Fall 2012 Communique

DAN IE L S C O L L E G E O F B US I NE S S | UNI VE R S I T Y O F D E NVE R

NEWS ABOUT THE DANIELS PIONEER NETWORK: IMBA PIONEERS AROUND THE WORLD

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Announcements................................. pg 2 in China GO-IMBA 2 June 201 re o m Learn on page 6

The Faces of the IMBA Program........... pg 3 Dreaming of Working Abroad?........... pg 4 International Internships...................... pg 5 GO-IMBA in China............................. pg 6 Alumni Notes.................................... pg 7 Engage............................................. pg 8

Why the International MBA? Doing business in the 21st century involves crossing borders and cultures and requires a different kind of leader. The Daniels International MBA (IMBA) prepares students for careers in a highly complex and globalized business environment. An MBA program at its core, the IMBA provides a solid business foundation taught by faculty with deep international experience, and includes the Compass courses required in our other MBA programs. In addition to their Daniels course work, students take classes at the renowned Korbel School of International Studies that help develop practical international management skills and a broad global perspective. The Daniels IMBA features a required international travel course—past trips have gone to places such as Tanzania, Brazil and China—and a second-language proficiency requirement.

Originally founded as the Master of International Management (MIM) in 1975— one of the first graduate business programs in the country to focus on global business— the Daniels IMBA gives students the global perspective, business skills and cross-cultural training to succeed in a global business world. Today, almost 900 Daniels IMBA and MIM alumni are living and working around the world.

IMBA Board of Advisors Ms. Myrna Ann Adkins, Dr. Douglas Allen, Mr. Roy Becker, Mr. Paul Bergman, Mr. Ian Bird, Mr. Matjaz Bren, Ms. Leslie Carter, Ms. Sally Covington, Dr. David Hopkins, Dr. Lloyd Lewan, Mr. Trip Mackintosh, Mr. Tim McCune, Dr. Ved Nanda, Mr. Jim Reis and Mr. Tom Ritter

Announcements The incoming Fall 2012 International MBA (IMBA) students come from a wide variety of professional and academic backgrounds. Join us in welcoming these outstanding individuals as they begin their educational journey at the Daniels College of Business: Warren Booth Matthew Bowers Kevin Bowes Walter Cottingham Melissa DePierro Amanda Ford Allen Groue Aparna Kailasam Bethany Kaufman Adam Kibble

David Kloeckner Alexander Knopes Shouwei Lee Chelsea Lehman Kenneth Macneal Jessie McLean Kelley Moore Austin Mowry Yao Mu Kavita Rodgers

James Spear Charles Thompson Matthew Tucker Matthew Wagner Borui Zhang Hexiang Zhang Ling Zhang Xinyu Zhang

Congratulations to our recent IMBA graduates, who completed their degrees in August 2012: Agne Jaruseviciute

Mark C. Brown

Gilbert M. Devlyn

Maria De Lourdes Rivera Heidi L. Cortez Joseph A. Alfano Devin S. Mulhern

Peter C. Knox Kristopher B. King David G. Kenrick

November 2012: Kristen E. Coperine David L. Hoven Matthew D. Griffin Brant W. Helferich

Letter to Alumni Dear Friends, Greetings from the University of Denver and the site of the Presidential Debate hosted on our campus October 3! I’m sure that many of you were pleased to see your alma mater playing such a globally high-profile role in the U.S. election process. This was a massive event involving, for instance, about 3,000 journalists from all over the world!

Meanwhile, our GO-IMBA (Global Theory in Practice) course returned to China in June for another great study/research trip. Contrary to many of the gloomy press reports, China continues to boom. While annual growth has slowed significantly to about 7.5 percent, companies in China remain optimistic about future opportunities. Many multinational companies we visited described an economic transition well underway in which the attractiveness of China is moving away from low-cost manufacturing toward engagement in a fast-growing consumer market. The China Daily just reported this week that China surpassed the U.S. in the first half of 2012 as the largest recipient in the world of foreign direct investment.

