Michael Testa '04: A Journey from Iona University to CFO of Trinity Capital Inc.
Iona University alumnus Michael Testa ’04 has built a remarkable career in finance, culminating in his recent appointment as chief financial officer of Trinity Capital Inc., a leading provider of diversified financial solutions to growth-stage companies.
Since joining the firm in late 2020, he has played a crucial role in its IPO on Nasdaq in February 2021, helping to grow the company's platform to over $1.7 billion in assets under management. Testa shares that “the growing success of Trinity is the result of strategic vision, highly skilled people, and unwavering commitment in service to the people who trust us.”
Testa’s professional journey is one of hard work, strategic thinking and a strong foundation built during his time at Iona. As a student, his decision to focus on accounting and finance was influenced by his early interest in mathematics and the strong role models in his family. At the time, Testa’s uncle was a public company CFO, his older brother was finishing his accounting degree, and his father’s wise advice that studying accounting provides a strong foundation of business and financial knowledge all played significant roles in shaping his career path.
“Studying accounting and finance was a logical choice for me,” he said. “Growing up, I had a good sense of numbers. I held part-time summer jobs as a bank teller and was always detail oriented.”
Testa also took full advantage of the resources available to students on campus at Iona.
“Iona's career and counseling center had great resources that helped prepare me for my winter internship with Ernst & Young and ultimately a full-time job upon graduation,” he said. This internship was a pivotal experience, setting the stage for his professional journey.
Testa’s career has been marked by a series of strategic moves and career opportunities. From starting his career in New York City to working in Zurich, Switzerland, and now serving as CFO in Phoenix, Arizona, he has embraced the challenges and opportunities that came his way.
“Hard work and willingness to be uncomfortable lead to new career opportunities. Although most things may not go as planned, unexpected challenges and setbacks are part of the journey. The key is to be adaptable, keep learning and remain open minded,” said Testa, who credits much of his success to the support of his wife, Melinda ’04, whom he met at the end of their first year at Iona.
Working at Trinity Capital, Testa thrives in an environment that values humility, trust, integrity, uncommon care, continuous learning, and entrepreneurial spirit. “I work in a dynamic environment, with a very competitive yet collaborative team,” he says.
For more details on Testa’s appointment, visit the official announcement.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2025 national list of “The Best 390 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.