Regions CCO Barb Godin Speaks at Women’s Leadership Luncheon

• March 28th, 2014
• in UA EMBA Latest News/Events

Barb Godin, Chief Credit Officer for Regions Financial Corporation, addressed the Women’s Leadership Luncheon on March 19, at the Summit Club in Birmingham. Godin was recently named among the 25 Most Powerful Women to Watch in Banking and Finance by American Banker. Speaking on “Knowing Your Customer’s Customer – A Paradigm Shift,” Godin brings over 40 years of experience in the banking industry. As CCO, Godin oversees credit policy, credit administration and problem asset management.

Godin spoke about Regions focus on building relationships with their customers. She shared with the audience her guiding values: curiosity, adaptability and passion which has guided her career. “Success demands curiosity,” said Godin, “Never stop evolving and improving your processes.”

The Women’s Leadership Luncheon is an annual event established by The University of Alabama Executive MBA Program. “The WLL started in 2011, to bring professional women together to network and discuss business and leadership issues,” said Donna Blackburn, Director of EMBA Programs in the Culverhouse College of Business. “We were also fortunate to partner with the Women’s Exchange for our annual event. The WE is a great forum for businesswomen to connect, build relationships, and share information while showcasing the success and contributions of women. It was a perfect fit for what we were trying to achieve with the Women’s Leadership Luncheons,” said Blackburn.

The WLL is open to Culverhouse College of Commerce graduate students, alumni, members of the Women’s Exchange, and to any woman who would like to join our discussion of issues that support and promote women leaders in business.

CEO John Ferriola of Nucor Corporation Speaks to UA EMBA Class

• March 18th, 2014
• in UA EMBA Latest News/Events

On Saturday, March 15, John Ferriola, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nucor Corporation, flew in from the company’s corporate headquarters in Charlotte to meet with the Tuscaloosa Executive MBA Class of 2014. The EMBA class has been studying Nucor both through case analyses and through examination of data presented in the IBISWorld Industry Report 33111: Iron & Steel Manufacturing in the US.  Nucor and affiliates are manufacturers of steel products, with operating facilities primarily in the U.S. and Canada. It is the most diversified steel products producer and North America’s largest recycler.

“It was an honor having Mr. Ferriola answer questions and discuss the company in depth with our class,” said Christopher Jones, TEMBA Class 2014 President. “It gave us great insight into the critical decision making process, issues and strategies from the CEO point of view.”
“I was especially pleased,” added Dr. A.J. “Lonnie” Strickland, the John R. Miller Professor of Strategy, “that Mr. Ferriola went beyond the domain of talking about Nucor and its strategic initiatives. He also offered excellent career advice and shared amazing insights about how to succeed as a professional and as a person.”

Mr. Ferriola joined Nucor Corporation in 1991 as Manager of Maintenance and Engineering, progressing up the corporate ranks to become CEO and President January 1, 2013. He also currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) and is on the Board of Directors of the American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI). He has also been active for more than 20 years in the Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST) and has served on its board of directors as well as on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).
“It was a great honor to have John so willingly accept an invitation to a visit with our class,” added Janet North, a Nucor employee and member of the TEMBA Class of 2014. “Early in my career with Nucor, as an intern out of Charlotte, I recognized what a special place Nucor is. And I quickly realized what a special role John plays in maintaining that valuable culture. His passion for Nucor, the steel industry, and for each and every employee is amazing.”

Mike Hardin, Dean of the Culverhouse College of Commerce, attended John’s presentation as well. “It was a thrill to witness John’s perceptive insights regarding the role of the CEO, the importance of communication and the strategic alignment of teams,” Dean Hardin observed. “Mr. Ferriola’s words obviously reflect the beliefs that have made Nucor a prized, valuable and innovative leader in the steel industry. To have him interact with our students so personally made it a wonderful experience for everyone present.”

Differences, Similarities, Opportunities

• March 6th, 2014
• in International Trip

As each of us prepared and anticipated our moments in South America, both from an educational perspective and a personal perspective, we were encouraged and challenged to keep an open mind: to identify differences, similarities, and even opportunities. Many of these moments came at different times and often revealed themselves in different aspects based on the classmate and/or staff member. This was to be expected, since some of us had traveled internationally, some of us had not; some had been to South America, even Chile and/or Peru, some had not; some knew little Spanish, some knew only English; some worked in international companies, some did not.

As we began our travels as early as Birmingham, I often noticed the nervous and anxious faces and body language of not only my peers, but also myself. Along our journey, each of us was finding within ourselves at least one question, but often many more, of what to expect throughout the experience. Questions moved in our minds about travel (flight/bus/taxi/walking), food, language, commerce, and even the welcome of the people. In early discussions, many of us were prepared for more differences than similarities. However, the more we experienced and witnessed, the more comfortable we became with travel, food, the foreign language. At this point we began to see more of the similarities: similarities not only of the countries we visited, but to the cities and lives of those of our own towns.

While in another part of the world, people lived their lives just as we do in the United States. Farms are grown and harvested, mines are dug, oil and gas is pumped, food is prepared and served, customer service is given, smiles are shared on the streets and families and friends are meeting at restaurants, cinemas, and shopping malls. All of this occurs while various business leaders in various industries manage the growth of the economy and find opportunities for their businesses, people and countries.

As challenged early in the process, we witnessed and experienced differences, similarities and opportunities. As we venture back to the United States, I believe each of us will be carrying new memories, new friendships, and most importantly a new perspective and open mind to the world we live in, both locally and internationally.

The (city, state, country, world) we live in…so big, yet so small; so advanced, yet still so far behind; so good, yet sometimes bad; so health conscious, yet still so limited; so accepting, yet so cautious; so developed, yet still so pure…the (city, state, country, world) we live in: so big, yet so small.

Janet North
TEMBA Class of 2014

Team: The Rising Tide
Janet North, Jeff LeRoy, Nagaraja Padur, Patrick Ellinger, Sunil Singh