News & Notes Archives :2005-2006

School of Business receives $5 million from Alumnus

Norman E. Snyder, Jr. '83, Chief Operating Officer of the Rheingold Brewing Company, has established a $5million endowment for the School of Business.  This commitment is the largest that the University at Albany has ever received from an individual.

At a ceremony held in the Standish Room on October 17, Norm noted that it sounds like a cliché, but that hard work pays off and the return on his college investment has been immense, “Twenty-six years ago this fall, I stepped onto this campus green and wet behind the ears.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be standing up here today.” 

He may have been a greenhorn in 1979, but now Norm knows his stuff.  The accounting major worked for Price Waterhouse, served as controller for National Football League Properties, and was COO of the SoBe Beverage Company before he and his partners sold the brand to Pepsi in 2001.  Norm currently oversees sales, marketing, brewing, financial and administrative functions for the Rheingold Brewing Company, a New York institution which is back in business after a 27 year absence.

Norm previously received the Excellence in Entrepreneurship award from the University at Albany Alumni Association.  He is an annual guest lecturer in accounting.

University at Albany President Kermit Hall said the recent triple announcements of the innovative Nano+MBA program, new School of Business building and the Norman E. Snyder Jr. '83 Endowment Fund is a coup for the School of Business, “In sports, hockey in particular, it's called a hat trick,” adding, “Norm, you're in a league of your own.”

The School of Business benefactor has a similar appreciation of his alma mater, “This University is in a class by itself, if you look at the alumni and what they've accomplished.  I'm just one of them.”

Do Not Pass Go and Do Not Add $200 to Accounts Receivable

Suzanne Traylor teaches her own version of Monopoly in Accounting 518, handed down from Associate Professor Saurav Dutta who use s it used it to teach accounting as part of the accounting curriculum in to the Weekend MBA program.

It's more than credits and debits. A roll of the die is an accounting event, recorded in the general journal. Don't want to go to jail? Buy insurance at the start of the game, and be sure you r record it as an adjusting the journal adjusting entry. After the game, students record adjust ing entries adjust and close their entries revenue and expense accounts , providing a report complete with financial statements, general journal, and ledger accounts and trial balances.

Professor Traylor said that Accounting Monopoly helps students get the basics, “We play before the first exam. It pulls the whole accounting cycle together for them.”

An Interview With Former Apprentice, Josh Shaw

By Joe Basi and T. Virgil Parker

The willingness to hang steady on the sublime edge of experience is indeed what sets the industrialist apart from the merely industrious. Many CEO's try to prove their prowess by flying a balloon around the world, or skiing to the North Pole. Now imagine somebody who bagged their first million by the age of 24 , smirking while he faxes his resume to The Apprentice. For someone who has made his mark by launching a few very successful corporations, this borders on bravado. What happens to the bottom line if you bottom out?

Sometimes you can define success by watching the exact way someone crashes and burns. This is never more true than when 11,000,000 people are watching. Josh Shaw managed to turn a very major, very public belly flop into a swan dive. This shouldn't be surprising. You understand at once when talking with Josh that he is not your typical Apprentice candidate.

T. Virgil Parker: You came into The Apprentice as a successful entrepreneur. Why take the risk?

Josh Shaw: At the core of any entrepreneurial spirit is risk-taking.  If you're a true entrepreneur, risk-taking is something very common to you, something you're comfortable with. You're comfortable with discomfort.
For me the show was a number of opportunities, but if I were to boil it down, firstly, getting my company, Go Smile, on the map.  Secondly, getting to know Mr. Trump. No matter how successful you are, to be able to rub elbows, and build a relationship with a self-made billionaire, anyone would agree that it would be a tremendous opportunity. Finally, I'm an athletic soul, I suppose. I love the challenge. The opportunity of competing with so many people to get onto the show was the first challenge, and then to take it to the next level on the show is challenge two.
All in all, I feel lucky that I had the opportunity to go on there.

TVP: There's so much mythology about Donald Trump.  Did you feel that you were in the presence of greatness, or just an unusually good CEO?

JS: Both. I was in the presence of greatness, and an unusually good CEO. I've come across many great CEOs. I've worked with and presented to dozens of the best in the world, whether it's Michael Dell, or a Howard Schultz, or John Scully. Mr. Trump is by far one of the best I've seen. He's extremely bright, extremely articulate, has a tremendous presence about him, and at the end of the day, has the ability to inspire others. To me, that's the consummate entrepreneur and successful  C.E.O. 

