Join the Center for Global Business for its annual Distinguished Speakers Series in International Business event during International Education Week on “Global Competencies for the 21st Century Workplace.” Smith School alumni will discuss the importance of a global mindset in today’s business environment.
Speakers
Rishi Kadiwar
Rishi Kadiwar is an experienced engagement strategist at McCann Health in New York City counseling companies meet customers at the intersection of digital transformation and experience design. Kadiwar joined McCann Health in 2020, supporting the global launch of a new cardiovascular medication. Prior to McCann Health, Kadiwar spent the last four years working in the pharmaceutical industry at Ogilvy Consulting. At Ogilvy, he led the launch of Merck's global social media newsroom allowing its marketing team to create an omnichannel social media content development program that is centrally governed and regionally managed. He also counseled Meck's Keytruda franchise to launch a global social media and KoL influencer program that drove HCPs and patients/caregivers' engagement. Furthermore, during his time at Ogilvy, he led engagements with J&J, focusing on creating effective communication strategies with prostate cancer patients. As well as developed the digital crisis management protocols for Mayo Clinic and UAB Medicine. Kadiwar's skill set makes him a liaison between strategy, creative, and digital partners. Prior to McCann Health and Ogilvy, he spent ten years working in a wide range of sectors ranging from PwC to the College Board (including financial services, insurance, higher education, and hospitality) to expand their digital and customer experience capabilities. Rishi received an MBA from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business.
Scott Samels
Scott Samels obtained his undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Maryland’s Smith School in 1992 and his MBA from Loyola University Maryland in 1999. He obtained his CPA license shortly after starting his professional career with KPMG in Baltimore, Maryland where he worked for approximately three years. After leaving KPMG he worked for PHH Corporation (now Element Fleet Management) for five years where he led teams in their financial accounting and financial operations departments. Samels currently works at McCormick & Company, Inc., a global leader in the flavor industry, where he has spent the past 20 years in a variety of finance and accounting positions in their business transformation, corporate controllership, U.S. consumer, and U.S. flavor solutions departments. For the past two and a half years he has served as the global delivery lead for the order-to-cash team and is responsible for leading a team of approximately 200 individuals based in the U.S., Canada and Poland. These teams are responsible for providing various services to McCormick’s business units in North America and Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions.
Rachel Yamrus
Rachel Yamrus graduated from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business with a BS in finance in 2006. She started her career in the regulatory field as a bank examiner for the U.S. Treasury Department and then moved onto a credit risk specialist role at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRB NY). At the FRB NY, she was responsible for monitoring a portfolio of large international financial institutions. She then worked in a global credit risk policy role at a Japanese bank, Nomura. She currently works at J.P. Morgan Chase working on an international accounting standard implemented in 2018 for allowance for loan and lease losses, International Financial Reporting Standard 9.
Ansa Edim
Ansa Edim is the head of corporate communications for Change.org and was most recently named as the first Black woman to the C-Suite in Change.org's 12-year history as VP of the staff board. With over a decade of experience in brand, marketing, and communications, Edim is a proud member of Change.org’s Black affinity group, Change.Noire.
Before her tenure at Change.org, Edim spent several years working in tech, government consulting, non-profit, and education industries. She also ran her own brand consulting firm, working specifically with elderly-, women-, and minority-owned businesses. Edim lives in Washington, D.C. with her partner and two boxers, Big Mac and Kiss.