February 2009

Welcome to It's All About You : News from the Eller MBA, sharing highlights and insights of the Eller MBA program at The University of Arizona.

The 2008-2009 MBA application season is officially here and the Eller MBA online application is now available. As you continue to make important decisions regarding your business school career, take a look at these insights from Eller students, past and present. 

For more information on the Eller MBA program, visit us at www.ellermba.arizona.edu.
 

1st Year Perspective by Justin Hart, MBA '10

With the spring semester now in full swing, The University of Arizona campus is full of around-the-clock activity.  For first-year MBAs, that means leading consultative spring field projects, discussing more advanced business cases, and the opportunity to customize the Eller curriculum with elective classes.  The most popular classes among my first-year colleagues include advanced finance, marketing, and managerial courses like negotiations and new venture planning. 

Another component of the Eller MBA program that is keeping me busy is field projects.  I’m currently leading two projects that enable me to leverage my previous work experience along with the new skills I’ve gained from my fall classes.  Given my new business development and health and fitness industry experience, my first project involves developing a business plan for a local fitness equipment manufacturer. 
My second project is actually not a required component of the Eller MBA, but instead an extension of my involvement with UA’s chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA).  For this project, I’ve partnered with another first-year MBA to lead a team of undergraduate AMA members to provide an awareness campaign for the charitable activities of the Arizona Elks Association.  The consulting fees generated by this and other similar projects enable UA students to participate in the annual AMA student conference held in New Orleans every March.  

Finally, I must say that I’m thoroughly enjoying my first Arizona winter.  As my friends and family in the Midwest battle the subzero winds and bone-chilling snowstorms, my fellow Tucsonans are taking advantage of our mild weather with early morning jogs and bike commutes.  I even had the opportunity to take a mid-January hike in the nearby Santa Catalina Mountains and barely needed a windbreaker!

>> Learn more about living in Tucson.
 

Eller College Honors Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things

The Eller College honored 15 ordinary women who do extraordinary things at a networking tea. Click image for online photo gallery.

In early December, the Eller College of Management, along with two women’s business organizations — Professional Women in Business and the National Association of Women MBAs — hosted a networking event that recognized working women in Tucson who are accomplishing extraordinary things. 

The group met at the Lodge at Ventana Canyon to take tea and celebrate the accomplishments of 15 local women who are making a difference in the Tucson community. 

First-year MBA student Athena Childs praised the event for its ability to bring together talented and motivated women from multiple industries and disciplines, including leaders in nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurs, and representatives from law, finance, and government agencies.  The event is sure to continue to grow in scope and attendance given the success and philanthropic aspirations of this year’s attendees.

>> View online photo gallery from the Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things Networking Tea.
 

Intel Case Competition Caps Business Intelligence Quotient Course

On December 11th, first-year MBA students competed for their share of $5,000 in prize money in the annual Intel Case Competition.  Three semifinalist teams were selected from the twelve Business Intelligence Quotient (BIQ) course groups.  The competition marked an exciting close to the end of the first semester of the MBA program and prepared students for the advanced courses of the spring. 

Students are assigned to BIQ teams based on their professional goals and interests in specific industries. From there, students research their target company and present a series of increasingly complex presentations throughout the semester, all of which are filmed in order to assess abilities and identify areas for improvement.

The experience culminates with the Intel Case Competition, in which the teams deliver analyst presentations to a judging panel of Intel leaders.  The case presentations are designed to educate and convince Wall Street analysts to cover a BIQ team’s company activity to drive stock investments.  In addition to refining their presentation skills, students also discuss various aspects of their company’s operations, including marketing, strategy, and financial analysis.  This year, the top three BIQ companies, which represent a diverse mix of companies tracked by students, were Whole Foods, AstraZeneca, and Boeing.

>> Learn more about the Eller MBA curriculum.
 

Students Meet with Executives in Vietnam and Singapore
by Justin Hart

Eller Full-Time and Evening MBA students and staff enjoyed the sites, and business leadership, of Vietnam and Singapore.

The Eller MBA program led two international trips over the recent winter break.  One group of students traveled to Vietnam and Singapore, while another combination of full-time and evening students journeyed to Chile and Argentina.  Both trips exposed students to the unique economic, political, and cultural environments present in these important areas.  During the 10-day excursions, students met with top executives from various government agencies and corporations that represented a broad range of industries. 

