Career Directors
Equipping you for success.
Our mission at Simon’s Benet Career Management Center (Benet Center) is to prepare every one of our students for long term career success, not just for their next job. We are committed to the success of every Simon graduate, and that includes providing career advisory support to help you determine—and reach—your professional aspirations.
The Benet Center put me in touch with specific companies—ExxonMobil was one they connected me with. They excel at finding good jobs and helping you get into your desired field.
Students helping students.
Simon’s Benet Career Peers (BCPs) are trained MBA students who are available to advise you on topics like choosing the right internship, building a job search strategy, interviewing, crafting your résumé, and preparing to enter a specific industry.
Meet the MS Career Directors.
Your MS Career Consultant will be available to provide both group support and one-on-one assistance from the day you arrive at Simon. With their in-depth experience of corporate culture, career path options, hiring needs and practices, and more, they are excellent resources to help you further your professional goals. They’ll come to know your technical and interpersonal strengths and how to use those unique attributes to position yourself for success.
Sanket Gomase
Sanket, a December 2020 graduate from Simon’s Marketing Analytics program, joined the Benet Career Management in February 2022. Upon completing his MS degree, Sanket joined ReachMobi as a product analyst and media buyer. In this role he was responsible for leading customer acquisition efforts using digital channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google while maintaining a margin positive ad budget worth $7M annually.
Three of Sanket’s proudest professional accomplishments include starting his first media production company at the age of 18; creating a collaboration platform for musicians called CoCreato which allowed independent musicians to create, record, and publish their original music; and working as a startup advisor for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women program.
With a unique perspective as a student and experience within the marketing industry, Sanket looks forward to sharing his professional experience as he coaches students along their career journey. Outside of the office, Sanket enjoys hiking, trekking, and traveling.
Libby Bakken
Libby is a long-term member of the Benet Career Center team and currently works as a Career Strategist on the MS team with MS Business Analytics students. In her role she provides 1:1 coaching sessions that offer a wide range of information, services, and support to students to ensure they are prepared to pursue analytics careers based on their skills, interests, and abilities, whether in the US or in home countries. As part of the MS team, she designs and facilitates ongoing programming to assist with all aspects of career planning and job search. In addition to an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), she has an advanced degree from Boston University and an Organizational Development certificate. Libby is also certified by the Center for Creative Leadership in their Executive Assessments and has extensive experience administering and interpreting a variety of personality and career interest inventories. She is passionate about helping Simon MS students succeed!
Libby’s professional work experience includes work as Corporate Director in Human Resources for a global marketing analytics consulting firm as well as stints within the financial services industry and with the Harvard Business School. After identifying career coaching as a strong interest, she served as Manager of Corporate Services in a career development consulting firm, providing consulting and leadership development programs and services to a range of organizations across the US.
Libby lives in Pittsford NY with her husband and two cats, Zelda and Jasmine, who sometimes appear on ZOOM calls to offer their own career advice. She enjoys reading, gardening, family visits, and all the time she can get on an ocean beach listening to the waves.
Katie Mulheron
Katie joined the Benet Center in May 2021 as a career consultant supporting MS Business Analytics. Katie brings to Simon a background in human resources—specifically corporate recruitment, early talent program management, and learning and development.
As an Early Talent Program Manager at Paychex Inc., Katie was responsible for expanding university relationships, developing campus programs across all lines of business nationwide, and educating recruiters and hiring managers on best practices. With career searches and timelines being complex, Katie’s true passion lies within coaching, educating, and making the process a simple one.
Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Katie has stayed close to her roots. She is a 2011 graduate of SUNY Fredonia where she majored in psychology and business administration. In addition to her work at Simon, Katie is an adjunct professor at the undergraduate level and teaches career planning for finance students at St. John Fisher College.
Manuj Mittal
Manuj joined the Benet Center in October 2023 as the MS assistant director and career consultant. He aims to support Benet Center by providing career advising and professional development services to the finance students. One of his proudest accomplishments is being a
two-time Simon alum, he received his MS in Finance in 2020 and his MBA in 2021. He holds his bachelor’s in accounting and finance from India where he also pursued Chartered Accountancy (Indian equivalent to CPA).
Manuj brings a global perspective, having had roles in both the U.S. and India. Most recently, he served as an investor services associate for Morgan Stanley in NYC where he expertly managed relationships with fund investors and managers, overseeing assets under management totaling $50B. Additionally, he has valuable experience in investment banking where he was responsible for creating M&A pitch materials and conducting detailed financial statement analysis for clients in various sectors. Previously, he worked at Grant Thornton within their Audit & Risk Advisory team.
He is a man of strong affiliation and believes that being a part of something bigger than yourself drive us to achieve extraordinary growth. He went to Mayo College, Ajmer (a private boarding school) and is a member of Rotary International (Service Organization) where he was chosen to lead South Asian (eight countries) Rotaract (Rotary Youth Wing) movement. He is big sports buff and a big supporter of Manchester United (Soccer club in UK). In his spare time, he likes to play golf, listen to music, and travel the world.
Melissa O'Neill
Melissa (she/her) joined the Benet Career Management Center in the summer of 2023 as the MS finance assistant director and career consultant. In this capacity, she provides guidance to master's students on career paths within finance, facilitates ongoing programming, and supports them in their career search endeavors both domestically and internationally.
Bringing more than two decades of expertise in talent acquisition, compensation management, and career consulting, Melissa is a seasoned HR professional driven by a passion for helping individuals achieve their career goals and aspirations. A graduate of SUNY Brockport with a major in psychology, Melissa has a track record of leading and developing HR teams, implementing corporate engagement strategies, managing salary administration programs, and optimizing HR processes to meet organizational needs and enhance employee performance.
Melissa's extensive background also includes leveraging her skills in career coaching, career development, conflict resolution, and recruiting to offer personalized career support to diverse clients and candidates. As a dedicated career consultant, she is committed to using her wealth of experience to assist Simon students in discovering their strengths, interests, and values, guiding them toward meaningful and rewarding careers.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Melissa resides in Hilton, NY, with her husband Sean, two teenagers, Braden and Alexa, and their Cavapoo, Ollie. Proudly embracing the role of a hockey mom, she spends weekends traveling to various cities and states to support her children as they pursue their passion for the sport they love.