The fruit demand worldwide is growing rapidly and Chile is uniquely positioned to satisfy the “growing” need. To the outsider, one may only think of Chilean wine and grapes, but in fact they are a major exporter of a plethora of fruits. We anticipate that they will leverage their position in this industry to become a new world leader.
The Chilean culture is one of service and hard work. The people appear to love their country and are committed to preserving the environment. They appreciate that a global economy exists and they are growing reliant on the global demand for goods and services. Their entrepreneurial spirit welcomes investment and ideas from around the world. Vast amounts of natural resources and an open business climate are also attractive features.
It is a long, slender, beautiful country that enjoys being surrounded by the Andes on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Because of the vast latitudinal space that Chile occupies, deserts exist in the North and the Patagonia in the south. This unique diversity of climate and landscape attracts tourists from all over the world – and for good reason.
– Marshall Liles, TEMBA 2014, The University of Alabama
Team: Flying Pachyderms
Sam Barall, Tim Brown, Ed Galvin, Josh McGill and Marshall Liles
UA EMBAs in front of Presidential Palace in Santiago, Chili.
It was sunny and breezy. In fact, the weather could not have been more beautiful. We sensed this was a special place from the green-uniformed guards at each corner of the sprawling lawn. We posed in front as classmates and as friends to remember our International trip for UA EMBA class of 2014. But this space is remembered in Chile for other reasons.
We were in front of the Chilean Presidential Palace, a newer building with old-style architecture. That’s when our guide Ignacio told us the story of Chile’s September 11, in 1973. Shortly after being named Commander in Chief of the Army, Auguste Pinochet overthrew the government and this presidential palace was the site of the takeover.
“Imagine your navy seals and fighter jets assaulting your White House and the US Army taking over the country. That’s what happened that day to my country,” he shared.
Imagining the contrast between the perfect, peaceful afternoon and that day in 1973 provided my first lessons of the trip:
no matter how different the culture may seem, the human experience of tragedy and patriotism, and a hundred other experiences, unite us
as divisive as our political scene is today, we are blessed to have never experienced the attack of our own government by our military… this puts our political problems in a much different perspective
even after the toughest of times, beauty returns and life goes on
The world makes an exceptional classroom, and this photo will hold for us both memories and lessons.
Staci Woods
HEMBA Class of 2014
Team: Prestige Worldwide
Sonya Bailey, Matt Bogue, Christopher Jones and Staci Woods
UA EMBAs enjoying the Los Artisan Fair in Santiago, Chili.
The Executive MBA Class of 2014 at The University of Alabama arrived in Santiago, Chile to begin their seven day international trip. The trip is a required part of their Global Strategy course taught in their final semester.
The international trip began today and will continue on to Lima, Peru. Today 53 students, alumni, faculty, staff and guests did a sightseeing tour of Chile and had a welcome dinner to kick off their visit.
The EMBA class toured the National Cathedral, La Moneda (the Presidential Palace) and the Los Artisan Fair. The students learned a little about Chilean history and politics. They also shopped for lapis lazuli, art work and sampled the local cuisine.
The students will be visiting 10 companies, including Banco Estado, Proctor & Gamble, Marinetti, Subsole, and Vina Veramonte in Chile. In Peru the students will meet with the Central Bank of Peru, Clinica Ricardo Palma, Grupo Grana y Montero, Hunt Oil Peru and Compania de Minas Buenaventura.
Dr. Filippo Passerini, CIO of Procter & Gamble and President, Global Business Services of P&G, presented a full-day seminar on “Staying Relevant in a VUCA World” on Saturday, February 15, to the T-EMBA Class of 2015 and EMBA alumni.
Dean Mike Hardin, Drs. Fillippo Passerini and Brian Gray
In the morning session, Dr. Passerini discussed the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) faced by businesses. Afterwards, he talked about the solutions to these issues, which is also VUCA (Vision, Understanding, Clarity, and Agility).
