Julie Cogin AGSM Director Deputy Dean

Transcription

1 Julie Cogin AGSM Director Deputy Dean MBA Class of 2016 Vision, mission & values Making the most out of your MBA experience AGSM from a LBS perspective Volunteering abroad: Making a difference Predicting attendance at the Royal Easter Show Made for EXCELLENCE AGSM MBA STUDENT MAGAZINE ISSUE 12 APRIL 2015

2 Editors Voice We would like to begin by expressing our enthusiasm for the opportunity to take on this role as co-editor-inchiefs of this important and prestigious publication. Our vision and mission for the STAR magazine this year encompasses not only to continue the amazing work that the 2015 cohort had started, but also to build and expand on it. We would like to offer a huge thank you to Ace Choo for her amazing support through this transition period; and also to the members of the 2016 cohort who stepped up and contributed as copy editors, photographers and creative contributors on short notice, despite their busy schedules. We are looking forward to a great year with STARmag, and thank the AGSM community for your continued support as we collectively grow and build the AGSM brand. Please continually let us know what you think; we welcome feedback and suggestions. CONTENTS Editors Voice 2 FEATURE Made for Excellence Esteemed AGSM community 4 Originally from Orlando, Florida, CHRISTINE SAVAGE is a Mechanical Engineer who has worked in the Aerospace/Defense industry for the past 5 years. IN FOCUS 2 AGSM AGSM STAR Magazine (STARmag) is produced by MBA students from the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM). This magazine is not for sale and intended only for educational and research purposes. Vision, mission & values 6 Making the most out of your MBA experience 8 AGSM from a LBS perspective 10 The STAR Magazine logo is put together by Ace Choo using Sommet fonts designed by Jeremy Dooley and Cash Currency fonts designed by Jayde Garrow. Volunteering abroad Making a Difference 12 The blue and white AGSM logo remained the property of UNSW and any unauthorized use are strictly prohibited. Predicting attendance at the Royal Easter Show 14 Originally from India, NANDINI GAUR is a Fashion technologist, who has worked in the Retail Industry for past 3 years, as a Buyer. Cover page and page 4-5 Julie Cogin Photo provided by author Cheers. Editors-in-chief Christine, Nandini & Tatiana Originally from Cali Colombia, TATIANA RIVERA HADAD is an Economist who has worked in a consumer product company in the business development/strategy and finance division for the past 4 years. Editors-in-chief Christine Savage, Tatiana Rivera Hadad, Nandini Gaur Layout designer Ace Choo Copy-editors Tim Fagan, Erik Burkhalter, Shane Simon, Christine Savage Creative contributors Aina Tugbobo, Neelam Joshi Page 2-3 The editors-in-chief (from left Nandini, Christine and Tatiana) Photo credit Mikhail Narbekov All published works are of the opinions of the individual authors and do not represent the view of AGSM or UNSW. All rights reserved. Website Corresponding editor.stusoc@agsm.edu.au STAR 3

