Tag: platforms

When Olin’s newest MBA class arrived on campus in August, they knew from the start that they had a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it (ask any MBA – the two years fly by at supersonic speed).   There was, of course, the academic challenge of being back in school after some time away.  Then there was the need/opportunity to develop a strong network among fellow classmates, alumni, faculty, staff and the Olin community at large.

But the ultimate challenge might have been for new students to clarify (in some cases verify) their professional and career goals.  This sorting out process requires that students develop a thorough insight into jobs, careers and industries that they might be interested in – but not thoroughly familiar with. This needs to be done effectively – but it also needs to be done quickly.  Especially since our MBAs are looking to maximize the value of their academic choices and to access high impact resources while in the MBA program.  Remember – supersonic speed.

Jim McKelvey speaking at the Entrepreneurship Platform Industry seminar.

To the rescue comes the Olin MBA Platforms – and specifically the Platform Industry Seminar courses.  They help make the career sorting process fairly easy (there are only five platforms to choose from).  They make the “shopping and selection process” quite reasonable (no two Platform Industry seminars are scheduled against one another allowing you to test the waters before aligning yourself).  And finally, they bring a fair, comprehensive and insider look into individual companies, business sectors, industries, job functions and careers.  All the things an MBA needs – deliverd at supersonic speed.

Olin MBA alum Greg Portell (AT Kearney) and Prof. Ray Sparrowe were center stage at the Consulting and General Management Industry Seminar.

Between September and November the Platform Industry Seminar courses brought more than 40 industry insiders (alums, recruiters, and friends of Olin) to describe their jobs, careers, companies,  and industries.  Each guest spent an hour or more in conversation with interested MBAs.  It was a networking opportunity to be sure – but first and foremost it was a learning opportunity.  Our MBAs gain the insight needed to make informed choices during their supersonic two years at Olin.

Platform Industry Seminar courses are delivered at the right time, in the right place and by the right people.  It’s a different approach and uniquely Olin.

 Photo credit: St. Pancras Station, London, Max Cortegianno, Flickr

MBA Platform courses continue to host fabulous speakers at Olin. Professor Ray Sparrowe has attracted some of our key corporate partners to his classroom.  This week he welcomed Peter Conrad, Vice President of Human Resources at Energizer Holdings.

Also in attendance was Peter’s son, Keenan, who is participating in the Consulting and General Management Platform and a member of the MBA class of 2015.

The MBA Marketing Platform Industry Seminar began on Tuesday, September 10, with two fine alumni, Amanda Culbertson-Kraemer, MBA ’05 and Chris Curtis, MBA ’10.

Chakravarthi Narasimhan, Philip L. Siteman Professor of Marketing and Platform Director, invited the speakers to campus to share information about their professional paths before and after earning their MBAs.  They also described the role marketing plays in their respective organizations.

Amanda is currently a Brand Manager for Nestle-Purina and focuses on the Fancy Feast line of products.  Chris made a career change after earning his MBA from Finance to Marketing and is a Brand Manager now for AB-InBev.

Both speakers brought to life the difference in their corporate cultures, how their companies operate within the CPG space and career paths one might follow within the Marketing arena. 

The audience of current first year MBA students was full of questions about how their Olin MBA prepared them for the projects they have been assigned, work/life balance and the most challenging and rewarding aspects of their positions in Marketing.

We welcomed back our second year MBA students as their classes began on Tuesday, September 3.  Part of “Re-Orientation” was a new event that brought together the second and first year MBA students called a “Reverse Career Fair”.

The event was organized by the Graduate Business Student Association (GBSA) and sponsored by the Weston Career Center.  Second year students were grouped according to their career platforms and spread around the Anheuser-Busch Dining Hall in the Knight Center to facilitate conversations about their summer internships and experiences.

First year students were encouraged to mingle with the second year students to get to know more about those experiences and begin making connections with their classmates.  Based on the volume level of the room, conversations were flowing well in to the evening.