School News

Wharton West Marks Its Fifth Year in San Francisco
This coming school year marks the fifth anniversary of the Wharton West campus in San Francisco. As a global leader in management education, Wharton made the commitment to establish a significant presence in the hub of technological and economic activity on the West Coast. Wharton West just graduated its third MBA for Executives class, bringing the total number of West Coast Wharton MBA graduates to 215. read feature
New Book Released by Wharton School Publishing
Wharton School Publishing recently published The 86 Percent Solution: How to Succeed in the Biggest Market Opportunity of the Next 50 Years by Vijay Mahajan, former dean of the Indian School of Business, and Kamini Banga, managing director of Dimensions Consultancy. The authors discuss how most global businesses focus on selling to the wealthiest 14 percent of the world's population — the developed world. Drawing on dozens of examples from emerging markets worldwide, they offer strategies and tactics for product design, pricing, packaging, distribution, advertising, and much more. visit WSP website

Land Management Addressed by Prof. Wachter at White House Conference
Professor Susan Wachter participated in a panel discussion on "Vacant Land Management and Reclamation in Philadelphia" at a recent White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation. The discussion was part of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Philadelphia Green Program's presentation, which told the story of the organization's vacant land management program and its accomplishments over the past decade, working in partnership with residents, community organizations, businesses, and government to reclaim abandoned vacant lots in the city. visit the White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation website

New Roster of Company Founders Offered by Entrepreneur in Residence Program
The Wharton Entrepreneur in Residence program celebrates its fifth anniversary by offering all Penn students the chance for one-on-one meetings with an exciting new group of successful entrepreneurs. This year, the program will bring to campus the founders of such companies as Bizrate.com/Shopzilla, Wendy Finerman Productions, and Travelocity. Each week, during 30-minute sessions, a different entrepreneur is available for students to discuss ideas, opinions, and strategies for potential or actual business ventures. Many of the visiting EIRs are Wharton or Penn grads. visit website
Wharton Fellows Sessions Held in Copenhagen and Northern Italy
The Executive Education program "Wharton Fellows: Mastering the Future" will start its multi-city Master Class on Sept. 22 in Europe. The program will bring together some of the most creative minds in the world to discuss the meaning and implications of "good design" from multiple perspectives. Held in Copenhagen and several locations in northern Italy, this Executive Education program comprises plenary sessions; visits to several organization headquarters; panel discussions with top executives from such companies as Alessi, Bang & Olufsen, BasicNet, Georg Jensen, Giugiaro, Lego and Novozymes; and attendance at the prestigious Index 2005 design awards dinner as VIP guests. read more about the program

Prof. Lodish Bicycles Across Europe to Raise Funds for ALS
Professor Leonard Lodish and his wife Susan recently rode their tandem bike 800 miles through Europe to raise funds for ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease). They followed stages 2-7 of the Tour de France, from Challans on the East Coast of France to Karlsruhe, Germany.
Academy of Management Bestows Awards on Wharton Management Professors
Several Wharton professors were singled out for professional achievement at the 65th annual meeting of the Academy of Management in Hawaii. Wharton's Management department was well represented, with both Gary Dushnitsky and Sarah Kaplan winning Best Dissertation Awards, and Dushnitsky winning in two separate divisions. Of the five finalists for best dissertation award in the Business Policy & Strategy Division, three of them were Wharton faculty: Dushnitsky, Kaplan, and Saikat Chaudhuri. read more

IBM, Maytag, Unocal...Who's Next in China's Sights?
Does the aborted bid by CNOOC to acquire Unocal signal the end of Chinese corporate takeover attempts in the West — or just the beginning? read more

The Hype over Skype: Can It Go the Distance?
Although Skype, which provides Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony services and PC-to-PC calling, turns two years old on August 29, it remains unclear what kind of business this relative newcomer will turn out to be. Skype could remain a mere fad for techies, become a next-generation communications platform or evolve into the next eBay or Google, say Wharton experts. read more

How Well Has Chile's Retirement Program Aged?
Viewed as one of the world's most innovative pension systems when it was created a quarter century ago, the Chilean retirement program is receiving new scrutiny as participants begin to reach retirement age, and President Bush promotes elements of the plan as a way to reform Social Security in the United States. read more

The Wall Street Journal
August 1, 2005 — Raffi Amit, Robert B. Goergen Professor of Entrepreneurship and Professor of Management, was interviewed about the dynamics of family businesses.

The New York Times
August 6, 2005 — Kevin Werbach, assistant professor of legal studies and business ethics, was quoted about new regulations for Internet providers.

USA Today
August 8, 2005 — Kenneth Shropshire, David W. Hauck Professor and Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, was quoted in an article about NCAA policies.

Associated Press
August 8, 2005 — Alberto Saiz, assistant professor of real estate, was quoted in an article about the increase in condominium sales.

The New York Times
August 13, 2005 — Stephen Hoch, Patty and Jay H. Baker Professor and Professor of Marketing, was quoted in an article about the rising cost of gasoline and how it will affect consumer spending.

The San Francisco Chronicle
August 23, 2005 — Brigitte Madrian, Boettner Associate Professor in Financial Gerontology and Associate Professor of Business and Public Policy, was quoted in an article about 401(k) investments.

Anne-Marie Corner, WG'89, was featured in an article about Cellegy Pharmaceuticals, the company she co-founded which recently moved its headquarters from California to Pennsylvania (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/1/05); Cynthia Hall Domine, WG'89, was featured in an article about her career as president of Synchronicity, a California-based consumer products company (Portland Press Herald, 8/12/05); Sheldon M. Bonovitz, W'59, chairman and CEO of Duane Morris LLP, was featured in an article about diversification in business ventures (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/14/05); Ramona Persaud, WG'03, manager of Fidelity's Select Construction and Housing Fund, was featured in an article about her work on housing fund investments (Boston Herald, 8/23/05).

Wharton Leadership Lecture: Jim Donald, President, CEO & Director, Starbucks
(September 13)

Entrepreneur in Residence Program
Farhad Mohit, WG'96 Chief Products Officer, Chairman & Founder, Shopzilla (advanced registration required)
(September 13)

Entrepreneur in Residence Program
Peter Thomas Roth, W'79 CEO, Peter Thomas Roth Clinical Skin Care (advanced registration required)
(September 20)

Wharton Leadership Lecture: Edward D. Breen, Chairman & CEO, Tyco International Ltd.
(September 29)