3 MADE FOR EXCELLENCE by Julie Cogin AGSM Director, Deputy Dean JULIE COGIN is a Professor of Business, Director of the AGSM and Deputy Dean of the Business School, UNSW. Julie has led and taught on a number of AGSM s courses over the last 15 years and undertakes consulting for many leading companies globally. She has been a regular guest commentator on Business Focus television program. Julie has authored several books and published in many prestigious academic journals. Esteemed AGSM community It was my pleasure to address the 2016 cohort last week for the fi rst Director Download of the year and to share my vision for AGSM as well as listen to your ideas. The presentation to the group was timely as it followed a recent visit to the AGSM by the new Vice Chancellor, Professor Ian Jacobs. He s now been in the role almost a month and we were thrilled to spend half a day with him to introduce the people and programs that make the AGSM a Jewel in the crown of the University. While Ian has an impressive background as a leading medical health researcher and an international university administrator, he showed a keen interest in the specifi cs of the AGSM business. As he shared his vision for the University as part of his listening tour of campus, our senior leadership team was particularly encouraged by the close alignment of his goals with those of AGSM. Ian strongly believes that as a University, we should set our ambitions high and that UNSW should be the go-to place for those looking to solve some of the grand challenges of business and society. As a leadership team we outlined the four pillars of AGSM s strategy. i). Academic Excellence (ensuring the best academics offer quality teaching, are accessible to students and executive education clients and undertake leading research); ii). Digitisation of teaching to improve the learning experience and extend our reach (ensuring we offer worldclass interactive learning experiences with more fl exible options); iii).build our international standing (by leveraging our world class alumni, improving our rankings, and building the brand externally; and iv). Global Partnerships (building deeper and value enhancing partnerships with industry and other business schools). We look forward to working with Ian in the coming months and will keep you abreast of the ongoing discussions. I am also very pleased to have the previous Vice-Chancellor Fred Hilmer back at the AGSM as an Emeritus Professor. As previous Dean of the AGSM, and with his background at McKinsey and Fairfax, Fred will be an excellent resource for us. Remember to say hello if you see Fred in the corridors. Thanks to those who I ve met or had conversations with over the last few weeks. I have particularly enjoyed learning about what brought you to AGSM and what your goals for the future are. I wish you well in your studies and look forward to working with you as you delve deeper into what you are made for. 4 AGSM STAR 5

4 Vision, Mission & Values Rob (left) and Trevor Photo credit Mikhail Narbekov Vision, MISSION & Values by Trevor Harris President MBA Student Society 2016 After completing his Chemical Engineering degree at the University of the Witwatersrand, TREVOR HARRIS began his career at Sasol Synfuels, as an engineer and then transitioned into a refi ning production manager. He recently became an Ironman in 2013 and has participated in numerous initiatives in order to give back to his community. What really excites me about being the Student Society President is the support and enthusiasm I have received from our cohort and the AGSM community to make a lasting and positive difference. This has become the driving force for me to ensure that we the Class of 2016 are able to successfully realise our shared vision. Vision To reach our collective potential, celebrate our diversity and leave a sustainable legacy for our internal and external communities. From our mission statement, we will fi rstly move through a process of understanding our new environment and the achievements of past cohorts and to learn and grow from this foundation. Secondly, to encourage that all MBA students leverage the vast resources, expertise and knowledge within the AGSM community to ensure an enriching experience. Finally, to generate new and lasting innovations and initiatives that can then serve as the extended platform for future cohorts. Mission The Cohort of 2016 is committed to creating an engaging and collaborative environment in order to support our shared growth. We aim to elevate our MBA experience by leveraging the AGSM community and partnering with all stakeholders. Deep within our vision and mission is for the cohort to celebrate our diversity and to engage in mutually benefi cial and collaborative relationships. We believe this will be achieved by adhering to our shared core values. Values Respect, Integrity, Accountability, Innovation and Commitment We as the cohort of 2016 are motivated to tackle the current and future challenges ahead and know that with hard work and dedication comes great success. by Robert Ludwick Vice President MBA Student Society 2016 From the beautiful city of Montreal, ROBERT LUDWICK spent most of his childhood adjusting to Canadian winters. Australian climate always seemed like a better fi t for him, which he confi rmed on a semester abroad at the University of Queensland during his Bachelor of Commerce. His inevitable return to the sunshine and beaches of Australia was in 2012, working in Queensland s solar energy sector before moving to Sydney to join the AGSM. The AGSM community is rich in opportunity, diversity, and expertise. We are connected across a myriad of networks and industries, proudly grounded by our shared experiences at the AGSM. As new members, we aim to step out of our comfort zones, add to our history, and challenge one another to achieve much more than we otherwise would on our own. Our Industry Clubs will collaborate with AGSM alumni, current MBA, EMBA, MBT, and ASB students in order to organize great events that will strengthen our internal bonds and engage our external business communities. We are committed to be constantly innovative, to consistently make progress, and to Never Stand Still. Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. -Albert Einstein 6 AGSM STAR 7

