Business Achievement Recipients

Business Achievement Recipients

Deborah Imondi | Peng Choong Leng | Nicki Pritchard

Deborah Imondi
Nominated by the University of Rhode Island

Deborah Imondi’s wisdom, generosity, and dedication to mentoring the next generation have made a lasting impact in the financial world. A native Rhode Islander, Deb attended the University of Rhode Island, earning a B.A. in Economics and an Executive M.B.A. During that time, Deb served for 14 years at Rhode Island Hospital Trust National Bank, in roles ranging from research assistant to economist, before cofounding a wealth management firm. Subsequently, she spent the bulk of her professional career—25 years—as Textron Inc.’s Assistant Treasurer – Investment Management. In this capacity, she oversaw Textron’s global retirement and employee benefit funds totaling approximately $8 billion, and served on Textron’s Investment Committee and the Charitable Trust’s Contribution Committee. 



For nine years, she served on the Executive Board and chaired the Investment Committee for the University of Rhode Island Foundation & Alumni Engagement, recently stepping down as chair while remaining on the board. At URI’s College of Business, she serves as executive-in-residence, mentoring students interested in finance. Additionally, she is a part-time instructor, faculty advisor for the Women in Finance Club, and coach for the student-managed Ram Fund, which recently surpassed $1 million in assets. She has received several alumni awards, including the Distinguished Achievement Award in 2015, the Ram Award in 2022 for long-standing dedication to the University, and the 2023–24 Bravo Zulu Award for service to the College of Business.

Since retirement, Deb has served as Executive Director of the Rhode Island 4-H Club Foundation, supporting URI’s Cooperative Extension. She has also served on several community and non-profit boards, including Trinity Repertory Company, an award-winning non-profit theater; House of Hope CDC, focused on ending homelessness in RI; the Finance Council for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence; and the Investment and Pension Committees of the Catholic Investment Trust.



Peng Choong Leng
Nominated by Chung Yuan Christian University

Dr. Peng Choong Leng is a Malaysian entrepreneur and regional leader in sustainable industry development and cross-border collaboration across the Asia-Pacific region. He is the founder of IQS Wood SDN. BHD., established in 2006 with a vision to modernize the traditional wood manufacturing industry through environmentally responsible and sustainable practices. Under his leadership, IQS Wood has grown into an internationally recognized supplier of eco-friendly and recyclable wood products, serving markets across Europe, the United States, Australia, and Asia. The company operates under globally recognized standards, including ISO, FSC, PEFC, CARB, and CE certifications. This demonstrates Peng’s strong commitment to responsible sourcing, environmental stewardship, and sustainable business leadership.

Beyond his entrepreneurial achievements, Peng is a strong advocate for industry–academia collaboration and regional talent development. He serves as President of the Association of Global Industry Academia Collaboration Malaysia, Honorary President of the Global Chung Yuan Christian University Alumni Association, and Senior Consultant to the UAiTED University Alliance, where he promotes partnerships that strengthen innovation, internships, and cross-border talent mobility across Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia.

Peng also actively supports educational and community initiatives that promote youth development, social inclusion, and sustainable innovation. In recognition of his contributions to education and international collaboration, he received the 2023 Global Outstanding Overseas Compatriot Student Alumni Award and the 2024 Distinguished Taiwan Alumni Award from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education.

In 2026, Peng was honoured with both the Beta Gamma Sigma Entrepreneurial Achievement Award and the Business Achievement Award, recognizing his outstanding leadership in sustainable entrepreneurship and his broader contributions to business, education, and society.

Nicki Pritchard
Nominated by Auckland University of Technology

AUT Business School alumna Nicki Pritchard is the Co‑Founder and Managing Partner of Anderson Quigley, one of the UK’s leading executive search firms serving higher education, healthcare, charities and government. A career spanning global roles at DreamWorks, Disney and Penguin, where she sharpened her commercial expertise and cross‑cultural leadership skills. From New Zealand to the UK, Nicki leveraged this diverse experience to accelerate her career, co‑founding Anderson Quigley from her kitchen table into a 40‑plus person firm recognised for its purpose‑driven approach.



Nicki believes business should be a force for public good. She leads operations, governance, legal, marketing and business support, treating these functions as the place where values become action. Under her leadership, the firm has grown sustainably while embedding ethical practice, inclusive recruitment, and strong organisational culture. She has expanded advisory services to support clients in governance, leadership culture and organisational resilience, demonstrating how commercial success and ethical purpose can coexist.

Nicki has championed internal and client‑facing initiatives that address imbalance and strengthen assessment practices. She co‑led the project to embed the firm’s core values – integrity, authenticity, inclusivity, accountability and supportiveness – into every part of the business.

Committed to developing others, Nicki has built Anderson Quigley’s largest team by empowering young professionals, often recruiting early‑career travellers and supporting them to grow quickly through meaningful responsibility. Her belief in mentoring extends beyond the workplace. As Chair of Governors at Kingston Educational Trust and as a mentor with Young Enterprise, she guides young people as they explore leadership and entrepreneurship for the first time.

A distinguished alumna of Auckland University of Technology, the Business School is proud to honour Nicki’s 2026 Business Achievement Award.