As I sit at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany writing this, I keep on replaying some of the “highlight reel moments” from last Semester in my head; I remember our first meeting in the Business building atrium with 103 of my new best friends for the next two years. I remember getting that darn lion tail for talking after the bell… haha …I remember my first white out game against Illinois. I remember being excited when it occurred to me that no matter what topic or hobby I was interested in, there was someone in the first or second year class who could tell me everything I ever wanted to know and was willing to take the time to do so. I remember experiencing a historic US election, which was especially special for me since it was the first time I was able to vote in as a naturalized citizen. I remember losing the election I ran in to be the VP of Recruitment and being disappointed at myself. I also remember how gracious my opponent Dave Hoover was afterward and promising to help him in any way he needed. I remember taking a trip to NYC for the Wall Street initiative and being in awe of how much work Alum David Polansky did to make sure we got a good idea of different career paths on Wall Street. As I remember these things it’s dawning on me that it’s true what they say about a lot of your memories from Smeal happening outside of the classroom.

Having traveled to London and now to Berlin since I left, I keep on being pleasantly surprised at myself when I observe things and think about concepts from classes that I took just a couple of months and weeks ago. I also am surprised that I seem to remember concepts from classes I thought I struggled in. It’s obvious to me that I have learned even more than I realized, something you lose sight of in the middle of the semester when you feel like you are just trying to make it through the next team project or the next midterm.

All in all the first semester at Smeal for me has been as much a challenging experience as it has been a pleasant one. So as much as I am intrigued to see what the next semester offers I am enjoying the moment and relishing the opportunity to travel; who knows the next time I will get a month off from school and work again ever… Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all !!!!!!

Hector Tantoh, Class of 2010

Next we dashed off to the metro (I still say it looks like a Stanley Kubrick film) and were off to the Calvert Group.  We met up with Ian Joseph, a former PSU MBA-er and active member of the DC Net Impact group and he joined us for our next visit.  The Calvert Group is a company that focuses on investing in sustainable and environmentally responsible companies.  We spoke with a panel of employees from various sectors of the firm who each shared with us how they go about analyzing a company to see if it’s right to go into their respective mutual funds.  They noted they were heavy in IT firms, which is not surprising considering it’s not a manufacturing industry but still dominant where investors may see a large return on their investment.

Later that evening we decided to wind the night down with the first ever (and probably last ever) Unofficial Net Impact Burrito Fest at Qdoba (mmmm Dos Manos y mango salsa).  We then stopped by Buffalo Billiards to talk to Ian Fisk and kick back with a couple of brewskies.  About two hours later about foundation chit-chat (by the way, have a business plan you want funding for?  Check out http://www.williamjamesfoundation.org), we were ready to hit the hay to get ready for a busy second day.

Day 2 began at NCB, a company first chartered by congress in 1978, that was created to help fund previously misunderstood company structures such as Cooperatives.  Both Diahann and Richard were great hosts informing us on how NCB functions as a lender and has even grown to launch a program specifically for funding solar energy systems.

After feeling reenergized by knowing that you could still work with money save the world, we headed off to ICF via our police escort.  Ok, no police escort… But it was an entourage.  We had an enlightening time at ICF hearing about how they are brought on by corporations and brands to help them strategize for product placement or increasing market penetration among other things.  We were joined by a troupe of eco-minded braniacs: Brian Carroll and his polar bears, Josh Smith who is a PSU grad working primarily with Energy Star, and Jackie Garet and Amanda Byrne both Penn State undergraduates who are working in Residential Energy Efficiency and with the Clean Energy Team respectively.  Each brought a unique perspective to the table that left me feeling nothing short of refreshed and rejuvenated when we left.

But alas, our trip had finally ended and it was back into the hatchback with JP for the arduous trip home.  Just kidding JP, you’re an excellent car-mate.  PS – I’ll get that Celine Dion cd back to you ASAP.

