News Roundup – Pepperdine Online MBA Soars in Rankings, and More
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories from this week, including the Pepperdine Online MBA jumping in the rankings.
Pepperdine Graziadio Online MBA Ranked No. 12 by Princeton Review – BusinessWire
Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business’ Online MBA has climbed two spots to reach 12th overall on Princeton Review’s “Top 25 Online MBA Programs” list. Since 2017, the degree has risen six spots, and it was also named the “Best Faith Based University.”
Graziadio was ranked tenth overall for “Most Competitive Students” and ninth on the “Greatest Resource for Minority Students” list. Graziadio Dean Deryck J. van Rensburg says of the honor:
“This recognition is validation of the great work going on at Pepperdine Graziadio … It is an honor that our online MBA program continues to be recognized as one of the country’s leading programs by The Princeton Review.”
The online MBA has four concentrations: finance, leadership and managing organizational change, marketing, and general management. It is designed for working professionals who want to take their career forward with an MBA but still balance other responsibilities. In addition to the online degree, Graziadio also offers a part-time, full-time, and two Executive MBA degrees.
To create the list, Princeton Review interviewed 26,700 students at over 350 different schools. Among the criteria included in the surveys were career outcomes, selectivity, academics, faculty, and technical platforms. For more on Pepperdine’s Online MBA, read here.
Tepper School MBA Now a STEM Designated Program – Tepper News
The Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University has announced that its MBA program is now STEM designated.
The designation reinforces the commitment of the Tepper MBA to analytics and employing the latest in data driven business practices. Dean Robert Dammon says, “At the Tepper School, we are educating future business leaders to utilize technology, data, and analytics to make better business decisions and solve complex problems that impact our world.”
Over the past two years, Tepper has implemented courses that fuse business and technology, in addition to placing the most innovative analytical tools available into the hands of its students.
Kate Barraclough, head of the Tepper MBA program, adds, “We have always placed strong emphasis on quantitative expertise as a crucial management skill, [which] are in high demand from employers. Across every industry, employers are looking for MBA graduates who are analytical thinkers and data-driven decision makers.”
One of the unique benefits of the new designation applies to international students. Students graduating from STEM-designated programs are able to apply for a 24-month extension to their post-completion optional practical training (OPT), opening up the option to have up to 36 months of temporary employment in the U.S.
You can read here for more on new designation.
‘You Are Genuine. You Are Passionate.’ – D’Amore McKim School of Business News
Social impact entrepreneur and Northeastern Univeristy D’Amore McKim School of Business alum Alan McKim has received the school’s 2019 Distinguished Entrepreneur Award.
McKim’s startup, Clean Harbors, began in 1980 as a four person company specializing in cleaning oil tanks. It has grown to be one of the world’s leading organizations in helping communities to recover after natural and man-made disasters. Clean Harbors provided decontamination services to rescue workers after the September 11th attacks in New York City.
The company averages 6,000 cleanups per year in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. “Our workforce are really heroes,” McKim says, “When you think about 3,500 employees cleaning up the [2010] oil spill in the Gulf [of Mexico], working 12 to 18 hours a day, they really develop that camaraderie of being part of the family. What we see is that people love being in this industry, they love the great work that they do cleaning up the environment.”
McKim was pusuing a criminal justice degree at Northeastern when he decided to leave school in order to provide for his family. This led him to working with Bob Dee, who owned a small environmental cleanup company. He ultimately found his passion in the field and began Clean Harbors in 1986. He was encouraged by a family friend and mentor to go back to school, at which time he pursued his Executive MBA at Northeastern.
He says of his mentorship by Northeastern Professor Dan McCarthy, “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Northeastern and Dan McCarthy, I can guarantee that.”
You can read here for more info on McKim and Clean Harbor.
A Seat at a Nonprofit Table Leads to Experiential Learning for Fox Board Fellows – Fox School News
A nine year partnership between Temple University’s Fox School of Business and more than 95 nonprofit organizations has been of great benefit to all involved since its inception.
