Illustrations by Joel Kimmel
Sharing milestones.
Alexandra Boyle
In January of this year‚ Alexandra Boyle was named Chief Marketing Officer of Symphony‚ a fintech company that provides communication and workflow solutions to the capital markets industry.
Earlier in her career‚ she worked at NYSE Technologies‚ the commercial technology arm of the New York Stock Exchange. She left there to be one of the first 10 employees at OpenFin where she became the head of Strategic Client Group-Europe. “I like being part of change‚ growing businesses and creating new markets‚” says Boyle.
Boyle is active in DEI efforts inside her company and in the fintech community. “You have to contribute to building these communities and creating infrastructure for women‚” says Boyle. “Being able to amplify the female experience makes the path much easier for others to follow.”
Boyle graduated Lehigh Business with a finance degree.
Dahee Seminara '22 MBA
Dahee Seminara ’22 MBA started her new position this year at Ramp‚ a corporate card and finance automation platform‚ in Business Development & Partnerships. She says the pandemic motivated her to leave her former job (AVP at a large bank) and join Lehigh’s 1-MBA program. “I wanted to make a career pivot into something that had more room for creativity and collaboration‚” says Seminara.
Along with the consulting practicum‚ she says the 1-MBA curriculum exposed her to a wide variety of industries and provided personal career coaching. According to Seminara‚ she knew her strengths‚ but didn’t have opportunities to capitalize on them before. “The program gave me more confidence to pursue a career in an area of business I like‚” she says. “The 1-MBA gave me career clarity and provided me with the tools to begin my next chapter at Ramp.”
Joel Issacson '80, '22P
Joel Issacson ’80‚ ’22P is chairman of AHRC New York City Foundation which provides philanthropic support to AHRC NYC‚ a 73-year-old organization established to serve children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Isaacson is the third generation of his family to support AHRC NYC. His grandparents were among the earliest members. “I remember seeing my grandmother sitting in Port Authority at a folding table‚ collecting money in little jars‚” Issacson recounts.
Throughout the pandemic‚ Issacson has focused on increasing grants. “Our people are among the most vulnerable populations. COVID highlighted that‚” he says.
Issacson has been CEO of Joel Isaacson & Co‚ a financial planning firm‚ for nearly 30 years. He graduated from Lehigh as an accounting major and holds an MBA from Golden Gate University.
Manan Shukla '04
Last October‚ Manan Shukla ’04 joined Microsoft as director of growth strategy and planning in the Strategic Missions and Technologies group. The new position came after nearly a decade with the Global Good Fund (now Global Health Labs)‚ a technology development fund backed by Bill Gates. There‚ Shukla led a portfolio of innovations in global health and agriculture in Africa and South Asia‚ from research through commercialization.
Shukla is currently working on next-generation technologies‚ including early incubation work in quantum technology. “The interesting thread in my career is using my skills to translate science. Working with scientists and engineers‚ I try to become the bridge to move their ideas forward‚” says Shukla. “It could be something that’s going to save lives or revolutionize science and computing.”
Shukla has a B.S. in finance from Lehigh.
Tell us about the milestones in your life. Share your update at lehigh.edu/facesoflehigh.