Our Alumni Community
15,000 – strong, Richmond’s alumni network spans the globe and connects former students from all walks of life, professions and interests. The university is proud of its alumni, their achievements and the difference they make to society with their unique personalities and backgrounds.
As Richmond graduates, you automatically join this powerful network of support and advocacy – a life-long resource that you can use to build your career and social contacts. For decades alumni have kept in touch with Richmond and have volunteered their time and expertise to support current students.
Alumni are also among our most generous and enthusiastic donors, helping to maintain the qualities that make Richmond so special – among all, its strong dedication in providing academic excellence with its extensive curricula, student’s support and different career opportunities.
Every year, we organise exciting events and gatherings for our alumni in London, an opportunity to re-connect with your former classmates in an informal setting and engaging activities all together.
Make a Donation
To keep the culture of Unity in Diversity alive, Richmond strives to celebrate each other’s uniqueness from all walks of life. We count on the donations and support of those who have walked through the doors of Richmond so future students can benefit from all we have to offer.
KEEP IN CONTACT
Stay in contact with us and receive regular updates from Richmond through our digital mailing list
SHARE WITH US
Share your stories, success and memories of Richmond with us and we will post them on our social media channels as an Alumni Spotlight to keep us #UnitedinDiversity
CONNECT WITH RICHMOND
We would love to keep in touch by any means possible. Get the most up to date news through LinkedIn
Visit the new webpage dedicated to the news and events as Richmond celebrates being 50 years old.
2019 Alumni Magazine
Richmond, The American International University of London’s Alumni Magazine is here!
Catch up with our news and events, read about the exciting lives and careers of students past and present and find out what you can do to support the network.
Alumni Masters Scholarship
We have various opportunities for Richmond and AIFS Alumni to benefit from financial aid and discounts to continue their studies.
All Richmond and AIFS alumni are eligible for an Alumni Masters Scholarship, with a 20% reduction in tuition fees on our postgraduate programmes.
Our Masters programmes start in Fall or Spring and most of them are offered either full-time for a year or part-time over two years. You will be able to study one programme and gain two degrees, as the University awards a UK & US qualification at Master’s degree level, offering opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic and internationally.
Annual Alumni Reunion in London
In 2019, we hosted the Richmond Alumni Reunion Weekend which was attended by over 150 former Richmond Students and Supporters. We managed to catch up with a few of them and ask them about the time they spent with us, what their most memorable experiences were and, how they’ve gone on to use the skills and knowledge they gained at Richmond.
We also regularly run global reunions and events throughout the year in cities all over the world including Dubai, New York, Beirut, Istanbul and LA.
Alumni Event Video Gallery
TRIED & TRUE
We’d like to share with you how students at Richmond become tomorrow’s leaders, innovators, and change-makers. But don’t take our word for it – let our students and alumni tell you themselves about their experience of studying at Richmond and its impact on their life and career.
Graduation 2019
Richmond University is proud of our students’ achievements, wishing our ambitious 2019 graduates a bright future and a successful career ahead.
The graduation ceremony took place on Thursday 16 May 2019 at Cadogan Hall – one of London’s leading concert and events venues, set in the heart of Chelsea.
We are looking forward to keeping in touch and hearing their exciting life stories in a few years.
We asked our students what they enjoyed the most about studying here at Richmond, The American International University in London.
Featured Alumni
Michael Mascioni – Albert Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
Visiting Student, 1975
Michael Mascioni, a former visiting student at Richmond, received the Albert Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from the Marquis Who’s Who organisation.
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Michael attended Richmond during the spring semester of 1975 studying English Literature, French, and Philosophy as a visiting student. He received his B.A. from St. Lawrence University and went on to do an M.S. degree in management at the Polytechnic Institute of NY (now PolyNYU).
In addition to his Albert Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, Michael has written a chapter on the future of immersive media in amusement parks for a book called, ‘50:50 – Scenarios for the Next 50 Years’, which was published in 2021 by Fast Future Publishing.
Michael is a freelance writer on digital media, clean energy, and other topics for such publications as Innovation & Tech Today and Inter Park. In addition, he does conference production and marketing work in digital media, and served as co-chairman of a conference called ‘The Future of Immersive Leisure’. He is also co-author of ‘The Out-of-Home Immersive Entertainment Frontier’.