TVP: Having already proven yourself in business,  how good is The Apprentice at representing the real business world?

JS: Phenomenal. I think in the context of television, and the further context of reality television, you don't get much closer to a show that can properly depict business. The art and the talent displayed by Mark Burnett's production company and by Donald Trump, is of only the best caliber. They have done an incredible job of setting up the environment, very much like an entrepreneurial environment. Many tasks are similar to what we go through at Go Smile. A very intense, passionate environment of type A personalities, all rowing for a common purpose.
Not common in a startup environment like Go Smile is the whole ‘If you lose you're all in the boardroom, fighting it out, trying to kill each other.' But- the task itself- is so akin to real world business, it's frightening. From personalities that you have to deal with whether you like it or not, to conditional restraints, to timelines, budgets, you name it, it is a phenomenal microcosm of the real world.

TVP: Have you taken from the show a new understanding of consensus building models as opposed to leadership models?

JS: Being an entrepreneur myself -having built three companies- a lot of what is portrayed on the show is very similar to what occurs in my company today. We lead many of our discussions by consensus, but oftentimes leadership needs to be driven by a decision-making process.  There is not a black and white answer to your question. There are general rules of thumb, but it's a case by case. Depending on the topic at hand, you either lead by consensus, or you make decisions in a singular motion.

TVP: What do you feel is the strongest attribute that you bring to the table in the world of business?

JS: My strongest value is that I am, I believe, a very balanced leader. I have a balanced approach to managing people, managing expectations, and delivering results. I lead by example, not with fear.  I lead more with passion, and with practicing what I preach. 

TVP: What's more important, inspiration, or organization?

JS: You had to pick inspiration versus organization. I'm going to with inspiration.

TVP: You signed on a number of the Apprentices, or are in the process of doing so.

JS: Yeah, we hired Chris Valetta, former NFL Player gone entrepreneur. And, I've got my Go Smile Direct Division, which is marketing direct to consumers.

TVP: How much does friendship play a role in hiring and business in general? Where does it end, and where does professionalism begin?

JS: I would say that friendship does not play a primary role in business. However, DNA and chemistry are primary factors. You have to have the right DNA, the right chemistry in order to work productively and cooperatively for success. That said, my follow-up comment is that at this stage of my life I need to be friends with the people I'm in business with, and also be in business with my friends. That's kind of the stage I'm at from a qualification perspective. That said, business is business, and it's nothing personal. I'd like to be friends with everyone who works within the organization, the reality of that is that if it's not working, that person that you're friendly with may need to leave your company.

TVP: What advice would you give to a new business owner just staring out :

JS: Passion. Have a lot of passion. Be very intimate with what you're building. It really drives everything. Secondly, have a big vision and keep your eye on the vision. Be organized and have a plan to reach your vision.

TVP: Do you believe that you've learned certain things from seeing Donald Trump in action, what key moves he plays?

JS: I've learned from everyone, but I've learned quite a few things from Mr. Trump, in terms of psychological, personal, and  interpersonal skills. I've witnessed him in action and I've seen how he engages people, his body language, his tone of voice, his vernacular- a host of things. I think what's most important to me that I've learned is that if you set your mind to it, and you don't let other people put you down, you can achieve anything. He has literally proven again and again that if you set your eyes on something, and you set your vision- you go for it- and you don't let anyone try to pull you down- there's going to be people trying to combat you or pull you back- you can do anything.

TVP: You attended University of Albany . What do you think about the Upstate economy? Where do you feel improvements can be made? What are the challenges?

JS: I think there's a host of areas where the economy can be improved, beginning with real estate development and further development towards Upstate. I haven't been back in Albany in quite some time, but I do think that there's immense opportunity to develop more resources and really build up the communities between New York City and Albany . There's a lot of great opportunity up there with respect to courting businesses to set up their headquarters. If you look at a place like Dallas Texas , there's just a lot of open land, and not a lot to do. There's places in Texas where they've courted business, and the J.C. Penny headquarters opened up shop, the Frito Lays headquarters opened up shop. You have a host of companies who have literally settled there.  They really created an economy overnight. If we're smart, we should be capitalizing on the fact that New York City is in many ways the center of the universe.  To be an hour, two, three hours outside the city, is enormously beneficial. The price of real estate Upstate is not expensive to have that kind of access.

