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Aissatou Gningue’23 is an associate in the Financial Operations division at KPMG. She works with major financial institutions managing their anti-money laundering (AML) investigations, as she is part of an ecosystem driven by collaboration, growth, innovation, and results that matter.

Aissatou is excited to contribute her time and many talents to KPMG. She is no stranger to hard work; her drive and ambition are unparalleled.

At the age of ten, Aissatou moved from Senegal, West Africa to the United States. She excelled in her studies throughout junior high and high school. When she was accepted into Pace University, she was determined to set her sights high and achieve all of her academic and professional goals. Nothing would deter her. When seeking opportunities she didn’t take the word “no” for an answer. She says her “stubbornness” paid off in immeasurable ways. At Pace, Aissatou pursued two bachelor’s degrees and one master’s degree—she graduated from Pace at the age of 22. While at Pace she was often asked, “Are you sure you can do it?” Her response was always, “Of course I can!”

Aissatou’s journey at Pace offered her endless opportunities for growth personally, academically, and professionally. She learned to have the confidence to create opportunities where she couldn’t find any. “Pace’s motto, Opportunitas, extends beyond what has the university has to offer,” she says. “Opportunitas also means to be the change you want to see in the world, to be bold, and to reimagine the impossible.”

As the student speaker during the Lubin School of Business 2023 commencement ceremony, she delivered an inspirational speech and ended it with a Milton Berle quote: “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”

Aissatou continues to build doors and other pathways to opportunity. As she reflects on her time at Pace, she says: "The career I have built so far at KPMG has been exciting and fulfilling. I attribute my ability to thrive in this fast-paced environment where change happens sporadically to Pace allowing me to flourish and giving me a platform to pursue incredible opportunities. I was given the opportunity to start a club, be part of several executive boards, be an ambassador and mentor to my peers, and most importantly, pursue degrees that have proven to be most valuable. Pace gave me wings to soar and I've been flying ever since!”

Soaring and flying, though synonymous, demonstrate that opportunity serves as the launching pad to building a successful career. Aissatou’s Pace experience gave her the confidence to hit the ground running with skills that will ensure she remains in high demand.

Faculty Spotlight: Professor Birgit Elchoueri, DPS

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We had the opportunity to speak with Professor Birgit Elchoueri, DPS, from the Management and Management Science department at Pace University’s Lubin School of Business about her career in both academia and the corporate world.

A Pace alumna with three degrees from the university, she has been shaping the next generation of business leaders since 2019—first as an adjunct professor and now as a full-time clinical professor. With 25 years of experience as a Wall Street executive and a background in strategic leadership, business ethics, and disruptive technologies, she brings a wealth of real-world insight into her classroom.

Her teaching philosophy emphasizes critical thinking, teamwork, and practical application, preparing students to navigate today’s rapidly evolving business landscape with confidence.

Why Management Science?

Management science connects all business disciplines, offering leaders the tools they need to integrate and align these areas effectively. Teaching management is about preparing students to become effective leaders who can handle the complexities of today’s business world, which is constantly evolving. Management education fosters leadership skills, helping individuals lead teams, make strategic decisions, solve problems effectively, and create positive change.

Why Lubin/Pace?

Pace University is my alma mater, and I earned three degrees at Pace: BA in Language, Culture, and World Trade (Dyson), MBA in Finance and International Business (Lubin), and a DPS in Management (Lubin).

I received a rigorous and transformative education at Pace University, which not only shaped my professional journey but also instilled in me a strong sense of connection. This bond with Pace inspired me to return as a professor, eager to contribute to the institution that played such a pivotal role in my professional growth.

What are your research interests/areas?

My research interests encompass innovation and disruptive technologies, the behavioral aspects of strategic decision-making—particularly understanding why managers and business leaders make certain choices—and the crucial role of business ethics in a rapidly evolving business landscape influenced by AI and other technological trends.

Why is it important to advance research in this area or these areas?

Disruptive technologies are transforming industries at an unprecedented speed. Business ethics research is especially critical in an era where technologies present boundless opportunities to propel business growth, yet simultaneously pose the risk of unintended consequences that can have far-reaching and profound effects on societal well-being.

