Robert Savage – President
Robert Savage is a second-year Fully Employed MBA candidate. He earned his Bachelors degree from Washington State University in Accounting. Robert has led accounting and information systems departments for several law firms in Southern California. His interest in leadership and digital transformation led him to Paul Merage School of Business. Robert used to be a professional musician, and still enjoys playing one of his four drumsets between work and classes.
Van Le – Executive Vice President
Van is a second year MPAc and CPA Candidate, focusing on Accounting & Auditing and Data Analytics. Prior to joining Merage School, Van worked in banking industry – IT Management at HSBC, ACB bank for 10 years and 4 years in Accounting field at Maruchan Inc., Smart &Final, Lee’s Sandwiches. She graduated from CSULB with MBA in Finance. Starting Fall 2021, she holds leadership positions in both the Finance and Consulting Clubs in the Merage Student Association. In her spare time, Van enjoys traveling, watching movies, hiking with friends and cooking.
Brad M. Smith – Chief of Staff
Brad M. Smith has fifteen years of experience in the cybersecurity industry. He is the Chief of Staff of the Merage Financial Management Association (FMA). Previously, he was VP of Part-Time Programs in the Merage Student Association (MSA).
Trevor Portiz – Vice President of Finance
Trevor is a second-year MBA student with a focus in Real Estate and Entrepreneurship. After graduating from the University of California, San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in Economics, he moved back home to Los Angeles where he worked as a Business Development Director for 5 years. He then started his own Real Estate investment and consulting firm that has since expanded to investments in the Philippines. Trevor is passionate about promoting financial literacy and addressing economic inequality and hopes to leverage his knowledge in educating underprivileged youth about the importance of personal finance.
Mark Zelayaran – Vice President of Strategy and Operations
Mark is a third year Fully Employed MBA candidate, focusing on Finance and Strategy. Prior to joining Merage, he worked for a boutique commercial real estate firm as a Real Estate Analyst Intern where was responsible for deal sourcing, buy-side acquisition transactions, and market analysis. He graduated from UC Irvine in 2016 with a bachelor’s in philosophy and History. Mark most recently worked as a CEO for a start-up company, which combined his passion for finance, strategy, and entrepreneurship. Currently, Mark works for Bank of America in a Supervisory Client Services role. In addition to working Pro Bono as a Strategic Consultant in the Financial Services and Restaurant Industry. Mark aims to leverage his unique blend of quantitative and qualitative skillset within the fields of Private Equity, Portfolio Management, and Corporate Finance. In his free time, Mark enjoys traveling, hiking, and shooting in film photography.
Nate Jackson – Vice President of Technology
Nate Jackson is a second year FEMBA candidate looking to focus on financial impact in the technology and entertainment spaces. Originally from the Washington D.C. area, Nate has a Bachelor of Science in Communications in Motion Pictures from the University of Miami and for the past six years has worked for James Cameron on the Avatar sequels facilitating 3D camera and lens testing, production and post-production workflows, content and technical quality control, and 3D picture supervision. He is now turning his focus to understanding the entertainment studios, the financial and environmental sustainability that they have, the effects of streaming, and the investment pressure they have on the industry. Nate has a passion for environmentalism, entertainment, and connectivity and seeks to hone these passions into tangible skills through the programs at Paul Merage and FMA.
Kevin Liu – Vice President of Wealth Management
Kevin is a UCI FEMBA Class of 2023 student. Kevin has been in the financial services industry for now five years helping high net worth clients manage all aspects of their personal wealth. During his time at Merage, he looks to obtain a specialization in Real Estate & Finance. In his free time, Kevin enjoys spending time with his dog, finding new TV series and snowboarding during the winters!