Joe Basi: Our Class, Professor Pat Dozario's Com. 406 Class is modeled around The Apprentice and we've been watching you devotedly throughout the semester here.  I wanted to ask you how it felt to be the project manager for what has become known as the biggest defeat in the history of The Apprentice. I don't have an angle on that; I want to know your true feelings about it, what you took out of it, what the intensity was like in that boardroom.

JS: First and foremost I'll have to say that there's only one true winner of the eighteen contestants, but there's going to be 17 winners, that were selected out of the many who tried out. Second of all, I'm going to say that if I'm going to go out, I'm going to go out in Trump style. I'm going to go down in flames and be remembered. I'd rather go out and be remembered than not be remembered at all.

JB: I can respect that.

JS: Third of all, I think if you go into this with the right attitude, no matter how you're taken down, you still go out with your head held high and you feel great about the experience. Everything is lemonade to me. I don't let things hold me back. That's a very important thing for entrepreneurs: Always keep a positive perspective. Think solution, not just problem.
The reality of that episode, the way they needed to edit it for general public viewing, is that they have to do it in an way that keeps it simple. To make it look like it was a straight sales task, and a straight sales loss of that magnitude, is the easiest way for the general viewer to understand. That isn't what actually occurs. I've had a few interviews where the audience sitting or watching was educated, astute enough to really look at what occurred and watch the details and acknowledge that it wasn't a true sales task. If you wanted a true sales task to measure sales ability, you would have had both teams compete in the same sport. Or, you would have had both teams compete on a different sport, measuring the increase against the prior year, same day.  The minute they introduced the two conditions of showing an increase over prior four weeks, and you have to have different sports, it became a strategic task, not a sales task. That task was in April. Baseball season has already started. All the likely consumers or purchasers of baseball equipment have already purchased. Anyone buying golf equipment is still buying, and it's on the way to the peak of the season. So the person that picked golf, no matter what you did for baseball, was going to win. When you peel it back and look at what happened- and this isn't Josh the entrepreneur rationalizing a loss, this is me saying I own the loss. I was PM. I'm going to go down in flames like Trump would, thank you very much. But, let's call a spade a spade, I could've picked golf, and the other team would have been stuck with baseball. I didn't. I picked baseball first.  When you think about the Delta of the loss, if we tripled our sales that day, we still would've lost the call.

JB: I did think about that because the margin was so great.

JS: If I could go back to the boardroom and make my case, with time to digest it without being emotionally bubbled up. I could sit there and say that I'd like to challenge the task. Let our teams compete on the same sport. Our team, which was functional and worked fluidly together, would blow away this dysfunctional team that not only had no sports ability, but couldn't get along.

JB: I noticed that too.

JS: Mr. Trump has been very cool about it. He's been a sweetheart after the show, he wrote the forward for my book, and he and I had a few conversations recently. I had an interview on WB recently, 6:30 in the morning, the crack of dawn; he called in for me. When they asked him why he fired four people he could have easily gone with the party line, but he didn't. He said he had to fire multiple people because we went from sixteen shows to thirteen. And he had no choice but to let go of the group, and that this was a great opportunity.

TVP: And it was excellent for the ratings.

JS: Yeah, all day long.

JB: We've really taken a lot of valuable knowledge from you and from the show.

TVP: Given that you just acquired an unprecedented amount of publicity, and the cross-fertilization and energy of the show, I'm going to guess tat you have a big new project brewing, or are looking at other projects in a new way.

JS: One thing the show absolutely does for the contestants- and the viewers, really- is that it makes them realize how much opportunity is out there, and how they probably didn't think big enough before. For me, an entrepreneur, unlike most of the contestants who weren't, it wasn't that different than it was my whole life. I've always thought big, I've always thought about my companies as having the potential to be billion dollar enterprises. You won't hear from me that I'm now going to do something that I didn't think I could do before. I'm even more convinced that Go Smile is a billion-dollar opportunity, and that Go Smile is the next big idea, like Starbucks. There are a flood of opportunities that come your way after being on the show, but it is more important now than ever that you be smart about your time, and your investment of time. The biggest trap that entrepreneurs fall into is spreading themselevs too thin by tackling too many opportunities.

JB: I just wanted to thank you on behalf of the Comm 406 Class.

JS: Any time.

