News Roundup – Gies Online MBA Powers Illinois, Graziadio Professor on Women in the Age of AI, and More
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories from this week, including a Gies Online MBA helping power the state of Illinois.
Dr. Bernice Ledbetter Authors Opinion on Equipping Women with Opportunities to Thrive in Smart Machine Age – Pepperdine Graziadio Business School News
Dr. Bernice Ledbetter of the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School recently published her findings on the role of women in the age of AI.
A study by the McKinsey Global Institute found that smart machines will eventually perform the tasks performed by women in many business settings. Ledbetter’s research seeks to prompt lawmakers and policy makers to assist women in adapting their skill sets within this new landscape.
Dr. Ledbetter suggested three key guidelines to provide safeguards for women as work becomes automated—increase mentorship opportunities for women and outlets for women to hone leadership and utilize ‘soft skills;’ and to bolster investment in childcare and early childhood education. Women, according to research by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, account for 58 percent of the workforce that will be affected by automation.
As the Dean of Students and Alumni Affairs at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School and Director of the Pepperdine Center for Women in Leadership, Ledbetter works to inform and instruct on the issues faced by women in every sector of the economy. For more on her study and the future of AI in the workplace, read here.
Cardinal Health Partners with Vanderbilt Executive Education for Two Custom Leadership Programs – Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Business News
Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management has been leading a strategic partnership with Cardinal Health Partners to produce some of the best and brightest executives in the healthcare field.
The two programs, entitled INNOVATE and INSPIRE, are both nine months in duration. INNOVATE brings together thirty directors for assignments meant to help solve global healthcare issues. The directors, who reside at various international locations, meeting face-to-face six months into the program. At the end of the nine months, the team presents their projects to Cardinal executives who decide which ones they will implement.
Vanderbilt’s partnership with Cardinal Health Partners has brought two new healthcare executive programs to the Owen Graduate School of Management.
INSPIRE is comprised of fifteen Cardinal Health vice presidents whose goal it is to hone skills in entrepreneurial thinking, organizational management, and trend spotting. After deciding upon one ‘mega trend’, teams analyze how the trend is active within their organization and how it can be maximized for the best impact.
The intent of each program is to help executives and leaders to shift focus from operational concerns into more strategic and creative thinking. Jerome Revish is a Cardinal Health Vice President for Services and a participant in the INSPIRE program. He says:
“I’ve been at the VP level for a little over two years now. I would say as manager and director, you’re so focused on execution and driving results … It’s now, at this level and the next level, where more of your job is centered around framing the strategy of where we need to be going, versus ‘how do I execute what’s in front of me today.’”
For more on Owen’s executive education programs, read here.
iMBA Helps Power Windfree’s CEO to Power Illinois Homes and Businesses – Gies College of Business News
The University of Illinois Gies College of Business’ iMBA program has helped one entrepreneur to help bring solar power to the Midwest.
Eric Heineman is CEO of Windfree, Illinois’ TOP installer of solar panels for homes and businesses in the state. The iMBA, Gies’ 100 percent online degree, was a perfect choice for Heineman as he juggled the responsibility of raising children and pursuing his goal of creating a socially responsible business.
Crediting the “solar boom” in Illinois for part of his success, Heineman says, ““I don’t know how I would be able to stay in a master’s program if I didn’t have the flexibility of the iMBA. It’s something I’m very thankful for.” The iMBA has been a vital tool in Heineman’s advancement to CEO, as his business decisions are directly applicable to his online curriculum.
“It allows me to constructively second-guess everything I’m doing, and I have a great sounding board for my ideas,” he continues. Windfree was founded in 2009, and it has become a leader in providing solar energy to schools and other non-profit organizations. Windfree is responsible for the installation of numerous solar power devices in the state, including the Illinois Governor’s Mansion.
Heineman will complete his MBA in 2020. You can read here for more on Heineman, Windfree, and the iMBA.
2019 Massachusetts Family Business of the Year Award Winners – Northeastern D’Amore McKim School of Business News
Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business honored some of the state’s leading family businesses during an awards program last month. For over a decade, a panel of judges has chosen businesses that exemplify success, specifically through multi-generational legacies of their organizations. Community involvement and innovation are two other criteria upon which the winners are chosen.
The Clark School received an award for medium sized businesses. Provo Wealth Management Group won the Marshall Paisner Award for Small Firms. The Hub Folding Box Company took home the large business award, and the Award for Community Involvement was presented to J. Calnan & Associates.
For the last thirteen years, recipients of the Massachusetts Family Business of the Year Awards have been selected by a panel of independent judges based on the following criteria: business success; positive business and family linkages; multi-generational family involvement; contributions to the community and industry; and innovative business practices or strategies.
You can read here for more on the Family Business of the Year awards.
Merage Jumps in Rankings, UCLA Grows Greener, and More
Let’s take a peak at some of the biggest Los Angeles business school stories that have emerged this week.