5 Making the most out of your MBA experience by Veronika Kryuchkova AGSM Alumni MBA Class 2014 VERONIKA KRYUCHKOVA is an AGSM alumni, graduating from the full-time MBA program in After graduation, she joined Johnson&Johnson, where she looks after 16 brands. Veronika has lived in 5 countries: Russia, UK, France, USA and is currently based in Sydney, Australia; she can be reached via at vkryuchk@its.jnj.com.au All photos provided by author It s been almost a year since I fi nished my classes and came back from exchange at Chicago Booth. My MBA journey was a rollercoaster ride with ups and downs, excitements, discoveries and challenges. I would like to share 3 lessons that I have learned during my MBA with current MBA students and others who might be considering embarking on an MBA journey. LESSON#1 Find your Passion and follow your Lead MBA is an amazing opportunity to change trajectories of your career: you can change countries of residence, industries and/or roles or start your own endeavour. Now is the best time to try different things through internships. The good news is, every year AGSM has more internship opportunities on offer. Challenge yourself and build a business plan for your own start-up that you have always dreamed about or work on a particular business case during Jeffrey Tobias entrepreneurship class. Explore. In Semester 3 and 4 you will be able to have an opportunity to choose consulting projects as an elective to work for a particular company and on business challenges. If you are not excited about the companies on offer, be proactive: fi nd a company you are interested in, build your team, defi ne a scope of the project and go all out! Find your passion and follow your lead. LESSON#2 It s not all about you The success of any company is not a story of an individual or a group of individuals; it is the story of a team that came together to make a difference. Now you have an opportunity to build your teams. Be smart. Bring the right team together. Create an atmosphere where you can have debates and challenges. Don t be afraid of different points of view; it s not about whose idea/solution is better, it s more about fi nding most creative idea or best solution collaboratively. Get the chemistry of your team right, but at the same time, be empathetic and encourage team members to speak up. LESSON#3 Look for mentors Look for mentors, the sooner the better. I discovered the mentorship concept when I moved to Australia. You don t need to fi nd one perfect mentor. Instead, look for mentors who can provide career counselling as well as personal development advice. You might wish to have a mentor with whom you can discuss broad life issues. Try to obtain a mentor who is not biased and with whom you are confi dent that the advice given will be in your best interest. Surprisingly, you can fi nd a mentor anywhere: networking events with companies, professors at AGSM/UNSW, events with alumni, your colleagues, etc. Be open-minded and do not be afraid of asking for a mentoring relationship. You are going to have an exciting 16 months. Make the most of it. 8 AGSM STAR 9

6 AGSM from a LBS perspective by João Terra Exchange student from London Business School Given the limited exchange spots for LBS students at AGSM, I made every effort to make a strong application as the thought of experiencing Australia has always thrilled me. Being from Portugal, my decision process actually involved looking at a globe and trying to pinpoint where the opposite side of the world was! With AGSM being a top-100 ranked MBA and with great feedback from previous exchange students, I believed it would be a great choice for exchange. I was one of the lucky ones to get a spot. But then came the complicated logistics of moving to the other side of the world. It was all worth it. At AGSM, I ve found excellent professors with extensive professional experience who truly prepare students for real business life. I also found an exceptional campus surrounding AGSM. UNSW is indeed one of the top universities in the world (as proven by its #48 ranking in 2014 s QS World University rankings). Looking at AGSM and London Business School (LBS), I am of the opinion that both have distinguishing traits, which could be built upon. Some of the main strengths of LBS are the fi nance concentration, diversity (91% international students, 36% female), and class size. At over 400 MBA students, there is a diverse range of viewpoints. We build a substantial alumni network, which simultaneously proves to be invaluable during the very active student life and provides incredible opportunities. AGSM is already a Top-3 Business School in the southern hemisphere, which includes several strong nations in the global economic environment. This provides AGSM with a unique opportunity to grow as a top MBA program. If I were to point out one last aspect that particularly impressed me at AGSM, it would be the students themselves, who come from an incredible range of countries and from whom we can learn so much. Take an amazing university, with great people, add this to the beautiful Australian summer, and you have the perfect exchange experience. JOÃO TERRA is currently studying at AGSM on exchange from London Business School. He is originally a chemical engineer from Portugal. He is enjoying learning how to surf and loves football and traveling, having visited 48 countries. Photo provided by author 10 AGSM STAR 11

