Spring 2026 Coaching Pod Mentors
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Rafael Arie is a PMP, CSM, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt with over a decade of experience leading complex programs in biotech and life sciences. Currently an Associate Director at a clinical‑stage immunotherapy company, he has previously held portfolio and program management roles across large‑cap pharma, global biotech, and high‑growth life sciences organizations, delivering regulated, cross‑functional initiatives in predictive, agile, and hybrid environments. |
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Vanessa Bourgeois is a senior cybersecurity and technology leader with experience spanning cybersecurity operations, technical program management, AI initiatives, and product ownership across global enterprises, including Newmont Corporation, Hewlett Packard, Dell Technologies, and Verizon. She holds a Doctorate in Global Leadership and maintains certifications including PMP, CSM, and CSPO. Known for her "think like a manager" approach, Vanessa emphasizes risk-based decision-making and governance. An active contributor to the professional community, Vanessa serves on the ISACA San Diego Board, mentors through PMI San Diego and Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS), and is Adjunct Staff at San Diego State University. |
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David Carlos is a project management and IT applications leader known for delivering complex integrations, stabilizing enterprise systems, and building governance frameworks that strengthen service delivery. He brings a collaborative, cross‑functional approach to every initiative—partnering with teams across Finance, HR, Planning, and Technology to create clarity, alignment, and sustainable processes. Guided by a deep commitment to compassion, David fosters supportive relationships with colleagues, clients, and community stakeholders, ensuring that every project enhances both operational outcomes and the people behind them. |
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Chris Collins is a seasoned Program Management leader with a strong technical foundation and a process-driven approach to delivering complex initiatives. In his most recent role, Chris developed and evolved the Global IT Program Management Office at Playstation. He is a firm advocate of Servant Leadership and offers thoughtful solutions to organizational challenges. As a mentor, he focuses on quickly building an open culture, developing the proper skills to be a rock star PM, and lifelong learning. Outside of work, Chris volunteers for various organizations, and enjoys camping and spending time with his family. |
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John Eisenschmidt, PMP, ACTC, CEC, LSP, ORSC, PCC earned his PMP in 2006; he's led increasingly complex projects and programs across Fortune 100 companies, state and federal government agencies, higher education, and non-profits. Organizations seek his consulting to improve delivery while building high-performing teams that work transparently and accountably. John volunteers because an early mentor changed his trajectory with generous time and hard-won wisdom, became a lifelong friend, and proved that no one builds true mastery in this profession alone. He expects to learn as much from his Pod members as they do from him and each other. |
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Mr. Mark Fitzgerald, MBA, PMP is a dynamic business leader with over 15 years of experience in sales operations, business development, and project management. Holding an MBA from Pepperdine University and PMP certification from PMI, Mark has led cross-functional teams and driven measurable growth for global brands such as Starbucks, Apple and Disney. His expertise spans technology integration, data analytics, and strategic planning, resulting in consistent revenue and efficiency gains. As the founder of Salt & Light Sales, Mark partners with clients to optimize operations through Agile methods while fostering innovation. He is passionate about mentoring future leaders and empowering teams to achieve excellence. |
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Arun Gupta is a visionary healthcare leader consistently delivering business objectives in challenging environments. Chair and supervise large and complex strategic and tactical Medicare Advantage initiatives, create and manage governance structures. Member-Centric Innovative Ideas to solve operational / IT issues by drawing actionable insights from data. Innovative hands-on problem solver empowering and embracing change to provide value-added services and build high-performing collaborative teams. Proven ability to create a comprehensive financial and business outlook, translating a company’s vision into actionable insights that propels business transformations. |
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With over 20 years in the investment management industry, Melissa Lumban has led programs and projects that transform enterprise systems, drive operational efficiency, and deliver strategic impact. Holding PMP and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certifications, Melissa is passionate about empowering the next generation of project leaders, sharing insights, and helping mentees unlock their full potential. |
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Nishan Pillay PMP, has over 17 years of project management experience across the RNG and Mining sectors, where he has held numerous senior leadership roles. He currently leads the project execution team at Anaergia Inc. Nishan is a committed mentor who values sharing his knowledge and experience to support the growth and development of others. Beyond his professional role, he spends time with his family and follows Formula 1 as a devoted McLaren fan. |
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Jeff Scudder completed a 25 year career as an officer in the US Navy where he served aboard five ships and five afloat and ashore staffs to include commanding USS Thach (FFG 43). Since completing active-duty he has worked the last seven years as a Program Manager supporting Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR), most recently with SAIC where he oversees a $12M per year program supporting Navy shore enterprise IT networks. He has an MBA from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and is a certified Project Management Professional since 2019. |
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Voltjana Zhurda works as an IT Service and Process Manager at Cummins Inc. For the last 15 years, she has been engaged in various roles across the Information Technology areas such as Customer Service, Application Engineering, Service Delivery and Continuous Improvement. An integral and much rewarding part of performing each of the roles, has been working in IT projects, either as a leader or a core team member. She is a strong believer that investing in or building up project management skills and knowledge, is an important and helpful aspect in any professional setting. |
