MBA Alumni Advisory Board

Bill has been an innovator in the digital/physical retail world with Consumer Packaged Goods technology and manufacturing companies for over twenty years in numerous leadership positions requiring the need to transform stale business models. He joined Walmart's Global Data team in 2018 as Chief of Staff/Director, Data Planning and Communication on the heels of leading numerous agile teams as the Chief Client Officer of VML/Rockfish and for large supplier shopper and category support teams like General Mills, Pfizer, and Nielsen. No stranger to the Walmart tech environment, Bill was instrumental in the creation of Walmart SPARC (Supplier Portal Allowing Retail Coverage) - linking 65,000 suppliers to in-store OSA analytics - as well as building out Sam's Club Mobile, Customer Central, SupplierHub, and the first iteration of WalmartOne.

Bill came into the role with Walmart Global Data directly after graduating from the year-long Stanford Graduate School of Business Corporate Innovation program, where he built a cutting-edge AI-driven eCommerce analytics platform currently being implemented across multiple flagship supplier and retail broker organizations. Furthermore, he concurrently completed MIT's Entrepreneurship and Blockchain programs while holding an MBA focused on retail tech from the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, and an undergraduate BS in digital marketing from California State.

Bill was instrumental in founding the NWA Tech Summit, now recognized as the premier annual Midwest digital innovation event that caters to 1,800+ attendees. He was chosen by the NWA Business Journal as one of the "40 Under 40", was "Who's Who" in Shopper Marketing 2017 & 2016, is an Institute Faculty Member of the Path to Purchase Institute, was named to the "Arkansas 200 Executives" Hall of Fame in 2017, and has taught undergraduate/MBA-level courses in digital marketing, consumer behavior, and shopper insights.

Andrea Albright is a senior-level merchandising executive for Walmart. She started her career at Walmart in 2005 and quickly ascended to positions of increasing responsibility. Her results in sales and profit growth, cost reduction, merchandising innovations, and talent development led to a reputation as a strong, dynamic leader.

Andrea earned a dual master’s degrees from University of Arkansas – an M.B.A. and M.Ed., Hr Development – and a B.S., Apparel and Textile Science from Kansas State University. She serves as a University of Arkansas MBA Alumni Board Member as well as an Alumni Board Member for Kansas State University. Andrea now lives in Bentonville, Arkansas with her husband Patrick, daughter Mackenzie, and son Liam. They enjoy frequenting the farmers market, biking, and spending time at the lake.

Elizabeth Arredondo is a Sustainability Manager at Henkel, where she leads strategic initiatives across the Consumer Brands division throughout North America, integrating sustainability with business growth for key retail partners including Walmart Inc., Target, and Amazon. With a strong foundation in consumer insights, category strategy, and data analytics, she has driven impactful projects that shape product innovation, strengthen brand positioning, and advance sustainability outcomes at scale.

A Fayetteville native and lifelong Razorback fan, Elizabeth earned her MBA and Graduate Certificate in Sustainability from the University of Arkansas. She also holds an MSc and BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Arkansas.

Beyond her day to day role, Elizabeth is passionate about building a culture of sustainability and engagement. She co-founded Henkel’s Sustainability Action Team, growing participation significantly and leading initiatives that have mobilized hundreds of employees and supported environmental causes. She remains actively involved in community and industry efforts focused on advancing sustainable impact.

Kenny Bierman, a 2015 full-time MBA graduate, works for PepsiCo as a senior category adviser for Walmart. Before Bierman began his journey in the MBA, he worked for more than nine years for the U.S. Air Force.

Bierman fell in love with the Air Force when he was a young boy. Growing up on the outskirts of a military base, he recalls watching the planes flying over his house, and hoping one day to be one of the pilots behind the controls. This was a dream he sustained throughout high school and worked diligently to be awarded an Air Force ROTC scholarship to the University of Oklahoma for his undergraduate degree. After college, Bierman was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force and went to flight school.

Bierman thrived in the Walton MBA program. Now leading a successful career in business, Kenny is succeeding in his corporate position. Looking back at this transformative time, he describes the experience of obtaining his MBA as “amazing” and says he is always “looking for ways to give back to the university.”