The Business School'sThanksgiving Feast

The holidays got off to a great start at the School of Business on November 22nd . That afternoon, Accounting and MBA students gathered together to celebrate their annual International Thanksgiving Feast. In addition to the traditional fare of turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, food from a variety of countries was served. Many international students shared dishes from their home countries, while domestic students broke out their favorite traditional recipes. It was a great way to enjoy being together and wind down after a tough week!

An Open Letter from Former Apprentice, Josh Shaw

Greetings!

I hope all of you are doing great and enjoying the holiday season!

I wanted to take a moment to send everyone at UAlbany my sincere appreciation for the amazing support and spirit throughout my recent journey on The Apprentice with Donald Trump.  The emails, letters and phone calls expressing unconditional support have been beyond my wildest expectations, and truly special for me to receive...  Thank you all!

The show was definitely a "once in a lifetime" experience, and something I will cherish for years to come.  Donald Trump, Mark Burnett, MBP Productions, NBC and the entire cast (of characters) were phenomenal to work with and exemplify the highest caliber and integrity in all respects.  I commend and salute each and every one of them for their excellent talents and sensational success in life and business.  They're all outstanding!

Since the show, I've returned to running GoSMILE with my amazing partners (we also hired 3 of my fellow Apprenti cast members to join us - thanks Donald), written a motivational book called "Who Invented Lemonade?" with the foreward written by Mr. Trump, and more important than any of these, I'm actively working to leverage the "15 minutes of fame" to support a charity that is near and dear to my heart... one focused on helping autistic children and raising awareness of autism.  Both the "Who Invented Lemonade?" book and a new special edition GoSMILE Lemonade toothpaste (which happens to be the best tasting toothpaste in the world!) will contribute a portion of proceeds to benefit autism...it's important to give back.

As with anything in life and business, it's not just the experiences you have, but even moreso what you do with those experiences that set you apart...

Again, I want to thank all of you for the unwavering support throughout this journey...  it was both inspirational and special for me.

I wish all of you and your families a very happy, healthy and safe holiday season filled with joy and love.

Dream big and go for it!

All my best!
Josh

Click here to view the Josh Report.

Deloitte Consulting Comes to UAlbany

Deloitte Consulting recently visited the School of Business to teach Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) students about Change Management by analyzing two real life cases. The students presented their analysis using PowerPoint and were critiqued by Jeff Miller, a manager of the Human Resources and Operations Technology department at Deloitte. The class concluded with a debriefing session on the actual solutions Deloitte used to solve the two cases.

One of Deloitte's directors, Joanne Grother, and recruiter, Angela Marchesi, joined the group to present Deloitte as a company and what it has to offer students. The day ended with resume submission, with phone interviews to follow.

Target Comes to UAlbany

Recent grad Kristen Bills (MBA '04) knows that Target is more than just a cool place to buy dorm accessories. She is training to become an Executive Manager at Target's Wilton Distribution Center, and recently spoke with Human Resource Information System (HRIS) students about life in corporate versus consulting jobs. Kristen discussed her daily activities at Target, situations she had been faced with in the Human Resource Department, and the difference between working as an internal and external consultant. Kristen ended the class by giving the students helpful advice on finding jobs and explaining how important it is to learn from the experiences that they receive while finishing their degrees.

School Of Business Alumni Bring SAP to Campus

SAP, the world's largest inter-enterprise software company and the world's third-largest independent software provider, recently gave an overview of their company to our Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) students.

Jeanette Wood (MBA '04), Demo Engineer of SAP's Solutions Group, gave an overview of SAP's Human Capital Management and demonstrated their Human Resource Management software. Vice President of SAP's Global Strategic Initiatives Roy Wood (MBA '04), spoke on “Enterprise Services Architecture (ESA) Strategy and Overview.”

As UAlbany alumni, Roy and Jeanette were able to provide valuable tips on interviewing with leading companies and explained how class assignments tie into the real world. After their presentations, SAP provided lunch for the students and opened the floor for discussion and networking time.

UAlbany Chapter of the Society for Human Resources Management

The University at Albany student chapter of SHRM (The Society for Human Resource Management) kicked off the year with guest speaker, Paul Morgan Jr., School of Business adjunct professor, attorney and chief clerk of the Rensselaer County Surrogate Court.

Morgan discussed Labor Law with students and faculty. Topics ranged from how to prevent your company from being sued by an employee, the Equal Pay Act, Title VII cases, to knowing your rights as an employee. The event concluded with refreshments and a questions session.

