Officers and Directors

 

President: Jared Weiner, WG '07
Jared is a Partner and the Director of Research at Veritable, LP, which manages over $18 billion for ultra-high net worth families. In addition, he is a founding team member of Archean Capital Partners, which provides anchor capital to newly formed private equity firms. Jared has conducted comprehensive manager due diligence in all of the major world capital markets since joining Veritable in 2001. He is a Fulbright Scholar in Economics and graduated with Highest Honors from Lehigh University with a BS in Finance. Jared is a CFA (R) charterholder and earned an MBA with a concentration in Strategic Asset Management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Jared lives in Lower Merion and his hobbies include traveling with his wife, playing guitar and writing stories to entertain his two daughters.

 

Vice President: Jason Rodriguez, W'10
Jason is currently a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors, working with families and executives on all aspects of their financial health. Taking a family office approach to each relationship he works with, Jason works with his clients to discuss and create investment strategies tailored to fit their unique situations. Prior to moving back to Philadelphia in 2018, Jason started his career and previously served as a Vice President with the Prime Services team at Goldman Sachs in NY, where he specialized in client relationship management, acting as a central point of contact for key hedge fund clients. In his spare time, Jason enjoys  playing golf, traveling with his wife, and testing new restaurants in the area. 

Investment and Insurance Products:

  • Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency
  • Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank of Any Bank Affiliate
  • Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount Invested

Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network LLC, Members SIPC, separate registered broker-dealers and non-bank affiliates of Wells Fargo and Company.

  VP Programming: Madlyn Powell, WEV'03, WEV'04 
Madlyn is a finance and accounting professional and joined the Club to help bring worthwhile events to fellow Club members. It is a great pleasure in providing cost-effective cultural/intellectual events to her fellow Club members.
VP Communications: Eric Peffer, WEV'98
Eric is a business technologist who has proven himself over the last 20+ years at delivering transformative results impacting a client’s financial results while at IBM, Thomson Reuters, Ernest & Young and Deloitte Consulting. He is a proud veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and spent many years of his professional life living and working abroad.  He lives in Bala Cynwood with his family and enjoys spending time playing chess, reading, golfing, bicycle riding and working on his historic home.  
VP & University Liaison: Mary Keefe, WG '81
Mary is a founder and senior partner of MGA Partners Architects, a nationally known firm based in Center City. Her architecture firm has completed many award winning projects for prominent institutions such as University of Pennsylvania, Case Western Reserve University, Indiana University, Bloomington, and Princeton among many others. A new project for the Wharton School, the Wharton Academic Research Building is nearing completion with a planned opening by year end 2020. Mary directs the firm’s Strategic Planning and ascertains what engagements are right for the studio including clients, projects, partnerships with consultants and community relations. A graduate of Boston College (Newton College), she came to Philadelphia for an MBA at Wharton, joining the firm as a founder in 1990 and becoming a prominent female principal in the Philadelphia architecture community. In 2020, Mary along with her partners lead her firm’s certification as a Women Business Enterprise. In addition to her Board leadership in the Wharton Club, Mary is an Advisory Board member of the PennWomenInDesign (PWID), a graduate student group at Penn. Other former and current affiliations are with Leadership Inc; Forum for Executive Women; Landmarks and others. Mary is a native of Boston.
VP Finance & Treasurer: Justin O'Malley, WG '07
J. Justin O’Malley is the Market Team Lead for J.P. Morgan Private Bank in the Philadelphia office and brings nearly 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Justin helps lead the local practice, focused on advising the owners of technology and emerging growth companies, as well as public company executives. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Justin spent five years with Morgan Stanley’s Investment Bank as a senior member of the firm’s cross-asset derivatives and options trading desk. Justin has also worked for Avalon Advisors, a multi-family office based in Houston, Texas, and Goldman Sachs & Co. in the firm’s Institutional Securities Group in New York. Justin began his career with Accenture in its Financial Services practice in Philadelphia.

Justin serves as the Treasurer for the Wharton Club of Philadelphia and as a member of the events committee of the Irish American Business Chamber and Network (IABCN). He also serves on the boards and investment committees of both BLOCS (Business Leaders Organized for Catholic Schools) and the Elwyn organization. Justin was named one of the 2015 Philadelphia Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” Award Winners, and serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Wharton School’s Communication Department faculty, instructing first-year M.B.A. students in developing their public speaking, persuasion and presentation skills.