Dr. Passerini spent the rest of the morning session describing how P&G operates in a VUCA world through the use of business analytics for decision making, in particular the visualization of big data with decision cockpits and Business Sphere environments
In the afternoon sessions, Dr. Passerini covered a variety of interesting managerial topics including leadership characteristics for success, the five situational leadership styles that managers must employ to be successful, the importance of storytelling for business leaders, a framework for business models, and frugal innovation in developing markets. The students and alumni in attendance also participated in several managerial role-playing sessions.
Bringing in such profound leaders of industry is just one of the ways the University of Alabama Executive MBA creates value for both students and alumni.
“I think the session went very well,” said Ben Paulk, Sr. Product Manager at BBVA Compass and TEMBA Class of 2012. “It was great to hear from such a profound leader in industry, and it was a great opportunity for alumni to return for a refresher, get updates from faculty and network with current students.”
It is affectionately referred to as the “black hole,” making it only slightly more popular than the flu. If you guessed the online job application process, you are correct. In the last ten years, the first step to almost any full-time position involves completing an online application. As with all things related to the era of the Internet, there are myths and truths.
Myth: All online applications are scanned and are never reviewed by a human. In most cases, there is human contact with your application. In many cases, especially in situations where an employer may receive thousands of applications for a position, scanners are first used to look at word content/connections, before being reviewed by a set of human eyes. Using a tool like a word cloud can give you some guidance on key words that an employer may be looking for in your application, cover letter, and resume. Check out www.tagcrowd.com-it is a free word cloud.
Truth: A cover letter that gets to the point in the first sentence, gets noticed. If your online applications aren’t getting noticed, maybe it’s time to change the rules. Instead of a traditional cover letter that starts with what you do and where you are, start with three or four bullets that match your skills, expertise, and experience, to fit exact requirements in the job description/requirements. Companies are trying to fill openings with people who match the requirements-make it easier for them.
Myth: If it’s online, it doesn’t matter if words are misspelled or my grammar isn’t that good, because they probably don’t care. Wrong. Playing fast and loose with the English language tells a potential employer that you you are sloppy and have an aversion to details.
Truth: It’s okay to contact the company to see where they are in the hiring process.If you can find someone to update you on the status of your application, it shows you are industrious and are willing to take initiative, both qualities of successful employees.
Myth: Companies don’t ever look at my application again once a position has been filled.There is too much anecdotal information out there that indicates companies do keep and recheck their electronic files as positions open.
Truth: It’s a very competitive job market and the slightest thing can make a difference. Your resume and cover letter can set you apart, but don’t forget to manage your image when it comes to social media. The “slightest thing” can be only one negative post on a social media site. Diligence, Diligence, Diligence.
Gary Ward, Director of Graduate Career Services for Manderson Graduate School of Business at The University of Alabama
Online applications are here to stay. Analytics will continue to grow and assist companies use to determine what makes for a “successful” employee. Online applications will morph into being more detailed. It will always come back to what you can do to set yourself apart from the crowd.
For more information on Manderson Graduate School of Business academic programs, EMBA, M.B.A., online and specialty Masters programs, visit our Web site at http://manderson.cba.ua.edu/.
Our first EMBA Elite student spotlight for 2014 is Kathi Dawn, a member of UA’s Huntsville EMBA class of 2014. Kathi received a Bachelor of Arts in Gerontology from the University of South Florida in Tampa and has been working for Genesis Healthcare as an assistant administrator at River City Center in Decatur, Alabama for the past year and half.
Kathi with classmate, Ed Galvin
“I absolutely love it,” Kathi said. “A month into the EMBA program, Dana (Briley) Runager, another MBA classmate, and I were discussing being busy at work because we were both doing two jobs. After inquiring more, I learned that she was looking to hire an assistant administrator. One month later, I had toured the building, had an interview, and was hired. I ended my seven-year public health career to accept a position in healthcare management, and since then have completed a 1,000-hour administrator-in-training-program and acquired my Alabama Nursing Home Administrator license.”
