Eight new board members, ranging from bank executives to Boston-area advocates, joined the Boston College Board of Trustees earlier this summer, according to a University release.
“The new trustees come from a range of professional backgrounds, with all having connections to the University as graduates or past and present parents,” the July announcement reads.
The new board members replaced eight other members who finished out their terms as trustees and will begin three-year terms as trustee associates.
The board currently has 52 trustees, including University President William P. Leahy, S.J. Eighteen of the members, or just under 35 percent of the board, work in finance in a variety of positions, ranging from managing director of an investment firm to the chief executive officer of Visa.
Eighteen other trustees work in business. These members include media executives, vice presidents of insurance groups, consultants, and a fellow at Apple.
Five members work at non-profits, one member works in academia, two work in law, and three work for the Society of Jesus. Four of the trustees do not have their occupations listed on BC’s webpage. The new members will each serve four-year terms.
Michael Ascione, BC ’93, a new member of the board, graduated from the Carroll School of Management (CSOM) and went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Ascione is a managing director and a member of the industrials team at Berkshire Partners, a private equity firm headquartered in Boston, according to the release. The industrials team invests in sustainable companies. He has also served as a member of the Board of Regents, which counsels the Board of Trustees, since 2017.
Fellow CSOM alumna Jacqueline Canney, BC ’89, is currently the global chief people officer for WPP, a creative transformation company that offers communications, commerce, experience, and technology services for clients, according to the company’s website.
Previously, Canney worked as Walmart’s chief people officer, where she was in charge of recruiting for the largest employer in the country. For the past year, Canney has served on the Board of Regents at BC.
Sandra Edgerley graduated from Harvard University in 1984 and received an MBA with distinction from the Harvard Business School in 1989, according to the release. Edgerley also worked for 12 years as a consultant and director of training and recruitment for the management consultancy Bain & Company.
She is also the chair emerita of the Boston Foundation, a Boston-based organization that supports nonprofits and civic leaders in an effort to address challenges and expand opportunities in the local community. Edgerley is also married to Boston Celtics owner Paul Edgerley.
She has also been involved with various other nonprofit organizations, including City Year and the Boys and Girls Club of Boston, the release said.
Most recently, Edgerley and her husband founded The ‘Quin House, a social club in Back Bay designed to bring leaders and community influencers together. According to The Boston Globe, the creation of this club involved a multi-million dollar makeover to The Algonquin Club, one of Boston’s former iconic social clubs.
René Jones graduated from BC in 1986 with a bachelor’s in management science from CSOM and went on to earn an MBA from the University of Rochester, the release said.
After beginning his career at Ernst & Young, Jones worked at The Group, Inc. before joining M&T Bank Corporation in 1992, where he has worked since. Jones has served as the chairman and chief executive officer of M&T, as well as the chief executive officer of its principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, since 2017.
He also serves on the board of the Jacobs Institute, the Burchfield Penney Art Center, ACV Auctions, Inc., the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Federal Advisory Council, and the Massachusetts Historical Society Council of Overseers, the release said.
After graduating with her bachelor’s degree from BC in 1998, new board member Michelle Knight also earned an MBA and master’s degree from BC in 2005.
Knight is the chief executive officer and chief economist for Ropes Wealth Advisors, a financial advising firm based in Boston. She previously served as chief economist for Ropes & Grey LLP, chief economist for Silver Bridge Advisors, and head of fixed income at Atlantic Trust, the release said.
In addition to serving on the investment committees for Boston Latin School, Rosie’s Place, and the Archdiocese of Boston, Knight teaches religious education at Holy Name Church in West Roxbury, the release said.
Patricia Kraft graduated with a bachelor’s in economics and managerial studies from Rice University before attending Harvard Law School, according to the release. Kraft’s husband, Jonathan, is the president of both The Kraft Group, a family holding company, and the New England Patriots.
Kraft is also a member of Rice University’s board of trustees, and has served as the co-chair of Massachusetts General Hospital’s 100 Committee. She is a current board member of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and the Brookline Library Foundation, as well as an overseer of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts.
Kevin Pearson graduated with a bachelor’s in history from BC in 1990, earned a master’s in human development in 1991, and graduated from BC Law in 1998. He currently serves as the director of corporate security and risk management at Georgia Power.
Pearson has also been selected to serve on the board of McCarthy Holdings, Inc.—the oldest privately held national construction company in the country—starting in the winter, according to BC Law Magazine.
Bijan Sabet, BC ’91, is the co-founder and general partner of Spark Capital, which manages $4 billion of venture and venture growth funds, according to the release.
Sabet has previously served on the board of Twitter and Tumblr, and has helped build various entertainment platforms, including WebTV. Sabet is also a member of the Board of Regents, according to the release.
