2026
Christie Ryan '07
Managing Director of the New York City headquarters of Siegel+Gale
Christie Ryan is a proud Siena alumna, former volleyball team captain and member of the Siena Athletic Hall of Fame whose competitive spirit and team-first mindset have shaped her leadership style and career path.
Today, Christie serves as Managing Director of the New York City headquarters of Siegel+Gale, a global brand consultancy, where she brings strategic branding expertise to some of the world’s leading organizations. In her role, she sits on the firm’s Global Leadership Team and is responsible for all aspects of the New York business — the people, the work, the profitability and the growth. Over her 13 years with the firm, she has partnered with executives at brands across B2B and B2C industries like 3M, CVS Health, Hilton, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Verizon and many others, helping organizations define who they are, what they stand for, and how they communicate that to the world.
Prior to joining Siegel+Gale, Christie worked in Account Management at global brand agency Interbrand, as well as other boutique firms, where she was responsible for leading marketing and brand development strategies for clients of all sizes.
Christie graduated from Siena in 2007 with a Marketing and Management degree where she not only built the foundation for her career but also met her Siena sweetheart — now her husband — David Ryan, former men’s basketball player and fellow 2007 Siena grad. Together they live in Eastchester, New York, where Christie is embracing her “soccer mom era” with their four young daughters: Emily (9), Kate (7), Izzy (4) and Cora (2).
2025
NICK STARK '15
HEAD OF SALES ANALYTICS, CHAIN ACCOUNTS, DIAGIO BEER COMPANY
Keynote Address: “Myth Busting: How to Thrive in the ‘Corporate World’”
After graduating from Siena College in January 2015, Nick immediately began his career with The Nielsen Company as an analyst on the Diageo North America account in Norwalk, CT. In this role, Nick was able to establish the foundation of his career in syndicated data by turning data into insights and insights into action, by providing analyses to the client’s top management.
In August 2017, Diageo took notice of Nick’s analytical skills and hired him as a Category Manager for the Beer, Flavored Malt Beverage, & Hard Seltzer categories. In 2019, he won Diageo’s ‘Category Manager of the Year’ award. Over the four years in this role, Nick led large national shopper research/insights projects and utilized various sources to churn abstract data into compelling business narratives that helped retailers make sound decisions, with the goal of Beer category & Diageo brand expansion.
In May 2022, Nick left Diageo for a one-year stint at PepsiCo as a Shopper Insights Manager, where he developed and executed foundational research for Pepsico’s Demand Accelerator organization. Nick spearheaded shopper- centric initiatives to improve the organization’s understanding of the shopper at human level. Nick created & led the organization’s Always-On insights strategy & platform.
Ultimately, in 2023 Nick was recruited back to Diageo to serve in a “Chief of Staff” position to the Vice President of National & Strategic Accounts. In this position, Nick oversees all analytics & strategy initiatives related to large National & Regional chain accounts.
While working at Diageo, Nick has earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Connecticut. Nick credits his independent research & work with CURCA in his years at Siena for setting his analytical foundation and getting his “foot in the door” at Nielsen, Diageo, & PepsiCo.