Ethical considerations in business are more important than ever, as organizations face increasing pressure from their stakeholders—including consumers, employees, investors, and governments—to operate responsibly. Research into business ethics, particularly in the context of new technologies, helps create frameworks for sustainable, transparent, and socially responsible practices.

My goal as an educator is to teach my students how to become effective leaders and strategic problem solvers. I am a strong believer in the power of teamwork—both in the workplace and in the classroom.

What do students learn in your classroom?

I strive to create a classroom atmosphere of intellectual stimulation, empathy, and trust, and I believe that learning is a joint effort between the educator and the student. My teaching method involves engaging students in active discussions that focus on analyzing strategic and ethical dilemmas that corporations face when responding to conflicting stakeholder needs and demands.

My goal as an educator is to teach my students how to become effective leaders and strategic problem solvers. I am a strong believer in the power of teamwork—both in the workplace and in the classroom. Team assignments and hands-on design thinking exercises focused on urgent real-world issues provide students with the opportunity to develop teamwork and leadership skills, as well as a sense of responsibility, as they practice different roles within their teams.

Discuss your professional path and its impact on how you teach and what you teach.

I began my corporate career as a business analyst at the New York branch of a major European bank, where I underwent rotational training in areas such as controlling, operations, corporate finance, and the trading floor. Later, I advanced to senior management positions, including director of the Global Markets division at several prominent Wall Street financial services firms, where I led quantitative teams and business analysts.

Over the past 15 years, I served as chief of staff to the CEO and as a member of the board of directors for the North American Corporate Insurance division of Allianz SE. In this capacity, I was entrusted with overseeing the CEO/board member office, spearheading the marketing and communications function, and managing the firm’s administration team. I ensured that critical path projects—including new product launches, portfolio run-offs, business process reengineering projects, organizational redesign initiatives, and cultural and technological transformations—were planned and executed effectively throughout the organization.

I connect my 25 years of professional experience as a manager and corporate executive on Wall Street with classroom teaching activities, and I encourage my students to learn with a growth mindset. When my students analyze real-world business challenges, they learn how to effectively deliver their ideas and innovative solutions and how to work collaboratively with other team members. In my teaching, I bridge management theory with real-world applications, drawing on my extensive corporate experience to bring practical examples into the classroom and make concepts more relatable and impactful for my students.

What are some challenges you had to overcome to get to where you are today?

The challenges I’ve navigated to reach where I am today have been both numerous and demanding. These included balancing family life with an intense work week of up to 80 hours, often accompanied by frequent business travel—all while executing strategic decisions, leading diverse teams, and pursuing advanced academic degrees.

Maintaining excellent grades to secure scholarships added another layer of pressure, yet these experiences not only tested my limits, but also sharpened my time management skills, resilience, and unwavering determination to excel in both my personal and professional life.

Which triumph are you most proud of?

In my role as an executive coach, I take great pride in mentoring employees I’ve hired at the early stages of their careers who go on to become successful executives. I’m also deeply fulfilled when C-suite executives I advise and coach achieve success through the strategies we’ve developed together.

What is the single most important lesson you’d like to impart to your students?

Embrace lifelong learning as your guiding principle. Approach knowledge with the curiosity of a sponge, absorbing insights from academic sources, internships, and real-world corporate experiences. Equally important is cultivating strong networks and relationships that support and enrich your journey.

What does #LubinLife mean to you?

#LubinLife strikes a perfect balance between academic excellence and practical implementation, nurturing an environment where critical thinking translates into tangible results in real-world settings.

Classes you have taught or are currently teaching:

• BUS 101: Contemporary Business Practice
• MGT 150: Managerial and Organizational Concepts
• MGT 490: Business Strategy
• DPS 805: Doctoral Foundation Seminar in Management

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A first-generation immigrant from Suriname, South America who is fluent in Dutch, Professor Salihah Denman is the first person in her family to become a lawyer in the United States. She attended Howard University School of Law and obtained an LLM from American University’s Washington College of Law. Her passion for academia and working with students has been a driving force throughout her career. Currently, she is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Haub Law and Director of Student Diversity Initiatives for the New York State Judicial Institute and Director of the Institute’s New York Legal Educational Opportunity (“NY LEO”) program. Learn more about Professor Denman in this Q&A.

