Early Career MBA and MBA for Career Change: News

Career Events and Treks
Career management activities provide a realm of career oriented experiences that keep Willamette MBA students moving forward toward their career goals. And it works! As of February 1, 2011, 32% of the members of the 2011 Willamette MBA graduating class have received a job offer.

Here are a few examples of career programming:

* 127 Willamette MBA Students attended the NW MBA Career Day. The annual Northwest Consortium MBA Career Day featured some of the Northwest’s top companies. MBA students had the opportunity to meet many company representatives, learn about application processes, typical career tracks for MBAs, and the traits companies seek in their employees. The program is open only to MBA students from Willamette University, University of Washington, Washington State, University of Oregon, Oregon State, Portland State and the University of Portland.

* The Atkinson Marketing Association sponsored a trip to Portland where students visited Xerox, CMD Agency, Waggener Edstrom, Portland Timbers, and Dove Lewis and learned about each company's perspective of marketing today.

* Twenty-five students participated in this year's Seattle trek. Students visited and interacted with professionals at Theo Chocolate (a social entrepreneurial, fair trade chocolate, sustainable business), Amazon, Microsoft, and T-Mobile. Students also networked with Seattle alumni - many who were employees of the companies visited and who were directly involved in organizing the visits.

*Power Lunches gave students the opportunity to meet: 1) Ron Silveira (WU MBA, 1977), Vice President, NBC Universal, who provided insights on managing in the entertainment industry, and 2) Sarah Severn, Nike Director of Mobilization in Sustainable Business and Innovation.

* Nike's Global Talent Acquisition Manager for Collegiate and Diversity Programs was on campus for a recruiter panel and then returned the following week to meet with students in small groups. These meetings are the beginning of the formal interview process for Nike.

* Students interested in Finance gathered to talk to Intel's Kevin McClaughry (WU MBA '91) when he visited campus. Meeting with Kevin was the first step forward in the interview process with Nike for several students.

* Recent panels and alumni chats have included employees from Nike, Intel, PECI (Portland Energy Conservation Inc), US Bank, U.S. Department of Energy, Intel, Oregon Judicial Department, Salem Hospital and Gen Cubed.

Teaching, Mentoring and Writing
In addition to being excellent teachers who are accessible to students, Willamette MBA faculty are researchers and writers. Here are a few recent publications of our faculty.

Michael Dothan and Fred Thompson published a research article entitled "A Better Budget Rule" in the Summer 2009 issue of the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (Volume 28 Issue 3, Pages 463- 478) URL: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122454061/abstract

Elliot Maltz, Debra Ringold, and Fred Thompson published "Assessing Corporate Social Initiatives: a Tough-Minded, but Sympathetic, Approach to Corporate Social Responsibility" in the FSR Forum, 10/4 (June 2008) 20-26.

Elliot Maltz recently published an article in the Journal of Marketing. (Coauthored with Gary Frazier; Kersi Antia and Aric Rindfleisch). The article is titled Intermediary Sharing of Strategic Information with Suppliers. It explores the conditions under which downstream members of the distribution channel share strategic information with their suppliers.

Elliot Maltz also recently co-authored the article "How Procurement Managers View Low Cost Countries and Geographies: A Perceptual Mapping Approach," which was published in Volume 38 Issue No. 3 of the International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management.

Ken Smith published an article on performance reporting by state agencies in the Summer 2008 Journal of Government Financial Management. Ken was also a guest blogger for the Association of Government Accountants. Read the blog here: http://aga.typepad.com/aga/2008/06/good-performanc.html

Polly Rizova received a 2009-2010 Hewlett Grant for her proposal: Emergence and Dynamics of Work-related Advice Social Networks: A Comparative Study in Business, Not-for-profit and Government Organizations.

Rob Wiltbank's book, titled The Catalyst, was released by Crown Publishing. The Catalyst represents the culmination of a three-year study of how operating managers achieve extraordinary organic growth, despite seemingly never-ending setbacks and challenges. Read more about the book online at: www.growthleaders.org.

Robert Wiltbank published "Designing Organizations that Design Environments: Lessons from Entrepreneurial Expertise" in Organization Studies 2008 29: 331-350, with Saras D, Sarasvathy, Nicholas Dew, and Stuart Read.