With almost two decades of HR experience, Matt Bumgarner is the Senior Vice President of Global Labor Strategy & Risk Mitigation at Tyson Foods. In this role, he leads the development and execution of the company’s labor strategy, focusing on risk mitigation, workforce planning, and operational efficiency. Prior to this, Matt served as Vice President, HR, Poultry & Cobb, where he contributed to HR initiatives that enhanced business performance and supported the growth of the Poultry & Cobb-Vantress business.

Matt has extensive experience in HR strategy and operations, with a strong focus on talent development, employee engagement, and labor relations. He has worked across various areas of HR to ensure alignment with business goals and create an environment that supports growth and stability.

Matt served in the Arkansas Army National Guard for 20 years, where he held numerous leadership roles and retired as an Infantry First Sergeant. His time in the military significantly shaped his leadership style and thought process, instilling a strong sense of discipline, strategic thinking, and adaptability that he applies to the corporate space.

He holds a Bachelor’s in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and an Executive MBA from the University of Arkansas.

A firm believer in mentorship, Matt has had two successful matches through Big Brothers Big Sisters, as well as mentoring MBA students at the University of Arkansas and colleagues at Tyson Foods.

Beyond his corporate role, Matt is deeply committed to community involvement. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Safety Center, the University of Arkansas MBA Alumni Advisory Board, and the Leadership Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Advisory Board.

Outside of work, Matt enjoys spending time with his wife, Gena, and their 4-year-old son, Riss, participating in the annual Tyson Softball Tournament, and engaging in a variety of outdoor activities. His strong sense of family, leadership, and community fuels his dedication to creating a meaningful impact both professionally and personally.

Vasu Chawla is an eCommerce Manager at Tefron, where he supports digital commerce strategy, merchandising, operational execution, and growth initiatives across online channels. He brings experience in data analytics, business operations, and financial analysis, with a practical focus on improving performance, identifying opportunities, and supporting scalable business growth.

Prior to joining Tefron, Vasu worked in data analytics at Walmart, where he supported business decisions through financial and operational insights. He is also involved in hospitality and real estate, supporting family-owned hotel assets across Arkansas and the Southeast with a focus on operations, revenue growth, franchise relationships, and long-term asset improvement.

Vasu is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and remains connected to the Northwest Arkansas business community.

David Ecklund has had dual careers in academia and industry. Serving as a member of the faculty in the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, David was a Lecturer, the Founding Director of the Executive MBA in Global Supply Chain Management, and a member of the Global Supply Chain Institute. David continues to serve as a faculty advisor, coach, and mentor and as a member of the MBA program advisory board.

David became a University of Tennessee faculty member following a 31-year career in industry with Caterpillar, Inc. where he served in a number of positions including product development, marketing, and distribution functions supporting Caterpillar’s construction machinery, engine, and service parts businesses. David also participated in the development of two new businesses for Caterpillar: Caterpillar Remanufactured Products (Cat Reman) and Caterpillar Logistics Services.

David holds an undergraduate degree in Industrial Administration from the Ivy College of Business at Iowa State University, an MBA from the Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas where he also serves as a member of the MBA/Executive MBA program advisory board, and has completed Northwestern University’s Logistics and Distribution Executive Program and the Center for Creative Leadership European Executive Program. He is the recipient of La Medaille d’Honneur from the Department of Moselle in France for Caterpillar Logistics Services contribution to the development of business in the region; the Bell Tower of Fame Award from Greene County, Iowa for professional accomplishments that have had international significance; Iowa State University’s Citation of Achievement for an alumnus who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in life beyond the campus; the Haslam College of Business Dean’s Award for Excellence in Executive Education and Student Appreciation Awards recognizing his contributions as a faculty advisor, coach, and mentor; and the Innovation Award from Second Harvest Foodbank of East Tennessee honoring those with new ideas and fresh approaches to improve methods, advance programming, and revolutionize food banking in the ongoing fight against hunger.