Special Thanks

As you will read in this issue, the Daniels engagement with China has taken a significant step forward. We have just signed an exchange agreement with the Tongji University School of Economics and Management in Shanghai. This will facilitate an exchange of International MBA students—and possibly other graduate business students—between the two institutions.

Tongji is a top-rated business school in China and will be a wonderful partner for Daniels.

Image credits: Doug Allen Matthew Cole

We hope you enjoy this issue of the Communiqué as we bring you up to date with global developments at Daniels and introduce you to a sampling of our impressive IMBA alums!

Contributing Writers: Christy Hotard Rosenfeld The opinions expressed in Communiqué are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent official positions of the Daniels College of Business or the University of Denver.

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Douglas Allen Director, International MBA Program Daniels College of Business

The Faces of the IMBA Program

Meet Our Current IMBAs The IMBA program at Daniels includes individuals who have diverse areas of interest and come from a variety of professional and personal backgrounds. While their ages and pursuits vary, the one thing that remains constant is their mutual understanding of the importance of learning how to conduct business on an international level. Take a moment to read about a few of our current students and the things that make the Daniels community stand out.

YOUNES BEN BRAHIM Younes was born and raised in Morocco and first discovered Colorado in 2001 when he enrolled at Colorado State University to pursue an electrical engineering degree. After graduating, he had the opportunity to travel and discover the world for the next six years by working for international companies. When it was time to return to school, Younes decided there was no better place to be than Colorado. He plans to graduate in June 2013 with an IMBA and a concentration in business intelligence, which he hopes will open doors and enable him to embark on new adventures.

KIERSTI BIRD Kiersti is a second-year IMBA with a concentration in strategic marketing.

She received her undergraduate degree in international affairs from the University of Colorado Boulder. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she worked for a travel company in the Denver area for five years before returning to school for her IMBA. This summer she interned at Western Union in Global Marketing and Strategy. She chose DU for her MBA because of the international program, which allows her the opportunity to study at Korbel and in other parts of the world. Post-graduation, Kiersti would like to work aboard in product development or consulting.

APARNA KAILASAM Aparna is in the undergraduate/graduate dual degree program at DU. Her undergraduate major is in molecular biology. She chose to pursue the IMBA at Daniels because of her dream to work in international health-care management. Aparna’s family is originally from India and she has traveled there numerous times as well as to 15 other countries. Aparna is looking forward to traveling to Tanzania this fall with the GO-IMBA program to learn about the Tanzanian Internet market.

BO TOUCHON Bo enrolled at DU in Spring 2012 after 15 years of working in the commercial real estate and hospitality industries in Boulder. Bo is a dual U.S. and Swiss citizen and has a passion for languages from Russian to Hindi. His goal is to become a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. He has been selected to participate in a State Department internship this winter at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

Bo is highly involved in Daniels extra-curricular activities including Net Impact, the International Business Association as co-president, the Pioneer to Pioneer buddy program, as co-founder of the DU Club Badminton, and as a Daniels Student Mentor for both the international and domestic orientations.

MATT HAYDEN Matt is a second-year student with a concentration in finance who hopes to graduate in March. Prior to attending Daniels, he worked for a financial services firm on their institutional equity trading desk in San Francisco. Matt chose Daniels for its global reputation and opportunities. He enhanced his global skill set while working on a consulting project during the GO-IMBA China trip in Spring 2012 with an international company seeking to strengthen the structure of its Internet joint venture. Matt has been able to build on previous work experience as well as enhance his leadership skills as the portfolio manager for the student-run investment fund.

CHELSEA LEHMAN Chelsea chose the Daniels IMBA for its strong focus on all things international. After studying abroad in the Dominican Republic in high school and living in Spain and Egypt during her undergraduate years, Chelsea realized she strongly believes that every person should know more than one language. This requirement, more than anything, drew her to the Daniels program. Chelsea, a first-year IMBA student, has experience in marketing and working for nonprofits and think tanks, and made the decision to pursue an IMBA degree to learn more about business principles with a focus on international development.

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IMBA’s Around the World

Dreaming of Working Abroad?

