At their September meeting, Kenneth J. Feld (Questrom ’70), chairman of the Boston University Board of Trustees, announced six new members joining the BU Board of Trustees.  Three of these additions have Questrom roots.

“Boston University is fortunate to share in the outstanding leadership and expertise of these new board members and officers,” Feld said.

Feld is chairman and CEO of FELD Entertainment, now chairman of the BU Board of Trustees, and chairman of the $1.5 billion Campaign for Boston University.

The September meeting was Feld’s first official meeting as chairman since being elected by the board last year.  Previously, Feld served as vice chair since September 2014.

“We look forward to working with them to expand the University’s reputation as a global center for excellence in higher education and research.” – Kenneth J. Feld (Questrom ’70), chairman of the Boston University Board of Trustees

Among the newly elected board members is William Bloom (CGS’82, Questrom’84), president of the private investment company Jamacha LLC.  Bloom is a founding member, executive vice-president, and former vice chairman of the Chelsea Property Group, which is now a subsidy of Simon Property Group—a global leader.  Bloom and his wife are also trustees of Jamacha Bloom Family Foundation, a private grant making foundation that has aided many educational institutions—BU included.  Bloom earned a bachelors degree in business administration from Questrom and was captain of BU’s 1984 Division I New England Champion rugby team.  An avid sports lover, he is currently a member of BU’s Athletic Director’s Advisory Council and was co-chair for the Campaign for Athletics.

Leadership and teamwork are instinctual for Bloom, and in 2013 he and his wife launched the Bloom Family Leadership Academy at BU.  The academy assists student athletes and their coaches in becoming world-class leaders—not just in athletics—in all areas of life.  Bloom and his wife contributed generously to the construction of New Balance Field and continue to give through the William and Ruth Bloom Scholarship Fund, which they created for student athletes within Questrom and the College of General Studies.

Business leader Ahmass L. Fakahany (Questrom’79) was also welcomed to the board.  After graduating from BU, Fakahany earned an MBA from the Columbia‎ Graduate School of Business.  A passion for restaurants and hospitality is what fueled Fakahany who is now the CEO and owner of the Altamarea Group, which he runs with chef Michael White.  The group, based out of New York, NY, is comprised of fifteen restaurants and strives to deliver the highest quality and consistency in both food and service.

(l-r) William D. Bloom (CGS’82, Questrom’84), Ahmass L. Fakahany (Questrom’79), J. Robb Dixon

Before creating the restaurant-running Altamarea Group, Fakahany was president and COO of Merrill Lynch &Co where he managed 63,000 employees in forty countries.  Although in the midst of a highly successful finance career, Fakahany turned his energies toward entrepreneurship in the hospitality sector.  Altamarea Group has been recognized for excellence by: Michelin, the James Beard Foundation, the New York Times, Forbes, and Zagat.  Fakahany’s restaurants are located in the New York metropolitan area, Washington DC, Hong Kong, Istanbul, and London.

New member J. Robb Dixon holds an ex officio seat on the board by virtue of being chair of BU’s Faculty Council.  Dixon’s is one of Questrom’s highly respected faculty members.  He has held many faculty roles at BU since joining us in 1987.  He is an Associate Professor of Operations and Technology Management and was named the recipient of the Broderick Prize for Excellence in Teaching at Questrom in 2014.  Dixon holds a bachelor’s in biology from Wesleyan University and an MBA as well as a PhD in operations management from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.  Dixon conducts research focused on the implementation of process technology innovations, operations strategy, and performance measurement.  He has published many articles covering business process reengineering, manufacturing flexibility, operations strategy, and technological innovation.  He is coauthor of The New Performance Challenge: Measuring Operations for World Class Competition. 

At the board’s September meeting Feld said, referring to all six of the new board members as well as the officers, “We look forward to working with them to expand the University’s reputation as a global center for excellence in higher education and research.” Bloom, Fakahany, and Dixon are exceptional representatives of the Questrom School of Business.  As members of the Boston University Board of Trustees, they will contribute to the growth of our university.

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