How has your background as a first-generation immigrant from Suriname, South America impacted your career and outlook?

My background has allowed me to connect with first generation law students and lawyers. When I went to law school it was like entering another world that spoke a different language. Navigating the silent syllabus was challenging. I enjoy being a support for law students and aspiring lawyers by helping to guide them on their journey.

Can you talk a bit about your passion for academia and how that evolved?

My passion for academia and working with students has been a driving force throughout my career. Teaching legal practice at New York Law School was a transformative experience, allowing me to share my enthusiasm for the law with eager students. When I had the chance to teach Family Law at Haub Law, it sparked a deeper realization of my desire to share this specialized area of law with the next generation of legal minds. I thrive on the opportunity to examine legal issues through both macro and micro lenses, and being part of the scholarly community allows me to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing discourse.

Your research interests and areas of expertise include Family Law and Children and the Law – what is it about those areas that hold your interest?

I am interested in these areas because they impact the very fabric of our society. Issues in these areas can have lifelong traumatic effects on families. There are also a lot of negative aspects of the system that can have dire consequences for children including the foster care to prison pipeline.

Can you talk about your role with the Judicial Institute and the New York Legal Educational Opportunity (“NY LEO”) program?

I have the opportunity to expose students to the law from a very young age. We have programs beginning in middle school all the way to students pursuing law school. NY LEO is a program that bridges the gap for students who do not have access to people within the legal community to guide them. It also exposes them to some of the concepts and cases for first year doctrinal courses.

What are some of your current research interests and projects?

I am interested in procedural and evidentiary safeguards in the child welfare system. My present project focuses on evidentiary burdens in child removal proceedings.

As a professor you are tasked with teaching students, but what have you also learned from them in return?

Our students have such resiliency and dedication to becoming great lawyers. Their intellectual curiosity always adds additional layers of analysis and thought to our in-class discussions.

What advice do you have for law students?

To follow your dreams and know that you will be successful in your careers. Law is not always a straight line; every part of your journey will contribute to your success.

Aside from law, how do you spend your spare time?

I love to spend time with my husband and two daughters. I love to read and also really enjoy traveling. My favorite place that I have traveled so far is Croatia.

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Kyomi Gregory-Martin, PhD is a celebrated associate professor for the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at Pace University and a multi-award-winning leader in the speech pathology field.

Most recently at Pace, Dr. Gregory-Martin received the 2024 College of Health Professions Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship and Research. This past December, she received the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) Certificate of Recognition for Special Contributions in Multicultural Affairs for excellence in multicultural service, research, and teaching. We connected with her to discuss this award and the importance of making a commitment to diversity in one's professional career.

Why is advocating and making diversity a commitment important?

It's important because it impacts everybody. Everyone has a culture. I feel like it's important for us to commit to providing the best service and quality possible for whatever culture that we encounter.

How does your passion for multicultural advocacy impact your work?

I'm passionate about it. I'm passionate about everyone working with each other regardless of their cultural background and the identities that they carry. It definitely carries over into the work that I do as a speech-language pathologist and as a professor. I want my students to be prepared for a diverse world where they're likely to work with people who are not exactly the same as them and to be able to provide effective, culturally responsive care, regardless of who the person is.

That can mean that even if someone shares the same neighborhood as someone, or the same race as someone, it doesn't mean that they're exactly the same because they haven't been raised with the same beliefs and ideas as you. You always must expect and recognize that you're going to have to respond to someone differently based on their perspective and how they grew up.

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How does it feel to be recognized as a leader in multicultural affairs in your field by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA)?

It's really special and gratifying for me. I've been doing this work for a long time, even before I got my PhD. I worked in Louisiana - just about being able to have dialogue with others around race – and helping work with the police department in Baton Rouge to have conversations with high school students or teens about how to have effective communication. And that work has spilled over into the work I do in speech language pathology in terms of being able to provide care for others.