Make It a Reality Part of the allure of the International MBA (IMBA) program at Daniels is the dream of eventually working abroad. Being an expatriate in a foreign land can easily be romanticized; however, there are realities that must be faced if one succeeds in actually securing the coveted international position. At Daniels, quite a few IMBA and masters in international management (MIM) alums have taken the plunge and know exactly what that reality looks like. In this special, two-part story, we feature both recent and longtime alumni who have a variety of experiences and can offer tips and advice for those seeking this kind of lifestyle.

Brian Thompsons graduated in 1999 with the MIM (the IMBA program was first called MIM) degree. He speaks German and Russian and believes that speaking the host country’s language is one of the most important skills necessary to get an expat assignment. With his language skills, 12 years of experience with his company and his IMBA from Daniels, Brian was able to secure an international assignment with Avaya for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Another piece of advice he offers to those interested in working abroad is to be prepared for extensive contractual negotiations. Consider not only base compensation, but also security (how risky the host country environment is), housing, taxation, banking, healthcare, opportunities for home travel,

and the transition back to your home country after the assignment.

Many organizations will assist the expat with the costs for these items, so it requires the individual to have developed a “baseline” for what is acceptable before the negotiations even begin.

Xenia Davis graduated from Daniels with her IMBA in June 2011 and took a nontraditional approach to finding an international job.

She showed up in Mongolia, and despite not having many connections or speaking the language, she networked through LinkedIn, sent out résumés, applied for jobs on company websites and attended networking events whenever possible. Her best advice to those in similar situations: be patient and persistent.

Sending follow-up emails is a good practice but do not become overbearing. Xenia also recommends talking to as many people as possible and maintaining those relationships. She met a potential employer after being in the country for only three days, and by cultivating this relationship, she landed a job three months later.

Xenia currently works as a communications specialist for World Vision International Mongolia.

The Spring 2013 Communiqué will feature two more fascinating alums who have great experiences and advice to share.

Graduate Student Exchange with Tongji University The Daniels School of Business is embarking on a Graduate Student Exchange agreement with Tongji University School of Economics and Management in Shanghai that will allow up to three Daniels students to attend Tongji for the fall term while the same number of students would come from Tongji to Daniels. Doug Allen, director of the International MBA Program, has been cultivating a relationship with Tongji University for more than 10 years with the hope that an arrangement like this could be reached. Doug believes there are multiple benefits to this exchange, including the value of getting to know China as a global marketplace. Shanghai is projected to be one of the largest economies in the world in 10 years and is an ideal setting for a cross-cultural study-abroad experience.

Tom Dowd, director of the Office of Globalization, has also been influential in working toward this agreement. Continued relationshipbuilding ideally will produce similar programs that will align with the Daniels Tomorrow Strategic Plan. The programs must be mutually advantageous and well-rounded as well as focused on quality rather than trying to achieve a large number of exchanges. The devil is in 4

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IMBA Director Doug Allen with students from the Tongji University School of Economics and Management the details: currently faculty and staff are in the planning and organizing stage, which requires a lot of attention to the fine points.

Tom sees this agreement as an opportunity that also could lead to faculty exchanges.

But first, Tom, Doug and others must work to ensure buy-in from the entire University community in order to make the program a success.

The exchange is expected to launch in Fall 2013.

International Internships

Valuable Lessons for International Interns Students in the International MBA program find a variety of ways to fill the summer months between their first and second year of studies. One student decided to combine the allure of travel along with an exciting internship opportunity. Matthew Cole, now a second-year IMBA student from Hannibal, Missouri, participated in the GO-MBA Enterprise Solutions class that visited Oslo, Norway.

During the class he consulted with Opera Software on a project; he also was the lucky candidate chosen for a summer internship at the main office in Oslo. Matthew worked with the Partner Marketing department and was responsible for developing surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and building models to better understand mobile Internet pricing in key markets in Europe, Africa and Asia.

With plenty of lead time, the challenges of working abroad can be anticipated and overcome. However, in Matthew’s case, he received the offer in mid-May and was scheduled to be in Oslo for the Daniels GO trip the second week of June. Despite the timing constraints, the connections he made through the Daniels network helped make a successful summer experience possible.

Matthew learned a few valuable lessons that will hopefully help other students looking for international work.

