2022 MaineMBA Alumni Award winners named

Orono, Maine — Four outstanding alumni of the University of Maine Graduate School of Business were honored at the inaugural MaineMBA Alumni Awards event on Jan. 20.

The alumni honorees are Michael Kuhn, manager of global strategic marketing, Johnson & Johnson, Boston; Ryan Curry, financial reporting manager, IDEXX, Gorham, Maine; Chris Treister, project manager, THOST Projektmanagement GmbH, Germany; and Josh Rosen of Portland, first graduate of the joint MaineMBA and J.D. program between UMaine and Maine Law School, who will complete his law degree this year and join the Boston-based law firm Foley Hoag as an associate attorney specializing in energy and climate law.

The first MaineMBA Alumni Awards event was an important landmark for the Graduate School of Business, honoring alumni of the MaineMBA as well as those who graduated from the founding programs at UMaine and the University of Southern Maine, says Norm O’Reilly, dean of the Graduate School of Business. 

“Although the GSB was formally launched in 2019, we have alumni extending back more than a half-century, all of whom are members of our GSB family,” O’Reilly says. “To our four inaugural winners, I congratulate you, and to all the nominees and nominators, I thank you.” 

For the event’s keynote address, Portland Mayor and MaineMBA student Kate Snyder sat down with O’Reilly to talk business, Portland and management education. A recording of the event and awards presentations is online.

Other speakers included University of Maine System Chancellor Dannel Malloy; UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy; UMaine Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost John Volin; and Chairman of the Harold Alfond Foundation and Chief Executive Officer and President of Dexter Enterprises Greg Powell.

More information the alumni award recipients:

Distinguished Alumni Award

Michael Kuhn, Class of 2014, UMaine MBA with a concentration in management

Manager, Global Strategic Marketing, Johnson & Johnson, Boston

Michael Kuhn is a subject matter expert in orthopedic robotics, having clinically aided the launch of both spine and brain robotic programs throughout the U.S., Europe and China. Early in his career, Kuhn helped build the first orthopedic spine robotic organization and personally managed hundreds of early procedures with leading orthopedic and neurosurgeons throughout the U.S. The technology’s capability was then leveraged and sold to Medtronic, the largest medical device manufacturer in the world, wrapped in the strategic framework to further lower the cost of healthcare through standardization and continues to be a major driver of growth and innovation within the industry.

After a successful leadership stint with Medtronic, Kuhn moved to Johnson & Johnson to help build the foundation of digital health care in a more strategic corporate capacity. His published research on servitization and systems thinking has raised awareness of the shifting competitive needs in health care and has been recognized by the industry worldwide.

Kuhn, a former member of the UMaine football team and recipient of a Correll Graduate Fellowship, also holds a master’s degree in organizational behavior from the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently participating in the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive Development Program.

Outstanding Accounting MBA Alumni

Ryan Curry, CPA, Class of 2012, UMaine MBA with a concentration in accounting

Financial Reporting Manager, IDEXX, Gorham, Maine

Ryan Curry is a talented professional who is always willing to share his knowledge and expertise with others. He serves on the MECPA board, regularly contributing to improvement and advancement efforts. He also serves on the IDEXX Analyst Community Steering Committee, where he helps analysts learn, grow and connect.

Curry personifies the concept of lifelong learning. He has numerous degrees and certifications — MBA, CPA, SAS Base Programming Specialist — and experience in public accounting and private industry. This experience provides him with a valuable perspective on the accounting profession, which he volunteers to share in conversations and presentations. This type of career path storytelling has become increasingly important to expand the pipeline of students entering the accounting profession.

Curry, who served eight years in the Army National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan, is devoted to both his profession and service to others.

U40 Award

Chris Treister, Class of 2013, UMaine MBA with a concentration in management

Project Manager, THOST Projektmanagement GmbH, Germany

Chris Treister, a Maine native and former UMaine football player, lives and works in Germany as a project manager at THOST Projektmanagement GmbH, a well-established project management firm spanning multiple industries, including health care, energy, mobility, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and real estate. Upon completing his MBA in 2013, Treister signed contracts to play football professionally in Italy in 2014 and in Germany in 2015. He truly took his MBA internationally, living and working in many countries throughout Europe, and launching d1theory.com, a successful multinational sports business.

Treister is listed in the Portland High School Hall of Fame and holds multiple passing records as a UMaine quarterback.

Dean’s Award

Josh Rosen, Classes of 2021 and 2022, UMaine MBA and Maine Law, Portland, Maine

Josh Rosen was an outstanding MBA student, and the first graduate of the joint MaineMBA and J.D. program between the University of Maine and Maine Law. During his time as a graduate student, he helped to organize a cross-divisional webinar on environmental and climate justice that attracted more than 400 participants; served as a consultant to several cities and towns in Maine on sustainability and climate policy; was a subject matter expert on offshore wind energy and supply chain development policy for the Maine International Trade Center; and maintained the highest standard of academic excellence. In addition to his outstanding academic, professional, and co-curricular record, Rosen is an outspoken advocate for diversity and equity initiatives. He will join one of Boston’s most prominent law firms, Foley Hoag, as an associate attorney specializing in energy and climate law after completing his bar exam in summer 2022.

Contact: Melanie Brooks, melanie.brooks@maine.edu