Representing SHRM on campus are Co-Presidents Richelle Oakley and Kathryn Richardson, Athene Borrero (Events Coordinator and Secretary), and Deborah Randle (Treasurer).

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world's largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 200,000 individual members, the Society's mission is to serve the needs of HR professionals by providing the most essential and comprehensive resources available. Refer to www.shrm.org for more information.

For more about the UAlbany SHRM, please email sunyalbanyshrm@yahoo.com.

School of Business Alumnus Speaks About the Wireless Industry

David Ciccone, Senior Director of Planning & Strategic Reporting spoke about the partnerships between IT and the Wireless Industry. David, School of Business alumnus class of 1992 (undergrad) & 1994 (graduate) led an animated discussion about the wireless industry and how it relates to IT. The students were inundated with acronyms related to the famed P&L statement (Profits & Losses) which Ciccone deemed as a key metric for projects.

A Business Community

The Dean's Leadership Council Block Party, the debut event of the DLC, assembled School of Business students, faculty and staff, including members of Pi Sigma Epsilon, Delta Sigma Pi, Beta Alpha Psi and The Accounting Club.

The large diverse School of Business crowd ate, drank and mingled. DLC representative Jenn Marinelli ('06) noted, “There are some faces that I've never seen before.” Leadership Council Chairman and DLC co-founder Don Boyce ('06) said the turnout was terrific, “It helps us justify what we're doing. It's an event to unite the School of Business.”

The food quickly disappeared, but students stuck around to listen to School of Business Dean Paul Leonard, Don and co-founder Brian DiMarino ('06).

Dean Leonard explained why the DLC is important to him, “I first came to the School of Business in 1973 as a transfer student majoring in accounting. I received my BS in 1975, my MBA in 1976 and became a professor in 1979. This is my school. I like the school. I like the university.” He said, though faculty are important, “I am very much student focused.”

Brian, DLC president, noted, “The council is for the students, creating a community atmosphere that is necessary in a school of business.” He said that he Googled “Dean's Leadership Council” and found that the University at Albany School of Business is in good company, as there are similar groups at Harvard, Purdue, Bucknell and other leading schools.

Though the DLC formed just last spring, some goals have already been met, including the WebCT program, which allows the 1,037 undergraduate students of the School of Business to be contacted at the same time. Dean Leonard said, “It's an easy way to get information out and we hope you'll use it to keep in touch.”

Mike Schleifer ('06), DLC representative and member of Beta Alpha Psi, noted that the Dean's Leadership Council is helping the school prepare for re-accreditation in the AACSB. Last summer, DLC members assisted with transfer orientation, sharing their knowledge and experience with the newcomers.

Another DLC backed initiative, a freshman-admit program, is currently in the works. The school currently admits students into the business program after their sophomore year.

A community needs a meeting place. The DLC asked Dean Leonard for a comfortable spot for school of business students to stay all day. The new School of Business building will provide a variety of inviting community areas. But students will not have to wait for this major construction to be completed. This spring, undergraduate students are getting a space of their own; during the January break, a lounge will be created in the west end of the current building.

The Dean's Leadership Council is a voluntary consortium of School of Business student organizations. They promote a sense of community among students, groups and faculty, serving as ambassadors through advocacy, networking and communication. The group can be reached by email at busdlc@albany.edu. Or catch them on the School of Business website: http://www.albany.edu/business/DLC.htm.

University at Albany is a JPMorgan Core School

The UAlbany School of Business is part of a select group, JPMorgan's core schools, providing a small pool of candidates for their Management Services Program. Boston College, NYU, Bucknell, Cornell, Fordham, Baruch, University of Michigan and a handful of other top schools round out this inner circle.

Each September, JP Morgan offers mock interviews to undergraduate information technology students with the assistance of the School of Business own Career Services Office. In October, they interview seniors. Once hired, the grads enter a project-based two year management training program, determining their strengths and eventual placement in the firm.

Paul Bockwoldt, a JPMorgan analyst who graduated from the School of Business with a concentration in finance and information technology management (ITM) in '02, works in IR Advisory Services. As JPMorgan campus captain, he evaluates students for the Management Services Program, “Albany students always do well in the program. It's more than just knowing the technical aspects. To excel, you have to have the softer skills: dealing with managers, networking.”

Another UAlbany alum, Securities Associate Kathryn Leahy ('01, marketing and ITM), also has terrific things to say about the students who have followed her, “The University at Albany's School of Business has proved to provide top candidates for JPMorgan year after year… The students we have recruited to work here have shown great leadership, interpersonal, and analytical skills. They have taken the initiative and are able to work on challenging assignments. We look forward to continuing to build up the University at Albany alumni at JPMorgan in the future.”