David is an emeritus member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Ivy College of Business at Iowa State University and a past member of the Institute of Directors (United Kingdom), Institute of Logistics (United Kingdom), and Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (U.S.A.).

Jason has worked for Walmart for 20 years. He began his Walmart journey in 2000 as an hourly associate at Distribution Center 6008 in Bentonville, Arkansas while attending college. He later worked as an intern and full-time engineer in the US Logistics business where he held several roles in the field and home office supporting the general merchandise and apparel distribution networks. In 2007, Jason moved to our International Division to support logistics and supply chain engineering teams globally. . In 2018, he was promoted to VP assuming responsibilities for our International Division’s supply chain strategies, distribution engineering, and end to end supply chain efforts.

Jason was born in Little Rock, Arkansas and grew up in Conway, Arkansas. He holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and an MBA both from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He also serves on the alumni board for the University of Arkansas’s MBA program.

Jason is married, and his wife has also worked for 17 years with Walmart. They have two young children (Sofia and Isaiah) and reside in Bentonville, AR.

Jason Evins serves as Chief Financial Officer of CR Crawford Construction, bringing more than 20 years of broad financial and operational leadership experience to the role. Prior to joining CR Crawford in 2016, Jason held positions as Vice President at a real estate investment firm, co-owner of a local business, and served in Real Estate and Human Resources roles at Walmart Corporate. He was elevated to his current position in 2019.

Under Jason’s financial leadership, CR Crawford has grown to become the largest construction company headquartered in Northwest Arkansas and the fifth largest in the state. His strategic approach — emphasizing both disciplined fiscal management and the flexibility to capitalize on emerging market opportunities — has positioned the company for continued and sustainable growth.

Jason holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and an MBA, both from the University of Arkansas. He is a graduate of Leadership Benton County, has served as a board member of the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust, and is an active member of the University of Arkansas Walton College MBA Alumni Advisory Board. Jason and his wife, Amber, have called Fayetteville home for more than 20 years. They are the proud parents of three children: Walker (20), Spencer (17), and Presley (16). Outside of his professional and family life, Jason is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys golf and pickleball.

Kellen Frank is a 2008 graduate of the full-time MBA program. His MBA focus is in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Kellen works for The NPD Group, Inc. a leading retail market and consumer behavior measurement company that primarily focuses on discretionary categories like Technology, Entertainment, Apparel, and Foodservice. He currently leads The NPD Group's partnership with Walmart Inc. Kellen first joined NPD as part of the Walton College's assistantship program while pursuing his MBA. He also spent five years in Customer Business Development for Procter & Gamble where he worked on oral care brands Crest and Oral-B and the personal power brand, Duracell. Kellen was part of the North American transition team when P&G divested Duracell to Berkshire Hathaway.

Kellen is a board member of Bentonville Youth Athletics and a youth baseball coach for Legacy Sports Academy. He lives in Bentonville with his wife Rori and his two children James (11) and Ellie (9). Outside of work, family and volunteering, Kellen enjoys mountain biking, skiing, reading and travel.

Mike Goldschmidt is the Director of Sales National Accounts at Weston Foods. Weston Foods is a division of George Weston Limited ("Weston"), a major Canadian public company. Weston Foods is one of the leading bakers in North America. With over 200,000 employees, Weston is Canada's largest private sector employer

Prior to working in Weston Foods, Mike worked at Walmart for over twelve years as a buyer in the deli, dairy, and produce categories. During his tenure at Walmart he established a track record of growing businesses while also initiating cost savings that delivered millions to the bottom line. For this he won multiple award during his tenure and in 2008 was named as an "Emerging Leader" within his company.

Mike received his bachelor's degree in Food Marketing from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, PA and MBA from University of Arkansas.

In his undergraduate days, Mike was a member of his school's tennis team. He has always been passionate about driving business results and looks forward to adding value to the Walton School of Business.

Kim Griffith is the Vice President of Sales for Henkel Beauty Care. She has over 25 years of leadership experience with companies such as Walmart Inc., Kraft Foods, and Frito Lay. She has established a track record of leading transformational change while achieving goals and developing talent.

