Advisory Board Members
Learn more about our current Advisory Board Members
Steve Yoho is a retired aerospace business professional with over 34 years experience in Financial Management. He was employed at Northrop Grumman as a Mechanical Cost Manager and as a Deputy Business Manager. Previously, he was employed by Hughes Aircraft and Boeing. He currently serves as the CSULB MBA Advisory Board Chair. Previously, he served on the Student Center for Professional Development Advisory Board for six years and served one year as chair. He has been mentoring CSULB business students for 15 years for both the SCPD and MBA programs. He is a 1982 COB graduate with two degrees in Finance. While working at Northrop Grumman, he was the point of contact for hiring business interns from the College of Business. He has helped over 70 students get interviews and internships.
Sergio was born and raised in San Diego, California. He made the move to Los Angeles after graduating from San Diego State University in 2000 with a B.A. in Communication. He was recruited by Kraft Foods Nabisco where he held the position of sales representative and customer category manager where he assisted in managing national brands such as Oscar Mayer, Kraft Cheese and Post cereals.
Sergio Baez currently holds the role of Senior Manager of Global Brand Partnerships and Licensing for the Walt Disney Company. In his 15+ years with the Walt Disney Company, Sergio has managed over 100+ licensed & promotional relationships and has been responsible for 1,500+ product launches. He has held several roles within Disney’s licensing division inclusive of various category management roles. He now leads various strategic accounts for Disney Parks, Experiences & Products, where he guides the global growth of these partnerships leveraging his cross-enterprise relationships. His strategic accounts include Kimberly Clark, S.C. Johnson, and P&G.
In addition to his day job, Sergio has continued to dedicate time to his passion of diversity in the workplace and passion for empowering others to lead successful careers. In 2018, Sergio co-founded Disney’s Latinx employee resource group, Mas+ (plus).
Aside from earning his Bachelor’s in Communication from San Diego State University, Sergio earned his Master’s in Business Administration from Long Beach State in 2013 and earned his second Masters in Management and Leadership from Pepperdine University in 2015.
Sergio’s passion to teach, mentor, coach and inspire has led him to participate in numerous mentorship programs, community college advisory boards and guest lecturer opportunities. He sits on various executive boards including, Adelante Youth Alliance, California Placement Association, and CSULB’s MBA advisory board.
Sergio’s passion has also led him to become an adjunct business instructor at Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Los Angeles, Pasadena City College and Loyola Marymount where he teaches Marketing at the undergraduate and graduate level.
Ms. Barbara Barcon has been a finance executive with over 30 years of corporate finance leadership in the Aerospace and Energy industries. She has an extensive background in financial planning, M&A and operational management. At Pacific Gas and Electric Company from 2008- 2010 she was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Her career includes over 21 years at Hughes Electronics where she rose to the position of CFO of the satellite manufacturing business unit. From 2001-2007, Ms. Barcon was at TRW/Northrop Grumman for six years where she was Vice President of Financial Process Excellence and was responsible for the development and implementation of a process improvement and management program for Finance across the company. In addition to the above, Ms. Barcon has spent several years with a pass through Private Equity firm where, as a Senior Vice President, she is responsible for portfolio company financial oversight and controls and financial due diligence. Ms. Barcon earned a Bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and her MBA from CSULB. She also serves as a member of the College of Engineering Advisory Council.
Lori Bell - A Managing Partner in a Financial Services Firm, a CSULB MBA Alum, an experienced non-profit Board member and professional networker/connector. Lori earned both her BS Finance and MBA degrees from CSULB while working full time. She understands the challenges students face, especially during the pandemic and feels this is the perfect time to join the Board and bring her experience and support to the college. When asked, why join the Board now, she stated that, “this is an important time for alumni who are business people in the Community to get involved and make a difference. She knows she can help be a bridge between the students and industry by leveraging relationships with businesses with the needs of the students and the college. She brings all of this and is already making a difference.
Deputy City Manage of Lakewood, CA.
Barron is the current student representative on the Board, He is in his second year of CSULB’s Evening MBA program, specializing in finance, and is expected to graduate in 2022. He has over 12 years of experience in the industrial automation industry working with Emerson Electric and their impact partner network. He has worked his way up from the role of valve technician, to his current position as an account manager with Caltrol, Inc. He is responsible for managing relationships between Caltrol and the major Southern California oil refineries. He is also acting as strategic site team leader for the Chevron El Segundo Refinery and works to ensure collaboration between all of the separate Emerson business units. Prior to his start with Emerson, Barron served in the United States Marine Corps where he obtained the rank of E-5 and held various leadership and quality control roles throughout his enlistment. Barron earned a B.S. in Business, with a concentration in management, from the University of Phoenix in 2014. He made the decision to pursue an MBA in 2020 to learn the necessary skills to obtain and succeed in leadership positions.