The Fox Board Fellows are graduate business students who sit on nonprofit boards as non-voting, visiting members. After submitting an application and an going through an interview process, the students are placed with organizations with whom their goals align. The other component of the program is a higher level project serving the NPO, in addition to a report that is submitted in their Non-Profit Governance course.
The professor who teaches the course, T.L. Hill, says, “It’s the best way for our students to learn as well as provide good service to the nonprofits… This is a really rich relationship from our perspective.” In addition to his professorship, Hill is also Managing Director of Fox Management Consulting.
The latest cohort comprises 18 graduate students who are serving with 18 different NPOs throughout the area. Fox grad student Colin O’Shea is currently serving for the school year as a board member for Philadelphia Youth Basketball (PYB). PYB is a youth development organization that provides mentorship and leadership opportunities for children.
O’Shea says:
“You don’t get the same effect when you are exclusively in a classroom … So being able to actually sit on the board of an organization is such a deep dive and a great opportunity and learning experience.”
For more on the Fox Board Fellows, click here.
MBAs Jump at Chance to Compete in Inaugural Natural and Organic Case Competition – Leeds School of Business News
The first-ever Natural and Organic Case Competition drew 38 Leeds School of Business and other non-business graduate students to meet various social impact challenge, cementing Leeds and the University as leaders in the evolving industry.
Leeds’ location in Boulder, CO make it an ideal place for MBAs hoping to gain immersion in fields that implement sustainable design and supply chain management practices, among other environmentally responsible principles.
Julie Waggoner, Associate Director of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility (CESR) at Leeds, says, “We were blown away by the strong student interest the competition attracted. We nearly doubled our goal for student participation, and teams included full-time and evening Leeds MBAs, as well as students from the Master of Environment program.”
Industry partners in the competition were Charlotte’s Web and Naturally Boulder, and leaders from these companies served as judges. The final round of the competition, which awarded the winning team $7,500, involved the palm oil industry in Southeast Asia. The students were tasked with creating solutions in terms of transparency, sustainability, and corporate ethics.
The Top Vancouver Companies for MBAs
With one of the most rapidly expanding economies in Canada, Vancouver has become a destination not only for tourism but also for transplants wishing to advance their careers. The total transition from a resourced based to a knowledge based economy makes it a vibrant center for various industries, including banking, tech, sustainable design and construction and international commerce. The city is also known as “Hollywood North” for those looking to make it into the business side of the entertainment industry.
Its beautiful landscape and temperate Pacific northwestern climate only add to the city’s appeal. In this article, we’ll take a dive into some of the top hiring companies in Vancouver for MBAs.
The Top Vancouver Companies for MBAs
Hootsuite
Hootsuite, the tool used by companies to harness their social media presence, is one of the top tech firms to call Vancouver home. With capabilities that benefit industries such as finance, healthcare, higher ed, and government, Hootsuite employs a diverse group of people across its international offices.
According to its site, the company is currently hiring a Vice President of Corporate Marketing, a Manager of Enterprise Marketing for the Americas, and a Senior Manager for Product Insights and Analytics.
Paysa reports that the average salary at Hootsuite is $126,444. This breaks down to $72,000 in the 25th percentile and $160,000 in the 75th percentile. The company has a high percentage of those with a combination of social media, marketing, and management expertise.
Lululemon
Athletic apparel company Lululemon Athletica, founded in Vancouver in 1998, also retains its headquarters there. Within its first two decades, the company made it onto Fortune‘s Fastest Growing Companies list, and this prediction held true.
For those with career goals incorporating social responsibility, Lululemon is a great fit. The company is part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, which ensures that members meet rigorous production and distribution standards for environmental, social and economic sustainability. Employing a ‘guerrilla marketing’ strategy in which customers feel part of a larger community as consumers of the product, Lululemon has become synonymous with the outdoorsy, athletic, and fit lifestyle that embodies Vancouver.