Michael is currently serving as conference producer for the Metaverse Spectrum conference, and he released a book last year called “Reinventing Government through Political Entrepreneurship and Exponential Innovation.” He will be releasing a follow-up book called “New Startup and Innovation Models in Government and Politics” in November 2023.
John Haffner
Visiting Student, 1997
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In late 2015, John started a Cuba travel and consulting business, organizing tourism and business trips to Cuba and helping navigating the legal and regulatory landscape. John is based in New Orleans but in Havana frequently. He was a Study Abroad student at Richmond in 1997 who later graduated from Boston University in History and Politics and then the University of Alabama School of Law. “My time at Richmond profoundly influenced the rest of my life. Living and studying with such an interesting, diverse group of people, in one of the greatest cities in the world, expanded my perspective and set me on the path that I’ve been on ever since. Being open to the world, to the common humanity of everyone, and wanting to contribute…Richmond inspired all of this in me.
To my fellow Richmond alums: Come visit!”
You can connect with John below:
Website: www.cubatradeandtravel.com
Email: johnwhaffner@gmail.com
Ibrahim Zakari
BA Business Administration and Economics graduate, 1996
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Ibrahim Zakari is an honorary special adviser to the government of Katsina state, Nigeria on international relations and investments. In just 2 years of his appointment, he has been able to attract a lot of foreign investment to the state without a financial commitment from the state. The best and forefront of it all is a modular refinery which will be co-financed by European and American investors. He has also been able to provide employment to thousands of youths and empowered widows in the state in order to alleviate poverty. He calls for support from Richmond Alumni, Supporters and Friends to support the development of his projects in Nigeria.
“Richmond has influenced my drive in working with various ethnicities and religions as it is in our motto “Unity in Diversity”. Having studied in a multilingual and multinational environment, it exposed me to think and see things out of the box. I see the world as “one”. I don’t see myself as a Muslim, Nigerian, Black or African but as a human being. In my empowerment, I don’t look at your ethnicity, religion or background but at your needs. I can say Richmond has really helped me in this aspect of my life.”
Gaia Trussardi
Richmond Alumni & Visiting Professor
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Gaia is a freelance creative entrepreneur spacing from audio-visual to music projects and up until 2018, was the Creative Director of Trussardi Group for which she supervises all creative aspects, from the conception and development of the collections to style and advertising campaigns. Gaia joined her parents in the family business at a very young age. Over the years, she has worked in all areas of the company’s creative and production process – from materials selection to stylistic decisions – gaining great entrepreneurial expertise and perfecting her trend-setting approach. Gaia Trussardi is currently a member of the Board of Administration of the group.
Gaia, who earned a degree in Sociology and Anthropology obtained at Richmond the American University in London, London where she lived for years, is a keen observer of lifestyles and trends in various cultural areas such as fashion, society, communications, and music. She has recently agreed to become a Visiting Professor at Richmond University.
Perry Stamp
BA Degree in International Relations graduate, 2008
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“Studying at Richmond gave me the opportunity to get an international perspective on international relations. Richmond excels at bringing together people from various backgrounds, forcing them to confront preconceived ideas about each other and about the world in which we live. In my first year at Richmond, I had ten different professors from seven different countries and classmates from dozens more. Coming from a small town in the mid-western U.S., this experience alone was profound. Never before in my life had I been surrounded by such diversity. Another advantage of Richmond is the access that students have to their professors. They develop meaningful connections with the students and offer one-on-one mentorship. I can’t stress enough how helpful it was to be able to show up at office hours and talk through complicated issues or to get advice about internships and careers. It made all the difference.
Today, I am a Foreign Service Officer (diplomat) with the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C, posted to our consulate in São Paulo, Brazil. My job is to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives while building strong and meaningful business, cultural, and personal relationships between the United States and Brazil.”
The text above was written by Perry Stamp in his personal capacity. The opinions expressed are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of the U.S. Department of State, or the United States government.