VP of Operations for Price Chopper gives a lecture to IT MBAs

Mark Boucher, Vice President of Operations for Price Chopper came on Thursday to discuss Price Chopper’s research and consideration of expansion into home delivery. Boucher, a current student in Albany’s Weekend MBA program related to the full-time IT students the elements of an on-line expansion, the opportunities and logistics involved in the potential endeavor.

New NANO+MBA Program

What do Financial Management and Chemical Vapor Deposition of Nanostructured Materials have in common? They are required classes in the pioneering dual degree program offered by the School of Business and the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE).

The Nano+MBA is the only program of its kind. Nanotechnology involves manipulating matter at the atomic scale. But scientists are not always in-the-know about the business end of technology. That's where the School of Business comes in.

"We as business educators must be committed to constant innovation in order to keep our students competitive in the global marketplace," said Paul Leonard, dean of the School of Business. "The Nano+MBA Program is a prime example of how we plan to combine our core business programming with specialty areas that are particularly relevant to the changing business landscape."

The coupling of technology and business is also reflected in the fulltime MBA program, which melds IT and business in three concentrations: Information Technology Management (ITM), Accounting Information Systems (AIS) and Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS).

The Nano+MBA is accepting students for the Fall 2006 semester.

The Fulltime MBA Class of 2005 is working

The results are in. Three months post graduation finds 87% of our domestic students and 79% of our foreign students employed. The average starting salary for these new graduates is $54,200.

The numbers of employed grads has increased from 78% in 2004 and 61% in 2005. The majority of the newly minted MBAs went to Deloitte Consulting, KPMG, General Electric, Ernst and Young and New York State.

MBA interns also found appropriate paid placements. In the summer of 2005, General Electric employed five interns, NYSERDA had three, and Ernst and Young, Albany Nanotech, the NYS Comptrollers Office and the YMCA of the Capital Region each offered two summer internships. Almost three quarters of the positions resulted from leads from School of Business faculty and staff.

MBA Students Make Strides in the Community

Ten walkers, including seven MBA first and second year students, came together to raise funds for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. The team walked a 5K route through Albany's beautiful Washington Park, and raised $1,000 in donations from faculty and fellow students.

UAlbany Professor in HR Magazine

Our very own Hal Gueutal, associate professor, was interviewed for the October 2005 issue of HR Magazine, the premier publication of the international Society for Human Resource Management.

The article states that business needs people who are adept in human resources and technology. According to Dr. Gueutal, “These are the people who put the policies in place for very important decisions made by the users. They have to be able to answer more complex questions. They need technical and content expertise. They are still HR people, first and foremost. They are technically sophisticated, but they are not necessarily techies.” But, they understand the language of the techie and the language of business, which places them in key roles.

The Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) program at the University at Albany School of Business has carved a significant niche, breaking new ground with its unique combination of a solid business education and technological skills. UAlbany is the only school offering a full HRIS program at the graduate level. In addition, Deloitte Consulting recruits from only one MBA program: the UAlbany HRIS.

"Donald Trump Handpicks UAlbany Grad for "Apprentice"

The Josh meets The Donald when Trump’s NBC series, The Apprentice, starts a new season this fall. Josh Shaw graduated from The UAlbany School of Business in 1997 with a B.S. in marketing and finance. Josh has great things to say about his time at the School of Business, "University at Albany provided a phenomenal foundation for business experience and development. The business classes at the university coupled with student life offered a forum for creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.” This season, the Apprentice cast is entirely made up of young entrepreneurs. Josh, 30, certainly fits the bill. After helping create and run Student Advantage, a multi-media marketing service that made him a multimillionaire, he played a major role in founding GoSMILE, where he is currently the Chief Operating Officer. Donald Trump interviewed Josh and each entrepreneur, "For the first time, I hand-picked an Apprentice cast and I'm thrilled with the results,” according to the NBC website, Watch Josh work his entrepreneurial magic on NBC on Thursday September 22 at 9:00. And check back here at News and Notes for his progress each week.