Robert Wiltbank was quoted in The Wall Street Journal in an article about angel investing and its economic impacts. Wiltbank is part of a national research group looking at angel investing for new businesses. online.wsj.com/article/SB125694047773419513.html

Robert Wiltbank's angel investing research was quoted in the Business Week article "How Angel Investors Get Their Wings." Excerpt from the article: "What sort of return can an angel expect? There's that rate of return of about 27%, on average, a result reached by professor Robert Wiltbank of Willamette University and Warren Boeker of the University of Washington in a study of 539 angels from 86 groups in North America from 1990 to 2007. The return figure comes from 1,137 "exits" during this time period through mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, bankruptcies, and shut doors." Read it at http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_17/b4081112242665.htm

Professor Lisbeth Claus has three 2009 publications:
1. Lisbeth Claus and Dennis Briscoe (2009). "Employee Performance Management Across Borders: A Review of Relevant Academic Literature". International Journal of Management Review 11(2), 175-196.
2. Lisbeth Claus and Michael Hand (2009). "Customization Decisions Regarding Performance Management Systems of Multinational Companies: An Empirical View of Eastern European Firms." Journal of Cross Cultural Management (in press, September).

Lisbeth Claus was also the guest editor (with Prof. Dennis Briscoe) of a special issue on global performance management of the European Journal of International Management. Her article entitled, "Employee performance management in MNCs: reconciling the need for global integration and local responsiveness," appears in the journal (Vol. 2, No.2, 2008).

Professor Lisbeth Claus is running a series of breakfast roundtables in major U.S. and European cities during fall 2009 on "Managing the Risks of a Global Workforce" for International SOS. She designed an organizational decision-making game to highlight the difficulties global organizations encounter in assuming their employer duty of care responsibilities. The roundtables are based on her recently released white paper entitled: Duty of Care of Employers for Protecting International Assignees, their Dependents, and International Business Travelers. London: International SOS, 2009. URL: http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/global/Articles/Pages/DutyofCare.aspx.3.

Fred Thompson participated in a Forum on “Framing a Public Management Agenda,” organized by the IBM Center for The Business of Government in response to the Obama Administration's expressed intention "to engage experts in federal management policy to craft a broad management and performance framework."

Fred Thompson also attended the Association for Public Policy and Management Research Conference, where he presented a paper entitled: A Positive Model of Expenditure Growth: Toward Closure of the Organizational Process Theory of Budgeting, which he coauthored with Atkinson faculty Michael Dothan and Mike Hand.

Fred Thompson published "State Fiscal Management: What Practitioners Can Learn from Risk Management Theory," Chapter 21 of Government Budget Forecasting: Theory and Practice (New York: Macmillan, 2008) 477-500. With Bruce Gates.

Angel Investment & Entrepreneurial Thinking Programs Launched
Professor Rob Wiltbank launched two new spring semester opportunities for students interested in entrepreneurship. The Angel Investment Program engages students as active members of angel investment groups throughout Oregon. The program will do include two $50K equity investments based on the students work during the 2009-10 academic year. Entrepreneurial Thinking is a new first year elective course where first-year students students work with entrepreneurs and review their business model design, investment readiness, and other aspects involved in the strategic design of new ventures.

Another major speaker series for the Willamette MBA program is the Power Lunch Series. Power Lunch events give students the opportunity to learn about companies and careers and have lunch with our guest speakers. The Power Lunch speaker for March is Claudia Valderrama who is the Chief Financial Officer for Wieden + Kennedy. Weiden + Kennedy is a full-service, creative driven, advertising agency based in Portland and with offices around the world. W+K was named "Agency of the Year" by AdAge. Ms. Valderrama will be sharing career advice and discussing trends and future projections for the advertising world.

Two First Year Students from the Entering Class of 2010 Talk About Their Internship Search
First year students are very busy networking, attending Career Management panels and events, interviewing and accepting offers for internships. Here are two of their stories.

Jenessa Meng
My experience at Willamette thus far has been great as far as developing my career. The things that have helped me the most have been joining student organizations, attending career fairs and networking with professionals at association events.

I have built an extensive network that I have used for informational interviews and insights about possible internships. In addition to conducting informational interviews I have taken advantage of two Career Conferences through NAWMBA and through Career Services. I managed to network with Raytheon, a global Homeland Security company who had a booth at the annual NAWMBA Conference in California. Since then I was contacted for two interviews and am now flying to Boston for a final round!

I also landed an interview with Rubicon International, a Global Education Tech company at the Portland Career Fair and met a recruiter with Intel who helped me apply for their HR internship!

The best advice I received entering Willamette's MBA program was to stay involved. This has really helped me not only find great internship opportunities but has helped me refine my career goals for the future!

Jan Taborsky
During first semester at Willamette MBA I was encouraged to engage in extensive networking. I got back in touch and met many new people from the "sport" industry, both in the US and back home in Europe. What also helped was starting the search early in the first semester.

I will be the Marketing Strategy and Business Development Intern for the second biggest ski mountain resort in the Czech Republic that will newly open this coming winter, K3 Sport, in the city of Olomouc. The internship is the perfect combination of Marketing Strategy and Entrepreneurship - the two most fascinating business fields to me. I will have Marketing Research Interns under me, will be developing the strategy and will be working directly with the CEO.

It will be challenging with my limited experience and of course is little scary, but also very exciting. Atkinson faculty helped me better define the position and provided me with tips and literature to better prepare for such internship.

