Tag: WashU at Brookings

The Executive MBA class 46 Leadership Residency literally kicked off on Super Bowl Sunday this year. The class, which includes cohorts from St. Louis and Kansas City, gathered for the first session of the week-long residency in the Knight Center. The popular “I-70 Connect” reception allows the Kansas City and St. Louis cohorts to get reacquainted and prepare for their next 10 months together. The first day’s capstone was a venture to the hip Malt House Cellar to watch the Denver Broncos hoist the Lombardi Trophy after a 24-10 Super Bowl victory.

After a little celebrating, it was back to class and courses on formal and informal leadership.

Special guest speaker Sharon Price John, CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. told the class, “The definition of responsible is the ability to respond.” It was a meaningful beginning to an intensive week of learning and exploring the meaning of leadership.

Leadership Residency marks the halfway point of the WashU Executive MBA curriculum and is a hallmark of the program. During the ten months prior to Leadership Residency, executive students studied the core business competencies and now understand how they work together to solve problems. Following the residency, the cohort will concentrate on three essential themes that develop 360-degree thinking and the courage to dismantle organizational silos: growth, globalization, and innovation and entrepreneurship.

WashU’s Executive MBA is about Business Without Blind Spots.

“Healing is an art. Medicine is a profession. Healthcare is a business.” Nothing could be more true than that statement from Edie Varley that helped kick off the first session of the 2016 Leadership Perspective series that focused on doctors who transition into healthcare management positions. The “MD to VP” session was held Jan. 5 with more than 60 in attendance. Edie Varley is an Executive MBA alumna and director of discernment for Olin’s Executive MBA program.

Whether impacted by technology, views on patient care, or the political landscape, healthcare is changing before our eyes. As a result, gaining an understanding of the business impact of the changes in healthcare is becoming more vital. While leadership in healthcare has always been a focus, now more than ever, MDs are looking to balance clinical backgrounds with an understanding of business to ultimately impact the industry.

These three leaders are doing just that. Dr. Ken Yamaguchi, Dr. Mary Jo Gorman and Dr. Chuck Lucore are all trained physicians and while healing and caring for others is still central to their core, they all now serve in business roles: Ken as executive vice president and chief medical officer at Centene, Mary Jo as managing capital partner of Prosper, and Chuck as president & chief executive officer of St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, IL.

All three earned an MBA via WashU’s Executive MBA program.

An orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Yamaguchi still sees patients in addition to his duties at Centene. “Being a physician is what I am passionate about and my role as EVP and CMO at Centene is what I am most excited about,” he shared, finding a beautiful balance between healing and and his thirst to keep learning.

“For me, business provided the next puzzle to solve,” shared Dr. Mary Jo Gorman who is a serial entrepreneur.

“As an interventional cardiologist, I saw immediate results when seeing patients and as CEO the results take longer to see, although are equally rewarding as each day I know I am helping hundreds or thousands of people and not just the patients I used to see,” shared Dr. Chuck Lucore.

What does the future of healthcare hold? All three agreed they needed a crystal ball. And, all three agreed healthcare needs more doctors with MBAs.

Students from three of Olin’s Executive MBA programs will earn their degrees Friday, Dec. 11 in an awards and diploma ceremony scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. in Graham Chapel.

Michael Neidorff

Zhiwen YIN, Associate Dean of the Fudan School of Management and Dean Gupta will officiate at the ceremony.

The keynote speaker is Michael Neidorff, Chairman, President and CEO of Centene Corporation.

A total of 74 executives will be awarded diplomas. Class 13 from the Shanghai program managed in partnership with Fudan University has 30 graduates and Class 44 from the Kansas City- and St. Louis-based programs has 44 students.

Last month, Dean Gupta was invited to celebrate the Fudan School of Management’s 30th anniversary since reestablishment. He announced in Shanghai, that a faculty office at Olin will be named in honor of Fudan to mark this milestone and the successful collaboration between Washington University and Fudan University.

Pictured at right is the ceremonial ding presented to Olin by the second class to complete the EMBA program in Shanghai.

The ding is installed on the south side of the Knight Center, home to the Executive Education programs.

