Simon Announces Leadership Transition on Alumni Board

Co-Chairs

Rochester, NY—Simon Business School at the University of Rochester is proud to announce a leadership transition on the Simon Alumni Board (SAB). After years of dedicated service, Amanda Mari ’09S (MBA) and Ilmar Norvik ’13S (MBA) have concluded their terms as Co-Chairs. Stepping into the role are Sean Bodkin ’08S (MBA) and Ainul Huda ’10S (MBA), both active and accomplished alumni who bring a wealth of professional experience and deep commitment to Simon’s alumni community.

Amanda Mari is Head of Responsible Investment at Benefit Street Partners, where she leads firm-wide initiatives and chairs the Responsible Investment Committee. Ilmar Norvik serves as a Corporate Strategy and M&A Leader at Owens Corning, where he oversees enterprise strategy, M&A pipeline development, and early-stage innovation in Europe. Amanda and Ilmar have led the SAB since 2020 and the School thanks them both for their exceptional leadership and continued support of Simon’s mission and the alumni community. As he reflects on his time as co-chair of the SAB, Norvik says he’s grateful for the chance to work with such a talented and committed group of individuals.

“Together with my co-chair Amanda Mari, Dean Yeltekin, Simon Staff and faculty and a very large group of exceptional Simon alumni we've built a stronger, more connected alumni community. I am especially proud of the flexibility and resilience with which the Board navigated the pandemic,” he said. “We not only maintained the state of affairs but accelerated the positive momentum that has helped Simon regain its place among the top business schools globally. I have full confidence that Ainul Huda and Sean Bodkin will lead us onward with the same passion and dedication.”

The SAB welcomes incoming Co-Chairs Ainul Huda and Sean Bodkin, both of whom bring a strong track record of leadership and industry expertise.

Sean Bodkin is Executive Director at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank in the Corporate Investment Bank Leveraged Finance division. With over 25 years of experience, he manages credit exposure across consumer and retail sectors. He holds an MBA in Finance and Corporate Accounting from Simon and a BBA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame.

Ainul Huda is an Operating Partner at The Chernin Group (TCG), where he provides executive and operational leadership on marketing and growth for portfolio companies.His previous roles include senior leadership at Condé Nast, WeWork and Verizon Media. He remains active in the startup ecosystem as a strategic advisor to founders and executive teams. Ainul was recently honored by Simon Business School with the Alumni Service Award for serving as a champion of Simon’s mission around the world. 

The Simon Alumni Board looks forward to this new chapter under Sean and Ainul’s leadership.