Laurence Unger, Chair
Laurence is Head of Public Markets at Legacy Trust Company in Houston. She has worked in investment management at family offices and hedge funds since graduating from Columbia Business School in 2010. She read Modern Languages (French and Russian) at Univ. Dr. She is always excited to connect with other US Old Members.
Sean Denniston, Secretary
Sean is a Management and Program Analyst for the Federal Aviation Administration implementing international Safety Management System (SMS) requirements for US airlines. SMS, used extensively in the transport and energy sectors, is a comprehensive approach to managing safety throughout an organization. Most of Sean’s career has been in transport including in Massachusetts, Cleveland, Ohio, and on Boston’s “Big Dig.” At Univ, Sean read for a second BA in Modern History (and is believed to be the last person to do the three year course in two). He was MCR Secretary, a forward on the first and second XV, and a proud rower on the Men’s 8th VIII. Sean’s Oxford involvements included lecturing at Oxford’s Transport Studies Unit and serving as President of the OUS Washington, DC Chapter.
Patrick Esposito, Treasurer
Patrick is an entrepreneur, business executive, attorney, and advisor. For more than two decades, he has helped to found, lead, and advise small- and medium-sized businesses in technology, consulting, retail, banking, real estate, and other sectors, including venture-backed startups that were acquired by global technology companies and publicly traded companies that were listed on major stock exchanges, as well as United States government organizations. Currently, he serves as President & CTO of ACME General Corp., a defense and national security innovation firm, and Chairman and CEO of ACME’s recently launched AI/ML spin-off Initiative Labs LLC. Patrick recently published the award-winning and best-selling book, The Structure of Success, to provide executive leaders with the tools to create the conditions for success in their business ventures. Patrick earned a Master of Studies degree in Modern History at University College, Oxford. He also holds two bachelors (cum laude) from West Virginia University and a J.D. from Georgetown University.
Chris Mammen
Chris is the Office Managing Partner of Womble Bond Dickinson’s San Francisco office. He previously led the firm’s US Intellectual Property Litigation Group and served on the firm’s Global Board. Chris co-founded the firm’s AI practice and is a member of its Innovation Board. For more than 25 years, Chris has guided Silicon Valley, national, and global tech and life sciences clients in high-stakes patent, other intellectual property, and technology litigation. One of only a handful of practicing lawyers to have earned a doctorate in Law from Oxford University in addition to a U.S. law degree, Chris has held visiting faculty positions at UC Hastings School of Law, Berkeley Law School, Stanford Law School, and Oxford University. Chris is a recognized thought leader on IP issues, including artificial intelligence. He speaks and writes frequently on IP, litigation, and technology topics.
Andrew Meier
Andrew is an award-winning biographer and author of three works of investigative nonfiction, Black Earth: A Journey Through Russia After the Fall, The Lost Spy: An American in Stalin’s Secret Service, and most recently, MORGENTHAU: Power, Privilege and The Rise of An American Dynasty. Each was named to a number of Books of the Year lists, and Black Earth has been widely hailed as one of the best books on Russia to appear since the end of the USSR. A former Moscow correspondent for Time, Andrew has contributed to The New York Times Magazine and numerous other publications for more than two decades. His work has been recognized with fellowships from the Cullman Center for Scholars & Writers at the New York Public Library, the Leon Levy Center for Biography, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. A graduate of Wesleyan University, Andrew took a second B.A. in Modern Languages (Russian) at Univ., where he studied under the peerless quartet of Dr. Mike Nicholson, Paul Foote, and Professors John Fennell and Gerry Smith. Andrew lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and their two daughters.
Jim Shannon
Bio coming soon
Jen Thum
Jen is Associate Director of Academic Engagement & Campus Partnerships and Research Curator at the Harvard Art Museums at Harvard University. She earned her M.Phil. in Egyptology from the University of Oxford and her Ph.D. in Archaeology and the Ancient World from Brown University. She is a specialist in the art and archaeology of ancient Egypt, an expert in museum pedagogy, and the author of numerous publications on teaching and learning about the ancient world. In addition to her museum work, Jen teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and serves as Vice President for Outreach and Education for the Archaeological Institute of America. She is committed to celebrating the learning potential of art and artifacts for students and the public alike. At Univ, Jen was the coxswain for the Men’s 1st VIII and the events coordinator for the MCR.