UC Irvine’s Merage School Jumps Forward in The Economist‘s Rankings – UCI Merage School of Business News
University of California, Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business jumped forward in The Economist’s 2018 ‘Which MBA?’ rankings, with a move from 39th to 37th in the U.S., and 56th to 52nd in the global standings.
Assistant Dean Jon Kaplan of Merage’s MBA and specialty master’s programs says, “[What is unique about the program] is our focus on preparing students to be leaders in a digitally driven world. When you combine that with our continuous efforts to attract the best and brightest students and to provide them a one-of-a-kind experience, you start to see the rankings improve.”
Earlier this year, Merage’s Executive MBA program was ranked 20th in the U.S. and 30th globally. Dean Eric Spangenberg reiterates the program’s focus on digital transformation.
“Our team has done a great job of pivoting our curriculum to focus on how digital technologies are disrupting all aspects of the business world—not just in Silicon Valley, but across industries,” he says. “Students recognize that, and they choose to come here. This climb in the rankings is evidence not only of our teaching excellence and outstanding career services, but of the caliber of students we’re attracting.”
You can read more about Merage’s place in the rankings here.
How Green is Your Campus? – UCLA Anderson Blog
UCLA Anderson School of Management alum Nurit Katz (’08), the university’s Chief Sustainability Officer, recently gave a report on five major movements that the school has made to become a leader in green campus design.
For one, the business school’s Marian Anderson Courtyard is shaded from the California sun by ZON Powersol umbrellas that not only provide shade, but also utilize solar power for USB mobile devices.
In addition to the use of solar power, the school uses a 42-megawatt cogeneration plant that provides heat, cool air, and electricity for major facilities on campus such as the Regan Medical Center. The plant is partially powered by biomethane gas from a nearby landfill. The use of the gas drastically reduces the campus’ carbon footprint.
UCLA Anderson Chief Sustainability Officer Nurit Katz recently explained the major ways the LA school is moving forward with green energy innovation / Phot via blogs.anderson.ucla.edu
Green roof installation is another way the school is implementing sustainable technology, as shown in the Safdie Rabines Architects’ designed Court of Sciences Student Center food hall. Drought tolerant plants combine attractively with the surrounding landscape to provide natural cooling and water collection methods, while also providing attractive outdoor gathering space.
The Semel Healthy Campus initiative is another example of the school’s commitment to sustainability. With a garden at the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, this initiative focuses upon healthy solutions for the campus and its neighbors by growing plants for food and medicinal purposes.
Finally, UCLA is working to reduce carbon emissions in the infamously congested city of Los Angeles through the use of the Bruin Bike Share system. This allows students to rent bikes for commuting around campus, making the standard non-automobile transit more visible. The project also allows inexperienced bikers to pair with those who are more seasoned to learn the rules of the road.
Graziadio Women in Leadership Series to Feature Intuit Exec – Pepperdine Graziadio Events
Mary Ann Somers, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Intuit, Inc., will be a featured speaker at Pepperdine Graziadio‘s Center for Women in Leadership (CWL) discussion series on November 8, 2018.
With a background at companies such as Coca-Cola, Hershey, Unilever, and Colgate-Palmolive, Somers has a wealth of experience in reviving struggling brands. She will speak about the increasingly relevant trends in FinTech, and the ways in which it has transformed production and profitability.
Since 2015, the Center for Women in Leadership has strengthened and empowered women in the Graziadio community, and connected them with leaders such as Somers as they move forward in their careers.
Somers’ discussion will take place at the West Los Angeles Campus from 4-6 p.m. on November 8. You can register here for the event.
Columbia Prof Talks Solar Financial and Technological Woes
Columbia Business School recently published an article that explores the uncertain future of solar energy–strange, considering we are hot on the heels of a bona fide solar feeding frenzy due in no small part to federal tax credits and 70 percent drops in prices due to low-cost Chinese panels.
Columbia professor of professional practice Bruce Usher says, “The challenge to solar has long been who’s got the money to spend up front and who wants to take the risk.” The article explains that SunEdison figured out that the solution was leasing solar systems as opposed to selling them. Their model, which is ideal for reduced risk, spread like wildfire to competitors like Sunrun, SolarCity and Vivint. According to research, “more than 70 percent of residential installations in the three largest American solar markets—California, Arizona, and Colorado—were leased.”
Usher explains the underlying catch-22 of the solar explosion (or should I say implosion?): “In the majority of states today, consumers can switch to solar and save money.” But the squirreled-away cash is a result of net-metering, a process by which customers sell electricity back to the grid. “If you can’t sell electricity back to the grid, the economics of solar are terrible. The vast majority of power generated is in a five-hour window during the day. You can’t use it all, so you need to sell it back to the grid.”
Cameron explains that these grids are clunky, expensive, and nearly obsolete but discarding it altogether isn’t really an option: “A grid connection is a guarantee of power when you need it.” The Energizer bunny just ain’t gonna cut it.
“When it comes to net metering, residential consumers shouldn’t get the full retail rate, but they shouldn’t be cut off from the grid either. The answer is somewhere in between. The government needs to set those rules today, and set them in a way that reflects the way the whole energy system in this country is changing.”
