A message from Steven Oliveira, Associate Dean
 Dear Wharton Alumni:
Wharton Economic Summit
After more than a year of planning, it’s finally here: The Wharton Economic Summit. On April 12-13, Wharton will host the 2007 Wharton Economic Summit at the Pennsylvania Convention Center – the culmination of a year-long celebration of Wharton’s 125th anniversary, and one of the most dynamic global business events ever to be staged by Wharton.
Featured keynote speakers include Stan O’Neal, chairman and CEO of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., Rajat Gupta, senior partner worldwide for McKinsey&Company, Art Collins, WG’73, CEO of Medtronic, Inc., and Jon M. Huntsman, W’59, HON’96, founder of Huntsman Corporation. The event will also feature panel discussions with some of the School’s most highly regarded faculty, alumni and friends, including: Jeremy Siegel, Russell E. Palmer Professor of Finance; Robert Castellini, WG'67, chairman and CEO, Castellini Company; Randy Levine, president, New York Yankees; Leslie Morgan Steiner, WG'92, general manager, Washington Post Company; Jeffrey Berg, chairman and CEO, International Creative Management; Shawn Gold, chief marketing officer, MySpace; and many more.
The Economic Summit will also serve as the official farewell send-off for Dean Patrick Harker, who will be resigning his post on June 30.
Registration for this once-in-a-lifetime occasion is still open. To register for the Summit, or for more information, including schedule, accommodations and participant information, please visit http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/alumni/wharton125/events/finale.
Societal Wealth Generation Program
As the world’s leading innovator in business research, Wharton is proud of its many programs and centers. One of our most exciting and groundbreaking initiatives has been the Societal Wealth Generation Program. Established in 2001 by Ian MacMillan, Dhirubhai Ambani Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Director of the Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Center and James Thompson, Associate Director of the Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs, the Societal Wealth Generation Program stands apart from those programs of Wharton’s competitors. It reaches out to communities in developing countries in an effort to prove that entrepreneurial enterprises are capable of having a dramatic and positive impact on the problems presented in an emerging economy. While similar programs from other universities were established as theoretically based research and teaching programs, the Societal Wealth Generation Program at Wharton began as a series of entrepreneurial initiatives which have been followed up with teaching and research.
The success of the program is unquestionable, with the focus currently centered on using entrepreneurial experiments to attack debilitating health and nutrition problems in Africa. Projects are being executed in health care, animal nutrition, food production, aquaculture, and agriculture, and as the program continues to grow, these initiatives will be expanded to aid developing economies in other regions across the globe.
One project example is the livestock feed program in Northern Zambia, whose goal is to enhance the quality and production of livestock in emerging economies. The program was initiated in 2001, and sought to provide solutions to the optimal feed mix problem plaguing feed and small-scale livestock producers. After the first year of a new software deployment capable of addressing the issue, and taking into account locally available feed components, larger competitors in the business were obliged to match the entrepreneur’s selling price with a 20% reduction across the board. Now, feeds are available to more small-scale livestock producers, the producer doubled sales, animal yield and health has increased considerably, livestock turnover has accelerated and the quality of meat has improved.
The Societal Wealth Generation Program was recently featured in the Financial Times (February 23, 2007), which highlighted the program, its successes, and one of its social entrepreneurs, Alicia Polak, with whom it created the Khaya Cookie Company in 2006. The article can be found on the Financial Times’ website at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1d925570-c371-11db-9047-000b5df10621.html.
I hope that you will take some time to read about Wharton’s Societal Wealth Generation Program and the tremendous way in which this groundbreaking program is tackling the challenging issues of emerging economies.
And finally, on a personal note, I would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to the family of Carlos Pope. Carlos served as an associate in the External Affairs office for a number of years, and died unexpectedly in March from complications due to surgery. You may not have known Carlos personally, but his work behind the scenes impacted so many of our alumni activities and events. Carlos brought great humor and vitality to our office and he will be deeply missed.
Sincerely,
Steven Oliveira
. . . . . .
Wharton School to Host Biggest Business Event in its 125-Year History
Next Moves in a Global Economy
April 12-13, 2007
Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA
The event, to be the largest in the School’s 125-year history, will feature 30 faculty-moderated panel discussions on topics including:
| Emerging Markets |
Private Equity |
| Real Estate |
Mergers & Acquisitions |
| Sports Business |
Work/Life Issues |
| Media & Entertainment |
Executive Compensation |
| Globalization |
Risk Management |
| Outsourcing |
Family Business |
| Technology |
Energy |
| Hedge Funds |
Philanthropy |
| Business Strategy |
Leadership |
The summit will also feature four keynote speeches by global business and policy leaders, and a plenary session on leadership and ethics. Key speakers include (in alphabetical order):
- Art Collins, Wharton alumnus, chairman and CEO, Medtronic, Inc.
