In 1964, Mike Bilotti Sr. graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering (EE), and unwittingly ignited a generational tradition for the family he did not yet have. Growing up in Syracuse, NY, and having been one of the many teens romping around “The Hill” and going to games at the old Archbold Stadium, it wasn’t a shock when Bilotti found himself attending the same university he so fervently adored. As fate would have it, his time there just so happened to coincide with one of the finest series of seasons The Orange football team has ever had in its storied history.
Although the Information Studies (IST) program didn’t exist yet, let alone the ‘iSchool’, Mike Sr.’s curriculum in electrical engineering did provide him with a strong foundational understanding of computers and programming. His career in information spanned a wide range of roles – from traveling internationally for jobs in the defense industry, to his final position as CIO of TJ Maxx Companies Inc. His decision to stay in his hometown and attend the local university ultimately afforded him the chance to see the world and manifest his own future.
A couple years after graduating, he settled in Massachusetts, with his bride Anne Sears (another Syracuse native), and the Bilotti brood would grow by three sons over the next several years. Mike Jr. was first, followed by Marc, and then Matt would round out the family of five. As the boys grew up they were often treated to pilgrimages back to “The Hill” for games at the Dome, and to attend various youth basketball and lacrosse camps at the sports facilities.
Mike Jr. ’91 was the first to attend and graduate Syracuse University. He also has the distinction of being one of 35 students in the first graduating class of the brand new IST program, at the precursor to what is now the “iSchool”. His first job out of college was on Wall Street with JPMorgan Chase & Co., and although his career has evolved into new roles and new organizations, he stuck around the Westchester area to raise his own family—with his wife Lauren, who is also a Syracuse alum.
With his IST education, Mike Jr. found unlimited potential in the business world. It was as if there had never been a sturdy bridge built between technologies and the businesses they support, but he was uniquely prepared to close that gap. His father had seen this potential when they were choosing his college and curriculum, and in the coming years it would prove out again and again. According to Mike Sr., “the iSchool to me represents a logical step from an Engineering/Technology world to the business world. When Michael first expressed a desire to transfer out of the engineering school and how the iSchool better fit his goals I understood why. I may have had a EE degree but I was really working in IT. I was working within the business world solving business problems using technology. Based on my experience I thought the iSchool concept fit better with today’s business world than a degree in engineering or computer science would. It turns out I was pretty much right since all three of the boys are pretty successful and the basis for that success lies with their ISchool degree.”
After many years in the trenches with well known financial institutions, effectively helping to build the industry which now goes by the catchy name, “FinTech”, Mike Jr. is currently CTO at Rebar Systems. He credits his education through the IST program for driving his entire career, “because of the background, and because of the training, I was able to get into that first training program at JPMorgan Chase & Co.. Without the IST job, and some of the courses we took, I never would have gotten that opportunity. My whole career stems from IST and Syracuse.”
The next Bilotti through the Syracuse University system was Marc ’92 (the middle brother). He settled in the Boston area and works for a global special ops team within Microsoft’s Worldwide Commercial Business. His work focuses on structuring and executing strategic partnerships enabling clients to achieve more in the markets they serve. His bachelors in information studies from the iSchool, and his masters in finance and financial management services from Sawyer Business School, helped pave the way for his career. During the years that Mike Jr. and Marc were attending Syracuse University, their cousin Jodi Howe, who is also a Syracuse native, was pursuing their degree from the College of Visual and Performing Arts in Music Industry.
Matt ’96, G’07, G’08, G’11, was the third brother through Syracuse University. Also choosing the IST path, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in information management and technology, and a master’s in telecommunications and network management. He also received his MBA from the Whitman School of Management. Matt now works as Senior Director of Sales – Cloud/AI for the Juniper Network.
He may have been influenced by his father and brothers all attending the same university, but Matt chose Syracuse for his own reasons; mainly because of its curriculum, culture, and abundant networks. About what he appreciated from his experience as a student, he says, “the diversity of the schools and programs that were there. I went to college with kids that were in the business school, Newhouse, architecture school, engineering school. I enjoyed a larger university like this, because it provides the ability to get involved with a lot of students that have different interests, but also the ability to pivot, if you want to move to something else.”
It certainly wasn’t a straight shot from graduation to his current sales role, in fact, he spent many years working in different tech related capacities. But, one thing Matt explains is overlooked about an iSchool education is, “I think the iSchool provides a great avenue for the ability to go into a go-to-market sales function because of the broad range of knowledge that the iSchool offers you.” The iSchool continues to plow pathways to new careers and frontiers.
As the torch is handed to the next generation of Bilottis, Mike Jr. and Lauren’s second son, Sam, graduated in 2023 with a dual major in economics and citizenship civic engagement. And Sam’s second cousin, Nina Bilotti, graduated in 2024 with a degree in sports management from Falk College and is completing her Masters at Newhouse for Advertising.
At last count there are at least six Bilotti graduates of Syracuse University. Many of them from the iSchool, and likely more on the way. By any measure, this is a family of individuals who have found success in the business world with skills forged in the Orange fires of Syracuse University. As Mike Sr. says about the institution, “It shaped my childhood, provided me with a higher education and equipped me with the tools I needed to experience career success into the 21st century. However, I never imagined the impact this school would have on the lives of three generations of Bilottis across multiple branches of my family tree. As this Syracuse University family tradition continues to impact future Bilotti generations, I am thankful, I am proud, and my heart is full.”