Kim is actively involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and is passionate about cycling, swimming, running and CrossFit.

Kim earned her bachelor’s degree of Science from the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL in 1992 and an MBA from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR in 1999. Kim has been residing in the area for the last eight years with her husband.

Dan Keefer is an executive with Unilever and has been working in the CPG industry since the mid-2000s. He started his CPG career at Target Corporate, in their internal merchandising division, moving up the ranks and gaining valuable insight into retailer strategy and execution. Dan then moved to the vendor side and joined Nestle. During his tenure with the company, Dan managed sales and category management accounts including Supervalu, Kmart, AWG, Costco, and Walmart. Dan also worked for Kimberly-Clark managing their Costco and Target businesses, before joining Unilever to lead the Category Management teams.

Dan is on the Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association, as well as the Advisory Board for the University of Arkansas. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Iowa State University in Business Management, and his Executive MBA from the University of Arkansas. Dan lives in Bentonville, Arkansas with his wife and two daughters.

Stephanie Danielle Martinez is a multi-hyphenate entrepreneur, executive coach, and commercial realtor based in Northwest Arkansas. With a foundation in Corporate Communications at American Airlines and an Executive MBA from the Walton College of Business, her career has spanned leadership in operations, CPG, and strategic sales and marketing.

Today, she leads Dani Media, offering executive coaching, leadership development, and entrepreneurial consulting. As a licensed commercial realtor, she specializes in land and property acquisition, commercial leasing, and multifamily investments—helping businesses and investors grow with confidence. She’s also the founder of MUSA Chocolatier, where she handcrafts luxury artisan bonbons that blend culinary artistry with storytelling. A certified yoga instructor and community advocate, Stephanie proudly serves on the boards of the American Heart Association and the University of Arkansas MBA Alumni Advisory Council.

Whether in the boardroom, on the mat, or behind the chocolate counter, Stephanie brings vision, empathy, and drive to everything she does.

Jacque currently lives in Dillon Beach, north of San Francisco. She is enjoying retirement and sunsets at the beach after working in the wine industry. She used her Bachelor's degree in Geology and worked in the oil industry in the late 70's and 80's.

Erin R. Moody (Rosa) is a Director of Sales with over a decade of experience in Home Entertainment. Erin oversees a team of sales managers that are responsible for the management of the digital customers Google, YouTube, Vudu, FandangoNow, Redbox, and Netflix.

Erin started her career as an administrative assistant with a startup Home Entertainment company and worked her way through the ranks. She was working for a smaller studio in NY before being recruited to move to NW Arkansas and work with the Warner Bros. sales team, specifically on the Walmart Omni Channel Strategy.

Erin is thrilled to officially be part of the University of Arkansas community completing her Master’s in Business Administration in May 2019.

David O’Mara is a business developer and product marketing leader with over 23 years of experience driving growth across both billion-dollar and emerging companies. He currently serves as Product Marketing Strategy Lead for Domains and Cybersecurity at GoDaddy.

Prior to GoDaddy, David was Head of Marketing and Outreach at Sales Planning Xperts, a startup focused on trade marketing and retail planning services. He also held senior marketing roles at Isagenix International and Beachbody, delivering growth for industry top-performing fitness and nutritional products, including P90X, INSANITY, CIZE, and Body Beast. Earlier in his career, he worked in brand management at Henkel across brands like Dial Soap, Purex Laundry Detergent, and Right Guard Deodorant and began his post-grad career supporting Walmart and Sam’s Club for the Henkel Sales Team.

David earned his MBA from the Sam M. Walton College of Business and holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering with a Mathematics minor from the University of Arkansas. He is also a certified product marketing professional and an active mentor to marketing, product, and engineering leaders.

Kevin is currently the Senior Manager for Walmart Labs. He works on streamlining and automating internal processes and products to gain efficiencies. Kevin analyzes reports to improve data visualization to gain impactful market insights.

