Pitt Business Alumnae Council

Customer Strategy Senior Manager at Merkle

Julie Kirsch is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in landscape architecture and marketing strategy. She graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Landscape Architecture and spent eight years in military master planning, working on projects for Army and Air Force installations. In 2018, Julie earned her MBA from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh, where she focused on digital marketing and strategy. Since then, she has been contributing her expertise as a Senior Manager of Customer Strategy at Merkle, a leading marketing agency. In addition to her work at Merkle, Julie founded The Friendship Strategist in 2019, a business focused on helping young professionals and career-minded individuals develop advanced networking skills. Through her blog and workshops, she offers guidance on building confidence, expanding professional networks, and creating strong personal brands. Julie is also actively involved with the Pitt Business Alumnae Council, where she serves as the Scholarship Chair. And when it’s time to unwind, you’ll find her painting, skiing down the slopes, visiting charming wineries, or enjoying the company of friends and family.

 Portfolio Manager, Piermont Bank

Elise Molinaro is a Portfolio Manager at Piermont Bank, where she supports small and medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on empowering women and minority founders. Through customized lending solutions—including fund finance and working-capital facilities—she helps broaden access to venture capital and fuel sustainable growth. In her role, Elise partners closely with internal teams to structure and execute credit-driven transactions, providing financial analysis, risk assessment, and relationship management to help clients scale and succeed. Prior to Piermont, Elise worked in Corporate and Investment Banking at Santander underwriting large financial transactions. Earlier in her career, she was a Ratings Associate at Moody’s covering corporate industrial names. Across these roles, Elise brings a strong analytical foundation and broad market knowledge in banking, credit, and corporate finance. 

Elise earned her degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2020, where she studied finance and data analytics. She served as president of the League of Emerging Analytic Professionals in 2019. During her time at Pitt, she also studied abroad in India and hiked the Himalayas for two weeks—an experience that deepened her global perspective and passion for exploration. She is an avid runner and has completed three marathons and over a dozen half marathons, embracing the discipline and resilience that the sport demands.

Assurance Senior Manager, CohnReznick LLP

Stephanie Sleva CPA, is a Senior Manager with CohnReznick based out of the Bethesda office with 8 years of experience in public accounting providing assurance services. Stephanie specializes in the real estate industry and has worked with real estate developers and syndicators specializing in low-income housing and historic tax credits. She is also well versed in the hotel industry including historic tax credit properties, working with both lodging management companies and owners from development through operations.

Stephanie oversees large, diverse teams and takes an active role that is necessary to effectively and efficiently manage client projects from start to finish. She actively engages her teams and clients to foster strong relationships while providing solutions to complex problems. Outside of her client-facing role, Stephanie is involved in CohnReznick’s CR Pride initiative and has been involved with several firm committees including learning and development, recruitment, and community service. Outside of work she is the President of the Pennsylvania Women’s Affordable Housing Network.

Stephanie earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Pittsburgh where she was involved in Delta Sigma Pi.

Category Manager, IT, Highmark Health 

As a Category Manager for IT Application Software at Highmark Health, Carolyn Zedalis oversees strategic sourcing and procurement initiatives that support the organization’s technology goals. In this role, she manages supplier relationships, leads RFx processes, and negotiates pricing and contracts to ensure optimal value and alignment with business needs. Partnering closely with internal teams across the business, finance, and legal, Carolyn ensures that software solutions are delivered at the right time, price, and quality. Her focus on collaboration, market insight, and strategic execution helps drive efficiency, cost savings, and long-term success for Highmark Health’s technology procurement function.

Each fall, together with the School of Business, the Pitt Business Alumnae Council hosts an afternoon tea to kick-off the new academic year. During the event we highlight certain student organizations that provide opportunities for female students to continue their education outside of the classroom and facilitate the development of connections between students and alumnae.

Each spring, the Alumnae Council works with students from the School of Business to host a conference focused on women’s leadership. Participants get the opportunity to hear from a distinguished female alumna of the University of Pittsburgh, participate in round table discussions, and network with current students and other alumnae.