Brookings Executive Education (BEE) hosted Executive MBA students from Olin’s Shanghai program at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., November 30 – December 2. The three day program included visits to the Chinese Embassy and presentations from several speakers including Associate Dean and Director of BEE, Jackson Nickerson. The Shanghai EMBA program is in partnership with Fudan University’s School of Management.

The Washington EMBA residency closed with a presentation from Carol Browner, former director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy in the Obama administration (2009 – 2011), and Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the Clinton administration (1993 – 2001). Browner provided a brief history of the EPA and its mission. She also discussed the challenges and successes during her time in both administrations and the current global environmental challenges.

One Executive MBA student who is currently splitting his time between Shanghai and San Francisco was excited to have an opportunity to hear from an expert on creating and implementing environmental regulations.  “Hearing firsthand how environmental changes were implemented provides insight on how to strategically go about implementing and upholding regulations. The focus on making businesses accountable and to make environmental issues more transparent is invaluable.”

In addition to the speakers and presentations, students also attended a reception with WashU alumni. Graduates from 1972 to as recent as 2011 mingled with Fudan students discussing everything from the best places to eat in Washington D.C. to opportunities for companies to collaborate on upcoming projects.

After their time in D.C., the Fudan students traveled to New York City and on to St. Louis where they will graduate Dec. 11.

Image: Carol Browner at the Brookings Institution

When I walk into Clarkson-Wilson Veterinary Clinic in Chesterfield, I see that there’s a bunny named “Forest Thump” up for adoption in the lobby. There are signs for “Dr. Doug’s Vet-Pet Rescue” on the wall. Three staff members are cooing and huddled around photos of animals up for rescue on a computer monitor.

Dr. Doug listening to a lemur’s heartbeat.

Dr. Doug Pernikoff, EMBA 46, is still with a patient.  While I wait I learn that the ferret owners will be back in three weeks. “Dr. Doug” as he’s known to his patients’ owners and EMBA colleagues alike,  emerges from an exam room and hugs and kisses a pet owner who came in for flea medicine.

When he frees up, Dr. Doug and I go into an exam room and start talking about his surprising (to some) decision to get an MBA at age 62. There are models of canine joints and dog treats in a jar on another counter. He closes the door after a few minutes to drown out the barking.

Why did you decide to get an MBA?

You know, it was for multiple reasons.  I just feel like at 62 I have too much living to do, and I felt like this would provide numerous skill sets that I felt I needed to embrace–both computer skills and excel, and of course the basic principles of the business education content.

Dr. Doug and a Pink-toed Tarantula.

Although it’s all been a struggle, it’s been great.  It’s getting a little bit easier, and I notice my memory has actually improved. I guess the cobwebs are disappearing. So I think it’s exciting because a lot of people my age fall into complacency and I feel like there’s too much in my bucket to stop now, so it’s a great tool.

What have you learned so far?

I’ve learned how much I don’t know!  A lot of the work we’ve done at the program outset included personality and character assessments that encourage much personal reflection. After a lifetime of living you kind of know who you are–these program experiences are an admixture of  good and bad validation and it tells you where you can go to improve.  I’ve been getting back into a schedule of learning skills, that’s important.

Dr. Doug’s new website design in progress.

I’ve already implemented accounting and marketing management information into my veterinary business structure. My very talented study team group worked with me to create a “Dr. Doug’s All Things Animal” blog and portal website, so that’s the marketing plan we submitted and presented in marketing class.  I’m pursuing that full force because I think it’s a real opportunity.  And, I suppose the large python I brought to class as part of my presentation will likely be a legacy story for future EMBA classes to enjoy?

What are your plans when you finish?

I was thinking about trying to become an astronaut?  But seriously, I have a number of interesting opportunities I want to pursue with this branding apparatus. There are a lot of pet-related websites online, but most are driven by a purely commercial impetus–for example sites for PETCO or PETSMART, etc..  Some are driven by other industry sectors such as the pet food market, but I feel that sites out there today are deficient in really bringing a personality of knowledge and experience to the pet industry in a way that helps to create communities of pet lovers and animal lovers. Our goal is to create an all encompassing ‘here’s where you go if you want to know.’ All Things Animals–it’s not just about veterinary medicine as my experience is very broad-based. It will be a very interactive, content-rich site, and again kind of commercial-neutral. “Edu-tainment” is an appropriate descriptive term for what I hope to create.