Dounia Saadi Drissi
MBA graduate, 2016
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“My year at Richmond was very exciting in both the learning and the social aspects. The small class size made it easier to make connections, switching from classmates to good friends. I had the opportunity to take very interesting courses, held by some of the best faculty members. My Richmond experience has granted me the chance to develop skills and competencies such as multitasking, teamwork and rigour. At the same time, it has encouraged me to grab each and every opportunity, to do more and be more, a mind-set that is incredibly valuable in both the workplace and elsewhere, and I am so grateful for that.”
Dounia is currently a Consultant Wealth and Asset Management at Ernst and Young in Paris.
Ryan Baldry
BA International Relations graduate
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“One of the greatest aspects of studying at Richmond was the liberal arts element to my International Relations degree. As well as being able to study my main subject, I was able to supplement this with other courses that I would not have necessarily been able to study in a typical British university. A liberal arts degree allowed me the freedom to fine tune my degree to what I wanted to get out of it rather than be set on a course that I wasn’t 100% sure of. During my studies, I was able to take courses that would have otherwise been unavailable to me yet still managed to build upon my degree and expand my understanding of the international system and its history. “
“Since leaving Richmond, I believe that I have been able to put my liberal arts education to good use as I currently work in the UK Parliament for a Government MP. I am able to look at problems and policies more comprehensively than looking at something in a more focused and black and white way. I wouldn’t hesitate to encourage everyone to take up a liberal arts degree as it has endlessly improved the quality of my degree and preparedness for the future.”
Ryan works for Chris Philp MP, Member of Parliament for Croydon South.
Tessy de Nassau
BA in International Relations graduate, 2014
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Tessy is currently the Global Advocate for Young Women and Adolescent Girls for UNAIDS (Geneva), an Associate Fellow in the Global Health Department at Chatham House (London), a Trauma Therapist at Groupe de Support Psychologique (Luxembourg), as well as one of the co-founders and executive members at Professors without Borders – a social enterprise that aims to bring quality education all around the world. Among other activities, Tessy also participates with many other charitable organisations and frequently presents at various international conferences and summits all around the world. In the past, Tessy was an officer in the Luxembourg Army – having participated in the peacekeeping mission in ex-Yugoslavia – and the Luxembourg Representative at the NATO Allied Command Transformation Conference. She has also worked at the Embassy of Luxembourg in Geneva and London.
She is now the newly appointed Director of VICE Media Impact for the whole EMEA regions.
Rami Suleiman
BA Business Administration with a major in Marketing graduate, 2008
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Rami worked for Richmond within the Middle East recruitment and Admissions team between 2009 and 2010 and now works as the Public Relations & Marketing Coordinator at Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi.
Rami was interested in coming to Richmond because of its diverse culture and his own desire to live and study in London. He chose to study a major in marketing as he enjoys the creative processes involved in the development of new ideas. “For me, Richmond is characterised by the friendly atmosphere of campus life and the diversity of its student body. Most importantly, I feel that a key advantage to Richmond’s education and culture is the one-to-one relationships that students develop with their professors.”
Sanjay Raya
Richmond University graduate, 2011
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“The quality of teaching at Richmond was exceptional. I acquired practical tools that equipped me to further my studies via a post-graduate degree. As a Master’s student at the London School of Economics it has prepared me to engage with my work and has equipped me with the skills to cope with the fast paced environment of the LSE. The teaching style at Richmond was very interactive. Lecturers were very engaging, approachable and helpful and small classroom sizes made it easy to engage with peers and professors. The course elements gave me the ability to create and start various initiatives due to the unique make-up of the University. My Richmond experience allowed me to explore my interests and I was able to determine where my passion and strengths lie, which completely changed my perspective and career path.”
During his time at Richmond, he was very involved both socially and academically. Sanjay co-founded the Richmond International Action Network, a charitable organisation assisting local economic growth in developing nations and became a Resident Advisor, supporting the welfare of students living on campus. Sanjay achieved a Summa Cum Laude US honours and First Class BA (Hons) UK degree. After Richmond, Sanjay completed postgraduate studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science whilst simultaneously completing a work placement with the Chief Shadow Secretary to the Treasury in Parliament. He is now working at the National Audit Office scrutinising the UK government’s public spending on behalf of Parliament.