Class of 2006 Tackles Real World ITM

Though the semester has just started, Information Technology Management students already have their work laid out for them. The School of Business has arranged for seniors to complete hands on systems projects for Capital Region organizations this fall. Like many UAlbany School of Business courses, Dr. Jakov “Yasha” Crnkovic’s Business Application Implementation class provides an opportunity for students to learn by doing. MORE>>

 

Global Presentations

Every spring, first year fulltime MBA students integrate Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology Management and Marketing in an intense five week course that galvanizes their teams, tests their intelligence, tries their patience and works their nerves. Global Business teaches the social, legal and political implications of doing business in an international environment, and in the process, prods students to become informed executives regardless of organizational responsibility. MORE>>

 

Golfing Across Programs

Students and alumni from the Day, Evening and Weekend MBA programs teamed up for fun on the links on a glorious day in May. Thirty-five scratch golfers and duffers met at the Colonie Country Club on a to play a scramble, then celebrated over drinks at Sutters. Linda Krzykowski said that it was a terrific opportunity for students in the various programs to meet, “It was a great networking event for MBAs. It broke through boundaries of the programs.” And it was fun, too.

Best Business Plan Award Announced

Rhythm Mfg.'s business plan to create custom snowboards and skateboards from deck to nose to tail to rail, won the UAlbany School of Business Best Business Plan Award at the 4 th Annual Professional MBA Research Forum on May 4.

The Rhythm team beat out fellow evening MBA students' entrepreneurial approaches for a variety of serious products: a wind farm in Mexico, high-end audiovisual systems, airline flight arrival time software for business travelers, and home health care for seniors in Boca Raton.

How does a plan for snazzy athletic equipment carve past the competition? According to Bob Schwartz of the Schwartz Heslin Group, it was their deep understanding of the Generation Y marketplace. Schwartz teaches “Creativity and Entrepreneurship” at the UAlbany School of Business with colleague Fred Buse. Schwartz said, “It was exciting. This year, the five business plans created were the best ever.” His 20-year-old investment-banking firm headquartered in Latham has sponsored the contest for the last ten years and provides the $500 prize. MORE...

The 4th Annual Professional MBA Research Forum

May 4, 2005 Want to know whether you should handle your own investing or leave it to the pros? Interested in the effect of the Euro? Or how the 2001 collapse of the Argentine economy affected our economy? Sixty students were on hand at the 4th Annual Research Forum discussing their research on a wide range of topics, including business, management, finance, marketing and ITM (Information Technology Management). A dozen students demonstrated their software solutions. In addition, the winner of the Best Business Plan was announced, chosen from teams in the Creativity and Entrepreneurship class taught by investment bankers from the international Schwartz Heslin Group. MORE...

Student Awards

May 4, 2005 For the 21st year, the School of Business recognized exceptional academics and community service at the Students Awards ceremony and luncheon. Twenty-nine awards and scholarships were presented to deserving students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs. Senior Wendy Hale received the Wall Street Journal Award for her terrific grades and contributions to the University and the community. She had been previously honored with the 2005 Chancellors Award for Student Excellence, the President’s Award for Undergraduate Leadership and the 2004 Barnes and Noble Scholarship. MORE...

Ice Cream Stress Relief

For some first year MBA students, the end of the spring semester is the hardest. Though summer is almost here, it's time for Global, an examination of international business integrating finance, human resources, ITM and marketing from a total-firm perspective. It's an intense team oriented class designed to turn students into professionals. It's not for the faint of heart.

But on April 26th, students got a break, an Ice Cream Stress Relief Workshop. Ice cream sundaes and stress relief techniques were offered for students and faculty involved with the full time MBA program. More than one student walked away thinking, “YES. I can make it until graduation.” Ice cream has a way of doing that. The stress relief techniques may have helped, too.

 

MBA Team Suite and classroom renovations unveiled

David A Terrenzio, Senior Vice President of New York Business Development Corp., Robert W Lazar, President and CEO of New York Business Development Corp., Linda Krzykowski, Assistant Dean and Dean Leonard of the School of Business at the unveiling of the NYBDC commemorative plaque in newly renovated MBA Team Suite. NYBDC provided the financial support for the upgrading of the MBA Team Suite, which is the second classroom renovated by the generosity of NYBDC.

 

School of Business Alumnus Honored

Norm Snyder'83, COO /CFO of the Rheingold Brewing Company and former COO /CFO of SoBe Beverages, receives a "University at Albany Captain's chair" from Dean Leonard in appreciation for volunteer leadership role at the School of Business . Norm was back at Albany to give his third annual lecture to students in Accounting 222.

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