Executive Fellows Biographies

James Demitrieus ’70

James M. Demitrieus has over 30 years of diversified experience with global edge companies. He has served from 2018 to present as Managing Director of Jameson Associates, a specialty investment management and financial advisory firm. Prior to Jameson, he served in multiple positions at Eyelock Corporation beginning in 2009, including Chief Executive Officer from 2010 to 2018. Eyelock Corporation provides iris-based biometric solutions to various business verticals. Prior to Eyelock, Demitrieus served in various senior executive roles, including as President of Sherwood Valve, a division of Harsco Corporation, and as Chief Executive Officer at Aluma Systems. Earlier in his career, Demitrieus served in numerous senior accounting and finance roles, including with the public accounting firm of Arthur Andersen & Co. Demitrieus holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Adelphi University in New York.

Clifford Friedman ’87

Clifford H. Friedman recently joined Northwell Health in a full-time capacity as the current Managing Director and Head of Northwell Health Strategic Venture Group. He was previously a member of the Board of Trustees of Northwell for close to 15 years served as chairperson of their private equity committee and Northwell’s Huntington Hospital. He has filled roles including chairman, CEO, founder, board member and lead investor, in addition to serving in various senior executive operational roles.

Mr. Friedman has a demonstrated history in public and private equity, venture capital, investment management, finance, and various senior operational roles with a focus on media, communications, technology, fintech, sports and healthcare. He has served on over 30+ private and public corporate boards, raised capital, and supported strategic negotiations in a variety of countries, including United States, UK, Italy, Spain, Japan, Sweden, Germany, France, Brazil, Mexico and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). He is skilled in value creation through a systematic process of working with management teams, board members and customers, creating and negotiating strategic partnerships globally to drive revenue and profitability that positions companies for successful liquidity events for all stakeholders.

Prior to Northwell, Friedman was co-founder, chairman and CEO of ShareNett LLC; managing director and member of the management committee of Raptor Group Holdings; senior managing director and founding partner, responsible for partnership investment activities at JP Morgan-Highbridge Principle Strategies, Constellation Growth Capital; senior vice president of Universal Studios; vice president of strategic development at NBC, senior managing director in the media and technology group at Bear Stearns; senior securities analyst in the high technology group at Cyrus J. Lawrence Inc. Mr. Friedman started his career as a senior R&D engineer at Hazeltine Corporation’s Wheeler Laboratories and Adjunct Professor at SUNY Stony Brook.

Mr. Friedman is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. For his support of Verance Corporation, Friedman received a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award for “Steganographic Technologies for Audio/Video.”

He graduated from Adelphi in 1987 with an MBA. Prior to this he graduated from Tandon School of Engineering (NYU) with an BSEE & CS, and MSEP, where he also received the Spirit of Innovation Award. Friedman received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, named on several Patents in the field of communications, and holds several securities licenses (Series 7, 63, 82).

Noreen Harrington ’81

Noreen Harrington is currently the President, CEO, Director of Datawhys, an Artificial Intelligence Company, a position she has held since October of 2019. Prior to doing technology, her wall street career started four decades ago. She was managing director at Goldman Sachs, head of hedge funds and non-dollar sales in the fixed income division globally, and co-head of Barclays Capital Fixed Income Trading and a member of the Barclay’s management committee.

Ms. Harrington was based in London for six years and built up numerous contacts throughout the world.

Returning to the USA, she built two wealth platforms specializing in Hedge Funds and was head of Alternative Investments at MD Sass for a decade. She is more publicly recognized as the whistler-blower in the mutual fund scandals. Her efforts lead to the end of late trading and market timing abuses and created industry reforms that benefit and protect an estimated 95 million investors. To date, there has been over $7 billion in fines collected by various government agencies.

Ms. Harrington has a BS in education from Adelphi University and has received numerous industry awards: Titan of the Year 2003, Top Fifty Women in Finance (1997), Compliance Person of the 2003.

