and build a pipeline of entry-level talent for its lending and operations teams. An experienced HR professional in a variety of industries, she is unapologetically passionate about building mindful, bold and intentional diversity and inclusion solutions, and recruiting strategies toward this objective. Tarin enthusiastically leads organizations to hire and retain underrepresented and underestimated talent. Learn more about diversity and opportunities at Silicon Valley Bank.
Tomás Reuning
Supervisor, Diversity Talent Acquisition
McMaster-Carr
Tomás Reuning (he/they/él) is a Supervisor in Diversity Talent Acquisition at McMaster-Carr. He is based in Chicago and oversees the partnership with UChicago in addition to several other universities and organizations. Tomás is passionate about providing historically marginalized students with access to exceptional opportunities and mentorship. Prior to joining McMaster-Carr in 2021, Tomás obtained his Bachelor’s in English with minors in Latinx Studies and Animal Science from Cornell University. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his dogs and cat, trying new restaurants, and reading.
Asher Simcoe
Head of Campus Recruiting
AQR Capital Management
Asher Simcoe is a Vice President on the Talent Acquisition team within AQR’s Human Resources department. In this role, he is responsible for managing the firm’s campus recruiting strategy and efforts. Prior to AQR, Asher held campus recruiting leadership roles at Cantor Fitzgerald, UBS and Credit Suisse. Asher earned his B.A. in politics from Washington and Lee University. Learn more about diversity and opportunities at AQR.
Maggie Steighner
Senior Program Manager, Internships
ROI DNA
Maggie is a highly strategic and innovative Recruiter and Internship Program Manager with over a decade of experience. She is passionate about attracting top talent, designing and implementing high-value internship programs, and cultivating a diverse and inclusive culture within those programs. Learn more about diversity and opportunities at ROI DNA.
Victoria Tucker
Vice President, Talent Acquisition
Virtus Investment Partners
Ms. Tucker is responsible for overseeing and leading the global recruitment strategy for Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. which operates a multi-manager asset management business comprised of a number of individual affiliated managers, each having its own investment process and brand, and the services of unaffiliated subadvisors.
Ms. Tucker was most recently head of recruiting for the 8th largest U.S. public pension fund, the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (“SWIB”) which managed more than $160 billion in assets and is one of the only fully funded public pension systems in the country.
Before joining SWIB, she led the recruiting functions at William Blair Investment Management as well as Nuveen Investments, both based in Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Tucker began her executive search career at Advantage Resourcing where she focused on private equity, family office, and traditional asset management clients.
Prior to entering executive search, Ms. Tucker spent more than 8 years in multiple human resources capacities with Penny Pritzker family entities, including Pritzker Realty Group, L.P., The Pritzker Organization, L.L.C., Centergate Residential, L.L.C., and Baldwin Park Realty, L.P. Ms. Tucker began her career with the investment banking firm Wasserstein Perella & Co.
A native of the western suburbs of Chicago, Ms. Tucker continues to remain active within the Chicago philanthropic community while residing in Madison, Wisconsin with her children. She has been passionate about equity and inclusion and supporting programs that address solutions for at-risk youth. Ms. Tucker has been a member of the University of Chicago’s Equity and Access Employer Council since July 2020.