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.”

Chile’s 9/11

• February 24th, 2014
• in International Trip

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 Arrive in Santiago

• February 22nd, 2014
• in International Trip

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.

EMBA Class and Alumni Meet P&G CIO Filippo Passerini

• February 19th, 2014
• in EMBA Alumni Network, UA EMBA Latest News/Events

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.

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

(see http://www.pg.com/en_US/downloads/innovation/factsheet_BusinessSphere.pdf).

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.”

For more information about Dr. Filippo Passerini, please see http://www.pg.com/en_US/downloads/company/executive_team/bios/pg_executive_bio_Passerini.pdf.
For more information on the EMBA Program at The University of Alabama, contact Cheryl at 205.348.4501.

UA EMBA Countdown to End of Year

• December 27th, 2013
• in EMBA Alumni Network, EMBA Program Information

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