My advice to new students is to network. Utilize all the resources that are available to you. Ask people, talk to people, especially Atkinson faculty.

PACE Partners 2010-11
All first-year Willamette MBA students build valuable professional experience through participation in the required course: PACE - Consulting for a Non-for-Profit or Government Organizations. PACE client partners for the current academic year, include one international partner, two out of state partners, and nine Oregon partners.

Friends of the Children – Oregon (NFP)
Mercy Corps Northwest – Oregon (Social Entrepreneurship NFP)
Children's Justice Alliance - Oregon (NFP)
Springboard Innovation – Oregon (Social Entrepreneurship NFP)
New Avenues – Oregon (Social Entrepreneurship NFP)
Oregon Public Broadcasting – Oregon (NFP)
City of Albany - Oregon ( Municipal Gov)
Dept. of Land Conservation & Development – Oregon (State Gov) Bonneville Power Administration – Oregon (Federal Gov)
Burundi Friends International – California/ Burundi, (International NFP)
Oregon Department of Transportation – Oregon (State Gov)
Chicago Children's Advocacy Center - Illinois (Gov Partnership)



More Spring Semester Treks and Panels
Sports Marketing Trek: Portland Trail Blazers NBA Team Information Session with Trail Blazers Marketing Director followed by NBA game: Blazers vs. Indiana Pacers.

Atkinson Accounting Association: Trek to Perkins & Company in Portland. The Perkins visit will be followed by panels and Q&A sessions with Ernst & Young and Moss Adams LLP.

Atkinson Project Management Institute: Trek to Portland General Electric and Nike, Inc. Trek includes panel discussion and networking opportunities with Project Management Professionals.

Society for Human Resource Management: Panel, Recruitment 2010 - Pitfalls and Possibilities. Featured panelists were Monica Woolhiser, Talent Acquisition at Nike, Inc.; Shelli Honeywell, Oregon Department of Energy, ARRA Manager and MBA '93; and Michael Korn, Staffing Partner, The Standard.

National Association of Women MBA's Women Leadership Panel featuring female leaders from the corporate sector, HR and Law sector, and the non-profit sector.

Power Lunch Series: Spring semester's Power Lunch guests include:
Steve Bass, President and CEO, Oregon Public Broadcasting
Lea Ann Doolittle - Vice President of NW Natural

Willamette MBA: A Student Perspective of Fall Semester
Andres Ochoa, First Year Student

Q: What course projects are you currently working on in the MBA program?

A: We are working hard in our PACE group (NOAh) with The Arc of Multnomah-Clackamas County in order to keep them sustainable in a challenging economic climate. We have broken into teams (finance, fundraising, contract augmentation, etc.) in order to focus our individual strengths on areas that we can improve. It is nice to be able to learn by experience and is a much needed break from read, read, read. (Pictured below: Andres and his PACE team enjoying some time "off the clock.")


Q: What kind of career management activities are you involved in?

A: I have packed my schedule with career management activities. I have been meeting my mentor almost every week to discuss a myriad of topics. I consider myself lucky to have such a qualified mentor; the kind of mentor that Willamette produces (he is a Willamette alum). I try to get as many informational interviews as possible in order to narrow down my job search, although I think I have added more possibilities rather than cut down! I have attended several enjoyable lectures, including the PowerLunch with the CEO of OnPoint Credit Union. It was intriguing and he provided a lot of information regarding the present and future state of the financial industry.
Q: What else do you do in your free time?

A: I was fortunate enough to get a position within the Atkinson Student Association as a first year representative. It is nice to jump right in and get involved in a multitude of ways. We are striving to make improvements to the program on a daily basis and it is great to liaise between first year students and second year students, faculty, staff and fellow board members. I am also involved with the Atkinson Outdoor Club and I helped organize our first trip to a Portland rock climbing gym, as well as a recent paintball outing.

A Great Time to Pursue the Willamette MBA - Message from Dean Ringold
Many of you have asked us if this is a “good” time to pursue the Willamette MBA. The answer to this question is “YES."

I want you to know that our top priority is your education and success, and we are investing in your future right along with you. Willamette University maintains a strong financial position and continues to make investments in our faculty, our programs, our students and our future. Specifically:

1) The Willamette MBA’s unique multisector curriculum in: business, government and not-for-profit management offers you more career choices and more professional opportunities

2) The Willamette MBA continues to increase the size of our full-time MBA faculty. A low student-to-faculty ratio ensures you receive a dynamic, hands-on learning experience

3) The Willamette MBA continues to expand curricular options with new courses in entrepreneurship, sustainability and global management.

4) The Willamette MBA continues to invest in career networking and leadership opportunities for you. We have expanded the internship program, career services and student professional organizations.