The company is currently hiring a Director of Marketing/CRM Analytics; a Business Analyst for Corporate Finance Systems, and a Vice President of Development, all of which may be of interest to MBAs hoping to settle in Vancouver. According to recent data, the 75th percentile of earners at Lululemon make $118,000, while the average is around $70,000.
TELUS
TELUS is Canada’s top telecommunications company, specializing in internet, voice and cable technology. Originally founded in Edmonton, Alberta, TELUS now provides telecom services to a large number of provinces in Canada. Analogous to Comcast or Verizon in the states, TELUS employs thousands in Vancouver, and appeals in particular to MBAs for its omnipresence as a corporate entity.
TELUS is currently hiring for Operations and Product Development Managers, Senior Strategy Managers, and Business Analysts. Salary reports state an average of $104,000, $74,000 in the 25th percentile, and just under $130,000 in the 75th percentile.
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts is another dominant employer in Vancouver, and is obviously an ideal choice for MBAs with a foot in the gaming and tech world. Frostbite Labs, headquartered in Vancouver and in Stockholm, is a division of EA with a specialty in virtual reality tech. As a leader in the monetization of video games and apps, along with its exclusive partnership with Disney, Electronic Arts is an ever growing entity for an MBA in search of a great career move.
EA in Vancouver is currently in search of Communications Brand Managers, a Senior Quality Analyst, and a Development Director in Vancouver. Average salaries at EA rate at a highly competitive $132,000 on average, $93,000 in the 25th percentile, and $160,000 in the top 75 percent.
News Roundup – Gies Online MBA Powers Illinois, Graziadio Professor on Women in the Age of AI, and More
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories from this week, including a Gies Online MBA helping power the state of Illinois.
Dr. Bernice Ledbetter Authors Opinion on Equipping Women with Opportunities to Thrive in Smart Machine Age – Pepperdine Graziadio Business School News
Dr. Bernice Ledbetter of the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School recently published her findings on the role of women in the age of AI.
A study by the McKinsey Global Institute found that smart machines will eventually perform the tasks performed by women in many business settings. Ledbetter’s research seeks to prompt lawmakers and policy makers to assist women in adapting their skill sets within this new landscape.
Dr. Ledbetter suggested three key guidelines to provide safeguards for women as work becomes automated—increase mentorship opportunities for women and outlets for women to hone leadership and utilize ‘soft skills;’ and to bolster investment in childcare and early childhood education. Women, according to research by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, account for 58 percent of the workforce that will be affected by automation.
As the Dean of Students and Alumni Affairs at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School and Director of the Pepperdine Center for Women in Leadership, Ledbetter works to inform and instruct on the issues faced by women in every sector of the economy. For more on her study and the future of AI in the workplace, read here.
Cardinal Health Partners with Vanderbilt Executive Education for Two Custom Leadership Programs – Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Business News
Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management has been leading a strategic partnership with Cardinal Health Partners to produce some of the best and brightest executives in the healthcare field.
The two programs, entitled INNOVATE and INSPIRE, are both nine months in duration. INNOVATE brings together thirty directors for assignments meant to help solve global healthcare issues. The directors, who reside at various international locations, meeting face-to-face six months into the program. At the end of the nine months, the team presents their projects to Cardinal executives who decide which ones they will implement.
Vanderbilt’s partnership with Cardinal Health Partners has brought two new healthcare executive programs to the Owen Graduate School of Management.
INSPIRE is comprised of fifteen Cardinal Health vice presidents whose goal it is to hone skills in entrepreneurial thinking, organizational management, and trend spotting. After deciding upon one ‘mega trend’, teams analyze how the trend is active within their organization and how it can be maximized for the best impact.
The intent of each program is to help executives and leaders to shift focus from operational concerns into more strategic and creative thinking. Jerome Revish is a Cardinal Health Vice President for Services and a participant in the INSPIRE program. He says:
“I’ve been at the VP level for a little over two years now. I would say as manager and director, you’re so focused on execution and driving results … It’s now, at this level and the next level, where more of your job is centered around framing the strategy of where we need to be going, versus ‘how do I execute what’s in front of me today.’”