- Rajat Gupta, senior partner worldwide, former managing director worldwide, McKinsey&Company
- Jon M. Huntsman, Wharton alumnus, founder and chairman, Huntsman Corporation
- Michael Milken, Wharton alumnus, chairman, the Milken Institute; chairman, FasterCures
- Stan O’Neal, chairman and CEO, Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc.
- Jeremy Siegel, Russell E. Palmer Professor of Finance, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
“The Wharton Economic Summit will be a truly momentous event,” said Patrick T. Harker, dean of the Wharton School. “It marks the finale of Wharton's year-long 125th anniversary celebration and features some of the top names in global business. The Wharton School is honored to be able to present this unique forum to explore some of the most pressing issues in the global market, and we look forward to lively discussions and debate.”
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Philadelphia, PA
April 12-13, 2007
Read more...
Register for the event!
. . . . . .
Knowledge@Wharton’s Corporate Affiliate Program
Co-branding opportunity with K@W
This strategic collaboration allows your business to maintain consistent communication with your audience, including clients and employees, through your own co-branded version of Knowledge@Wharton. Your co-branded site provides current business analysis in subject areas ranging from Finance and Investment, to Innovation and Marketing, together with your Company News and a Welcome Message from your business to your audience.
The development of the co-branded site, the subscriber registration process, the content delivery and the hosting and management of the site are all provided through Wharton. Your only responsibilities are to provide your logo/branding, make use of your Company News section, and market your site to your client base among any other audiences.
For more information on joining a growing network of corporate affiliates who are co-branding with Knowledge@Wharton you may contact a director at corporateaffiliate@wharton.upenn.edu or by calling +1.215.746.7845
Please visit us online:
http://www.knowledgeatwharton.com
. . . . . .
Wharton School MBA Commencement
speakers announced for Philadelphia and Wharton West
Philadelphia, PA and San Francisco, CA, March 21, 2007 -- The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has announced that Lakshmi N. Mittal, president and CEO of Arcelor Mittal, will be the featured speaker at the School’s MBA commencement in Philadelphia. The May 13 ceremony will occur at 1:00 p.m. at Franklin Field, located at Spruce and 33rd Streets on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.
“We are very pleased to have Mr. Mittal as our commencement speaker,” said Wharton Dean Patrick Harker. “He is an exceptional example of a global leader and demonstrates the roles we hope our students will assume in their careers and private lives.”
On May 6, Wharton will hold its fifth West Coast MBA commencement ceremony at Wharton West in San Francisco. Wharton established a campus on the West Coast due to the strong belief that West Coast business executives would be well served by the option to pursue a robust, full-curriculum Wharton MBA without the need to cross coasts. Since the founding of this West Coast program, the School has graduated approximately 375 students. Read more...
. . . . . .
Did you know?
1973, The Wharton School became the first school to develop a fully integrated curriculum of entrepreneurial studies. Today Wharton, through Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs, supports and seeds innovation and entrepreneurship globally through teaching, research and outreach to a range of organizations through its many programs, initiatives and research centers. At the same time, Wharton students and alumni are helping to build entrepreneurial enterprises around the world and impacting virtually every industry.
. . . . . .
Inside Wharton
Wharton music industry case team hits the high note in Texas
 Recently, a team of five Wharton students traveled to Austin, Texas, to compete in the 2nd Annual MBA Open MIC (Music Industry Challenge), a national case competition hosted by the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. Set against the backdrop of the South By Southwest Music Festival, the country's largest independent music conference, the competition poses questions facing the music industry today.
Besting teams from seven other business schools, the Wharton team (nicknamed the "Moondogs") brought home the blue ribbon, not to mention a giant, styrofoam check. Representing Wharton were Nitin "Like Nathan" Chopra (WG'08), Vivek "NASCAR" Garg (WG'08), Neel "KETCAR" Ketkar (WG'08), Francis "Appleboy" Kim (WG'08), and Elizabeth "Bird Dung" Ko (WG'07). The Wharton team's participation in the challenge was co-funded by the Media & Entertainment Club and the Wharton Media & Entertainment Initiative. Read more...
. . . . . .
Wharton School Publishing
New Book from Wharton School Publishing
Selling Blue Elephants: How to Make Great Products That People Want BEFORE They Even Know They Want Them by Howard Moskowitz and Alex Gofman.
 In Selling Blue Elephants, RDE’s creators reveal how to systematically design, test, and modify alternative ideas, packages, products, and services, to discover offerings your customers will be passionate about...even if they can’t articulate the need, much less the solution!