Kathi says her purpose for pursuing her MBA degree was to find a new career with room for vertical growth. “Joining the EMBA program is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and has had a powerful impact on my career,” she said. “The biggest benefit I have received is my career change, and therefore my ROI. I loved my career in public health, but at the end of the day, there wasn’t much room for growth.”
Kathi is engaged to her fiancé, Kevin, and together they have a 3-year-old son, Kameron. According to Kathi, a supportive family is crucial to being successful in the EMBA program.
Kathi with her fiancé, Kevin, and their son, Kameron.
“Balancing work, home life and school definitely has its challenges,” she said. “To help manage the balance, I try to get as much work done for the next class session as soon as we finish up with the current weekend of class. That way I don’t have to worry about what comes up during the week at work or home.”
Kathi believes that success is in the eye of the beholder. “I feel it’s important to note that success truly is one’s own idea of possibilities, and it is within that framework that we either declare success or failure.” She says that for her, it’s the idea of success that drives hard work, creativity and perseverance.
“I believe Orison Swett Marden had it right: ‘Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.'”
HEMBA 2014 classmates, Marshall Liles, Emmett Garrett and Kathi Dawn
Kathi’s immediate goal upon graduation from the EMBA program is to advance within the Genesis Healthcare system as an administrator. Her favorite inspirational quote is one from Elizabeth Edwards, lawyer, author and wife of 2008 Presidential candidate and U.S. Senator John Edwards, just days before she passed away from breast cancer in 2010.
“The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren’t able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It’s called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful.”
MBAs in the 90’s were groomed to be strategic thinkers. The following decade netted technology geeks. Today, the two have merged to integrate into the hottest hiring commodity. Extracting information from vast amounts of corporate data is crucial for companies to enhance the ability of an organization to make better decisions.
Dr. Burcu Keskin, associate professor of operations management, addresses UA EMBA alumni on “Big Data”
How is the Manderson Graduate School of Business at The University of Alabama addressing the analytical career explosion?
According to Denise McManus, associate professor of management information systems, “To stand apart, our MBA students have stepped up to meet the rising needs of the corporate world of big data.” Technology advances allow individuals to analyze larger and more diverse data sets very quickly to answer information intensive questions. “It is important that managers understand the ‘why’ behind the request,” said McManus.
“Employers ranging from insurance companies, financial institutions, big box retailers, consulting firms, basically any and all businesses that benefit from data driven answers are looking to recruit analytical talent,” said Connie Chambers, director of corporate and alumni relations.
The Manderson Executive MBA Program at The University of Alabama emphasizes critical problem solving skills, concise communication delivery and strong intellectual curiosity – skill sets that are crucial in the area of data mining and data analytics. EMBA students begin their first semester with a statistics data analysis project that produces return on investment back to employers and skill sets that our alumni tell us they use every day.
For more information on the EMBA Program at The University of Alabama, contact the EMBA office at 205.348.4501.
A new review by on-line business school website Poets & Quants reveals that the Manderson MBA Program at The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce may not be ranked as high as it should be and is being undersold. The analysis is based on the U.S. News and World Report 2014 business schools rankings.
UA’s MBA program came in as the top over-performing school on the list, indicating that the school is producing far better MBA graduates than U.S. News peer assessments would indicate.
“For our MBA program to move up 20 spots in the rankings is quite an accomplishment,” Culverhouse Dean J. Michael Harding said. “We just need our peers to take note and understand what we have been doing here at the business school with our undergraduate and graduate programs so our peer assessment is more aligned with our core ranking. My goal is for Culverhouse to be in the top 25.”
