Two top Disney executives, Chipotle’s chief of HR and the president of Harvey Mudd College are the featured guest speakers at Cal Poly Pomona’s 62nd Commencement ceremonies, from June 8 to 10. About 6,600 students are graduating with bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees.
Bob Weis, president of Walt Disney Imagineering, will speak at the College of Environmental Design ceremony on June 10 at 8 p.m. He received a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the college in 1980.
Michele Gendreau, director of food and beverage and experience integration at Disneyland Resort, will speak at The Collins College of Hospitality Management ceremony on June 8 at 4 p.m. She received her bachelor’s degree from the program in 1983.
Chipotle’s chief of HR, Marissa Andrada, will speak at the College of Business Administration ceremony on June 9 at 9 a.m. The CPP alumna received her bachelor’s degree in management and human resources in 1989.
The College of Engineering ceremony has invited Harvey Mudd College President Maria Klawe as its guest speaker. The ceremony will take place on June 10 at 9 a.m.
Bob Weis (’80, architecture)
President, Walt Disney Imagineering
Bob Weis is the president of Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI), the creative engine behind experiences found in Disney theme parks, resort hotels, cruise ships, and consumer products—including books, games, and merchandise.
As the creative and design lead of some of Disney’s largest and most successful parks, Weis has decades of experience leading project builds around the world. Before becoming president of WDI, he was the creative executive of Shanghai Disney Resort. Prior to that, he completed a five-year transformation and expansion of Disney California Adventure. Weis’ previous projects include creative leadership over the original concept for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Tower of Terror attraction, conceptual design for Tokyo DisneySea, and work on the first international Disney theme park, Tokyo Disneyland.
Weis has been honored for his efforts numerous times, including multiple awards from the Themed Entertainment Association, along with awards for the development of Shanghai Disney Resort including China Construction Engineering Luban Prize and The American Institute of Architects Technology in Architectural Practice Award for the successful implementation of Building Information Modeling.
Weis’ outside creative experience includes collaboration with the Smithsonian and other museum projects, and feature film and documentary projects that have been shown on Lifetime Television Network and American Public Television.
Michele Gendreau (’83, hotel and restaurant management)
Director of Food and Beverage, Disneyland Resort
As the director of food and beverage for the Disneyland Resorts, which is part of its Experience Development & Integration team, Michele Gendreau helps tell the Disney stories that delight people worldwide through their palette.
Gendreau brings to the table more than 38 years of professional food and beverage industry experience in manager and director-level roles. She oversees development & strategy, growth and revenue initiatives in her area, and also leads the integration and maintenance of standards, training and development, auditing and technology. Before joining The Walt Disney Company in 2006, she worked in university dining services for San Jose State University and USC.
The Collins College distinguished alumna is involved with the university as the chair of The Collins College Board of Advisors as well as an active member of the Rose Float alumni chapter and has supported the university throughout her career.
Marissa Andrada (’89, management and human resources)
Chief Human Resources Officer, Chipotle Mexican Grill
Marissa Andrada is recognized for her leadership in growing brands by bridging strategy to organization and talent capability, driving innovation and scaling companies in founder-led environments. As the chief human resources officer at Chipotle Mexican Grill, Andrada is responsible for helping to develop the right structure and talent for sustained company growth, and creating a culture of recognition and innovation.
Andrada’s career encompasses more than 25 years of experience in human resources. Most recently, she was the chief human resources officer and senior vice president of human resources at Kate Spade & Company, where she led the company’s global HR function to create a culture of creativity and joy. Previously, she served as senior vice president of partner resources for Starbucks Coffee Company, where she oversaw the employee experience strategy and was a key member of the Starbucks senior leadership team. She has also served as the senior vice president of human resources at GameStop Corporation, where she and her team were instrumental in growing the retail and digital footprint. .
She has served as an advisory board member of Catalyst, a nonprofit organization that promotes inclusive workplaces for women and has been recognized by the National Diversity Council.
Andrada received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2015 from the Cal Poly Pomona Alumni Association. She also has an MBA from Pepperdine University.
Maria Klawe
President, Harvey Mudd College
Maria Klawe began her tenure as Harvey Mudd College’s fifth president in 2006. A renowned computer scientist and scholar, she is the first woman to lead the college since its founding in 1955. Previously she served as dean of engineering and professor of computer science at Princeton University; and dean of science at the University of British Columbia, where she also served as vice president of students and academic services and head of the computer science department.
Klawe has made significant research contributions in several areas of mathematics and computer science, including functional analysis, theoretical computer science, gender issues in information technology and interactive multimedia for mathematics education.
Klawe has given talks about diversity in STEM disciplines and industries, gender and gaming, and lessons from her own career. She is a board member of the nonprofit Math for America, chair of the board of the nonprofit EdReports.org, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, a trustee for the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley and a member of the Canada Excellence Research Chairs Selection Board.
Klawe received her doctorate (1977) and bachelor’s (1973) in mathematics from the University of Alberta.