Patrick Nassar – President
Patrick Nassar is a second-year, Full-Time MBA candidate. Prior to joining Merage, Patrick received his Bachelor’s in Business Economics at UC Riverside. Upon graduation, he joined the operations team at Bird, a scooter sharing start-up, where he worked to retain and support gig economy contractors. He continued his journey at Virgin Hyperloop, where he developed and implemented regulatory processes to help certify the futuristic, high-speed mass transportation system. Most recently, he interned at Toyota North America where his goal was to increase market share and profitability within their finance products team. In these roles, he enjoyed working in ambiguity, team collaboration, and creatively solving problems. Having a passion for mobility and transportation, Patrick is excited to pivot into management consulting and scale innovative mobility solutions for the cities of our future.
Contact: pnassar@uci.edu
Jon Gryn – Executive Vice President
I want to be working on really hard things that matter with people smarter than me. I’m a 3rd-year FEMBA and currently working as a Consultant/Technical Program Manager for NinjaDev where I focus on Agile software development and Agile program management with an interest in E-Commerce analytics, Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence (AI), neural networks, machine learning, web and mobile application development/architecture, blockchain, logistics/supply chain management, business development, strategy, and sustainability.
Contact: jgryn@uci.edu
Samira Farahani – Executive Vice President
I am a transportation engineer who studied abroad in two countries before pursuing an MBA at UCI. With the long-term career objective of being a strong leader and as an engineer who has a decade of working experience, I am looking to advance a different set of skills, especially core business management skills in transportation. I am thrilled to join the Strategy and Operation Management Association (SOMA) at UCI. In the team, we are working to provide invaluable opportunities to connect with industry professionals, alumni, amd fellow students. I am gaining insights that will shape my future career, and I hope to share my knowledge within the community of SOMA.
Contact: jgryn@uci.edu
Vishal Narkar – VP of Strategic Partnerships
As an industry leader, Vishal has spent over 15 years managing projects and executing product launches for B2C and B2B domains. He is good at spotting opportunities to use technology to cut costs, streamline operations, and boost productivity. He possesses a rich blend of organization leadership, entrepreneurial management and design talents. As VP of Strategic Partnerships, I aim to grow the organization and create valuable experiences for Merage graduate students.
Contact: narkarv@uci.edu
Homaira Tahmass – VP of Marketing
Hi, I’m Homaira Tahmass, a master’s student at the Paul Merage School of Business, specializing in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. With a background in operations and a Bachelors in Psychological Science, I bring a unique blend of analytical and people-centric skills. My sights are set on the health and wellness consumer product segment, where I aim to leverage my academic insights and professional acumen. Excited about the journey ahead and open to collaborative opportunities in this dynamic space.
Contact: htahmass@uci.edu
Ambere Kim – VP of Finance
Undergrad: California State University, Fullerton – BA in Business Administration Finance
Career: I spent the majority of my career working in Participations and Residuals reporting at the Walt Disney Company. However, in 2020, I followed my passion in green energy and pivoted into the utilities and energy industry, working at Southern California Edison. There I supported the development and implementation of an Enterprise Performance Management solution to streamline and automate planning and reporting processes across the company. As of 2022, I’m currently working in Operational Finance supporting the financial budgeting and reporting processes for the Customer Service organization.
Contact: amberek@uci.edu
Aaron Kitamura – VP of Operations
Aaron is an Analyst with 8 years of experience in both the private and public sectors. He has a specific interest in operations management and decision sciences. Outside of class and work, Aaron also participates in the local UCI Kendo club.
Contact: akitamur@uci.edu