With nearly 30 years of broad executive experience in several countries, today Sharon Eshett uses her background—and her CSULB degrees—to grow her family’s real estate holdings. A CSULB Finance graduate, she launched her career at Southern California Edison as a financial analyst. A few years later she returned to CSULB for her MBA. Next, she followed our globalizing economy with a home decor company in Israel and in Switzerland with Gucci Timepieces. Sharon returned to the U.S. and worked in the executive offices of a corporate holding firm and a real estate investment company, ultimately using her experience in consulting, helping a wide range of clients, particularly in transportation and logistics. Having nearly grown up on campus—in her father’s faculty office—Sharon is happy to be back at CSULB sharing her extensive business background on the MBA Advisory Board.
Assistant Manager, Product and Inventory Planning at Epson America Inc.
Norm earned his MBA from CSULB with an emphasis in Information Systems in 1998. After working in the aviation, legal, and management consulting industries, he started his own firm, Pacific Technologies, in 2015. Through his education and experience, he combines proven strategies and practical real‐world expertise to create customized solutions. Pacific Technologies provides technology consulting and support for clients in the legal, medical, manufacturing, and professional services. He provides business owners with solid advice on the smart application of hardware and software. He believes the needs of a business must drive technology decisions so companies become more efficient and competitive.
Michael Jolayemi is an astute risk manager who leads risk management processes with a good understanding of risk profiles and recommends strong mitigating controls. He has excellent attention to detail and resourceful problem-solving skills. He has overseen regulatory compliance from a risk management perspective for the past eighteen years. He believes and works for strong team building. He was appointed executive chairman of a medium sized ailing bank in 1995 by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) with a goal of reviving the bank for new investors – which he did successfully by 1998. He relocated to the United States with his family in 2006 and has worked in three banks as an internal auditor since 2007. He is currently a Vice President and Senior Auditor with CTBC Bank USA Inc. He is a graduate of Kaduna Polytechnic, and holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, Nigeria. He also holds a postgraduate certificate in Accounting from California State University, Dominquez Hills (CSUDH). He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (FCIB), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and holds a Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA). Mike is married with three children and lives in Southern California.
Kerissa is an experienced Digital Marketing and Social Media Brand Manager with a demonstrated history of working with companies in the service, manufacturing, healthcare and CPG industries. Skilled in Digital Marketing, Market Research, Social Media, Advertising, Competitive Analysis, and Public Relations. Strong marketing professional with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused in Business Management and Sustainability from California State University‐Long Beach.
Massimo Masini is an expert of continuous improvement leveraging Lean Practices, Quality and Operational Excellence in several custom-engineered, made to order businesses ranging from small companies to Fortune 500 firms. Massimo held Operations leadership positions in several manufacturing industries from high-tech to Aerospace (Technicolor, ThyssenKrupp, B/E Aerospace, TECT Power, Bodycote). While at Bodycote, Massimo built a very strong leadership team that improved OTD from 80% to over 98% in less than one year. He transformed the Business from a reactive to a proactive customer centric culture embracing the “zero defect base” reducing the Cost of Poor Quality by 50% and improving Safety reducing LTIP by 65% currently. Massimo gained global experience managing all international operations while at Technicolor in Thailand, US and three European countries. In addition to holding a B.S. and M.S. in Engineering, Massimo has a MBA from CSU Long Beach; he is Certified Black Belt and Six Sigma. He resides in California with his wife and two children and as hobby he teaches at CSULB the “Management & Operations” course in the On-line and the Saturday MBA.
Kevin Okerstrom - An industry expert in environmental health and safety and an MBA, CSULB Alum. Kevin was heavily involved in the Student Center for Professional Development (SCPD) Advisory Board for several years. He was Chair of that Board and implemented many new initiatives to enhance the program and it grew greatly under his leadership. He now feels called to contribute in a new way by joining the MBA Board. Bringing an environmental health and safety background will add depth to the Board, as well as bringing experience from another CSULB Advisory Board. His leadership and strategic skills will have a strong and immediate impact.
Jon Rivera is a Channel Sales Manager with expertise in the software industry and knowledge in both business transformation, sales and marketing. He is an expert in end-user computing technology and developing engineering teams globally to provide value added services. He has successfully built business from 0 to $3.5M in revenue, taken mature partnerships to over 200% in growth won partner of the year awards in 2018 ,2017 & 2016. He has served in a Channel Sales role at Citrix since 2010 and prior to that had experience in the Finance and Government Contracting space. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a minor in Accounting from the University of Miami. He completed his MBA at CSULB with a focus in sustainability. He is passionate about volunteering with local programs around poverty alleviation and loves to travel with his wife and family.
DR. IVAN M. ROSENBERG, the Managing Partner of InVista Associates, has over 30 years experience as a management consultant and change agent, supporting organizations in which the leadership is committed to achieving breakthrough results in organizational performance. In 2010 he co-founded The Aerospace & Defense Forum, an international community of seven chapters and over 1800 individuals that facilitates communication, collaboration, and commerce among A&D business leaders. He also founded and leads The Uniquely Abled Project, which among other projects teaches those with high functioning autism how to operate CNC manufacturing machines.
Ivan received Bachelor and Masters degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Cornell University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Management from the University of Rochester.
