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Warren Zola, assistant dean for graduate programs in the Carroll School of Management, has been named executive director of the Boston College Chief Executives’ Club of Boston.
Zola, a former chief financial officer and member of the Massachusetts bar, will assume his new role Nov. 1.
With a membership of 400 companies, the Boston College CEO Club brings together leading CEOs for a unique networking opportunity and access to global CEOs who run some of the world’s biggest companies.
“I look forward to continuing the proud tradition of the Boston College Chief Executives’ Club of Boston as both a signature program of the Carroll School of Management and a crucial forum for the city’s business leaders,” said Zola. “I’m grateful to Carroll School Dean Andy Boynton and BC President William P. Leahy, SJ, for the opportunity to lead this Boston institution as it connects global corporate leaders with the men and women leading the business community.”
Boynton said Zola’s managerial background and experience will provide for a smooth transition while promising growth of the forum, which is housed in the Carroll School’s Office of Corporate and Government Affairs.
“I am delighted that Warren has accepted this role leading the Office of Corporate and Government Affairs,” said Boynton. “His management experience in both the corporate and academic arenas coupled with his own work as a thought leader in the business of sports will be valuable assets as he brings together executives for broad and vibrant exchange through the Chief Executives’ Club of Boston and the Boston College Citizen Seminars.”
Zola, who has served as one of the Carroll School’s chief financial administrators for more than a decade, replaces Peter Rollins, who retired last spring after leading the club for 21 years. During that time, BC’s CEO Club became the top-ranked business forum in the United States and one of the best in the world. Zola said the club will continue to bring global leaders to its highly regarded luncheon speaker series.
“The Chief Executives’ Club of Boston has become a must-attend event for the city’s business leaders,” said Zola. “I look forward to ensuring that our events continue to offer a unique networking opportunity for CEOs, add value to the work that they do, and play a part in helping to ensure that the Boston business community remains one of the most vibrant, innovative and successful in the nation.”
In addition to his administrative duties, Zola is an adjunct faculty member in the Carroll School’s departments of Business Law and Operations and Strategic Management, and chair of the University’s Professional Sports Counseling Panel, where he advises student-athletes pursuing career opportunities in professional athletics. In recent years, Zola has become a nationally known expert in the business of sports, sports law, and the transition of student-athletes from college to professional sports.
“We will remain fully committed to the needs of our membership and maintain our level of excellence by hosting speakers who are recognized thought leaders,” said Zola. “We will strengthen the ties between the organization and the Carroll School of Management, to ensure that the club highlights the work of the University and makes strong connections to the intellectual capital on our campus. I also look forward to deepening the connection between our dynamic forum and the Boston business community.”