Guest Post by Ryan Rakestraw, MBA Class of 2013:
On Friday February 1, Greg Hutchings, Assistant Dean and Director of Specialized Masters Programs, hosted 11 MBA Students at his home in St. Louis. In addition to being a passionate educator and an experienced financial professional, Greg is also a phenomenal chef.
Greg prepared a slow roasted beef tenderloin, poured several flights of wine, and even provided a homemade citrus cheese cake. By the end of the evening the 12 of us had eaten more than our fill, roughed out plans for several new business ventures, and debated all of the world’s important problems.
What, you might ask, was the cause for such a festive occasion?
On December 7th, the Olin Women in Business (OWIB) held their annual charity auction to raise money and awareness for the Red Cross’ relief efforts for the victims or hurricane Sandy. During this auction, graduate business students bid on a number of different “items” which have a high value for our community. Examples of this year’s “items” up for auction were:
- Wine Tasting with Joe Fox and Mark Brostoff
- Bowling with Professor Milbourn
- Dinner with Greg Hutchings
The night of the auction, my friend and classmate Cory Glass realized that an evening spent with a former investment banker and real estate mogul could prove to be a lucrative transaction. Thus, Cory became intent to win the dinner with Greg.
During the auction, the bidding battle for dinner with Greg was intense, yet somehow the auctioneer (Joe Fox, Director of MBA Programs) was able to maintain order. Ultimately, it was Cory’s steel resolve and icy stare that proved victorious over his opponent’s quant model.
My immediate reaction was to begin ingratiating myself with Cory, which eventually resulted in an invitation to the dinner.
Due to the generosity of Olin graduate students, faculty, and staff, this year’s charity auction netted over $7,000 for the victims of hurricane Sandy.
Additionally, the dinner at Greg’s was one of the best experiences that I have had at Olin.
However, these are only a couple examples of what makes our community great.
Thanks OWIB, Cory, and Greg,
Ryan Rakestraw, MBA Class of 2013
