St. Bonaventure University alumnus and global businessman Richard P. “Dick” Kearns, ’72, returns to his alma mater in October, bringing along a panel of international business executives for the 10^th annual Kearns Global Business Lecture. 

The presentation, titled “Improving Our Financial IQ,” will begin at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19, in the Rigas Family Theater of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on the St. Bonaventure campus.

Free and open to the public, the event will be livestreamed at https://video.ibm.com/channel/st-bonaventure-university-live-stream. Kearns and his team welcome local businesspeople to attend.

“Every day, people receive a steady stream of data about the U.S. and global economy,” said Dr. Matrecia James, dean of the School of Business. “Understanding how all this information correlates is a challenge. Dick and his panel are working closely with our student teams to improve their financial IQ and to provide a context that will help them better understand all the economic information that comes their way.”

Kearns has over five decades of experience in global markets, including nine years living and working in Switzerland. He retired from Zurich Insurance in June of 2023 after serving 21 years as a board director in the U.S. and chief administrative officer in Switzerland. Previously, he spent 30 years at PwC in senior roles, including as vice chairman.

Kearns served as a St. Bonaventure trustee from 2000-2009. He is a recipient of the university’s Gaudete Medal, 2017 Alumnus of the Year award, and an honorary doctorate in 2019. He received a BBA in accounting and is a CPA. 

Joining Kearns on the panel will be:

Brian Kearns
Vice President & CFO, BH Aircraft Co.

Kearns is CFO and a board director of B.H. Aircraft, a leading manufacturing company serving the aerospace and defense industries. He began his career with EY, where he spent 15 years in various audit and consulting roles, including multiple international assignments serving global clients throughout Europe and the Middle East. He also served in financial positions at Goldman Sachs and Pall Corporation. He received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Providence College and is a CPA.

Donard P. Gaynor
Chairman, Glanbia, PLC

Gaynor is group chairman and non-executive director of Glanbia, an Irish-based global nutrition group with operations in 32 countries. He previously served in senior executive positions at Beam Global Spirits, Seagram’s and PwC. Gaynor serves on the boards of other internationally based companies and has held global roles throughout his career in the U.S., Europe, and Asia Pacific. He is both a CPA and chartered accountant.

Thomas McCarthy, ’10, ’13
Manager, Learning + Development, Marriott International

McCarthy serves as manager of Learning + Development at Marriott International, working with the company’s hotel and field sales teams across North America. Since 2013, he’s worked in a variety of sales roles with The Ritz-Carlton and W Hotel brands, most recently as the inaugural sales executive for W Nashville. McCarthy also chairs ONE, Marriott’s LGBT+/Ally associate talent network. A St. Bonaventure graduate, he received a BBA in marketing in 2010 and an MBA in 2013. He also worked in the SBU Admissions Office while pursuing his graduate degree.

Jennifer Torneden
Strategic Consultant

Torneden is an experienced insurance distribution executive with particular expertise in digital transformation, C-suite partnering, growth & strategy and customer experience. She has served in global and national roles at Legal & General America, Aon and Zurich Insurance. She lived and worked in Switzerland for eight years. She received the 2019 Women to Watch Award from Business Insurance Magazine and holds a B.S. in finance from George Mason University and an MBA from Columbia University.  

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #6 for value and #14 for innovation by U.S. News and World Report (2024).