U.S. News bases its rankings on objective measures (average GMAT scores, average undergraduate GPA, acceptance rate, average starting salary and percentage of students with jobs at graduation) and subjective measures (assessments by corporate recruiters and peer assessments from deans and MBA directors of other business schools). One quarter of a program’s U.S. News ranking is based on peer subjective opinion of business school deans and MBA program directors. The analysis by Poets & Quants compared the actual U.S. News ranking of a school to its ranking based solely on the peer subjective rankings. Those schools with higher actual rankings (lower peer rankings) were labeled “overperformers” and those with lower actual rankings (higher peer rankings) were labeled “underperformers.”
“Dean Hardin and his staff have been doing an excellent job in making UA’s business school competitive and its reputation known,” said Dr. Robert Witt, Chancellor of the UA System. “This is a another step forward in achieving Dean Hardin’s goal of Culverhouse becoming one of the top 25 business schools in the country. This is excellent news for the entire University of Alabama system.”
As much as Universities are proud of their alumni, Universities need active alumni to promote, to participate, to be a voice for their alma mater. The Executive MBA Program at The University of Alabama is kicking off 2014 with a call to alumni to “Get Involved, Get Active, Give Back.”
TEMBA 2012 alumni Ben Paulk and Amanda Akers at EMBA Alumni Association Kickoff party.
Give Back. Assist your College in recruiting strong candidates by promoting the EMBA program to your company, co-workers, friends and colleagues. Invite them to lunch or to an EMBA event. Make a donation to The University of Alabama – Roll Tide!
Are you ready to Get Involved, Get Active and Give Back? Contact Donna or Cheryl today at 205.348.8748 and Get Started. Roll Tide!
December is the month of holidays, family and memories. A time to remember and celebrate. As the month draws to a close so comes the lists, and believe me, there are lots of lists. Top 100 songs of the year, best movies of 2013, and top 10 iPhone apps – it’s Candy Crush Saga followed by YouTube. Then there are the strange lists like the ESPN Dallas Cowboys’ Craziest Losses – no matter how heartbroken you may be if your team lost this year the Cowboys take the “smack in the head, I can’t believe that just happened” award. Then there’s the 2013 Google’s top 10 searches that ranges from Nelson Mandela to the Royal baby…the lists goes on and on.
Not to be left out, we decided to present our own countdown for 2013. So here goes – the EMBA at The University of Alabama top five highlights for 2013:
#5 – Social Media reigned in the EMBA office. We started our UAEMBA blog, University of Alabama EMBA LinkedIn group and company page, and UAEMBA Facebook page.
#4 – Istanbul, Turkey was our destination for the EMBA Class of 2013’s global strategy course. Students encountered a rich cultural adventure and successful company visits. They were also treated to a warm welcome by chairman and CEO of Istanbul-based Bayraktar Group and UA graduate, Mustafa Bayraktar, at his company’s headquarters overlooking the Bosphorous. This year, we also offered spouse/guest optional packages and a post trip to Izmir. We also announced that alumni may join us on future trips. The alumni package will include the same accommodations, meals, company visits and city tours as is provided to students. In 2014, we will have alumni on our Chile-Peru trip and encourage other alumni to join us in 2015.
#3 – Our 2013 EMBA Alumni survey yielded many success stories that we will be sharing with you in future blogs. One of many highlights is that after graduation, 46 percent of our alumni received promotions within their company, 30 percent changed companies for promotions and 11 percent started their own business.
#2 – The EMBA Alumni Association was established. The EMBA program has graduated 766 students. In November, we celebrated the creation of the EMBA Alumni Association with a return to campus event that included faculty presentations, networking, updates on continuing education and certification programs that are now available to EMBA alumni, and a Welcome Back to T-Town party at Dreamland BBQ.
#1 – UA EMBA welcomed our sixth class in Huntsville and our 30th class in Tuscaloosa. In 1985, we enrolled our first EMBA class in Tuscaloosa, and we will be graduating our 30th class in May 2015.
It has been an exciting and thrilling year. From all of us in the EMBA Program, we wish you Happy Holidays and a bright New Year.
Donna, Brian, Cheryl, Linda, Matt, Courtney and Gary