For more on Owen’s executive education programs, read here.
iMBA Helps Power Windfree’s CEO to Power Illinois Homes and Businesses – Gies College of Business News
The University of Illinois Gies College of Business’ iMBA program has helped one entrepreneur to help bring solar power to the Midwest.
Eric Heineman is CEO of Windfree, Illinois’ TOP installer of solar panels for homes and businesses in the state. The iMBA, Gies’ 100 percent online degree, was a perfect choice for Heineman as he juggled the responsibility of raising children and pursuing his goal of creating a socially responsible business.
Crediting the “solar boom” in Illinois for part of his success, Heineman says, ““I don’t know how I would be able to stay in a master’s program if I didn’t have the flexibility of the iMBA. It’s something I’m very thankful for.” The iMBA has been a vital tool in Heineman’s advancement to CEO, as his business decisions are directly applicable to his online curriculum.
“It allows me to constructively second-guess everything I’m doing, and I have a great sounding board for my ideas,” he continues. Windfree was founded in 2009, and it has become a leader in providing solar energy to schools and other non-profit organizations. Windfree is responsible for the installation of numerous solar power devices in the state, including the Illinois Governor’s Mansion.
Heineman will complete his MBA in 2020. You can read here for more on Heineman, Windfree, and the iMBA.
2019 Massachusetts Family Business of the Year Award Winners – Northeastern D’Amore McKim School of Business News
Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business honored some of the state’s leading family businesses during an awards program last month. For over a decade, a panel of judges has chosen businesses that exemplify success, specifically through multi-generational legacies of their organizations. Community involvement and innovation are two other criteria upon which the winners are chosen.
The Clark School received an award for medium sized businesses. Provo Wealth Management Group won the Marshall Paisner Award for Small Firms. The Hub Folding Box Company took home the large business award, and the Award for Community Involvement was presented to J. Calnan & Associates.
For the last thirteen years, recipients of the Massachusetts Family Business of the Year Awards have been selected by a panel of independent judges based on the following criteria: business success; positive business and family linkages; multi-generational family involvement; contributions to the community and industry; and innovative business practices or strategies.
You can read here for more on the Family Business of the Year awards.
News Roundup – Bad Advertising at Questrom, Awarding-Winning Faculty at Johns Hopkins, and More
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories from this week, including BU Questrom’s take on bad advertising, and more.
Darden of Carey Faculty Receives Johns Hopkins Catalyst Award – JHU News
The Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School recently honored Associate Professor Michael Darden with a Catalyst Award in acknowledgement of his early career accomplishments.
The awards were first introduced at Carey in 2015 to support the efforts of professors like Darden who have shown originality and impact in their fields. Darden, whose work focuses on the economics health care markets and tobacco regulation, will receive a $75,000 research grant. He formerly taught health policy and management at George Washington University and economics at Tulane.
Darden received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of North Carolina. He is currently a research faculty fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Carey Business School Associate Professor Michael Darden, winner of this year’s Catalyst Award \ Photo via carey.jhu.edu
On the news of the award, Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels says, “There is no more urgent time than the present to renew our commitment to those whose ideas will improve the condition of our world and its people… By supporting the creative and ambitious research of early-career faculty, we are investing not only in the future of these exceptional scholars but of the entire academic enterprise.”
For more on the Catalyst Award and Michael Darden, read here.
Penn State Smeal Convenes Panel of Leading Infrastructure Experts to Discuss Challenges Facing the U.S. – Smeal College of Business News
The Penn State Smeal College of Business recently hosted a panel of some of the country’s leading experts in infrastructure and transportation. Members of the panel, convening in New York City, discussed some of the critical issues facing the country today.