The first person in his family to attend college, Justin earned his B.A. in Business Management from Cornell University and his M.B.A. in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a graduate of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia. Justin resides with his family in Berwyn,  Pennsylvania.   

MJPhotosmallerstill.jpg VP of Strategy and Membership: Mary Jay Torres-Martin WEV '93
MJ Torres-Martin started her career at KPMG, a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory Services. Following her work at KPMG, MJ served as the Marketing Manager for the Technology Industry Practice at Grant Thornton, out of its New York office. Grant Thornton is the sixth largest professional services network of independent accounting and consulting member firms. She is currently a business development consultant for a national law firm in their construction and design group. MJ has developed an expertise in business development not only for firms doing business in the United States but also in Latin America and Europe.  She is an avid yogi, loves to dance and travel.

VP Wharton Women's Network:  Tiara Durham WEV '12
Tiara Durham is Managing Partner of ZERE Group, a boutique global management consulting firm that improves the success rate of early-stage businesses and non-profits through data-driven strategy processes and marketing integration. She helps clients address some of their most critical strategic questions with a unique approach to assisting organizations in pursuing their most significant business opportunities.  

Tiara continues her passion for enabling businesses for success by leading all business development efforts for Founders First Capital Partners in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey region. The San Diego based company supports businesses led by women, people of color, LGBTQ+, military veterans and businesses in low to moderate income areas by providing revenue-based funding and acceleration services. 

Most recently, Tiara founded ColorsofCOVID.org, a non-profit that serves as a platform for Communities of Color to share their experiences with COVID-19, and the impact it has on their lives. The organization curates evidence-based information to share with all communities – highlighting health, education and economic disparities – and seeks to quell misinformation and disinformation. Prior, Tiara worked as a successful global business leader in the healthcare industry – driving fifteen years of growth and sustainability in business planning, marketing strategy, and sales for Fortune 500 companies. She has held positions in commercialization strategy, brand management, and marketing across several therapeutic areas. Recognized early in her career as a passionate consumer advocate, Tiara launched her first business as a Series 7 licensed financial planner and franchise owner with American Express Financial Advisors. Her goal was to put families and small business owners on a path toward independent wealth.  

Tiara serves on the Board of Trustees at The French International School of Philadelphia since 2019. She helps direct the school’s long-range and strategic planning. She is a strong advocate for developing global citizens through comprehensive bilingual education, critical thinking, and a deep understanding and appreciation for other cultures.

Matthew Lentz VP Digital: Matthew Lentz , WG'22

Matt is the Chief Financial Officer for over fifteen entities forming a robust organization that serves as one of the leading voices advocating for Latinos in America. In this role, he leads strategic financial initiatives to improve an opportunity community through an ecosystem of institutes supported by Nueva Esperanza, Inc. funding core community investments for change.   

 

Secretary: Mousumi Bhakta, WG’07
Mousumi Bhakta has spent her professional career working at Fortune/Fortune Global 500 companies and has over 20 years of experience in marketing and finance roles. She currently leads a team of seasoned marketers promoting National Grid’s residential portfolio of energy efficiency programs and clean energy solutions in the U.S. Previously, she held brand management positions at General Mills and worked in investment and corporate banking at JPMorgan Chase.

Alongside her corporate career, Mousumi has pursued a passion for wellness as a Certified Meditation Teacher. Over the past five years, she has led virtual and in-person meditations for business teams as well as group classes at yoga studios in New York City and Philadelphia area.

President Emeritus: Charles Marion, C'86, W'86, L'89
Chuck is a Partner at the law firm of Blank Rome LLP in Philadelphia, where he practices primarily in the areas of complex business litigation, franchise litigation, intellectual property litigation (including patent and trademark infringement cases and trade secret disputes), and litigation brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (including those involving websites and mobile apps). Chuck formerly served as the Club’s Treasurer and, for the last several years, has chaired the Club’s monthly alumni networking breakfasts. His hobbies include tennis, composing and performing music (including playing keyboards in the classic/alternative rock band “Lincoln Drive”) and travel.