Getting the award (ASHA’s Certificate of Recognition for Special Contributions in Multicultural Affairs) has been over a decade of work that I've been doing not only in research, but in teaching and in service. I did a lot of service work for the National Black Association for Speech Language Hearing, including helping to launch their cultural humility task force and now they do a fully online Cultural Humility Conference as well as the Cultural Humility Ambassadors Program. And while I no longer am in leadership with that organization, I was really excited about leading some of those initiatives that are still happening.

How does joining a professional organization like ASHA help further your career as a speech language pathologist?

I think it's so important to get visibility and being a part of these national organizations because you have an opportunity to talk to others who are in other parts of the country and world, that are part of the same work that you're doing, sharing experiences, making changes – and these may even be changes to like policy documents in your profession - and being able to collaborate on those things.

We can't operate in a silo. Working in a silo is only going to impact the piece of the world that you're connected to in that direct space. We have to continue to try to do things where we build webs, and that's how you're going to make change. Creating these webs and working with others who are in other places doing similar work as you and also learning from them.

How do you navigate interprofessional partnerships where you might have one goal, but your colleague has another?

Well, there's a lot of interprofessional practice that takes place as a speech language pathologist. And that's something I really speak a lot about to my students. The fact that you're going to be working with other professionals who have different ideas about how to approach the same client, but the goal is to provide the most effective care. And part of it is one of the pillars of cultural humility, which is this idea of moving towards egolessness.

I always think, if all of us could leave our ego at the door, we would provide better care where it's not just about saying, “well, I think this is what has to be done because of my training”, but more so saying, “okay, this is the perspective I'm coming from. Let me hear what those other professionals think, and let's come to the best decision for our client.”

In terms of providing care that's collaborative care; I think that that's an important way to look at it. So even though people might think, interprofessional practice doesn't really have anything to do with cultural humility, it does because you need to have humility to work with others to really further the process of your clientele and make it not about you.

What are some key takeaways you have learned in your career that you want to share with the PACE community?

Cultural humility is an ongoing process. Working with others is an ongoing process. You're not going to just wake up one day and be able to know what to do with everybody. Throughout your career, you're always going to encounter situations where you work with someone, or you're not sure of how to respond to them or to approach them.

I'm thinking about an encounter that I had when I was a clinical fellow working at a skilled nursing facility, and I had to do a swallowing evaluation for a patient who was Jewish. And I went in with the intention to carry out this evaluation as usual. I reviewed their medical records and walked in the same way I walk in with any client. And as I was about to start, the family was there and said, “you can't do this evaluation. The food isn’t kosher.”

And it may seem like something that you take for granted or that you think is small, but religious beliefs of someone in preparation of food was not something I had thought of before.

That was a definite pause for me. I had to go and speak to the dietician for the skilled nursing facility and then go speak to the kitchen because we didn't have a kosher kitchen. We implemented training for the kitchen staff to know how to prepare kosher meals and we had to research and find companies that prepared kosher food that had certain swallowing consistencies so that the nursing home could order those meals for that individual so that they could be able to assume their dietary needs.

That is just one example of being culturally responsive. I think people's definition of culture sometimes is very focused on one thing when it goes beyond that. It's all the elements that make you who you are.

What advice would you give students who are wanting to make a difference in their field but maybe nervous to take the necessary steps for change?

Well, I think especially during these times, we're moving into having to be brave in our spaces. And sometimes looking for equitable care and equitable opportunities for all may not just be speaking out when you see something that's not okay, or something that's not fair for both you and your clients.

I think this is such an important time for us to be able to know how and when to challenge the system and make changes. It's going to feel scary and you're going to feel like you don't you don't want to do it, or that you're scared to do it. But you have to always think about who is going to benefit from you saying something.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I just believe that this work is so important. I think even more so now considering how we're providing care to our clients and how we're communicating this information to our students. As we're becoming a more diverse and global world where, we have to have the perspective that there are going to be others who have opinions that differ from our own.

But how do we move forward in providing care and still working with others interprofessionally? That’s the key.