Tech Titan
(Photo: Karsten Moran)
Theresa Alesso, BA’90, MA’94 (Metro)
By Mary Ann Bautista
For alumna Theresa Alesso, BA’90, MA’94 (Metro), the “impossible” is merely a milestone to be conquered on her own terms. Her grit and determination to design her own path is evident in her career trajectory — she rose through the ranks from administrative professional to become Sony Electronics’ first female president.
As president of Sony Electronics’ Imaging Products and Solutions Americas, she oversees its imaging, professional displays, healthcare solutions and sports businesses. “Hard work, tenacity and consistent curiosity pay off,” she says.
It’s a career that Alesso had always envisioned, but with a few tweaks from the long hours she saw her father put in.
She recalls her father commuting back and forth to New York City every day, sitting down for family dinners at 8 p.m. “That made me seek a more sustainable solution, one based in New Jersey,” she says.
FDU became the cornerstone of that grand design. “With its focus on practical education, solid reputation and proximity to my home, FDU was a natural choice,” she says. Aside from giving her the opportunity to enhance her skill set, the University allowed her to pursue her degrees surrounded by a community of peers who shared her values and reinforced her drive. “FDU provided me with the flexibility to study while maintaining a part-time job,” she adds. “This helped set a foundation for my professional future.”
The first time Alesso traveled to Japan on a business trip in the early 1990s, “my seat was the last one in the room, in the back corner,” she remembers. “I watched the leaders of the sales companies from around the world sit up at the U-shaped table. North America’s president always carried the most weight and served as the largest market. [And] I always wondered what it would feel like to be in that pole position.” Seven years ago, she got that chance and “I’ve never taken that responsibility for granted.”
Steering a leading technology company comes with unique challenges. “The electronics industry never stops evolving,” Alesso says. And although she has spent her entire career at Sony since graduating from FDU, the fast-paced nature of tech keeps her role feeling fresh and exciting. “I’ve also learned the [fine art of] balancing multiple businesses, needs and customer applications while trying to continuously evolve the organization to provide the utmost growth potential,” she adds.
Alesso attributes her success to prioritizing work-life integration. “To have a fulfilled life as a mother, wife, daughter, niece and executive, my work and my life need to be fully integrated.”
For Alesso, this means taking meetings from a softball field or waking up at 2 a.m. in Japan to livestream her daughter’s school trumpet solo. “They are both important and both make me who I am,” she says.
CORE FDU MEMORY
“Completing my thesis on women, work and family and the balance required to succeed. This is still something I champion and advocate decades later. The seed was planted at FDU.”
PROUD MOM MOMENT
“I’m most proud of the family my husband and I created. The fact that we’ve raised two smart, talented young women and get to see them succeed is extremely fulfilling.”
NEW CAR EUPHORIA
Sony offered a higher salary than a similar job Alesso was considering accepting — enough for her to buy a brand-new 5.0-liter Mustang GT. In the end, she landed a dream job and her dream car!