Prior to his time with Walmart, Kevin was the Principal and Director of Operations at ImPro Advisors. He worked hands- on with clients to assess and improve business processes and developed solutions around eliminating wasteful business practices. Kevin was also the Co-founder and COO/CFO of cycleWOOD Solutions. The company aimed to produce a sustainable alternative to high density polyethylene bags.

Kevin received his bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering and his MBA from the University of Arkansas.

Anthony Sager is Vice President of Sales at Chobani, where he leads the company's retail partnership with Walmart out of Bentonville, Arkansas. In this role, he oversees strategic account management, trade execution, and brand activation across Chobani and La Colombe Coffee Workshop, spanning several categories.

Anthony has built his career across sales and category management in CPG, with experience spanning mass, club, and other key retail channels. He is driven by a belief that more people deserve access to high-quality food, and has dedicated his career to putting better products in front of more consumers at the retail level.

A Southern California native, Anthony has called Northwest Arkansas home for nearly two decades. Outside of work, he is actively involved in youth sports, coaching and supporting the next generation of athletes in the NWA community.

Anthony holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from John Brown University, a Culinary Arts degree from Le Cordon Bleu, and an MBA from the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.

As a Principal Managing Partner for Workday, Riley's focus is to help Workday customers achieve success and value in their technology, people, and process transformation initiatives.

Prior to joining Workday, Riley held the position of Vice President of Information Services with J.B. Hunt Transport Serves, Inc. During his time at J.B. Hunt, Riley focused on innovating enterprise applications to simplify business processes such as corporate finance, rating/billing, pricing, B2B, maintenance, and many others while managing over 22,000 workers and over 6 billion dollars in annual revenue.

Riley earned his bachelor's degree in information systems and MBA from the University of Arkansas. He has also attended the CIO institute at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Clay graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in biological engineering, which helped cultivate his passion for sustainability. His sophomore year, he spent a semester studying in Madrid, Spain, a formative experience that shaped his understanding of the Spanish language and culture. He enrolled in the Walton MBA full-time program in the fall of 2021, and over the course of two years, learned about the intersection between sustainability and business through participation in the university’s P4 initiative. He also served as a graduate assistant tutor. While completing his MBA, Clay came to realize his skillset and goals were well-fit for a career in medicine, leading him to apply to medical school.

Currently, Clay is a medical student at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. Outside of the classroom, he volunteers regularly at free health clinics and serves on the class of 2028 executive officer team as curriculum committee representative. He strives to incorporate sustainability, a business acumen, mentorship, and volunteerism into his future practice.

Dr. Spann is a family practice M.D. with 33 years of experience in North Arkansas, specializing in scientific longevity, wellness, and quality-of-life medicine. The founder of Transformation Health (2012) and HealthSpann in 2024, he recently relocated to expand his evidence-based longevity practice to a wider market because of year-on-year growth of 3x since 2024.

A true lifelong learner, Dr. Spann holds a Healthcare MBA, and while pursuing an MS in Healthcare Data Analytics from the Walton College of Business, transitioned to a Ph.D. at Oklahoma State University (Class of 2028). He is a lifelong Razorback and wants to contribute to University and Walton college through its service Boards. His expertise spans clinical practice, medico-legal consulting, and healthcare data analytics across 30 states and the Caribbean. National Parks travel with Keri (wife of 39 years), four grandkids, triathlon, golf, snowboarding, church and mission service (and a lot of AI) take up the remaining hours.

Ryan currently serves as the Director of Sales for Taylor Farms - America's favorite maker of salads and healthy fresh foods.

After receiving his bachelor's degree from the Walton College in 2002, Ryan Stearle spent five years working for Sears and a major Budweiser distributor in sales and management before returning for his MBA in 2008.

During the fulltime program Ryan interned for Procter & Gamble before accepting a position with Alltel Wireless in Little Rock upon graduation. Late in 2009 he moved back up to Northwest Arkansas to join the Walmart Vendor Community, and he and his family have been here since.

Over the past five years Ryan has held a variety of marketing and sales leadership positions with Infinity Products Group, Alberto Culver, The Coleman Co., Rawlings Sporting Goods and Conair Corporations.