1

Start early and plan for success. Matthew started looking for internships soon after he enrolled at Daniels. Although the right opportunity did not come along until late in the process, he was prepared for any opportunity that presented itself.

2

Focus on the companies and programs that fit your needs.

Many of the European work opportunities he identified had time elements that were inconvenient or were unpaid or did not assist with immigration issues. Opera’s HR philosophy, however, is to do whatever it takes to bring a qualified candidate to work, and the organization lived up to that promise.

3

Always grow your network. Meeting fantastic alumni and partners of Daniels during the GO trip in Oslo the week before starting work proved to be a huge advantage for Matthew during the rest of the summer. He also made contacts through the Yelp community that helped him to get to know the city when he was not working.

4

Don’t suffer in silence. At work, you should focus on work. If personal issues—especially outside your home country—are a problem, tell someone. Do not wait until a crisis becomes a complete disaster to seek assistance.

5

Take the calculated risk. Matthew, from rural Missouri, will be the first to tell you that risk-taking does not come naturally to him. Adding the word “international” to anything, especially an internship, adds tons of complexity. However, if helpful resources are available, and the opportunity and benefits are worth the effort—then go for it.

Matthew plans to graduate from the IMBA program in June 2013 with a concentration in marketing.

OSLO, NORWAY

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GO-IMBA in China

Even Natives Learn from the GO-IMBA China Class Every spring the GO-IMBA 4500 class goes to China. Doug Allen, director of the International MBA Program, believes that because of the shifting global dynamics and emerging markets, it is important for Daniels students to understand China’s economy. On June 9, 17 students and three faculty, including Allen, met in Beijing to kick off this year’s trip. After four days of company visits and sightseeing, including trips to the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square, the group set out for Chengdu. In the smaller, but prospering city, students visited a rural farm and the Panda Research Center. The trip ended in Shanghai with company tours of Gensler and Bao Steel, and more sightseeing and nights out on the town. Each year, the China trip exposes students to the country’s market and economy, and for many in the class, it is their first trip to Asia. Two of the students on the trip this year had a unique perspective: Ruohan Mao and Xiaowen Xu, both second-year IMBA students, are from China. Ruohan is from Zhengshou and Xiaowen (you can call her Mary) is from a water town near the Yangtze River. Often we hear about the amazing experiences these trips offer for first-timers, but we wanted to understand the experience through the eyes of two of our native Chinese students.

What was your impression of the GO IMBA China trip?

Ruohan: It was a great experience for us to travel with American classmates and a totally refreshing feeling even though it was a trip going back home. It provided a new view for our Chinese to look at our own society and economic environment from a different perspective, which is more objective and widening. It also offered great opportunities for us to visit the BIG guys in the business world that are located in the Chinese market.

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Mary: I felt what I learned about the new developing China from this trip exceeded my expectations and surprised me. China’s huge market—other than cheap labor—is now becoming the most important reason multinational companies choose China. I am proud of the change and thrilled to see further development of China.

Additionally, we met a lot of prospective students and alumni in Beijing and Shanghai, and it was a good way to network. If there is anything to make the trip better, I would like to see a more mature and powerful alumni network.

What was your favorite part of the trip and why?

Ruohan: I appreciated the last dinner that included a summary of our trip. Each team described insights of China and expressed their feelings and takeaways. Also, the slideshow of photos taken during the trip was really sweet and impressive. That made us re-experience our trip in the three cities again in a pleasant way.

Mary: Combining business visits with traveling was my favorite part of the trip. I am from China and I have been to all the three cities we went to, but it was definitely a different and fun trip to get new ideas of the sites from a business view and through my foreign friends’ eyes. I really enjoyed being the guide and showing them around and also introducing them to the fascinating culture. And I hope they had fun in China with me.

Alumni Notes

LARYSSA REIFEL , MIM 1994 In the past decade, Laryssa has become a finance leader with experience in high-tech companies, including computer hardware sales, semiconductor manufacturing, Internet marketing, medical devices, and now, nutrition. As a manager of Global Financial Planning and Analysis, Laryssa leads a team of analysts in overseeing, monitoring and analyzing Metagenics’ operating budgets, monthly financial analyses, forecasting, annual planning, new business integration and ad hoc analytics. She is responsible for the development, interpretation and implementation of financial concepts and technical analysis and acts as an executive thought partner to senior management.

