CBS Experienced Professionals Career Management Team
Members of the CBS Career Management Center team are available to meet one-on-one with alumni to assist in the development of personalized career management strategies and to highlight relevant School resources. Meetings can be held in person, by phone or via skype.
Please use COIN to find and schedule appointments.
Nancy Farina Johnston
Senior Associate Director, Experienced Professionals Career Management
Nancy is the primary point of contact for CBS Alumni seeking Career Management support and leads the delivery of career management services and resources to the Columbia Business School alumni community. She has worked in career management with experienced professionals for over ten years. Previously, Nancy was the Director, Corporate Relations at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business where she worked collaboratively with Booth and University internal partners to build school/university-wide strategic partnerships with corporations. Prior to that role she worked for Chicago Booth as Associate Director, Career Services to provide coaching and career management support to students and alumni. Prior to working at Chicago Booth, she was an Executive Coach at Right Management in the Career Transitions practice. Earlier in her career, Nancy served in a variety of marketing roles. She has been responsible for developing and executing marketing strategy for several leading providers of software solutions targeting Fortune 500 companies and large financial institutions. Nancy earned her Master’s in Counseling and Organizational Psychology from The Adler School of Professional Psychology, her MBA in Marketing and Finance from DePaul University, and her BA in Marketing from Loyola University.
Tom Monaco
Executive Director, Experienced Professionals Career Management
Tom manages the delivery of career services and resources to alumni and EMBA students. He has worked with Columbia Business School’s Career Management Center for 15 years. He also managed the on-campus-recruiting (OCR) process for the full-time MBA program. Previously, Tom worked in accounting and finance at Ernst & Young and at Bear Stearns Mortgage Capital Corporation. His international experience includes work in microfinance and international development in Tanzania, and as an ESL instructor to corporate clients in Prague, the Czech Republic. Tom was formerly the Director of Career Services at Fordham's Graduate School of Business and taught as an Adjunct Professor at NYU's Stern School of Business.
Michele Rankin
Director, Experienced Professionals Career Management
Michele Rankin advises alumni on professional development and the job search process. Michele was previously a Vice President at American Express where she worked for 16 years in both London and NY in a variety of roles including customer acquisition & retention, quality, reengineering, and systems development. Most recently she was a Vice President with the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee where she recruited, trained and deployed a volunteer program spanning 8 days and 8,000 people for Super Bowl XLVIII. Beginning her career at Merrill Lynch, she later founded and was president of a licensed mortgage broker and secondary mortgage lender. She holds an MBA in Finance from NYU.
Mico Zinty ‘93
Associate Director, Experienced Professionals Career Management
Mico Zinty advises alumni on all aspects of career management & professional development including career transitions, internal career mobility, and job search strategies across a broad range of industries and continents. Mico has been with Career Management since 2005 and also develops and leads workshops & Career Action Planning groups. With an MBA from Columbia Business School (’93) and a BA from Barnard College, Mico has over 15 years of experience in career coaching, management training and development and has worked with such organizations as, Xerox, the American Management Association, and Merrill Lynch. At the University of Maryland Business School, Mico oversaw MBA Career Services and managed corporate relations.
Dai Nguyen
Consultant, Experienced Professionals Career Management
Dai Nguyen advises alumni students on all aspects of career development and management, including job search strategies, career transitions, and internal career mobility. Prior to joining Columbia Business School, Dai worked at JPMorgan Chase, most recently in corporate communications and previously in finance and marketing in New York and Hong Kong. He has also worked in structured finance at BlackRock and Fitch Ratings, and in media planning at advertising agency Fallon McElligott. Dai holds an MBA from Yale School of Management, an MA in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a BA in International Relations from Carleton College. He is currently completing his Advanced Diploma in Coaching from New York University.
Sabeen Ali
Consultant, Experienced Professionals Career Management
Sabeen advises on the development of overall career management strategies. She is energized and motivated by helping students navigate the unwritten rules of a job search to fulfill their career aspirations. Previously, she advised international MBA students on career management and the job search process. Prior to joining Columbia in 2012, Sabeen worked with graduate students at NYU in the core job search skills of self-assessment, networking, cover letter and resume development, interview preparation, and offer negotiation. Sabeen has exposure to multiple industries/sectors through previous roles in public finance and equity research while at UBS and the IFC-World Bank. In addition, she gained significant nonprofit experience at the Environmental Defense Fund and the Council on Foreign Relations. Sabeen holds an MPA in international development from the Harvard Kennedy School and a BA in economics from Illinois Wesleyan University.
Mark Horney '97
Assistant Dean, Leadership, Learning & Development
Mark Horney oversees a portfolio that includes the CMC’s Columbia Coaching Program, Digital Media Center, and the Career Leadership Institute. He also helps to lead strategy development for programs and services designed for CBS’s experienced-level MBAs. With nearly 20 years of coaching experience, Mark advises alumni on all aspects of career management and leadership development in addition to facilitating workshops and events. He has previous work experience in the investment banking, healthcare, and media industries. A licensed psychologist, Mark also works in private practice as an executive coach. He holds a PhD in clinical psychology from the City University of New York, an MBA from Columbia Business School, and a BA from Yale University. He also holds certificates in executive and organizational coaching from Columbia University and from the Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research in New York.
Alana Waisbrot
Consultant, Experienced Professionals Career Management
Alana Waisbrot is an experienced career coach who advises Alumni and Executive MBAs on a range of career topics including self-assessment, networking, professional branding, and interview preparation. Alana has been a part of the CMC at Columbia Business School since 2008, most recently in the role of Associate Director of Career Education & Advising for the Full Time Program. Before joining Columbia, Alana was at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, where she led the school's recruiting relationships with many leading organizations and oversaw the on-campus interview program. Prior to her roles in higher education, Alana spent several years on Wall Street as a Campus Recruiter at Lehman Brothers and in human resources at Citigroup.
Alana also works as a Career Narrative Expert for the admissions consulting firm, Square One Prep, helping clients better define their interests, skills, and career goals. Alana graduated with a bachelor's degree in Psychology with honors from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and completed Masters level coursework in Psychological Counseling at Teachers College-Columbia University.