Our investments in your future and the future of the Willamette MBA program ensure the highest quality experience for your MBA education. These investments represent our commitment to the success of our students and to offering an educational experience that provides a high return for your efforts and dollars.

The Willamette MBA is a career building, life changing experience. We are ready and able to assist you as you take this important step!


Atkinson School Named as a "Top 100 Green Organization"
The Atkinson Graduate School of Management, was recently named a “Top 100 Green Organization” for 2010 and 2009 by Oregon Business. The honor recognizes the Atkinson School for sustainability and stewardship


U.S. Census Bureau Appoints Debra J. Ringold to Advisory Committee
The U.S. Census Bureau appointed Debra J. Ringold, dean and professor of marketing to its Advisory Committee of Professional Associations. Debra will advise the Bureau on ways to encourage Census participation, improve its data collection methodology and help the general public utilize and understand Census data. Ringold's background in integrated marketing communications and survey methodology prompted her appointment.


CNNMoney.com Features Article about Angel Investors Co-Authored by Professor Rob Wiltbank
A recent article on CNNMoney.com opens with the sentence "Angel investors operating in organized groups are seeing average returns on investment similar to those enjoyed by venture capitalists, according to a new study." The study, released by the Kauffman Foundation, was written by Professor Robert Wiltbank of Willamette University and Professor Warren Boeker of the University of Washington. Read the article on CNNMoney.com. Read the complete study.


Willamette MBA Receives $2.5 million Donation
The JELD-WEN Foundation pledged $2.5 million to the Willamette MBA program to fund a faculty Chair in Free Enterprise. The gift will be used to support the salary of the chosen faculty member, the faculty member's research interests, and a new MBA course in Free Enterprise.

The Chair in Free Enterprise brings the number of Willamette MBA faculty Chairs to four (Free Enterprise, Economics and Finance, International Management, Public Policy) Faculty chairs enhance the quality of education a school can offer by providing additional targeted resources that enhance teaching, innovation and scholarly research.

WU MBA Graduation 2010

Graduation was May 16, 2010. Seventy students from the Early Career MBA and MBA for Career Change programs participated in the annual Commencement activities. This year's graduation ceremony was broadcast live over the web, which meant that many families from around the world -- who could not come to Salem -- had the opportunity to watch their student graduate from the Willamette MBA program. Other graduation activities included the awards ceremony, graduation BBQ and graduation brunch.

The End of Spring Semester 2010 - Straight from Facebook
The end of the school year brings relief, excitement and anticipation for first year students ...and excitement and reflection for graduates. Here are comments from the facebook page of two students.

Luciana Yoshiyasu (2010 Graduate): "One more week! Had a great time with everyone today. Will truly miss these days and everyone......How about we all get a job in the same place? start our own business AGSM 2010? I like that..."

Scott Bugni (First year student): "is having the best week ever! First my PACE team took first place in our MBA New Venture project, then I made over $10 million in our StockTrak investment simulation, my Marketing Strategy team took first place in our MarkStrat competition, and now today an epic finish with a Strategic Initiatives Internship job offer!!!"

2010 MBA Graduate, Nancy Garcia, Alum of Passion & Purpose

Nancy Garcia has accepted a position as the business development coordinator for the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Read and watch a video about how Nancy's informational interview turned in to a job offer and how her Willamette MBA helped her launch her career.

Willamette MBA Course Helps Students Start New Ventures
New Ventures to Launch is a two semester elective course for Willamette MBA students who want to launch their own new venture. The primary goal for students in the course is to get their new venture up and running. The secondary goal is to refine the business model based on what they learn and further master the details of the opportunity. "We are not shopping for opportunities, we are executing opportunities," says Rob Wiltbank, professor of the New Ventures to Launch course. Below is one example of a successful new venture created by a current Willamette MBA student:

Cyclisme Gallant is a new cycling clothing company started by MBA Candidate Brendon Gallant and two of his fellow college classmates. With only three employees, CG is a small student-run business. "We're bringing a fresh perspective to theworld of cycling clothing by making the clothes that we actually want to ride in," says Brendon. Cyclisme Gallant clothing keeps the focus on Willamette with a clean style that looks great for any ride; not just for competition. CG offers clothing that blends the modern, Europe-inspired aesthetic of race-wear with the crimson and gold colors of Willamette University. Learn more about Brendon's new venture start-up on the company's blog.



Interested in Finance? Check this Out.
Professors Dothan, Couch, Wu and Thompson have provided a pdf document that outlines the finance courses available here at the Willamette MBA. Download the document



Read Atkinson Management Today
The 2010 edition of our student written online journal for practicing managers is available online http://www.willamette.edu/agsm/amt/
Feature articles include The Greening of Corporate Oregon, What You Didn't Know About Your Colleagues, Greenbuild 2009 - A Personal Odyssey to Where Green Meets Greed, and Atkinson's MBA Angels Take Flight.