Provost Bongiovanni Announces New Dean of the School of Business
1/29/2025
Raymond Pullaro Brings Forward-Thinking Perspective to the University’s Newly-Formed School of Business
Provost and Dean of Faculty Lynne Bongiovanni, together with the entire University of Mount Saint Vincent community, is proud to announce that Raymond Pullaro was appointed as the inaugural Dean of the School of Business at the start of the Fall 2024 semester.
An experienced and dynamic business leader, Dean Pullaro comes to the Mount from Gilded—a financial technology enterprise that uses distributed ledger to provide digital ownership of physical gold and endow it with functionality—where he served as Chief Communications Officer for over three years. Prior to this, Dean Pullaro spent six years as a Dean at Long Island University.
He was eager to return to higher education in an effort to live out his passion of transforming the lives of future business professionals.
“We have been delighted to welcome Dean Pullaro into the Mount community over these past few months,” Dr. Bongiovanni shared. “With his experience presiding over AACSB-accredited business programs—combined with his two decades of work at the forefront of the global business and financial spheres—Dean Pullaro will usher in a new generation of leadership for our School of Business.”
With the recent amending of the institution’s charter to officially designate it a university, the Mount’s administration spent the past year reorganizing the then-College’s undergraduate department structure into University-wide Schools—which includes, of course, the School of Business.
At LIU, Dean Pullaro was the first dean to consolidate management of two unique entities within the university structure: the AACSB-accredited College of Management, based in suburban Long Island with 1,000 students, and the highly diverse and financially deserving School of Business in the heart of downtown Brooklyn with 500 students. He launched over half a dozen new programs between the two aforementioned schools. Under his tenure, enrollments found steady increase—even during COVID—and he obtained numerous philanthropic commitments and grants to enhance program offerings and scholarships.
Dean Pullaro also carries with him the benefit of twenty years of experience on Wall Street. During that time, he worked as a trader and hedge fund investor, culminating at Blackstone—where he served on the BAAM Executive Committee. Before joining UMSV, he helped develop an entrepreneurial FinTech venture that uses blockchain to digitize ownership of physical assets. Dean Pullaro is also a published author, recognized for best paper awards, and holder of a U.S. patent.
Returning to the university-setting had always been top of mind. Dean Pullaro’s past experience in administration focused on developing engaging opportunities for students to connect the theory of the classroom to practical experiences and applications in the real world.
“When I heard that the College of Mount Saint Vincent was becoming a university and, as part of that evolution, the institution would be launching a School of Business, the opportunity to build a learning community from the ground up was too interesting and important to ignore,” Dean Pullaro shared. “I have family members who attended the Mount and I know how special of a place it was for them. Reflecting on the Mount’s motto, ‘Teach me goodness and discipline and knowledge,’ I knew I wanted to be part of a place like that.”
In his first few months on campus, Dean Pullaro witnessed what he calls a “culture of care” that pervades the campus. It’s no secret that students get to know their faculty—and their Dean. If a student needs help, they receive it from their professors and advisors without stigma.
The other distinguishing feature is, of course, our commitment to social mobility. Dean Pullaro referred back to our recent U.S. News & World Report ranking as the #1 institution for social mobility among regional colleges in the north (and for the second year in a row). Our students are getting value for their investment in a higher education. They take on less borrowing compared to other institutions, and yet they have strong career outcomes.
When asked to describe the University’s business students in one word, Dean Pullaro responded with:
“Audacious. Many of our students have taken bold risks on their individual journeys to the Mount. Many have overcome much adversity. But, they know that anything is possible.”
With a full semester under his belt, Dean Pullaro has already begun implementing strategic new initiatives into the School of Business.
“When I arrived, I told the academic leadership team that I wanted to make meeting and working with students my first order of business,” he shared. “To that end, we formed the ‘Dean’s Student Advisory Council’ to assist me in forming a vision for our new school. The council is comprised of 15 student members that provide input and feedback on our proposed Strategic Plan. As a thank you for their energy and efforts, I have connected each of them with mentorship and career development opportunities.”
As for the most rewarding part of his experience thus far?
“Of course, working each day with our aspiring business students is always rewarding. But I have to mention that the business faculty have warmly welcomed me into their community and show such a deep commitment to our students. This has been so refreshing and inspiring to witness.”
As his work continues, Dean Pullaro has his sights on expanding course offerings and networking opportunities for students studying in the School of Business. One new initiative he hopes to incorporate is weaving recognized certifications into the fabric of the business curriculum. By utilizing our partnership with Coursera, requiring business students to earn a certification in generative AI from IBM, advertising from Google, or Excel from Microsoft as they complete their core business courses will ensure that every graduate not only has a degree, but also a handful of certifications to support their career goals.
Dean Pullaro will spearhead efforts to refine and expand the University’s undergraduate and graduate programs in business, accounting, and economics—with plans to add the Mount’s first doctoral program in business in the near future.
“Thinking ahead a few years, I am excited for the University to be able to provide a relevant curriculum with certifications and training in the soft skills that employers demand while also engaging students in extracurricular experiences that bring what they are learning in the classroom to life—and to deliver these in such a way that our students remain true to the traditions of the Sisters of Charity, knowing that they can do well by doing good.”
Welcome again, Dean Pullaro. We look forward to the many years ahead.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers a nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the University equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment, and leadership in the 21st century.