- Christy Conley, Smeal Class of 2010

This past Friday Wendy Graham from Honeywell was kind enough to visit with the WMBA here at her alma mater to talk to us a bit about what it takes for women to become executives in the modern workplace. We talked about how her prior experience in various company environments ranging from government work to non-profit to startups each played a role in her development as a leader, and of course spoke specifically about Honeywell’s corporate climate and what kind of specific traits she capitalized on to move ahead. The discussion was interesting and insightful and I’m sure each of us walked away with a few more ideas tucked away in our mental file for professional development.

Here were a few of the key pieces of advice I picked up from Wendy’s presentation.

Wendy’s Wisdoms – Top 7

1. You must want to be a decision maker
2. Stick with something and work on building credibility
3. Work on self-monitoring strong personalities (yours and others’!)
4. Be aware of how other personalities influence your own, and associate with those that bring out your best side!
5. Work on genuine relationship development and a mutual give-and-take
6. Have someone or something to ground you (ex: good friend, kickboxing, or just venting to your pup!)
7. Manage stress by being honest and transparent – don’t internalize!

Thank you so much Wendy for coming out to Old State – we are honored to have you as an alumnus. The advice you shared will take us far, now we just have to follow it! Next up – teaching women how to negotiate!

-Christina Conley

Smeal MBA Class of 2010

My day started at 8 a.m. where I met the national officers and talked to fellow members at the National Leadership Conference Breakfast. We spent an hour discussing the goals and initiatives of the organization and the value it has brought to women MBAs. By 9 a.m., it was game time. Armed with a bundle of resumes and everything I have learned – and practiced – in our career search preparation, I was off to cajole, woo and charm my target companies.

After hours of walking around and pitching my story to recruiters, I managed to secure a couple of interviews. While I am yet to land my dream internship, the conference was a great opportunity to hone my interviewing and networking skills and meet fellow MBAs who are as passionate as I am about developing myself as a future captain of industry — who can wear a skirt, heels and make-up.

]]> http://blogs.smeal.psu.edu/mba/2008/12/02/nawmba-national-conference-career-fair/feed/ http://blogs.smeal.psu.edu/mba/2008/11/25/penn-state-mba-students-visit-wall-street/ http://blogs.smeal.psu.edu/mba/2008/11/25/penn-state-mba-students-visit-wall-street/#comments Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:35:07 +0000 MBA Program http://blogs.smeal.psu.edu/mba/?p=206

On November 19th, Penn State Smeal MBA Students were treated to two different events in New York City.  A group of students received an exclusive invitation from David Polansky (MBA ’87) to come and tour U.S. Trust, Bank of America’s Private Wealth Management unit. The tour started at noon, and the MBA students were introduced to various groups inside the bank.  Students met with executives from the Private Client, Trust, Business Support, Portfolio Management, and Wealth Strategy divisions. They also had a session with an internal recruiter at U.S. Trust that gave them some great tips on how to be successful in an MBA level interview.

Later that night, Penn State students and alumni met at the new Bank of America building at 1111 6th Ave.  For people not familiar with the building, it is new construction that was recently Leeds Certified and is widely recognized as one of the world’s ‘Greenest’ buildings.  After a hour of cocktails and networking with 300+ Smeal Alumni, the attendees were treated to a panel of both Smeal Alumni and Wall Street Executives discussing the current economic crisis.

-Dave Noreen, MBA Class of 2009
dan171@psu.edu

When we initially discussed his visit, I was worried about creating a back-breaking schedule since Mark is only slightly older than our MBA’s.  His reaction?  He only sleeps 4 hours per night, he wants to meet with as many students as possible, he is here to serve, and please feel free to pack his itinerary as full as possible thank-you-very-much.  So in Mark’s whirlwind tour of just 22 hours in Happy Valley, he met individually with students, shared his success (and failure) stories about social ventures with Net Impact members over dinner, gave a lecture to a near-full auditorium about his book More Than Money and how MBA’s can ask the important questions to make the right career choices, shared drinks at the bar, and woke up early to discuss academia and politics over breakfast.

I still find myself humbled that someone as busy as Mark was willing to share so much of his time and expertise with our group—when you meet Mark, you can tell he is focused on you as a person and not thinking of the 300 things on his to-do list.  He is genuinely interested in every individual’s story and he takes the time to celebrate the successes of every chapter.  I know Mark has given me a lot to think about and I look forward to his future 3am e-mails offering career advice.