What kind of content?

Proposal for certification through Dr. Doug’s new website in progress.

Our team came up with one component entitled, MUTTIGREE, a parody on the AKC pedigree registration program.  So, we will provide new adopting pet owners a playful muttigree to ID their adopted pet’s lineage. I am big into rescues and adoptions!

We also want to do pet makeovers, starting out with the “Rrruff-tafarian,” a pet that needs to be saved. Over the course of a month,  every week we will bring users to the site to see the evolution of the dog or cat from Rrruff-tafarian, incorporating behavioral, nutritional, grooming and veterinary evaluations and physical modifications for their individual improvement–then make the pets available for adoption.

There is a selection process, presented to our site community in contest format that allows them to chose our new adoptee pet families. Hopefully commercial service vendors (groomers, vets, etc.) will provide lifelong sponsorships and discounts to support both the families and the animals.

Dr. Doug’s logo.

These are just two of many ideas we can develop that further enhance the viability and success of the Dr. Doug branding program. I want to include animation on the site based on my Dr. Doug caricature as well.

How will you monetize your idea?

We want it to be both subscription based, and ad-sponsorship based. The subscription component is a challenge. Topic is great–animals. We want to put a face to it.

To a certain extent, Pernikoff was inspired to do an MBA by his sons Tom and Rick, both musicians and also founders of the successful start-up company Tunespeak that connects bands to fans and fans to bands. Pernikoff says, “I think I planted entrepreneurial seeds. They are encouraging me to work harder to be my own entrepreneur.

As I gain new insight and business knowledge we are sharing more with one another. They’ve already given me guidance on my website, which opens the door to funding opportunities. They have experience and relationships that will help me. Plus I love understanding what amazingly bright and strategic business men they have come to be.  I’m a proud papa, indeed!

The Prosper Startup Accelerator hosted its Fall 2015 Demo Day in Emerson Auditorium in Knight Hall on Wednesday, November 12, sponsored by the Olin Executive MBA Program. The program included pitches from the five CEOs in the Fall 2015 cohort of the accelerator.

Meg Shuff, EMBA Alum and Assistant Dean of EMBA Recruiting and Admissions, opened the program with an introduction and acknowledgement of EMBA alum Mary Jo Gorman, Lead Managing Partner of Prosper Capital. Shuff said, “It’s truly a treat to be part of the energy that’s going on right now in this community. I so applaud Mary Jo and the other founders of Prosper for the energy and excitement you have brought around women’s entrepreneurship, and we’re thrilled to host this. I actually am an entrepreneur myself. I have a communications consulting business that I started six years ago so I am well-equipped to know the challenges of juggling many things and to be supportive of your efforts.”

Gorman introduced the five CEOs of the Fall 2015 cohort, but began with a thank you to their families. She said, “Without you they wouldn’t be here, and they wouldn’t be presenting. So a big thank you to all of you.”

Gorman then explained the mission of the accelerator. “The goal of Prosper Women Entrepreneurs Startup Accelerator is really to promote the success of women by investing in them and also helping them to get success in receiving early stage capital.

“You may know that women only get 1% of the venture capital. There is a lot of research on why that happens, despite the fact that they start many,many companies. Part of what we do in the accelerator program is help our entrepreneurs understand how to navigate through those sorts of areas and work on their business models in a way that will be fit for investment and will encourage investment.”

Potential investors listening to the Prosper Demo Day pitches.

The five pitches heralded a broad range of products including a firewall product from Bandura Systems LLC, medical tourism services through SkyMedicus, Inc.  a pharmaceutical intelligence software tool through EDIS Solutions, LLC, a hospital discharge tool through JanusChoice, LLC and a transparent LCD product through Taptl.

For example, Suzanne Magee, CEO of Bandura Systems said, “15 years ago I co-founded a company in direct response to a call from the White House to join the effort to secure the critical infrastructure of the United States. We built a team and some technology in collaboration with the Department of Defense and then spun out the technology in order to bring the Polliwall to the commercial marketplace. And that is through Bandura.”

Each presenter introduced potential investors to the current state of their company, and how venture capital could take them to the next level.

The next Prosper Demo Day will be in April 2016.