Member at Large:  Patrizio Cernetti
Patrizio is a digital transformation leader driving digital solutions across organizations with focus on analytics, RPA and AI. Working in consulting and directly in industry, he supported both private equity and strategic clients on top-line growth and operational improvement initiatives through data-driven aaS solutions and performance value creation. He currently leads Operations functions at Sapient Industries, a startup providing the most granular AI-based energy management systems available on the market.

As a Senior Wharton Fellow he drives mentoring and data literacy initiatives with a focus on the ethical impact of disruptive technologies.

As a member of ECCMA, he helps defining ISO 8000 standards for Data Quality and Enterprise Master Data, promoting a sustainable approach to Data Governance.


Member at Large:  Tamra Chase, WEV'03
Tamra is an Investor Reporting Analyst for Berkadia. Berkadia is a joint venture of Berkshire Hathaway and Jefferies Financial Group which is a leader in the commercial real estate industry, offering a robust suite of services to multifamily and commercial property clients. Prior to Berkadia, she taught as an Adjunct Faculty instructor at Community College of Philadelphia in the Business Administration Department for 10 years. Courses taught include Finance, Risk Management and Insurance, Statistics, Macroeconomics and Microeconomics. She served as the Board Vice President for the Philadelphia Association for Financial Professionals (PAFP). She worked in corporate finance in Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) as a senior level quantitative analyst for GMAC. She also worked in Equity Indexed Annuities (EIA's) for Allianz North America. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, attending arts and cultural and sporting events.

Member at Large:  Sarah Hammer WG '99
Professor Sarah Hammer is Executive Director at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, leading financial technology initiatives as well as Wharton Cypher Accelerator, which supports leading global businesses that are leveraging financial technology. Hammer is also Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Hammer is also Affiliated Scholar at the Penn Program on Regulation. 

Previously, Hammer was Managing Director of the Center for Innovation in Finance and Senior Fellow of the Alternative Investments Program at the Wharton School. Hammer also led the launch of the University of Pennsylvania’s first digital asset, unique 3D intellectual property that memorializes the invention of the mRNA technology which enabled the COVID-19 vaccines.

Hammer is also a board member of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) at the United Nations. The ITU is the UN specialized agency responsible for information and communication technology. She is also an advisor at the World Economic Forum, the Dubai International Finance Centre, and the Digital Dollar Project for Central Bank Digital Currency.

Previously, Hammer was Acting Secretary of the Department of Banking and Securities for Pennsylvania, having led the Department through the banking crisis of March 2023. The Department regulates and supervises ~290,000 bank and non-bank financial entities, totaling $3.5 trillion in AUM.

Hammer was also previously Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions and Director of the Office of Financial Institutions Policy at the US Department of the Treasury. In this role, she led the Department’s policy responsibilities involving financial institutions, as well as oversaw the Federal Insurance Office and the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Compliance Policy (cybersecurity).

While at U.S. Treasury, Hammer also led the cross-functional team conducting a full review and report on the financial regulatory framework. Hammer also served on the board of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) and assisted the U.S. Treasury Secretary in fulfilling responsibilities on the board of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).

Hammer has held various leadership positions throughout financial services in general management, portfolio management, trading, marketing, research, and analytics at the Vanguard Group, PIMCO, JP Morgan Chase, BlackRock, and Tudor Investments.

Hammer earned a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, an M.B.A. from the Wharton School, and a Master of Studies from Oxford University.

Member at Large: Christiane Pelz, WG'96, G96
Christiane moved back to Philadelphia 20 years after graduating to join the high growth retailer Five Below as head of investor relations. She previously held roles in IR at Safeway and Shutterfly and in banking at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup. She is also on the NIRI chapter board in Philadelphia.  She recently adopted a rescue cat and named her Sassafras (aka Sassy) to honor Philadelphia’s roots!
Member at Large:  Veronica Woods
Veronica is a real estate advisor, passionate about helping her clients create wealth, legacy, and lifestyle through real estate. At her firm Daniel Woods Real Estate, founded by her father, she offers specialized services to real estate investors from acquisition to property management in the Philadelphia metro area. Veronica earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics from Northwestern University and her MBA in Finance from The Wharton School. Veronica lives in Lansdowne and also serves on the boards of the Chester Business Association and the Making the Change Group. Follow her on her YouTube channel for real estate wisdom for new investors.
  Administrator: Barbara Sagusti, Jane Barr Horstman & Associates