MEDIA ALERT: September 19, 2008

For business, economic, financial, retail, and career reporters, editors and producers.
Contact: Carrie Handwerker, 301-405-5833

UMD FACULTY EXPERTS AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT ON ECONOMIC RIPPLES FROM U.S. FINANCIAL TURMOIL

Faculty at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business are available to comment on how the U.S. financial markets turmoil will ripple through the economy. The Smith School has an in-house ReadyCam broadcast facility for live or taped interviews via fiber-optic line for television or multimedia content.

FEDERAL RESCUE PLAN AND BANKING:

  • Explaining the plan
  • How the plan will bolster markets

Elinda Kiss, Tyser Teaching Fellow of finance, is a banking regulation expert with corporate experience and experience working for the Resolution Trust Corp., the temporary government agency formed to clean up the Savings and Loan problems in the late 1980s-early 1990s.
E-mail: ekiss@rhsmith.umd.edu; office phone: 301-405-7538; mobile phone: 215-962-9071.

FINANCIAL MARKETS:

  • The significance of a ban on short-selling
  • Dissecting the activity on Wall Street
  • Financial management going forward

Russ Wermers, associate professor of finance, researches the efficiency of security markets as well as the role of institutional investors in setting security prices.
E-mail: rwermers@rhsmith.umd.edu; office phone: 301-405-0572.

David Kass, finance lecturer, is an expert on corporate finance and industrial organization. He teaches classes on financial restructuring and strategy, and investment management.
E-mail: dkass@rhsmith.umd.edu; office phone: 301-405-9683.

JOBS:

  • Impact on the job market
  • How to retain your top talent in uncertain times
  • How to market yourself as top talent if you are in the market for job
  • Negotiating in a tight job market

Joyce E. A. Russell, Distinguished Tyser Teaching Fellow and senior executive education fellow, is an industrial and organizational psychologist and an expert in leadership, management development, negotiation tactics, career development and change management.
E-mail: jrussell@rhsmith.umd.edu; office phone: 301-405-8146.

RETAIL:

“The coming holiday shopping season will be a very challenging one for retailers. They need to be extra careful with merchandise selections and cut inefficiency wherever they can. Despite the negative impact overall, there are a few silver linings. The tough economic conditions have created more opportunities for discount retailers, which may well extend to the holiday shopping season.”

Jie Zhang, assistant professor and Harvey Sanders Fellow of Retail Management, is an expert on retailing, e-commerce and promotion strategies.
E-mail: jiejie@rhsmith.umd.edu; office phone: 301-405-7899; mobile phone: 301-768-0250.

GLOBAL BUSINESS:

  • Impact on global trade
  • Outlook for multinational companies operating in Asia
  • Should multinational companies focus on fewer markets?

Anil K. Gupta, the Ralph J. Tyser Professor of Strategy & Organization, is an expert on global strategy and organization, specifically related to China and India.
E-mail: agupta@rhsmith.umd.edu; phone: 301-537-6738.

CONSUMER STRATEGY:

  • Strategic thinkers need to focus on the future, how they can shape that future (rather than just adapting to what happens to them over time)
  • Contingency planning to manage risk

Hugh Courtney, Associate Dean of Executive Programs and Professor of the Practice of Strategy, is an expert on business strategy, competitive dynamics, and strategic planning in times of uncertainty.
E-mail: hcourtney@rhsmith.umd.edu; office phone: 301-405-9544.