staff

Kristen Koziak
(Manhattan College)
In-Person Experiential Manager

Kristen joined Thayer Leadership in 2019 and has served in a variety of roles.  Today she is an In-Person Experiential Manager.

She graduated from Manhattan College with a Bachelor’s of Science in Finance and International Business and started her career in the corporate sector at Oppenheimer Capital (currently Allianz). After 2 years, she became an Assistant Vice President on the Portfolio Implementation Team that was responsible for managing the equity portion of $67 billion in managed accounts. While at OpCap, she participated in a cross-functional program, OPEX (Operational Excellence), which was designed to streamline processes throughout the organization. Additionally, she co-created her team’s Business Continuity Plan, which was designed in response to the NYC Blackout in 2003.

While working, she went back to school and received her MBA in Management, where she won an award for her thesis and defense of it. The topic, "The Benefits of Employee Recognition Programs in U.S. Corporations,” was inspired by observations she made while working in the corporate sector.  She later transitioned to Higher Education where she taught college-level business courses for 15 years. As an Assistant Professor of Business, she has taught many courses, including, but not limited to: Organizational Leadership, Financial Management, Business Statistics, Business Law, and a multitude of others. Additionally, she really enjoyed helping students develop an educational plan that aligned with their long term career goals.

She has been a certified fitness professional and licensed USSF Soccer coach for 12 years. She teaches a variety of formats to people of all ages and physical abilities. Inspiring an active lifestyle through fitness is a passion of hers. While she no longer coaches youth soccer, she serves as an executive member of the Board of Directors for Tobar Futbol Academy. She and her husband recently celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary and have two dogs and three very active children who fill their schedules with travel for soccer and dance!