Discover the seven easy steps that take you from cluelessness to clarity in just days... sometimes even hours. Watch RDE succeeding in companies ranging from Hewlett-Packard to Campbell’s, MasterCard to Maxwell House... and learn how to get the same outstanding results yourself, one step at a time, every time!
Filled with real-life stories, this book will change the way people think about selling to their present and future customers.
Wharton Alumni can take advantage of expanded benefits, including discounts and free domestic shipping. Those who register to become a member can get free access to audio summaries, author interviews and other valuable member only content. Visit www.whartonsp.com/alumni to register and access benefits. All WSP books also are available at the Penn Bookstore.
For more, visit the Wharton School Publishing website.
Wharton Executive Education: Upcoming Programs
Executive Development Program : May 6-18, 2007
In a tough and uncertain environment, leadership is more important than ever in giving your company a competitive edge. Organizational restructuring and career advancement place managers in more demanding roles, requiring skills beyond their areas of disciplinary training or expertise.
Private Wealth Management: May 06-11, 2007
Wealth comes to families in many forms. It may arrive predictably or suddenly. Preparedness is a major concern for all families with substantial assets. Families recognize that when the concentration of knowledge and experience resides with a patriarch or office executive, it can prevent other family members from fully assuming responsibility for wealth management. Few resources have been available to help families meet the complex challenge of wealth management education.
Contact a Course Consultant for more information.
. . . . . .
Knowledge@Wharton
Published bi-weekly and available in English, Spanish, Portuguese,
and Chinese/Mandarin, K@W has nearly 500,000 subscribers in 189
countries.
Despite Corporate Scandals and Car Trouble, Germany's Economy Is Steaming Ahead
 As recently as 2005, Germany's economic recovery was hindered by high unemployment, sluggish domestic demand and weak business investment. But then things began to change for the better. Germany's economy -- Europe's biggest and the world's third largest in terms of gross domestic product -- grew by 2.7% in 2006 and the unemployment rate in October 2006 dropped below 10% for the first time since 2002. In this special section, we take a look at just how sustainable the economic recovery is, the latest developments in the auto industry, why working mothers in Germany have a harder time balancing career and family than women in other industrialized countries, and the fallout from recent corporate governance scandals at some of the country's biggest and most respected firms. Read more...
Building a Modern Economy: How the 'Dubai CEO's' Big Bet Is Paying Off, for Now
 The announcement that Halliburton, the Houston, Tex.-based oil services company, was moving its headquarters to Dubai may have surprised many Americans. But for people in Dubai, it simply ratified decades of hard work.
With scant oil reserves, Dubai's ruling family, the Maktoums, long ago realized that their state's future lay in serving as the commercial hub of the Arab Middle East, not pulling petroleum from the desert sands. "They have had to live on their wits," says Bulent Gultekin, a Wharton finance professor. "So they've tried to build Dubai into the business platform for the region. Read more...
. . . . . .
Alumni in the News
Jon Huntsman, W'59, HON'96, founder of the Huntsman Corporation, was interviewed about his thoughts on Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts and candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. (Fox News, 2/21/07)
Connie Duckworth, WG'79, was featured in an article about her involvement with Arzu Inc., a nonprofit company she founded after returning from Afghanistan in 2003, as a member of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council. Arzu employs over 700 Afghan women and uses its profits to fund education and health care initiatives in Afghanistan. (Houston Chronicle, 2/3/07))
Andy Turner, PHD'81, was featured in an article about his appointment as dean of the Pacific Lutheran University Business School. (The News Tribune, 2/4/07)
Steve Woda, WG'01, was featured in an article about his company BuySafe Inc., an online shopping security firm. (The Washington Times, 2/5/07)
Anil Ambani, WG'83, head of the Anil Dhirubhai Group, was featured in an article about his upcoming business plans. (Reuters, 2/12/07)
James Tisch, WG'76, was featured in an article about his role as CEO of the Loews Corporation. (Forbes Magazine, 2/26/07)
See full list
Benjamin Franklin Society Giving Levels
Wharton has achieved unparalleled leadership in education – from undergraduate to graduate to executive programs – establishing the School as a model for business education around the globe. These extraordinary accomplishments could not happen without the loyal support and dedication of the Wharton community. For more information about how to become a member of the Benjamin Franklin Society please click here.
. . . . . .
About the Wharton Connect Alumni Newsletter
This newsletter is a publication of Wharton Alumni Affairs and Annual Giving. To continue to receive this newsletter, as well as the Wharton Alumni Magazine and event information, please update your information on WAVE. If you know of other alumni not getting this e-mail, feel free to forward this newsletter and ask them to let us know their contact information. We welcome your comments at alumni.affairs@wharton.upenn.edu.
Wharton Alumni Affairs and Annual Giving is located at 344 Vance Hall, 3733 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. |