David Welsh, Penn State Smeal alum and founder of Normandy Real Estate Partners, led the discussion. The panel included Sarah Feinberg, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) board member and former U.S. Department of Transportation chief of staff; Anthony Coscia, chairman of Amtrak; Parick Foye, chairman of the MTA and Steve Plate, chief of major capital projects of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.
Larry Silverstein, chairman of Silverstein Properties and developer of the new World Trade Center in New York City, co-hosted the event. “Our experience here at the World Trade Center showed us how important it is for government to work hand in hand with the private sector on large infrastructure projects. We can’t do them alone; we have to work together,” he says. “Our country’s transportation infrastructure is the lifeblood of our economy and society.”
The event was organized by Penn State Smeal’s Institute for Real Estate Studies (IRES), a privately sponsored research institute within the University.
MBA Students Provide Insights for Global Water Projects – OSU Fisher News
Three teams of students in OSU Fisher‘s Global Applied Projects program partnered with OSU’s Global Water Institute (GWI) and Global One Health Initiative (GOHi) to help create strategies for clean water initiatives in Kenya and Tanzania. Using a franchise model, the student teams analyzed the ways in which the clean water solutions could be profitable.
Ohio State Fisher students, working with OSU’s Global Water Institute (GWI) and Global One Health Initiative (GOHi) / Photo via fisher.osu.edu
Erin Collin, a second-year MBA student and graduate assistant at the GWI says, “Our goal was to help address these issues by developing a franchise offering that could be used to specifically address the challenges outlined above by adding more structure, resources and accountability.”
The students’ input will remain valuable as the GWI develops strategies for franchising, along with partnerships with local East African governments and universities, the World Bank, and clean water advocacy organization WaterAid. The teams who worked with the Global One Health Initiative had the goal of developing clean water infrastructure in Ethiopia. Students traveled to the region to connect with residents, conduct interviews, and visit sites.
“GAP was absolutely a highlight of my MBA experience because it provided me an opportunity to bring together so many of my passions: international development, public health, strategic and analytical thinking, teamwork and international travel,” says Courtney Clark, a second year MBA. “Writing our final report felt like the most meaningful thing I have done so far in the MBA program.” Read more on the GAP and its international partnerships here.
Dave Owens Named the Evans Family Executive Director of the Wond’ry – Owen GSM News
Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management has announced a new director for its innovation workspace, the Wond’ry.
David A. Owens is a Professor for the Practice of Management and Innovation at Owen, but his expertise stretches across disciplines. He is faculty director for the Vanderbilt Accelerator-Summer Business Institute, in addition to professor in the School of Engineering. Owens also holds appointments in the Peabody College of Education and Human Development as professor of the practice of teaching and learning, and the School of Medicine as an Associate Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences.
“My goal is to help students, faculty and staff to be more effective innovators by making it easier to find tools, mentors, expertise and insights on innovation practice and design research. We will also increase the Wond’ry’s connections to Vanderbilt’s research centers,” says Owens of his appointment.
Owens has lent his product development expertise to a diverse group of organizations such as NASA, Nissan, Wrigley’s, LEGO, and Gibson Music. He has also served as CEO of Griffin Technology and as a product developer for IDEO.
Questrom Dean & Brand Expert Presents At Management Science’s 65th Anniversary Conference – Questrom News
Boston University Questrom School of Business recently hosted academic journal Management Science’s 65th Anniversary Conference, where Dean Susan Fournier headlined with a presentation on brand management.
In her talk, entitled “Taking Brand Seriously in the Age of Risky Business,” Dean Fournier discussed the ways in which brands can survive in an increasingly competitive landscape. Using such examples as PepsiCo’s failed ad campaign featuring Kendall Jenner in a protest scene, Fournier made various points on the success and failure of companies’ branding efforts.
Dean Susan Fournier’s presentation, “Taking Brand Seriously in the Age of Risky Business,” looked at the risks in advertising, including Pepsi’s advertising debacle, featuring Kendall Jenner.
