Siobhan Pandya, Mary Kay Inc. senior director of business assurance and excellence, and Rance Poehler, president and CEO of Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, joined the Poole College Advisory Board this spring.
The board’s business executives, entrepreneurs and public-sector leaders work closely with the Poole dean and executive team to shape the college’s strategic direction and help Poole accomplish its objectives.
Pandya, who lives in Dallas, is a board member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the world’s largest professional accountancy body. For the ACCA, she oversees the executive board’s delivery of the Strategy to 2035, among other initiatives. She’s also a member of the ACCA Global Forum for Sustainability.
Pandya’s late husband, Rupesh J. Kotiya, was a 1998 Poole graduate who died in 2023 from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The couple established the Rupesh J. Kotiya Scholarship Endowment to provide need-based scholarships for Poole undergraduates.
She brings different perspectives to the Poole board from her experience in business, with nonprofits and professional organizations and as an entrepreneur.
Pandya appreciates “the opportunity to contribute to the long-term success of Poole College and make a difference in the lives of future generations, ensuring that they are set up for success when they leave college and enter the working world,” she says.
Poehler has been president and CEO of Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, headquartered at Research Triangle Park, since 2020. He has more than 30 years of experience in the B2B technology sector, including in executive roles for Dell, IBM and Panasonic.
Poehler’s position on Poole’s board reflects his commitment to “giving back to society, especially providing my experience and knowledge for future leaders of NC State, including Poole College of Management,” he says.
He and others at Toshiba have engaged in a variety of ways with Poole in the past few years. Toshiba hosted graduate and undergraduate students at company headquarters last fall for a tour and panel discussion among the organization’s executives and key staff. About 10 Poole students have had internships with the company since summer 2022.
Poehler joins Poole’s board at a time of momentum for the College of Management.
“The number of applications is at a record level. That’s not surprising. It’s a great program,” he says. “I hope they’ll keep evolving the program and listening to individuals like me and others who run businesses.”