PATHMAL GUNAWARDANA ,

MIM 1998

Pathmal completed the Executive Education Program at the Columbia Business School in New York City. Since joining Nokia in 2007, Pathmal has held several leadership positions in North America, most recently as the head of Network Solutions Sales and head of Transport Networks Sales.

He collaborates with the Latin America Sales Development Organization acting as the lead member for special projects, information requests, and reporting as requested by the head of the Americas and Nokia Siemens Networks’ Executive Board.

Pathmal’s exceptional skills were recognized when he was awarded the 2011 Leadership Award by the CEO and Executive Board of the company.

TAYLOR KIRKPATRICK, IMBA 2004 Since graduating from Daniels, Taylor married, and he and his wife, Molly, had their first son, Henry, now 14 months old. Taylor also started two new jobs.

He founded an investment banking firm, St. Vrain Partners, and manages a singlefamily office with land holdings in several states and an operating business primarily focused on corn and soy production. He is very busy and happy and hopes to connect with other classmates in the Denver area.

ROBERTO BOUTET, MIM 1991 Roberto Boutet, a native of Panama, played baseball for the national team in the mid-1980s. He came to Daniels in 1990 because “Daniels had a great balance between academics, ethics and social responsibility.

The College was talking about concepts then that business schools are incorporating into their programs today.” In September of this year he was transferred to Denver from Miami by ReachLocal, an online marketing and web presence industry leader. As an Internet marketing consultant, he helps businesses be more successful by recommending and executing strategies that use the power of the Internet to acquire, manage and retain clients.

LUCAS QUINTANA , IMBA 2010 Lucas, a staff auditor at First Data Corp, celebrated his seventh year working with the company and is currently in Panama City, Panama, completing an audit tour that also included First Data Corp’s division in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He recently accepted a new job and next week will begin his role as an information security officer for First Data Corp’s Government Solutions business.

MACKENZIE ROEBUCK-WALSH,

IMBA 2011

MacKenzie was part of the winning Cable Apprentice Team in 2012 and received an internship with Sand Cherry Associates, an international management consulting firm specializing in the cable and broadband industry. She continues to love her work as a senior consultant working on projects such as change management and flexible workforce initiatives. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock appointed her in May 2012 to the Denver Women’s Commission, which focuses on enhancing the quality of life of women by attaining full opportunities and equality.

MacKenzie also sits on the Rocky Mountain Women in Cable board working to increase the number of women in C-suites and on boards across the state.

Calling for Alumni Notes New career, new promotion, recently married? We want to know. Log in to alumni.du.edu using Facebook Connect to submit your update along with a photo.

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Stay Connected to the Daniels College of Business International MBA Program facebook.com/DUDanielsIMBA

Daniels International MBA

IMBA alumni move around a lot and that makes keeping track of former students difficult for Daniels staff. In an effort to keep our contact and mailing lists up-to-date, we encourage you to let the IMBA staff know where you are and where you’re going. Also, you may often be the best source of information about your fellow alums, so encourage your friends and classmates to stay in touch as well.

S CHANGE E TH ARE ON HORIZON

Alumni can register in three easy steps:

1

Go to alumni.du.edu and select “First Time Login” in the top left.

2

Enter your last and first name, then click “Find.”

3

Find your name, click on it, then enter your DU ID number.

Joining the Daniels alumni network will grant you access to IMBA graduates located all over the world. Our alumni network helps graduates locate former classmates and make new connections across industries and borders. Past graduates have used alumni resources to research global cultures, prepare for a career change and offer guidance to current IMBA students.

The IMBA department is constantly evaluating ways to make the IMBA programs and classes the best they can be. If you would like to be part of this process, contact Leslie Carter at lcarter@du.edu.

If you no longer have access to your DU ID number, or you need to update your contact information, please contact Leslie Carter at leslie.carter@du.edu or 303.871.2037.

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