Fournier, along with her leadership at Questrom, is also founder, president, and chair of The Institute for Brands & Brand Relationships, an international non-profit which promotes brand research and publications on the topic.
For more on the Management Science event and on Dean Fournier, click here.
The Best Energy Industry MBA Programs in the U.S.
With the current shift in global economics that coincides with climate change, business schools have seen the benefit of educating students toward a sustainable future. Whether through influencing public policy, investing wisely in carbon reduction technologies, or developing businesses that serve to adjust to global warming, MBA grads with a focus within the energy industry have limitless career prospects.
The Best Energy Industry MBA Programs in the U.S.
The University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business‘ Bay Area location (a center for innovation in sustainability) make it a clean energy industry leader. With an interdisciplinary approach that combines engineering, public policy, and law, Berkeley Haas MBA students have access to such initiatives as Cleantech to Market (C2M). This partnership between grad students, industry professionals, and researchers offers an annual symposium presenting the newest trends in clean technologies.
In C2M, professionals in such arenas as energy generation, storage, grid technology, and water purification guide students through past solutions. Students integrate their curriculum into real world solutions with the help of these professionals and leading researchers.
Cornell’s SC Johnson Graduate School of Management also offers a wealth of opportunities in the development of sustainable solutions for MBAs with the school’s immersion program, the Center for Social Enterprise. After receiving a sizable endowment in 2002, researchers and business leaders formed the SC Johnson Professorship in Sustainable Global Enterprise. Recently ranked 2nd overall by Bloomberg Businessweek, the sustainability curriculum at Johnson has achieved wide acclaim.
In addition, Johnson offers an Environmental Finance and Impact Investing Fellowship. With projects sponsored by corporate and government entities, students receive opportunities to work with the World Bank, Barclays, and The Water Initiative to address pressing issues in development and the increasing demand to find alternative energy sources.
UNC’s Kenan Flagler Business School offers an MBA that they consider “unique among major business schools.” The program, which exhibits a marked emphasis upon ROI, focuses on the energy value chain, and the intersection of oil and gas usage, renewables, and petrochemicals.
This degree focuses primarily on training future leaders in corporate sectors, power generation, renewable energy, investing firms, and consulting firms specializing in energy.
MIT’s Sloan School of Management takes an exemplary role in leadership development for the sustainable energy industry. According to Sloan’s Sustainability Initiative, the school “empowers leaders to act so that humans and nature can thrive for generations to come.” With a mission that includes a sustainability certificate, partnerships with NGOs and government agencies, and an ongoing lecture series, MIT Sloan offers a strong foundation in cleantech development.
In a recent roundtable, experts in renewable energy supply chain discussed potential solutions. These include wind farms and solar power for underserved populations.
“When you’re inside a startup and talking to your colleagues all the time, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture,” says Sandhya Murali, a recipient of the Sustainability Certificate. “Being able to talk with experts in the field and share ideas with veterans in the industry was extremely helpful.”
Murali, ’15, is the CEO of the Solstice Initiative, which provides solar energy to communities in every economic strata.
Finally, University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business is at the forefront of energy efficiency, offering an MBA major in Business, Energy, Environment and Sustainability. Combining a focus in tech, regulation, finance, and business modeling trends, this degree prepares MBAs for leadership roles in energy, clean-tech investment, energy banking, consulting, government, and the sustainable non-profit industry.
Courses include Energy Markets and Policy, Energy Finance, Environmental Management, Law and Policy, Social Impact Marketing and Energy Law.
In addition, there is a dual degree option for Wharton MBAs. In which, students can combine an MBA with a Master in Environmental Studies for career opportunities in energy management.
Graziadio Alum on the Growth of LA’s Startup Scene
A Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Management MBA alum recently took to the keyboard to author an article on the thriving entrepreneurial community in Los Angeles.
Nobel Chang, (MBA ’15) co-founded Radiant Sky Energy, an asset management company specializing in the business of solar power.