Michael Liberatore MBA ’94

Michael became Chief Financial Officer, Global Technology & Operations in July 2022. He serves as a member of both our Executive Leadership Team and Finance Leadership Team. As GTO CFO, Michael is responsible for investment optimization, product profitability, pricing analysis, and GTO planning and analytics. He plays a critical role as GTO builds world-class SaaS solutions for our financial services clients. Michael previously has served as President of Broadridge’s Mutual Fund and Retirement Solutions business and has held several other finance and executive roles since joining in 2004.

James Lubin ’79, MBA ’84

Jim is Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Hill Private Wealth Management (BHPWM), a boutique financial advisory firm. The focus at BHPWM is to provide counsel and advice in managing client’s wealth and investments. Previously, Jim served as Senior Managing Director / Head of the CBOE Futures Exchange (CFE) from 2010 to 2017 where he was responsible for leading the exchange and setting the strategic direction for the CFE. Jim also served as COO, Head of Business Development and a Principal of Hyman Beck & Co., an alternative investment management firm until 2010. In this capacity Jim was responsible for product development,

strategic planning, and investment strategy as well as business development.  Prior to joining Hyman Beck in 2003, Jim was a Senior Vice President within the Fixed Income Division of Lehman Brothers from 1999, where he was responsible for establishing the foreign exchange business with Alternative Investment Managers.  From 1980 to 1999, Jim held positions of

increasing responsibility with Merrill Lynch. During his tenure with Merrill Lynch, he was employed in the Futures, Foreign Exchange and Alternative Investment divisions. At the time of his departure, Jim was managing the Foreign Exchange business with Alternative Investment Managers and was a member of the Investment Committee of Merrill Lynch’s Alternative

Investment funds. Jim obtained his M.B.A. in Finance in 1984 and his B.A. in 1979 in Economics from Adelphi University.

Ron Staffieri ’71

Born in the Bronx, NY, Ron Staffieri is a seasoned executive with over 40 years of leadership experience in the retail and consulting sectors. He received his BBA from Adelphi University in 1971 and his MBA in 1974, majoring in Marketing and Finance while excelling as a member of the baseball and squash teams. He also served as Class of 1971 Vice President and President of the SAE fraternity.  Ron was a member of Flambeau and Who’s Who in Colleges and Universities.

He began his career with Abraham & Straus, which is now part of Macy’s, and spent 15 years with Federated and Allied Stores, ascending to Executive Vice President of Stores. In 1986, he became President and CEO of Things Remembered, and spent the next two decades as President and CEO of several notable retail organizations, including KayBee Toys, Waldenbooks/Borders Group, and Michael’s Arts & Crafts.

In 2010, he pivoted to advising various CEOs, including those at the Army & Air Force Exchange, a $8 billion international retail organization. In 2016, he joined the board of Chattanooga Shooting Supplies, a family-owned outdoor products distributor, later stepping into the role of CEO until 2023. After four decades in senior management—30 of those as a President and/or CEO—he now resides in Dallas, Texas, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, embracing a lifestyle of travel, golf, and family. Married to Kristie, he has five adult children, all of whom are thriving in their careers across different states.

Now in his “rewirement,” he dedicates 75% of his time to personal passions while committing 25% to board work, advising, and executive coaching. He seeks to give back to the next generation, having spent his career building teams and mentoring executives and students.

Quotes/Intentions

On Leadership: “Effective leadership is about inspiring others, fostering collaboration, and communicating a clear vision while remaining open to feedback.”

On Giving Back: “My journey has taught me the value of mentorship. I’m eager to share my experiences and support young professionals as they navigate their paths.”

On Reinvention: “After decades in leadership roles, I discovered the power of reinvention—transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and learning.”

On the Importance of Mentorship: “I owe much of my success to the mentors who shaped my journey. It’s my turn to be that guiding light for others.”

On Community and Family:  “Family is my greatest achievement. Balancing my personal and professional life has always been a priority, and my children inspire me every day.”

On Personal Growth: “Curiosity is key to personal and professional growth. Embracing new ideas and perspectives can lead to extraordinary opportunities.”