I had the pleasure of attending the Asian trip with seven other Full-Time MBA students and seven Evening MBA students.  The highlight of my experience was visiting Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).  Vietnam opened my eyes to the amazing growth currently taking place in Southeast Asia and to the unique blend of cultures that are present in so many Asian cities. 

The high-caliber business meetings throughout the trip also enhanced our case study learning from our first semester.  Instead of just reading about how some multinational company orchestrated its global expansion, we actually had the opportunity to discuss the business strategy with executives in real time.  Given the current trend of globalization, these experiences will undoubtedly provide me with lessons that I’ll be able to leverage for years to come.

>> Learn more about global perspective at the Eller MBA.
 

Eller MBA Surges Ahead in Global Rankings

On January 26th, the Eller MBA was recognized among the world’s best, in the Financial Times’ 2009 global MBA survey. The UK-based news organization’s survey results place the Eller MBA 5th among U.S. public universities, 19th among all U.S. institutions, and 41st in the world. The McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship was recognized at #3 among U.S. public universities and #9 in the world.

“The Financial Times rankings are significant because they measure educational return on investment,” says Paul R. Portney, dean of the Eller College of Management. “Graduates of the program are reporting strong career progress and salary gains — the tangible results that are essential in gauging the success of any MBA program.”

Alumni career progression, diversity, and faculty research productivity are the criteria used to develop the Financial Times rankings, which evaluate business schools from most of the world’s economically developed and developing countries. Principal weight is placed on career success of alumni, which is measured in terms of satisfaction, progress, placement success within three months of graduation, and overall return on investment after three years.

The 2009 Financial Times rankings mark significant upward movement from the 2008 slots of 57th in the world and 27th in the country. The Eller College of Management was also recognized for its doctoral programs, which ranked 31st in the world.

>> View more Eller MBA facts and rankings.
 

International Start
Kevin Kraus : MBA '99
Director of Marketing : Ventana Medical Systems

Kevin Kraus, MBA '99, with his wife and daughter.

From a young age, Kevin Kraus expected that one day, he would work abroad. “My family ingrained a global perspective in me,” he explains. When Krause was in middle school, his father, an executive with IBM, was transferred to the company’s Paris office.

The family made the transition to France. “I didn’t speak a word of French when we got there,” Kraus says, but his interest in gymnastics proved to be a good bridge builder, and he grew proficient at the language.

Kraus studied international affairs at George Washington University, then joined a French firm. “The company I was working for had clients in the U.S.,” he says. “I was in the U.S. for vacation, and they asked me to go a meeting in Austin.” Krause flew out and attended the meeting. “I was completely unprepared,” he says with a laugh. “I was great at translating, but I realized that I needed substance. I needed to go back to business school.”

Kraus took his GMAT and was accepted into the Eller MBA. He completed an internship with Ventana Medical Systems. “I started with them as a part-time employee during my second year of the program,” he says. “It was so valuable, because the classes were applicable to what I was doing at work.”

He’s been with the company since then, starting as a product manager, transitioning into sales, and now beginning a new role in strategic marketing. “The most surprising thing to me is that I got away from the international side of business,” he says. Although he is based in Tucson, Krause still travels extensively. “I’ve also been able to keep up the French over the years,” he says.

He’s also finding more intersections between work life and home life: his wife, Heather, recently joined Ventana Medical Systems from Rainbird Corporation. The couple met in the Eller MBA program, and now has a two-year-old daughter. “When we graduated, we both found opportunities in Tucson,” he explains. “Now we’ll be in staff meetings together,” Krause said. “And there’s a lot more shop talk at home!”

>> Learn more about career development at the Eller MBA program.
 

Important Dates

Eller College Distinguished Speaker Series
Take advantage of stellar executives addressing the Eller community:

• March 5 : Maria Bartiromo, Closing Bell Anchor and Wall Street Journal Report host  [RSVP required]
• April 15 : Raymond Spencer, CEO, Strategic Business Unit - Financial Services, Capgemini
   
  

Application Deadlines

Be sure to get your application in on time:

>> Apply for Eller MBA admission now.
 

• mba@eller.arizona.edu
• 1.888.Eller.MBA