Articles by MBA Program

      There he sat across the conference room from me; room 218 to be exact. Clean cut, professional suit and a persona that makes others listen with curiosity. While eyeing each of us in the eye, his words of wisdom flowed stating, “Trust you hunches, ladies and gentlemen. Don’t move until you have resolved the funny feeling.” 

      The words rang deep in me and made complete sense. It sounded so easy! But I knew that only years of elevant experiences could bring one to such understanding. Well, Jim Stengel, the Global Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Proctor and Gamble (P&G) is definitely the one who can confidently speak such words. On April 11th, 2008 I had the fantastic  opportunity of sitting in on a Marketing Association Executive Breakfast Q & A session with the man. A total of 14 of my classmates sat along with us and it was an open forum setup.  He briefly started off explaining his background and how through the production of desirable results he attained the Global CMO position back in 2001. He went on to explain that P&G  was the largest advertiser in the world and how it differentiated itself by understanding the  subconscious desires of the consumer.         

      He went on to answer various inquiries that the students presented. He explained  several different aspects of marketing such as the types of innovation; disruptive, sustaining, and commercial innovation. It was all really interesting to me because this is the first  semester that I have actually started taking marketing classes. And so, listening to an  individual in his position was a truly enlightening experience. And the biggest takeaway  which could be applied in other functions as well was that one should trust their instincts.  I think that spoke volumes to most people in the room because it is a fundamental piece in understanding business strategy and yet, the hardest to follow at most points. Overall,  it is a truly knowledgeable experience and one which left my classmates and me with great  respect for the man.

      Sahil Asthana, MBA Class of 2009

After graduating from Temple University, where he majored in management information systems, Sahil joined Accenture, LTd. and then, moved on to a boutique consulting firm. He brings his five years of consulting experience and perspective to the MBA program and hopes to apply it effectively within his studies.
Sahil chose to pursue his MBA at the Smeal College of Business because of the strength of the marketing and entrepreneurship portfolios and the chance to learn from well respected faculty. Along with the leadership position of vice president of corporate and alumni relations, Sahil is an active member of the MBA Entrepreneurship Association.

We just had our last Mod Squad meeting and in many ways the process
mirrored my first year at Smeal. As a Mod Squad representative, I had
the responsibility and opportunity to give feedback to the faculty and
staff in real time. Once a Mod we sat with all of the professors, the
dean and a representative of the staff and conveyed the anonymous
feedback we collected from our classmates. Delivering critical
feedback to professors in front of the dean the day before midterms
might seem problematic, but not at Smeal. While there was tension in
the room at times, the real driver of discussion was an unmitigated
desire to make the program as good as it can be. Changes were made in
real time in response to our feedback that improved the program. As
for my personal growth, I have met several people whose dedication to
their craft and to their colleagues make them role models to all of
us. Just like the first year has been as a whole, the Mod Squad has
been a challenging and rewarding experience.

Kenneth Holmes, MBA Class of 2009

Kenneth Holmes is the 2009 President of the Finance Association as well as a Mod Squad representative. Before returning to get his MBA, Ken held executive level positions in startups and small companies in three industries.

kdh206@psu.edu

Robert J. Pasterick

The MBA Finance Association hosted a breakfast with Robert Pasterick, the CFO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes to allow members to speak up-close and personal with a C-level executive.  I took the opportunity as a member to participate in this breakfast, which quickly proved to be a great event.  Robert was very open to discussing Boeing’s current business and the changes occurring in the commercial aircraft arena.  One area of interest in the focus was regarding China and intellectual property.  It was very interesting to hear about the Chinese building aircraft and the challenges Boeing has been facing in maintaining protection of their patents within these aircraft.

Another area of focus was regarding immerging markets and their demand for aircraft.  The BRIC countries are posed for a lot of growth and Boeing is well positioned to take advantage of the situation with new products such as the Dreamliner.  Robert also spoke about Boeing’s corporate responsibility through projects looking to use less fuels than currently in place today for their fleet.  The breakfast was a great chance for a small group of Finance Association members to learn more about how a CFO handles a company the size of Boeing.

-George H. Benham III

MBA Class of 2008

Before coming to Smeal, George worked for nearly four years in the Financial Services sector with MBNA and Bank of America holding various positions that focused on leadership, strategy, and operations. He holds a BS degree in Operations and Info Sys Mgmt from Penn State and is currently focusing on Corporate Financial Analysis and Planning in his second year.

Sunday was a fabulous day for me and 4 other Smeal MBA students. It was our first meeting with our adopted THON family, the Seibert’s, during the THON Family Carnival on December 9, 2007. It is truly an amazing thing to see the miracle of THON at work. Hundreds of children, parents, and volunteer students met in the White Building gym, decorated as a jungle, to share a fun afternoon together. We came to the event as strangers to the Seibert’s, but left as good friends. The Seibert children had a wonderful time. Katelyn, 8, John who is 6, Mark, 5, and Matthew, 3, were running around and having the time of their lives. Games, arts and crafts, music, and stage performances kept the children’s attention and gave Mr. and Mrs. Seibert a break from trying to entertain them. Although John has leukemia, you wouldn’t know it by the way he enjoys playing with his siblings and being around others. He even has more energy than any of us MBA students, as we were quite tired after the 4-hour long event, but John was still running around, wanting to continue playing with us. Fortunately for him, we will see John and the Seibert’s again, hopefully sooner than later. I think the Seibert’s are thankful to have the MBA students, as well as the entire THON family, as new friends and supporters.

-Rich Krauss, MBA Class of 2008

Rich Krauss is a 2nd year MBA student in the Smeal College of Business focusing on Corporate Financial Analysis & Planning, as well as Investment Management & Portfolio Analysis.  He has been very involved with THON since he was introduced to it as an undergraduate student at Penn State and believes student involvement is the key to THON’s success.

For an unbelievable Thanksgiving event all you need is 23 lbs Turkey, 9 lbs Duck, 3 lbs Chicken, 3 different stuffings and some good friends. These were the ingredients some inspired Smeal MBA students combined to celebrate the onset of a well earned Thanksgiving Break. “You really haven’t cooked until you’ve deboned a 23 pound, partially frozen Turkey” said Ralph Vartan, a participant in the endeavor. “I have been talking this up for months and the effort was definitely worth it” said fellow MBA Brad Updegrove. While the event was a success, its participants recommend leaving lots of preparation time as the 30+ pound preponderance of poultry required more than 9 hours to cook.

–Tom Aichele, twa111@psu.edu

Tom received a B.S. degree from Cornell University and served four years in the U.S. Navy prior to his MBA.