- Matt Holtry

Class of 2009

President, Net Impact

The Smeal movie night presented a nice break from the normal day to day hectic schedule. It started at 7pm in one of the MBA Classrooms. We were lucky to have Ram Kasamani (the VP of International Affairs for our class) planning the evening, because when I arrived I found out that he had picked up one of those large ‘movie theater’ popcorn popping machines. I love the popcorn that you get at movie theaters and it made the movie night seem more authentic. The movie that was viewing for the Smeal Movie Night was City of God (or as the title is officially pronounced in Portuguese, Cidade de Deus), a story about two boys growing up in Rio de Janeiro. The story follows the trial and tribulation of two boys as they grow older, with one becoming a Photographer and the other a Drug Dealer. I am really glad that I showed up to watch the movie because it wasn’t a title I would have selected on my own, but it turned out to be a movie that I felt was a pretty riveting story and I’m glad I was introduced to the subject. I also felt it was nice to get a chance to converse with both first and second year classes where we didn’t have to talk about school work! All and all, the evening was a fun and relaxing break from the strenuous life of an MBA student.

-Dave Noreen, dan171@psu.edu

Dave Noreen is the VP of Recruitment for the Smeal MBA Association

Leading up to the evening, there were a number of election-night parties advertised and all looked tempting.  Additionally, my phone was abuzz with vibrations as the major networks announced the winner on the night of the election.  I chose to stay home that evening, not to shun my colleagues but because I wanted to enjoy the moment in solitude, I wanted to be left alone with my thoughts and emotions.  I also did not answer any phone calls, in fact I only made two phone calls once the winner was announced – I called my five-year old nephew and my thirteen-year old nephew.  I explained to them the magnitude of the moment as I saw it and discussed the individual pressure they had now inherited as constituents of a generation for whom the dream had become a reality.  They now had to discount all excuses in the face of the possibility which Barack Obama’s presidency had now actualized.

This historic moment was great for me, for my generation and generations that came before me, but in my eyes it was most significant for the generations still in their infancy and future generations to come.

-Carl Asher, President Minority MBA Association
MBA Class of 2009
caa139@psu.edu

The discussion was timely and informative for Smeal MBA’s who are assessing how the current economy is affecting businesses like Kennametal and how they can prepare themselves to support the finance and accounting functions.

Frank P. Simpkins is Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Kennametal Inc. (NYSE: KMT). In this role, Mr. Simpkins is responsible for the company’s accounting, finance, internal audit, investor relations, M&A, tax and treasury functions.

Mr. Simpkins joined Kennametal in October 1995, and has held a number of positions of increasing responsibility within the Finance organization. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of Kennametal India Ltd. Prior to joining Kennametal, Mr. Simpkins was CPA / Manager with the former Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers), having joined Coopers in 1986.

-Ken Holmes, kdh206@psu.edu
MBA Class of 2009

Returning alumni are always a sign of school spirit. However, when an alumnus comes and conducts an in-depth discussion of their personal business venture for MBA students to critique and make suggestions, it is a sign of commitment. This was the case with Ken Wahlster, a former Smeal MBA Penn Stater. After working in the corporate world for many years, Ken decided to turn one of his passions into a business opportunity. Bikebandit.com is now a leading supplier of motorcycle and other sport vehicle parts.

Ken presented the SCMA with an opportunity to do an interactive case study to discuss some of the supply chain problems Bikebandit.com is currently facing:

· How can time to shipment be minimized?

· How can time in transit be minimized?

· Should Bikebandit.com open another location? If so, where?

· Should Bikebandit.com buy one of its suppliers? If so, which one?

SCMA members were able to gain an in-depth understanding of the business model of this privately-owned firm and provide recommendations to its owner. This kind of opportunity is rare, but was made possible through the commitment of a Smeal MBA alumnus.

Stephanie Bond
Smeal MBA Class of 2010

Stephanie is a first year MBA student with a concentration in Supply Chain Management.  Before coming to Smeal, Stephanie just finished her undergraduate education at the University of Arkansas.  For this reason, and many more, Stephanie is a dedicated Razorback Basketball enthusiast.