While an Assistant Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology and CalPoly San Luis Obispo, he assisted a variety of organizations, including the State of California, in improving business IT systems. In 1981, Dr. Rosenberg founded Distinctive Solutions Corporation, which develops commercial finance software for banks and other financial institutions. Under his leadership, the company raised over $5 million in venture capital, and became a national leader in its field. After 25 years of operation, the company was sold in 2006.
After being elected Chairman of the Board of Distinctive Solutions Corporation in 1988, Dr. Rosenberg became Vice President of E.K. Williams & Co., at the time the world's largest small business accounting and consulting company. During his years with the company he led the implementation of a company culture change, resulting in returning the company to profitability and the establishment of effective management and production systems.
Dr. Rosenberg consults with organizations to produce sales, efficiency, and profitability results far beyond what might be predictable by past performance. His engagements include organizational culture changes, strategic planning, breakthrough problem solving, team and partner building, innovative sales training, and training and coaching senior executives. His clients range from small start-ups to major government agencies, including Amgen, Microsoft, Cubic Corporation, NASA HQ and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Johnson & Johnson, Viewsonic, the W.M. Keck Observatory, the Gemini Observatory, the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Giant Magellan Telescope, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., and Warner Bros. He has directly consulted 19 robotic space missions. Dr. Rosenberg is a highly-rated public speaker and the author of over 130 published articles.
Ivan served on the City Council and Planning Commission of the City of Morro Bay. In addition to Distinctive Solutions Corporation, his Board membership has included Legacy Software, Inc., Interex (the international Hewlett-Packard users group), Technology for Results in Elementary Education, the Association for Strategic Planning, The Country School, the Los Angeles Venture Association (LAVA), the Southern California Chapter of the Institute for Management Consultants, the California Wildlife Center, and Exceptional Minds Studio. He has been President of the Los Angeles Venture Association and of a local council of the Boy Scouts of America. Currently he serves on the Boards of CyberNet Communications and AMP SoCal, and on the Los Angeles Mayor’s Aerospace Advisory Council and the Mayor’s Export Council.
Karita Webber Business Management Director, Strategic Space Systems Division Northrop Grumman Space Systems.
Karita leads a Functional Homeroom and Cost Management team of ~300 employees.
Karita’s 37+ year career at Northrop Grumman has included many positions of increasing levels of responsibility at the Functional level, and on various Major Programs.
Karita earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business from California State University, Long Beach as well as graduate studies and multiple certifications from UCLA to include Executive Management Program, African-American Leadership Institute, and Professional Designation in Government Contract Management. Karita also has received a Certificate in Effective Leadership from the University of Southern California. Other noteworthy achievements are, she is an alumni of the Women In Leadership (WIL) Cohort Northrop Grumman and a Dale Carnegie Leadership Institute Graduate. Karita is also Six Sigma Green Belt Certificated. Karita believes in giving back to the community.
She is a Certified Motivational Speaker – Courses include: · Interpersonal Skills Training, Etiquette, and Dress For Success
She is the Director of Fine Arts and the Worship Leader – Greater Cornerstone Church, Los Angeles, The Author of “Liturgical Dance Decorum”, a liturgical dance instructional pamphlet, A Youth Motivation Volunteer, and A Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.
Learn more about our Student Representative Member
Jose is a student in the Day-Time (Accelerated) MBA Program.
Learn more about our Faculty and Staff Representatives
Michael Solt is Dean of the College of Business and Professor of Finance at California State University, Long Beach. Previously, he was the Associate Dean for the Lucas Graduate School of Business at San Jose State University. He has a 30-year career teaching and researching Finance and has won teaching awards at SJSU and the University of Cincinnati.
Rod Smith is the Director of Graduate Business Programs. Rod joined CSULB in 2006 following 6 years at the University of Arkansas. His Ph.D. is from UCI, and he has published research in The Accounting Review, Journal of Information Systems, Journal of Management Accounting Research, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, and the International Journal of Accounting Information Systems. He is a coauthor of the textbook: Accounting Information Systems, published by McGraw-Hill. In an earlier part of his journey through life, he spent 26 years in the U. S. Coast Guard, rising to the rank of Captain. He also serves as the Director of the MS Accountancy program where he helped grow the program from an inaugural cohort of 11 students to over 50 current students.
Ingrid Martin - After six years of leading COB Graduate Business Programs, Ingrid Martin has returned to faculty in fall 2020. When Ingrid started six years ago, as the Director of Graduate Business Programs, there were only 3 versions of the MBA program and now we have 8 graduate programs in total. As Director of Graduate Business Programs, Ingrid undertook several initiatives to develop our alumni relations including launching the MBA advisory board, the annual Alumni Mixer, the bi-monthly Alumni Newsletter and set-up a formal structure for the Graduate Business Student Association that is the foundation to prepare our students to be active alumni. Ingrid will continue to be engaged in the graduate programs as a member of the MBA Advisory Board and will provide all the support needed to keep COB Graduate Business Programs on a positive upward trajectory.
Ella Gomez is the Director of Development for the College of Business.
