Meet the Team

With over 15 years of experience in higher education management, teaching, training, curriculum design, experiential learning, and e-learning, I am passionate about finding new ways to bridge the education and workplace gap. As the current Director of Experiential Learning at University of Miami Herbert Business School, I design and implement innovative programs that provide students with hands-on learning opportunities and exposure to real-world challenges and solutions. As a lifelong learner, I am currently researching the relationship between B Corporations and resilience.

Past leadership roles in financial services at Bank of America and global programs at Stanford University GSB. Education highlights: DBA@ Golden Gate University, MBA @HEC Paris School of Management, BA @UC Berkeley, certificates in Digital Marketing and ESL Teaching. Languages: Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese (conversational). Lived in 5 countries and visited 60+ others. I enjoy communicating with diverse audiences and delivering creative and effective messaging and presentations.

Garth Birch is the Director of Employer Relations for the Unanue Graduate Career Center. Prior to that, he was an accomplished Career Advisor at the University of Miami, where since September 2021 he guided over 1200 undergraduate students through all stages of career planning, from self-assessment and resume workshops to networking and employer engagement, achieving outstanding placement rates in internships and full-time roles with top firms like Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Merrill Lynch, Bloomberg, and United Healthcare. Before joining UM, Garth built a 20-year career in advertising and marketing, holding senior roles at agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy CommonHealth, Cline Davis and Mann and FCB, His time there includes serving as Vice President managing multimillion-dollar budgets and major pharmaceutical campaigns. He also founded Real World Academy, an educational nonprofit focused on college and career readiness for high school students. Drawing on this blend of corporate and educational expertise, Garth excels at helping students align their strengths and passions with meaningful career paths.

As the Business Operations Manager of the Unanue Graduate Career Center, I play a key role in ensuring the smooth daily operations of our department. With a strong background in administrative management and student services, I serve as a point of contact for students, assisting with conference registration, reimbursments, case competiton involvement and traveling information while fostering an organized atmosphere.

I manage overseeing logistical planning for the many events hosted by the Graduate Career Center.  Known for my attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and commitment to service, I am dedicated to creating a supportive environment that allows both students and the school to thrive.

Outside the office, I enjoy traveling, dancing, reading, volunteering in the community, and spending time with family.

Michael Johnson relocated to Miami in 2024 after a 20+ year career in the asset management industry in the New York City area. From 2011 to 2019, he was a managing director at Goldman Sachs Group, Inc and head of the commodities portfolio management team in the firm’s investment management division. Prior to that, Michael was a portfolio manager for commodity strategies and alternative investment products, where he focused on trade generation, risk allocation and investment strategy evaluation. Throughout his 18 years at Goldman Sachs, he was extremely involved with both undergraduate and MBA recruiting. Michael also has experience in the insurance and reinsurance industries and worked for a short time at a boutique broker/dealer focusing on equity research. Michael has a MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with concentrations in analytical finance and econometrics and a BA from Tufts University, summa cum laude with a major in economics.

Alma has over 15 years of graduate Career Management experience, having coached MBAs across the Full-time, Working Professional, and Executive programs as well as specialty Master’s programs at the McCombs School of Business. Her industry experiences include recruiting, talent management, and finance roles at Motorola and Procter & Gamble. Alma is a Certified Graduate School Career Coach with a Bachelor of Science in International Business and a Master of Science in Economics. In her private career and leadership consulting practice, she has empowered talent across all levels from junior to executive. Having coached hundreds of graduate students and business professionals on job search and career transition, Alma enjoys helping others build tools and competencies that support their unique career goals. She looks forward to working with Herbert’s graduate students to help them confidently navigate their career journeys.

Joaquin Ramos Jr. is a dedicated higher education professional with over a decade of experience in career advancement, academic advising, and program coordination. As Assistant Director, Graduate Career Advancement & Engagement at the University of Miami Herbert Business School, he spearheaded the successful launch of the Alumni Connection series, significantly enhancing student exposure and networking opportunities. Joaquin also serves as an Adjunct Faculty member, teaching graduate-level career development courses. He holds a Master of Higher & Post-Secondary Education from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Florida International University.

Mark Shapiro is a professor of professional practice in business law and is also associate dean of undergraduate business career development for Miami Herbert Business School. He previously served as the interim director of graduate career services. From 1997 to 2015, he was a partner at the law firm of Akerman LLP, a national law firm of more than 700 lawyers, and practiced as a trial lawyer in the areas of insurance coverage, bad faith, ERISA, and contract/tort disputes. He served on Akerman’s board of directors and was the chair of its Miami Litigation Group and its National Insurance Litigation Group. He also served as Akerman’s national associate development partner, responsible for coordinating the development, training, mentoring, compensation, and promotion of Akerman’s associate lawyers and for hiring and management of Akerman’s Summer Program for law students. Shapiro was recognized by Best Lawyers in America from 2013 to 2023 as one of America’s best lawyers in insurance law. He has also won various Excellence in Teaching Awards in the graduate and undergraduate programs. Moreover, the National Academy of Legal Studies in Business voted Shapiro the winner of the academy’s 2023 Master Teacher Award. Shapiro graduated with distinction from Swarthmore College with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and a concentration in international relations. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor.