December 2011
Dean’s Message – Greg Hanifee, Assistant Dean of Executive Programs
Dear EMBA Community –
Rankings season is upon us and after receiving some “good-but-not-great” news last month from the Financial Times’ (FT) 2011 rankings of top business school EMBA programs (a drop from No. 36 to No. 48 in the world; when comparing U.S.-only programs, we moved from No. 15 to No. 23), this week Bloomberg BusinessWeek released their rankings for 2011. We have a lot to collectively celebrate as we are No. 17 in the world. This is the first time we were eligible to be ranked by BusinessWeek, and in many ways the rankings validate what we know is the best program in the greater Washington, D.C.-Baltimore Metro region, and it reaffirms our global standing. You can see the news report online.
In addition to capturing the most recent graduating cohorts’ perceptions of their experiences with our program, the rankings also provide a “report card” that I think clearly speaks to the high quality of the faculty and real-world application in the Smith EMBA program:
- Entrepreneurship: A
- Finance: A
- International Business: C
- Marketing: A+
- Strategy: A+
- Sustainability: A
Rankings are an important tool for us to reaffirm the things we work so hard on at the Smith School, and it’s also important for our graduates to be able to proudly promote and discuss their degrees. The faculty at the Smith School make this happen – they challenge the students, give of their time to connect outside the classroom and bring the latest thought leadership to an eager, sometimes-skeptical crowd! Having a top-five faculty in the world is surely one of the keys to our success, but I would be remiss if I didn’t also recognize the overall professionalism, quality and attitudes of the wonderful people at the Smith School, who make the learning environment so great to be a part of.
It stretches from our dean, who allows us to try innovative approaches to executive education; to my predecessor, vice dean (and strategy professor!) Hugh Courtney, who put much of the current program in place; to the academic and cohort directors (Rob Sheehan and Progyan Basu, respectively); and all of the other departments we depend on behind the scenes within the school. And, we have the best operations and recruiting staff anywhere: Amanda Lavino, Kycia Spriggins, Chris Larsen, Samantha James, Kianna Boatswain, Caela Coil, and, of course, Shelbi Brookshire, who recruited such incredible people into our program who push us to be better every year. My heartfelt thanks goes to all of you for achieving a fantastic result – but certainly one that we must continue to build upon and make better.
More than anything, I, and the entire Smith School, want you to know that you matter to us, the Smith brand matters to us, and we are open to suggestions on how to improve upon the success of everyone who matriculates from the Executive MBA program at Smith. To me, these rankings enable us to have a better chance to change lives, build careers and enrich our communities. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or ideas, please forward them to me at ghanifee@rhsmith.umd.edu or stop by and see us. This is a partnership, and we want you to be able to carry the Smith Executive MBA banner proudly.
Happy Holidays and ‘Go Smith!’
Greg Hanifee
EMBA Recruiting Update
The last deadline has passed and we are in the midst finalizing the incoming cohort. The class is shaping up to be as diverse as always with students involved in healthcare (human and animal), government and government consulting, military, financial services, consumer goods and manufacturing, media, renewable energy, IT, and of course, a few entrepreneurs. We will continue to accept applications until the class is finalized. Residence Week for Cohort 12 will begin on Jan. 16. If you have a friend or colleague who would like to learn more, feel free to contact Shelbi Brookshire at 240.464.8597 or sbrooksh@rhsmith.umd.edu.
EMBA Alumni Participate in Entrepreneurship Research Advisory Panel
On Thursday, Oct. 27, seven EMBA alumni participated as members of the newly formed Alumni Entrepreneurship Research Advisory Panel, in support of the Dingman Center's Entrepreneurship Research Breakfast Series. The purpose of the breakfasts is to facilitate dialogue between Smith faculty/PhD students and entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders, improving the quality and real-world applicability of our industry-leading research initiatives. Each event includes two-to-three research presentations from faculty or PhD students, followed by an interactive discussion.
Members of the Alumni Entrepreneurship Research Advisory Panel include Viyas Sundaram, Cohort 4; Dan Nichols, Cohort 5; Dave Morgan, John O'Brien and Dan Pugh, Cohort 7; Rajiv Jain, Cohort 8; and Chris Dugan, Lauren Good and Kara Hedges, Cohort 10.
For more information about the Dingman Center's Entrepreneurship Research Breakfast Series, please visit the website.
Upcoming Smith Events
Smith Snow Day!
Save the date: Feb. 20 for the Second Annual Smith Ski Day. Join us at Whitetail Ski Resort for a day of fun in the… snow. Details on registration, cost, etc., will come soon.
Smith Professor Publishes
Professor Andrew J. Sherman's new book, Harvesting Intangible Assets, is a guide for organizations that want to make the most of everything they have to offer. Leveraging assets is vital to staying competitive, but the majority of companies are oblivious to the wealth of revenue-producing opportunities hiding just below the strategic surface.
Sherman shares insights and expertise gleaned from his work with some of the world’s leading companies, that have capitalized on intellectual assets such as patents, trademarks, customer information, software codes, databases, business models, home-grown processes, and employee expertise. Featuring instructive examples from organizations including Proctor & Gamble, IBM and Google, the book reveals how companies (large or small) can implement IP-driven growth and licensing strategies, foster a culture of innovation, turn R&D into revenue, and much more. If smart companies reap what they sow, this book gives readers the tools they need for a profitable harvest.
Sherman is a professor at the Smith School. He is an expert in strategic growth, a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Jones Day, and a prolific author. Harvesting Intangible Assets is Sherman’s 23rd book.
EMBA 10 Graduation Reminder
EMBA 10, we invite you back to walk in both the UMD Graduation Ceremony and the Smith School Ceremony.
The UMD Ceremony will be held on Wednesday December 21 at 7 p.m. in the Comcast Center. Graduates are required to arrive no later than 6 p.m. You will walk into the gym with the other MBA students. This ceremony is for all graduates of UMD – all programs, all degree levels. You will not be individually recognized at this ceremony, nor will you walk across the stage. More information can be found at www.commencement.umd.edu.
The Smith School ceremony will be held on Thursday, Dec. 22 at 1 p.m., also in the Comcast Center. Graduates are required to arrive no later than 12 p.m. You will line up as a cohort and be led in by Basu, and will walk across the stage as your name is read by Rob Sheehan. This ceremony is only for graduates of the Smith School at all degree levels. More information can be found online.
Immediately following the Smith School ceremony, please join us back at Van Munching Hall for a reception. We'll celebrate with light refreshments in VMH 2330. An invitation with RSVP information will come soon.
For all ceremonies, please wear your cap, gown, stole, tassel, and hood.
For ceremonies on Dec. 21 and Dec. 22, parking is free and all lots are open to visitors, including those around Comcast and Van Munching Hall.
Please contact Amanda Lavino at 301.405.9567 or alavino@rhsmith.umd.edu if you have any questions.
Lifelong Learning for Alumni
On Friday, Oct. 30, alumni, professors and staff embarked on a unique opportunity for lifelong learning at Gettysburg. Below is a summary from one of your fellow Smith EMBA alumni:
"Through the Smith School's relationship with the Gettysburg foundation, we received an intimate walking tour of the battleground following the armies across the three-day conflict. Sue and Heidi, outstanding knowledge experts, gave us a detailed view of the historic leaders and events of the pivotal battle. What was really interesting is we got to know the backgrounds of leaders such as Lee, Meade, Chamberlain and Longstreet among many others. Their histories and backgrounds created the foundation for their strengths, flaws, derailers and power bases. On the battle field in Gettysburg in July, 1863, there were great leaders and not so great leaders, great managers and not so great managers. It was a really unique experience to study and reflect on the decisions and strategies made by both sides of the conflict those 3 days. It was instantly clear to me the many applications that could be made to my current role in business and management.
“Since Dr. Russell wouldn't let us get away without some classroom work, she facilitated the second day diving deeply into the different leaders on the battlefield and applied some of the tools we used during our leadership classes from the EMBA to these historical figures. We had a great dialogue and gained tremendous insight into the battle as well as additional insight into our own personal leadership skills and styles. We had some rich discussions around succession planning, communicating as leaders to our management teams and visionary thinking. We were then able to better understand the serious impact these concepts had on the battle and could have in our daily lives as leaders and managers.
“Whether you enjoy history or not, this was a very unique and valuable experience.” - Mike Nugent, EMBA 8
All Entrepreneurs Want for Christmas Is … A Little Smith Expertise to Supplement Their Optimism and Determination!
Do you have friends and family members who you wish could benefit from even a fraction of what you learned at Smith during your EMBA? Do a favor for small business owners and struggling start-ups in your circle and send them our way in Spring 2012. In just five Fridays at the Reagan Center the region's entrepreneurs will gain practical advice on raising capital, identifying and wooing partners who can help bring ideas to market, and winning and keeping new customers.
Dr Rajshree Agarwal kicks off the series on April 13 with Strategies for Managing Innovation--invaluable for anyone trying to define or redefine their business and work out what they need to help bright sparks become roaring flames.
Dr Yogesh Joshi's up next on April 27, with tips for identifying and interpreting customer desires and intent, in order to create powerful marketing.
Dr Joyce Russell will bring her usual gusto to partnering and negotiations on May 11, helping local innovators develop effective, sustainable approaches to technology transfer and supply chain issues. Of course, one of the benefits of the series is the opportunity to benefit from a new network of skilled and energetic value creators ---don't let your friends miss out on this chance to meet the best in DC-area new business.
On June 1, Dr John Cable from the Clark School of Engineering leads a session on Dynamic Project Management, helping take the hard work out of getting the job done.
The ever-ebullient Andrew Sherman (check out his new book, Harvesting Intangible Assets) will close out the series, leading the teaching on Raising Capital. John May, Investment Director at Seraphim Capital and author of "Every Business Needs An Angel" will also be on hand. A number of Venture Capitalists and breakthrough entrepreneurs will be on hand throughout the program to share their own experiences to benefit the group.
Participants who complete the five-part series will earn a Certificate in Innovation Management from the Smith and Clark Schools--and gain a wealth of knowledge to speed their success in 2012 and beyond
Find out more about the Certificate in Innovation Management here or direct your friends to Liz Barron, our new Senior Director of Custom Programs at lbarron@rhsmith.umd.edu or 301 405 5387 . Also check out the Smith School blog for more info about the series, guest speakers and participants.
Message from Alumni Services
New EMBA Alumni Advisory Board Member
James White, EMBA 2005 was recently appointed to the Smith School Advisory Board. On October 20-21, 2011, White returned to campus for this first official board meeting. James is currently the chief information security officer (CISO) for MedStar Health, a $3.9 billion not-for-profit, regional healthcare system with a network of nine hospitals and 20 other health-related businesses across Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region. As CISO, his primary goals are to build MedStar’s information security strategy and vision and to protect the confidentiality and integrity of information. He leads a team that is responsible for the development, implementation, and administration of enterprise information security policies, procedures and programs.
White brings more than 26 years of demonstrated experience in leadership, management and information technology (IT). He has demonstrated his experience as a leader in the IT industry by managing systems security and disaster recovery teams for various organizations. His areas of expertise include information systems security, disaster recovery/contingency planning, customer service, computer security operations and development of functional requirements for complex, integrated IT systems.
White joins fellow EMBA alums Dontá Wilson also EMBA 2005 and Thomas Parsons EMBA 2010. Wilson is the Alabama State President for BB&T and has been on the board since 2008. Parsons who holds an undergraduate degree from Smith as well, joined the board in 2006. He has recently launched Parsons Ventures, Inc.
Donating to UMD/Smith School of Business
All donations are 100% tax deductible. Visit the website to explore the various ways to donate or consider “purchasing” a brick or paver for Riggs Alumni Center.
Providing Updates for “Smith Business Magazine”
Finally, we would like to request personal updates to share with all of our EMBA alumni. We would like to highlight your successes! Please send any updates you want to share, such as a new job or a new baby. E-mail updates to emba_alumni@rhsmith.umd.edu. If you are interested in submitting an announcement for the “Smith Business Magazine,” you can do so by visiting this website.
EMBA Alumni Newsletter
Previous editions can be found online.
EMBA Alumni Updates & Announcements
Kira Brunjes, EMBA 10, Kira Brunjes, has accepted the role of Assistant Vice President, Sales Development Program at Genpact LLC. Genpact is a global leader in business process and technology management with a prior relationship to GE.
Mike Geppi, EMBA 11, has accepted the position of Senior Vice President with BB&T to lead their efforts to grow in the Howard County market and the Greater Baltimore region.
Kara Hedges, EMBA 10, wed Ryan Sasse on October 1st in Mittenwald, Germany.
Dimitri Michaud, EMBA 11, welcomed his first child – daughter – Elodie Winter Michaud on November 4th. Elodie was 22 inches long and weight 9lbs 8ozs. All are doing well.
Randy Mortis, EMBA 10, welcomed his son Sean Randolph Mortis on November 9th. Sean was 7lbs 14oz and 21.5 inches long.
Mike Nugent, EMBA 8, has accepted a new role with Becton Dickinson as Director, National Accounts, BD Infection Prevention and Management. Mike will be leading an executive level sales team that engage in high level negotiations with Group Purchasing Organizations, Integrated Delivery Networks, Government and other large organizations within the healthcare space.
Sol Ross, EMBA 2, has joined the US Department of Health and Human Services. The new role (for both Sol and DHHS) is to be the point of engagement for the business community as a whole as they interact with HHS. His current portfolio includes Large Business/CEOs, Small Business, Health Care Industry and Issuers, PhRMA Outreach, the American Jobs Act and Liaison to the White House Business Council. If there are any Smith or UMD alumni that have questions or issues at HHS, please feel free to contact me at Sol.Ross@hhs.gov.
Viyas Sundaram, EMBA 4, Vice President of Cloud Sales forwarded the 11/7/11 announcement that Best Buy BBY has reached an agreement to acquire mindSHIFT Technologies, Inc., the nation’s leading managed service provider (MSP) for small and mid-sized businesses, for $167 million. The transaction will help accelerate Best Buy’s growth in the small and mid-sized business IT services category. mindSHIFT provides cloud services, data center services and professional services to more than 5,400 clients and 25,000 managed desktops in key markets throughout the United States. mindSHIFT’s President, Mona Abutaleb and Vice President of Cloud Sales, Viyas Sundaram are both UMD/Smith School Alumni.
This October, Ray Wulff, EMBA 5, joined Boeing Corporation's Defense, Space & Security group. Headquartered in Annapolis Junction, MD adjacent to Ft Meade, this division of Boeing focuses on developing, deploying, and supporting cutting edge software applications for the intelligence community. Prior to this new opportunity, Ray held the post of Chief Information Officer for the British Defence Staff-DC at the British Embassy in Washington, DC.
George Yeboah, EMBA 10, has accepted the position of Vice President and Assistant Financial Officer for Private Equity Funds with PIMCO in Newport Beach, CA. In that role, he supports the accounting, investor reporting, finance and administration of PIMCO private equity funds. His primarily area of focus is in structured products (ABS, RMBS, CMBS), and both commercial and residential whole loans.
Stay Connected
We have two areas where we ask you to make sure your email and mailing address are up to date.
- UMD – Email university relations at bio_updates@ur.umd.edu. This is important if you want to keep getting the Smith Business Magazine and other UMD publications.
- Smith Connector: www.smithconnector.com
Don’t forget to look for the Smith School on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
REMINDER - Please take a moment to ensure you are member of Smith's official EMBA Alumni on LinkedIn.
Finally, we would like to request personal updates to share with all of our EMBA alumni. We would like to highlight your successes! Please send any updates you want to share such as new job or new baby. Email the updates to emba_alumni@rhsmith.umd.edu.