School of Business and Professional Studies

Raymond F. Bentele/Mallinckrodt Executive-In-Residence Program

In recognition of the significant contribution that Truman alumnus Raymond F. Bentele made as President and CEO of Mallinckrodt, Inc., the Raymond F. Bentele/Mallinckrodt Executive-In-Residence Program was endowed in the School of Business and Professional Studies by IMCERA in 1993.

This endowment enables the School to select one outstanding individual from business and industry to spend two to three days on campus each semester. The executive engages in discussions with Truman students, both in and out of the classroom.

2024 Executive in Residence
Nishant Bhajaria (’03), Industry-renowned cybersecurity and privacy executive

Nishant Bhajaria

Industry-renowned cybersecurity and privacy executive Nishant Bhajaria (’03) will serve as the next Bentele/Mallinckrodt Executive-in-Residence.

For more than 20 years, Bhajaria has worked with various internal (engineering, PR, product, legal) and external stakeholders (regulators, standards bodies, policy-makers) to fuse engagement and growth with efficiency, maturity and governance. He has built cross-functional organizations and products to grow B2B/B2C platforms and capabilities while protecting customer data, maintaining compliance and earning trust.

Bhajaria has spoken extensively on privacy and security and has taught several online courses on LinkedIn about privacy, security, career management and inclusive tech. He has published a book on privacy and security engineering and also co-authored a paper on the tensions between Covid-19, contact tracing and privacy sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bhajaria is a member of the International Standards Organization on privacy/security and was part of the body that authored the ISO 27701 data protection standard. He is currently the director of engineering: assurance and trust, at Meta/Facebook.

Bhajaria will visit campus to present a talk from 4-5:30 p.m. April 11 in Violette Hall 1000 with a reception after. He will discuss how a liberal arts education is a career booster.

2024 Executive in Residence
Tony Marek (’99,’00), managing director at BlackRock

Tony Marek

Tony Marek (’99,’00), managing director at BlackRock, will serve as the next Bentele/Mallinckrodt Executive-in-Residence.

Marek is the global head of product strategy for the income team within the multi-asset strategies and solutions platform and the head income strategist for U.S. wealth. As a strategist, he works closely with the various investment departments to build portfolios and provide a comprehensive view of markets and capabilities within BlackRock. BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager guiding individuals, financial professionals and institutions in building better financial futures. Before taking on his current role in 2012, Marek was a member of the private client team at BlackRock that supported independent financial advisors across the state of Florida. He has been with the firm since 2009.

Prior to joining the investment management industry, Marek was a senior tax advisor with Deloitte in Kansas City, Missouri. His client base consisted of ultra-high net worth individuals, corporations and partnerships. Marek received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and a master’s degree in accountancy from Truman. He is a chartered financial analyst and a certified public accountant. Marek, his wife Julie (’00) and their three children live in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Marek will visit campus to present a talk from 4-5:30 p.m. April 4 in Violette Hall 1000 with a reception after. He will discuss networking skills and provide his insights on how to become professionally successful.


For the Raymond F. Bentele/Mallinckrodt Executive-In-Residence Program, special emphasis is placed on examining how the executive handles the unique challenges inherent in a “real world” setting. As a result of these interactions, students get a better understanding of the pragmatic as well as the theoretical issues in business. Faculty gain insight from the visiting executive that enables them to remain current on significant issues in the rapidly changing global business environment.During the visit, the Raymond F. Bentele/Mallinckrodt Executive-In-Residence has the opportunity to interact with Truman students and faculty through the following activities:

  • Presentations to select business or accounting classes;
  • Individual interaction with students outside the classroom;
  • Luncheon presentations to business and accounting students and faculty;
  • Participation in a faculty development workshop for business and accounting faculty; and
  • A presentation to a University-wide audience on a topic of broad interest. Copies of the Executive-In-Residence campus-wide lecture will be published for distribution with at least fifty copies given to IMCERA for use as the company determines.

The endowment provides for a $1,500 honorarium and all other costs associated with the executive’s visit.


Positions listed were those held by the executives-in-residence at the time of their visit to Truman.

2022

Ryan Shreve (’02)
chief operating officer for Cyderes

2021

Bill Neff (’97)
Vice President, Bags and Apparel
Yeti

2020

Mary Jesse
CEO
Mobile Technologies, Inc.

2019

Amanda Gioia (’93)
Vice President, Information Technology Service Management
Mastercard

Bill Koster (’84)
Vice President
Protective Life Insurance Company

2018

Doug Villhard (’94)
CoFounder/CEO
Second Street

2017

Russ Willey (’88, ’90)
Senior Vice President Corporate Business Management
Enterprise Holdings, Inc.

Jim Cunningham
Vice President, Operations
Express Scripts

2016

Mark Barner (’81)
President, CEO, Ascension Information Services
Senior Vice President and CIO, Ascension

Allen North
Assistant Vice President in Banking Supervision, Credit Community Development & Learning Innovation
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

2015

Joseph Mooney
Chief Financial Officer
Lodging Hospitality Management

Gregg Hammann
Chief Operating Officer
Sedgwick, Inc.

2014

Wayne Bell
Founder/CEO
Really Big Coloring Books, Inc.

2013

Virginia McDowell
President and Chief Executive Officer
Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc.

2012

Harlan Steinbaum
President and CEO
Medicare-Glaser Corp.

2011

David Stangis
Vice President Corporate Social Responsibility
Campbell Soup

2010

Dave Carroll
Group Director
Target

2007

Diana Daggett
America Region Director of Corporate Affairs
Intel Corporation

2006

Chuck Woods (’86)
Director, Financial Planning & Analysis Integrated Defense Systems
The Boeing Company

Laura Patterson (’80)
President and Co-Founder
VisionEdge Marketing, Inc.

2005

Susan Plassmeyer (’86)
Executive Vice President, Construction, Engineering and Facilities Maintenance
Chicago Transit Authority

2004

Duane Nicks
Chairman of Famous Barr
May Department Stores

2003

Gary Hollingsworth (’72)
President/CEO
AccuPay HCM

Kenneth Johnson
Vice President and Portfolio Manager of Client Services
Loomis, Sayles & Co.

2002

James J. Parker
Vice President
Caterpillar, Inc.

William L. Stowers (’87)
Vice President and General Manager of Supplier Management and Procurement for Boeing Military Aircraft and Missile Systems
The Boeing Company

2000

Donna Morrison (’79)
Vice President of LDD Billing Services
Sprint

Vic Yeandel
Vice President of Marketing
Consolidated Products, Inc.

1999

Jeffrey A. Poe (’90)
President
Waechtersbach, Inc.

1998

Priscilla Hill-Ardoin
President
Southwestern Bell – Missouri

1997

Steven B. Barger (’67)
Senior Executive Vice President of Business Development
Primerica Financial Services

1996

Bradley Muth (’84)
Vice-President, Real Estate Structured Finance
ING Capital Corporation

1995

Charles M. Foudree (’66)
Executive Vice-President – Finance
Harmon Industries, Inc.

1994

Raymond F. Bentele (’60)
Chief Executive Officer (retired)
Mallinckrodt, Inc.