Aleksandra Kordecka
BA International Relations graduate, 2002
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“The three years I spent at Richmond were not only invaluable but laid a strong foundation for both my personal development and professional career. From an academic standpoint, the quality of teaching and range of courses on offer as well as the diverse inputs from its international students, all contribute to making Richmond superior to many of the top European universities. My own experience of Richmond was enriched with the discovery of many cultures and people from backgrounds so different from my own, as well as helping me to develop a confidence in expressing my own opinions”.
Aleksandra later obtained an MSc European Politics and Governance from the London School of Economics (LSE) in 2004. Aleksandra currently works as Assistant to the Director-General at the European Commission in Bruxelles, and previously as an International Relations Officer at Directorate General Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
Bobby Chinn
BA in Business Administration and Economics graduate, 1986
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Bobby started out working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. He quickly realized that his ambitions were to lead him elsewhere. He is a popular culinary figure throughout Asia, both for his two highly-regarded restaurants in Vietnam in Hanoi and Saigon, and for the award-winning TV series World Café. Half Egyptian, half Chinese, born in New Zealand, educated mostly in England and California. He lives most of the year in Vietnam and travels throughout Asia, cooking food that has been described by the Asian Wall Street Journal as ‘The best Californian cuisine outside of California’. In 2013, Bobby founded a new Vietnamese restaurant, The House of Ho, in Soho, London. Since 2016 he has been a Top Chef Judge MBC.
J. Marina Muhlfriedel (née Joanne M. Russo)
Richmond College – Study Abroad Programme graduate, 1972
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Marina is a Senior Copywriter & Producer, based in Los Angeles, USA. She was at Richmond in 1972 as part of the Study Abroad programme. She developed a strong career as content and copywriter, that toot her to become a Creative Director at Big Imagination Group, a full-service brand strategy, creative and digital marketing agency located in Los Angeles Arts District and she was recently appointed as Content Strategy Manager within the group.
Cierra Saylor
BA in International Relations graduate, 2016
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Cierra graduated from Richmond University in 2016 with a degree in International Relations and a minor in Psychology. She was actively involved with Richmond University student affairs and maintained a Saylor has was also awarded the Thomas Pickering Scholarship to study and MA in Diplomacy at George Washington University in Washington DC. She is a 2017-2018 Graduate Ambassador at the Center for Student Engagement, Division of Student Affairs, GWU.
Watch her graduation speech on YouTube.
Jade Bouhmouch
BA in International Relations graduate, 2012
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Jade took off his career as consultant, specializing in sourcing and evaluating private investments in the MENA region. He moved to San Francisco to join Merrill Lynch in their investment advisory division. He was promoted in 2014 to Senior Analyst within the Private Banking and Investment Group and managed a portfolio of a long/short equity strategy, being also a member of his team’s Investment Committee. As Associate at GCSM (Global Sustainable Capital Management) he develops financial and operating models for equity transactions.
Jade is a charter member of the Beta Psi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and is a CFA Level 3 candidate. He also holds an MBA from INSEAD.
Senanu Arkutu
Doctor of International Business (Honoris Causa), 2018
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“Richmond gave me a strong intellectual framework and academic discourse for life, and it’s not farfetched to imagine the career path I chose and was equipped to pursue.
“International Development – working for the United Nations and other NGO’s within the field of sexual and reproductive health, a stint in Advertising, and now an entrepreneur with a Pan-African interior décor company. My company, DAAR Living, visually showcases the many layers of ancient and contemporary multi-ethnic Africa with its European and Arabic colonial past through the interior styling projects and home décor pieces sold. There are multiple stories to tell, layers upon layers.”
“What Richmond did for my personal development was paramount. I have learned to consciously identify the cultural layers that exist within a person, and try to speak to those layers. At the core of that deliberate communication was learning to listen. Listen to the words said, the phrases enacted and the silences. Undeniably, these skills shaped me as a consultant. Whether it was a young woman looking for the right contraceptive method to plan her family in rural Ghana, or a young returnee couple wanting to decorate their first home in Accra, my job was to listen, translate and meet a perceived need.”
“At Richmond, we understand the beauty of diversity and different ways of seeing because it was celebrated and we were all allowed to be our unique selves in a nurturing environment where the lecturers knew us by name.”