Tsanko is the Director of Data and Application Architecture at USAble Life and has been with the organization for the last 10 years. Tsanko is an IT professional and has focused his career on IT integration, automation, project and vendor management, and procurement efforts.

While pursuing his MBA, Tsanko became a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and was honored to receive the Outstanding Graduate Student award. He also holds a master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and has also received the HBX CORe (Credential of Readiness) from Harvard Business School.

Tsanko is originally from Bulgaria but has called Arkansas home for the past twenty-two years. He met his wife Leah in Little Rock where they currently reside with their daughter Sofia. Some of his hobbies include traveling, soccer and volleyball.

Amy Hopper Swan is the founder of Swan Impact Strategies, where she brings over a decade of experience in program management, coalition building, and entrepreneurship. She holds an MBA with a focus on entrepreneurship and certifications as a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) and a Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED).

Through Swan Impact Strategies, Amy helps nonprofits and mission-driven organizations design, implement, and optimize programs. Her tailored approach enhances organizational capacity and drives measurable impact, allowing clients to stay focused on their core missions.

Amy was named the 2022 Outstanding Executive MBA Student at the University of Arkansas and is a 2019 Delta Regional Authority Leadership Institute delegate. She continues to support entrepreneurship and innovation as a board member of Ark Angel Alliance, Arkansas’ statewide angel investor network.

Born in New York but proudly proclaiming herself a Fayetteville, Arkansas native, Joanne loved growing up in the college town. Raised by small business owners and first-generation Americans, Fuller learned the values of generosity, hard work, and perseverance from her parents, Tom and Pearl.

After graduating from Fayetteville High School where she served as Senior Class President, Fuller ventured to Texas to attend Southern Methodist University. She received her Bachelor of Arts with dual degrees in corporate communications and public affairs and Spanish, graduating cum laude with honors in liberal arts in 2011. In 2013, Fuller took her "can-do" attitude and enrolled in the MBA program at the University of Arkansas and graduated in 2014 with a global marketing concentration.

She is currently working at Nielsen as an associate client director. She finds passion in leading her team and using data to tell stories and deliver business solutions to her clients. She and her husband, Jake, along with their son, Miles and rescue pup, Lucy, live in Fayetteville. When she isn’t hiking or walking the trails, Fuller loves catching up on the news, playing trivia, cooking and traveling.

Amberle has spent the last 3.5 years at RB. At present, she is the Account Manager for OTC Medicine for the Walmart account. RB is a global personal health and wellness company, based out of the UK. OTC Medicine is proud to serve consumers around the globe with some of our biggest brands, Mucinex, Lysol, Enfamil, and Durex.

Throughout her professional career, it has been her goal to focus on health matters that are bigger than just herself. It is the purpose driven element of RB that gives Amberle a reason to wake up each morning and find what she can do to further healthcare for all Americans. In 2019, with her incredible team, Mucinex Nightshift was launched; the first ingredient innovation in the cough cold flu category in 10+ years. Amberle loved being able to go from concept to market on a product that truly created a better nighttime solution for consumers.

Amberle is a lifelong Arkansan. She grew up in the small town of Farmington, just minutes from the University of Arkansas. After receiving her undergrad from Arkansas Tech in Russellville, Amberle moved back to NWA to go to the University of Arkansas for her MBA. It was a lifetime dream of Amberle’s to be a Razorback! Values she still holds near today from her time at the U of A are “stronger together” and “keep your curiosity”. Those two things have helped Amberle build friendships, expand her perspectives, and create many opportunities personally and professionally.

Don is the Director of Culinary Services at Tyson Foods. Don focuses on growing results in customer's top lines by positioning Tyson prepared foods presented in signature applications. He has been with Tyson for the last fourteen years.

Don served in the United States Army where he was trained in culinary. He then catapulted his career into food service graduating from the Culinary Institute of America and earning a bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management from Florida International University. He has always focused his culinary expertise on enhancing the customer's experience and currently focusses on creating signature products for Tyson Foods.

Don is passionate about Animal welfare, Arts & Culture, and is actively involved with his son's boy scouts' team training them for camping and preparing food items with bare minimum.