About Michael
Be it as a college professor, corporate trainer, or operations analyst and manager, my education and work has primarily been in the field of management and leadership.
After graduating with my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from West Virginia University, I began my professional work in the hospitality industry with Pargo’s American Food and Spirits, an 18-unit restaurant chain as an operations manager and corporate trainer. In this capacity, I opened restaurants and trained newly hired staff in policy, procedure, and standards of excellence. I also was a department manager and GM and was responsible for all functions of operations, including Human Resources, marketing, financial management, production, and service.
After graduating with my Master of Management degree from Cornell University I took an Analyst position with The Breakers (AAA Five Diamond Award) to leverage my combination of education and experience on a strategic level. In this capacity, I focused on increasing revenues in the food and beverage division. This was accomplished through the development of a new reservation system for holiday events and restaurants. It was during this time that I was offered the opportunity to pursue my passion for teaching at the college level on a full-time basis at Mercyhurst College.
During my 4 years as a full-time faculty instructor at Mercyhurst College (now Mercyhurst University), I combined my education and experience in management to teach courses in the Walker School of Business, including Principles of Management, Human Resources, and Leadership in Organizations. In addition, I used my professional experience to teach hospitality-focused business courses and electives. I also advised students, and served the department, business school, and university in a variety of roles.
After moving to Philadelphia with my wife, Christine, I took a Human Resources position at The Art Institute of Philadelphia (AiPH) as Director of Training and Development. In this role, I designed, organized, delivered, and administered all aspects of the planning and implementation of a comprehensive training and development program for all faculty and staff of the college. For faculty, this included quarterly faculty development programs, technology software training, the awarding of faculty development funds for conference attendance, professional society membership funding, and was co-chair of the faculty title review committee. For staff, I ensured all corporate training initiatives were adhered to, and directed, developed, and conducted training programs on such topics as customer service, communication, leadership styles and team synergy. I also ensured that the college was meeting the prescribed requirements of its licensing and accreditation agencies.
While working at AiPH, I taught part-time at Drexel University from 2005 – 2010. In the LeBow College of Business and the Goodwin College of Professional Studies, I taught undergraduate and graduate onsite and online courses in Organizational Behavior, Leadership, Customer Service, and Human Resources.
In 2010, I accepted a full-time teaching position at Saint Joseph’s University (SJU) in the Department of Management in the Erivan K. Haub School of Business from 2010 – 2022. In that capacity I taught undergraduate and MBA onsite and online courses in Management, Leadership, Organizational Behavior, and Ethics and was a recipient of the Merit Award for Teaching Excellence. In addition, I managed the Adjunct Faculty Program for the department, which included recruitment, selection, scheduling, communications, performance appraisals, and coaching. In service, I advised students and was the chapter advisor for Delta Sigma Pi, a national co-ed business fraternity, and was recipient of the Chapter Advisor of the Year award from the national office. As a scholar, I collaborated with faculty colleagues on peer-reviewed journal articles and research grant awards.
Since moving from Philadelphia in 2022 to be closer to family, I remained at SJU teaching online courses in an adjunct capacity. In addition, I taught online courses in the Management discipline at both Syracuse University and Cleveland State University.
Since moving from Philadelphia in 2022 to be closer to family, I remained at SJU teaching online courses in an adjunct capacity. In addition, I taught online courses in the Management discipline at both Syracuse University and Cleveland State University.
Currently, I teach on campus in the David A. Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. My primary course assignment is Global Business – a comprehensive introduction to business course for non-business majors. In this role, I teach the fundamentals of business to students majoring in STEM and the arts for their success in corporate roles and entrepreneurial ventures.
I am a faculty member with the American Management Association, teaching courses in the Management discipline.
“A great professor – Professor Alleruzzo is charismatic, entertaining and engaging. I looked forward to attending class all semester. I could definitely see the amount of time and effort he put into planning the course, and I very much appreciated the organization.”
“Michael is a natural leader who is extremely organized and reliable. His great energy and superb leadership abilities have inspired the (the organization) to be a proactive group of individuals working as a team.”
“Michael has a wonderful way of connecting with people. He brings that special gift of striking a balance between expertise and humbleness and fairness and empathy.”
“His attention to detail is wonderful to rely on when working with him.”
“Michael has proven himself to be a leader who is comfortable with his managerial style and who also understands the value of teamwork.”
“… Professor Alleruzzo made class fun and always provided real-life examples of how to apply the content. I have seen improvements in my job after using some of the course topics and theories in practice. Professor Alleruzzo made his expectations clear, but clearly had a passion for the subject matter he was teaching. I would recommend this course for anyone who wishes to develop themselves as a better leader.”
“He is someone who truly loves helping others grow both professionally and personally.”
“Watching Michael in action is incredibly motivating. He always brings high energy coupled with his passion and knowledge. Michael’s engaging leadership style along with his superb communication skills make him a very effective trainer. He has proven himself to be a leader who understands the value of teamwork.”
