The Whitman School Welcomes Three New Leadership Advisory Council Members

Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management has appointed three new members to the Whitman Advisory Council (WAC): David Nass ’91, P’24, P'26; Steve Kron ’95; and Ada Agrait ’94. 

Established in 1974, the WAC brings together accomplished alumni and valued partners who provide expertise and support for Whitman's strategic direction and priorities. In this role, they mentor students, serve on committees focused on experiential learning, careers and internships, and strategic initiatives, and provide philanthropic support that helps transform Whitman. 

“We are incredibly fortunate to have this caliber of talent joining our WAC,” says Alex McKelvie, interim dean of the Whitman School. “David, Steve and Ada bring deep industry expertise and a genuine commitment to our students. We’re grateful to have them as partners as we work together to shape Whitman’s future.”  

David Nass ’91, P’24, P’26 

David Nass ’91, P’24, P’25 earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from Syracuse University in 1991, laying the foundation for a commercial real estate finance career that now spans over three decades. After beginning his career at J.P. Morgan, Nass moved to Lehman Brothers to serve as head of CMBS banking. In that role, he oversaw the distribution of more than $95 billion in securitizations. He then went on to lead debt restructuring at DTZ Rockwood and CMBS banking at Morgan Stanley. Today, he serves as managing director and head of real estate finance at UBS Investment Bank in New York City, where he leads the firm’s securitized and balance sheet lending platforms. He earned an MBA from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis.  

Throughout Nass’s career, he has maintained a steady presence at Whitman. As a member of the school’s Real Estate Department Engagement Board, Nass has hosted career exploration trips, panels and networking events that have connected students directly with the industry he helped build. This dedication was recognized in 2024 with the Jonathan J. Holtz Alumnus of the Year Award, Whitman’s highest honor. He and his wife, Dina Nass ’91 (A&S), also established the Nass Mental Health Initiative to support programming aimed at helping students and young professionals prepare to navigate mental health and wellness in high-pressure careers. Thanks in part to their generosity in championing this important cause, Whitman received the 2025 Excellence in Mental Health and Well-Being Award from Insight into Academia Magazine.  

The family’s ties to Syracuse now run two generations deep, with children Sophie ’24, G’25 (Falk) and Abigail ’26 (VPA) continuing their Orange legacy. The couple also has a son, Tyler.  

Steve Kron ’95 

Steve Kron ’95 earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Whitman in 1995, before completing an MBA in finance at Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2000 as part of the financial services team in Global Investment Research, later becoming the firm’s senior analyst covering restaurants and packaged food. After a period as a portfolio manager at Diamondback Capital, he returned to Goldman in 2013 as managing director, and today serves as director of Americas equity research, with a role on the Americas Research Investment Review Committee, Research Operating Group and Firmwide Commitments Committee. 

Kron’s professional trajectory has unfolded alongside a deep commitment to Whitman. While at Goldman Sachs, Kron has welcomed student interns, hosted career exploration visits to the company's New York City office and led on-campus programming to help with recruitment and job placement efforts and build a pipeline that has helped more Whitman students find their way into the firm. In 2024, that sustained involvement earned him the Whitman Dean’s Citation for Exceptional Service. In addition to his volunteer engagement, Steve and his wife Lori Kron ’95 (FALK/A&S) have been generous donors in the Whitman Leadership Circle, supporting students beyond the classroom through their philanthropic leadership. Kron lives in Rye Brook, New York, with his wife and daughters, Emma and Jessie.  

Ada Agrait ’94 

Ada Agrait ’94 began her path into marketing leadership by earning a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University, followed by an MBA from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business. Her esteemed career started at Ernst & Young before moving into digital marketing and public relations at agencies in New York City. That early experience led her to Microsoft, where over the course of a decade she rose to vice president of commercial marketing, directing integrated strategy across the company’s commercial portfolio and serving in senior leadership roles for Bing, Microsoft 365, Power Platform and Azure. 

Agrait joined SAP in 2022 as executive vice president and global head of corporate marketing, leading the company’s global digital marketing transformation, including its go-to-market shift to the cloud, a new brand, and reimagined digital and event experiences. In 2025, she was named global chief marketing officer and a member of SAP’s Extended Executive Board. Today, she leads all of SAP’s global marketing teams, including brand and creative, digital experiences, integrated marketing, events, field and partner marketing, sponsorships, and product marketing for the company’s Autonomous Suite, Joule and Business AI Platform. Her work sits at the intersection of technology and communication, bringing a vital perspective to the WAC as the school shapes business education to match evolving global industries. 

Agrait has been actively involved with Syracuse University since graduation. She is a supporter of the Our Time Has Come (OTHC) Program, creating the Ada Agrait OTHC Scholarship to support undergraduate students and promote the educational benefits of a diverse student body. She has been a constant presence in OTHC programming, serving as a mentor to scholarship recipients, a professional resource to members of the cohort and a guest speaker for the OTHC Leadership sessions series. She was honored for this service by Syracuse University’s Office of Multicultural Advancement with an Alumni Award at the 14th Coming Back Together reunion event in 2024. Agrait lives in Kirkland, Washington, with her husband and daughter.