EMBA 44 kicks off Leadership Residency

The Executive MBA cohorts from St. Louis and Kansas City rejoined each other for the kickoff of Leadership Residency at the Charles F. Knight Executive Education Center on Sunday, February 8. Following an afternoon in the classroom, they set off to enjoy the sights and sounds of St. Louis as a collective cohort.

Leadership Residency is the hallmark of Olin’s Executive MBA program when midway through the 20-month curriculum, the cohorts come together for a week of assessments, peer feedback and internal and external reflection. Students through the years call Leadership Residency a transformative experience.

EMBA 44’s residency included a visit from Jerry Bowe, CEO of Vi-Jon. Jerry joined the executive students to share his path to leadership and what he learned along the way, including 15 tips to keep in your pocket as you increase your responsibility in an organization, a community or otherwise. Among the 15 tips were:

  • Don’t believe your own press or it will kill you
  • Stay grounded; stay humble
  • Get out of the office and embrace the people in your organization.
  • Always act with integrity
  • Learn from but forget your mistakes
  • Encourage debate
  • Too many priorities means there is no priority
  • Define key metrics and watch them
  • Be optimistic

Two members of Executive MBA 44 experience Jerry in action daily as members of the Vi-Jon team. Stephanie Truitt heads up Human Resources for the organization and Krista Whaley oversees the company’s quality control.

Following a thoughtful Q&A session with Jerry, the students headed to their breakout rooms for the continuation of Leadership Residency assessments, discussion and learning.

About Jerry Bowe
Jerry Bowe joined Vi-Jon in July 2011 as Chief Executive Officer. For the last twenty years, Jerry has been leading companies in manufacturing and service related businesses.

From 2008 to 2011, Jerry served as Chief Executive Officer of the holding company for Masterplan and ReMedPar, two businesses which service and supply parts for clinical engineering and diagnostic imaging devices in hospitals. Prior to his assignment at Masterplan, Jerry was the Chairman of Avery Weigh-Tronix, Inc. Jerry joined the company as Chief Executive Officer in May 2002 and was promoted to Chairman in 2007. Avery Weigh-Tronix is a leading manufacturer of electronic weighing components and systems for the industrial, commercial retail and consumer markets. Prior to joining Avery Weigh-Tronix, Jerry held a number of positions with Malden Mills Industries, Inc., a leading textile manufacturer, including Chief Operating Officer between 1981 and early 2002. Jerry was a consultant and manager at Bain & Company from 1983 to 1988; a consultant at Arthur D. Little Company, Inc. from 1981 to 1983; and a manager at International Paper Inc. from 1976 to 1978.

Jerry received his B.A. from Dartmouth College and his M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration.

Pictured above: Jerry Bowe, Vi-Jon CEO with Executive MBA students and Vi-Jon leaders, Stephanie Truitt and Krista Whaley, and Professor Stuart Bunderson

 

 

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