Whitman Honors Alumni and Friends with Awards of Distinction

Whitman Honors Alumni and Friends with Awards of Distinction

On Thursday, April 29, 2021, we celebrated the close of a historic academic year and extended our appreciation to our alumni, corporate partners and friends who helped us overcome obstacles and create new opportunities.

During this event, the Whitman School was pleased to honor five alumni and friends with our 2021 awards for exemplary service and professional excellence.

This year’s honorees were:

Jonathan J. Holtz Alumnus of the Year: Mark Andreae ’68

Andraea

Established in 1986 by Jonathan J. Holtz ’78, the Holtz Alumnus of the Year award is the highest honor given to graduates of the Whitman School. The award recognizes alumni for outstanding professional achievement and distinguished service to Syracuse University.

This year’s honoree, Mark Andreae, is chairman and CEO of Clarke Power Services Inc., a world leader in manufacturing and support of diesel engines related to components used in stationary fire protection systems. He also serves as CEO of its subsidiaries, Clarke Fire Protection Products and Clarke Power Generation.

Andreae is an active member of the Whitman Advisory Council (WAC) and has long been a dedicated placement partner for Whitman master's students within his companies. His philanthropic support of Whitman has significantly impacted the School’s ability to provide experiential learning for students. A former recipient of the Dean’s Citation for Exceptional Service, Andreae often lectures in marketing classes and has welcomed WAC members and Whitman alumni to his home in Cincinnati on several occasions for engagement and development programming.

Dean’s Citation for Exceptional Service: Mike Cyran and Mark Hebert ’05

Dean’s Citations are given to Whitman alumni and friends who exemplify a commitment to Syracuse University through direct engagement, efforts to position students for professional success, volunteer leadership and/or programmatic support.

Mike Cyran

Mike Cyran is a partner at EY in the firm’s New York City practice and serves as EY’s lead relationship partner at Whitman and Syracuse University. He is a trusted partner to Whitman’s Career Services team and a member of Whitman’s Accounting Advisory Board. He goes above and beyond to support students through the interview, internship and full-time placement process. Whitman students and staff consistently praise Cyran for his commitment to ensuring a positive experience at EY and for his focus on student development.

Mark Hebert

Mark Hebert serves as managing director and head of investment-grade corporates at Deutsche Bank. He gives generously of his time as a member of Whitman’s Management Department Advisory board, visiting campus for board meetings, lecturing, engaging with students and meeting with management faculty to provide professional perspectives and industry insights. Hebert is highly engaged beyond his advisory board role. He regularly hosts students during Whitman on Wall Street career exploration trips, provides shadowing opportunities, attends networking events and mentors students.

Young Alumni of the Year: Kelly Ryan Jaffe ’11, ’12 M.S. and Joshua Fishman ’22

The Young Alumna/us of the Year award recognized Whitman alumni who have graduated within the past 10 years and who set a positive example for students and the greater Whitman community through career achievements and continued engagement.

Kelly Jaffe

Kelly (Ryan) Jaffe is a New York metro tax marketing senior manager at PwC. A highly engaged student during her time at Syracuse University, she has continued her connection to Whitman since graduation through service as a volunteer and mentor, traveling to campus many times for alumni panels, interview rush hours and networking events. She also participates in programming for students in New York City and more recently in virtual events during the pandemic. She is a member of the Young Whitman Advisory Council (YWAC) and recently assumed the role of vice-chair.

Josh Fishman

Joshua Fishman serves as senior brand manager for the Suave product line at Unilever. While at Syracuse, he was very involved with Enactus, managing consulting projects with local businesses and fair-trade organizations. He has remained active with the University, regularly giving back in a number of ways including leading the YWAC as chair. Recently, he organized a virtual business exploration experience with Unilever for students to learn about the process and business areas involved in bringing a product to market.

The Whitman community extends its congratulations and sincere appreciation to our 2021 award recipients. Their consistent and enduring support has truly enriched the Whitman experience for students and helps prepare them for a world of accelerating change.

Dawn McWilliams
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