The Finance Department Advisory Board
Who is the Finance Department Advisory Board (FDAB)?
The CSULB Finance Department Advisory Board (FDAB) is a volunteer board dedicated to
supporting the Finance student population and working with the Chair of the Finance Department on a variety of focus areas. The board has 20 members from a broad range of industries, including Aerospace, Financial Services, Pension Management, Entertainment, Fashion and Biopharma. The board’s focus areas include :
a. Student Engagement and Networking-internship programs, networking, hiring opportunities, student engagement, and industry involvement
b. Scholarship Fund-in 2022 a scholarship fund was established and will initially award 2-$500 scholarships in the fall semester.
c. Raising Program Visibility (Finance Department)-primarily Finance Symposium administration and speaker recruitment
d. Beach Investment Group-provide BIG activity review and oversight
Steph Saxton
Steph Saxton is an executive at The Walt Disney Company, where she serves as VP for the Hulu Programming team. Prior to her current role, she worked for Disney+, NBCUniversal, Legendary Entertainment, and WME. She holds an MBA from Pepperdine University with a specialization in Leadership & Managing Organization Change, along with a Bachelor's degree from Pomona College. Originally a native of Savannah, GA, she now resides in San Pedro, CA.
George Balderas
George Balderas is better known for his extensive knowledge in real estate. After completing his undergrad UC Riverside in Business Economics he came to CSULB to get his MBA where he is now a member of the FDAB board. He also currently holds a position at TENET Financial, a boutique private equity firm as a Senior Financial Analyst.
Dani Potter
Dani Potter is a partner in the tv scripted group at William Morris Endeavor talent agency. She has worked there since starting in the mailroom in 2011.
Christin Martahus
Christen is a Director of Merchandising at a plus-size women's apparel company, Torrid, where she oversees the Intimate apparel categories. Prior to her current role, she worked in corporate retail at Wayfair and Abercrombie & Fitch, where she gained experience in ecommerce merchandising and marketing, product development and buying. Originally from Cleveland, OH she now resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and dog.
Pam Anke
Pam Anke retired from The Boeing Company after a finance career of almost 33 years. In her last position, Pam was the Director – Business Operations and EVM Compliance for Boeing Defense Systems (BDS). She managed Business Operations functional process and tools across BDS sites and business units, responsible for program cost and schedule activities including government compliance. After retiring from Boeing, Pam has been active managing her Income Tax Practice and engaging in various activities at Long Beach State. Pam is a member of the Long Beach State Finance Department Advisory Board, and is an active mentor to students.
Bob Boyd
Bob is a Managing Director for Pacific Asset Management. He serves as the firm’s Head of Credit Research and is a Portfolio Manager for the High Yield Bond Strategy and CLO Strategy. In addition, Bob has credit research responsibilities across select sectors. Prior to joining Pacific Asset Management in 2012, from 1998-2012, Bob was a Portfolio Manager and credit analyst with PIMCO. Bob has over 20 years of investment experience, focused on leveraged finance, credit analysis, and structured products.
Lani De Benedictus
Lani assumed responsibility for managing the JPL Ethics Office in 2003. She designed global ethics and compliance-training programs, and was instrumental in the integration of the Boeing, McDonnell Douglas and Boeing North American ethics and business conduct programs. Lani directed the Ethics and Business Conduct program for Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems business segments of Expendable Launch Systems, Homeland Security and Services, and Space and Intelligence Systems. Lani has an M.B.A. with an emphasis in international economics from Pepperdine University and is a member of the Ethics and Compliance Initiative and the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics Association and currently serves on the City of Long Beach Ethics Commission.
Peter Zebot
Peter Zeboth is an accomplished executive with more than 25 years of experience in the technology industry. He holds an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is the Owner and President of PMZ Pension Corporation.
David Erickson
David is an active member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI), having served in leadership positions at both the national and local levels, and was named a NIRI Fellow in 2014. David has a B.S. in Business Administration (double major Finance and Marketing) and an MBA with an emphasis in Finance from California State University, Long Beach. He currently serves on the Advisory Board of the CSULB Department of Finance and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Child Creativity Lab, an organization dedicated to promoting creativity through STEM-based educational programs and activities.
Jessica Lord
Jessica Lord has a wealth of experience in finance, having worked in several high-profile positions across various industries. Notably, she spent several years at Boeing, where she held various finance roles at Boeing. Currently, Jessica is an active member of the Finance Department Advisory Board at CSULB, where she provides insights and guidance to faculty and students to ensure they're equipped with the necessary skills to succeed in the finance industry. Her extensive knowledge, strategic thinking, and leadership experience make her a highly valued member of the board.
Eric Man
As a proud CSULB alumni, Eric is a proven successful financial analyst having experience at some of the largest asset management firms from Capital Group, Western Asset Management, and even PIMCO.
Landon Yoshida
Landon Yoshida, CRPC® and AIF®, is a financial advisor with over a decade of experience in the industry. He is the VP of Wealth Management at Apriem Advisors. Landon offers personalized financial planning and investment management services to clients, taking a comprehensive approach to understand their unique goals and financial situation. He holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) designations, demonstrating his commitment to ongoing education and training. Landon has worked for several financial firms and holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy and Management from USC.