Paleokrassas, Nicolas

Class of '05
Wells Fargo & Company, Senior Project Manager

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Parekh, Jai

Class of '08
Brar-Parekh Eye Associates & Star-x Clinical Research, Managing Partner & President

Jai G. Parekh, MD, MBA, is a 2008 graduate of Fuqua's Weekend Executive MBA/HSM program. He is a board-certified ophthalmologist/corneal transplant surgeon practicing in the New Jersey/New York area. He is a managing partner at Brar-Parekh Eye Associates, a 40-year-old clinical practice, and Co-Founder/President of the newly formed Star-x Clinical Research LLC, a research think tank. Jai is also Chief of Cornea & Medical Director of the Research Institute at St. Joseph's Regional HealthCare System in New Jersey, where he was recently chosen to serve on the Hospital's Board of Trustees. He is Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the New York Eye & Ear Infirmary, a world-renowned eye hospital, where he did his cornea and refractive surgery fellowship several years ago. In Boston, Jai completed medical school and training in both internal medicine and ophthalmology where he served as chief resident in both specialties. He has been privileged to train at many hospitals affiliated with several medical schools including Boston, Brown, Tufts, and Harvard Universities. Jai is well-published and lectures at various national and international meetings; he is a key opinion leader within the pharmaceutical industry as well. In fact, he was recently named the only ophthalmologist in the country to serve on the prestigious Society of Academic Medicine Board. Jai's interests include ocular surface diseases, entrepreneurship, practice/disease management, charitable healthcare, and philanthropy. Jai resides in New Jersey with his wife of 16 years and three children.

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Piaker, Steve

Class of '86
CCP Equity Partners, Managing Partner

Steve Piaker has worked in the private equity industry for twenty years and currently serves as Managing Partner for CCP Equity Partners, a Connecticut-based private equity firm focused on the financial services and healthcare services sectors. The firm has been a leading investor in high growth areas within these sectors including electronic payments, business process outsourcing, alternative energy brokerage, specialty finance, managed care, and disease and care management. Piaker, in his capacity as a private equity partner, has served on over fifteen corporate boards including a number of public companies. In addition to investment monitoring and corporate governance, Piaker spends considerable time working with management and other board members on strategy development and execution, management recruitment and development, operational excellence and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining CCP in 1994, Piaker was Senior Vice President of Conseco’s Private Capital Group and previous to that he served as Vice President and a founding member of GE Capital’s financial institutions team within the Corporate Finance Group. During his tenure with GE Capital, Piaker and his colleagues completed five leveraged buyout transactions in the financial services sector and worked on a number of strategic acquisitions for the parent company. Following his graduation from Fuqua, Piaker began his career with Chase Manhattan Bank. Piaker and his wife Randi reside in West Hartford, CT. They have two daughters, Rachel and Lindsay, and a golden retriever and toy poodle.

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Popper, Jeff

Class of '93
Hasbro Inc., Sr. Director of Marketing, Global Brand Strategy & Marketing

Jeff Popper is a Senior Director of Global Brand Strategy & Marketing at Hasbro, Inc. He has been at Hasbro since 2001, leading beloved toy brands including Star Wars, Nerf and Play-Doh. From 2006-2008, he worked in International Marketing, heading up Preschool and Girls marketing with responsibility for all business outside North America. He is currently leading the Arts & Crafts business.

Prior to joining Hasbro, Popper spent nearly seven years at household products company Reckitt Benckiser, holding positions of increasing responsibility in marketing and new product development on such familiar brands as Lysol and Resolve.

In addition to the Duke MBA, Popper holds a BA in Economics from Vassar College. He resides in Medfield, MA, with his wife of 15 years, Alyson, and two young sons. Outside of work, he enjoys running, coaching youth sports, and is a wine enthusiast.

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