7 St. Bernard Project volunteers in front of their allocated worksite in New Orleans, Louisiana UMich - University of Michigan students SBP - St. Bernard Project staff members Clockwise from top left Shao Wei (UMich), Amira Laila (UMich), Jessica Greenfi eld (trip coordinator), Amy Peng-Tzu Liu (UMich), (partly hidden) Ming Zhou Fu (UMich), (dark red shirt) Andrea Panella (UMich), Yawen (UMich), (pink hairband) Martha Archer (SBP), (red hat) Conor Monaghan (SBP), Chas Stewart (SBP), (far right) Mario Figuerao (SBP), Angela Hernandez (SBP), (with glasses) Emily Engel (SBP), (leaning back) Bridgett Eisler (SBP), (grey sweatshirt) Heidi Lopez-Romero (SBP), Ace Choo (AGSM/UMich), Putri Dariah Ariff (UMich), and Zu Dienle Tan (UMich) Thank you to the kind electrician, Lafayette, in capturing this amazing picture All photos supplied by author. Ace (left) and Jessica skimming the walls in one of the hallways Photo supplied by author St. Bernard Project logo used with permission from SBP Volunteering ABROAD Making a difference by Ace Choo AGSM MBA Student Class 2015 Outgoing exchange University of Michigan What one does during the spring break while in cold Ann Arbor, Michigan usually involves going somewhere warm and sunny. So I packed my bags, got onto the road with nine other international students from the University of Michigan and a trip coordinator affi liated with Ecumenical Center and International Residence, and we drove more than 16 hours south, crossing through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi to reach New Orleans, Louisiana. We all have one mission to volunteer with the St. Bernard Project in rebuilding homes of those affected by the 2005 Hurricane Katrina. And we arrived at our place to stay, St. Jude s Community Center. At 2:00am. In the heavy, pouring rain. So much for warm and sunny but we are determined to start our next day with optimism! Every morning is waking up at 6:00am to pack lunches, savouring the breakfast provided before clearing up for the community center to open their doors to serve the homeless breakfast. By 8:30am, armed with our lunch bags of peanut butter and jelly, and coffee, we are excited to be at our allocated house on Marais Street. Our passionate site supervisors, Heidi and Bridgett put us to work after diligently equipping us with the right skills. The fi ve days involved sanding the walls, priming, skimming any imperfection, resanding, re-skimming, and only when the walls are perfectly smooth and even, we moved on to fi nal priming, texturing, and painting. Being perfectionists, a hallway measuring about L2.5mXW1.0mXH2.5m took two of us, three days to reach the fi nal priming stage. Note to self, it is harder to work in tight spaces. By the end of the week, all of the walls in the house are at least at the texturing stage and we are all suffi ciently coated in dusts and paint. Beforehand we were uncertain if we could actually make any difference in one week, worried that we may worsen the condition of the house, or if we would be more of a nuisance than helpful. Gradually, with one of St. Bernard s clients sharing her story on how she is fi nally able to move back into her home after being displaced for nine years, in addition to people from the neighbourhood thanking us as they walked by, and St. Bernard s staff assurance, we are certain that we indeed made a difference. To all of us, it was a humbling experience ending with big smiles on our faces and vast appreciation in our hearts of the work done by the St. Bernard Project. If anyone is making a trip to New Orleans, I do encourage you to volunteer with the St. Bernard Project! For now, I will be staring at every imperfect wall wishing I have some tools with me to fi x it. Armed with 5 years of experience as a medical researcher and laboratory manager from University of Western Australia, as well as an MBA from AGSM / University of Michigan, ACE YU LENG CHOO is returning to Perth, Australia to take on strategy and management in the healthcare industry. 12 AGSM STAR 13

8 Predicting ATTENDANCE at the Royal Easter Show collected since 2001 and the overall average percentage error (actual attendance against predicted attendance) was 3.5%. Some of the more interesting fi ndings were: Photos supplied by author by Brad Smith AGSM Adjunct Faculty BRAD SMITH holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) and an MBA from Sydney University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from Deakin. His passion is change management, specialising in Total Quality Management (TQM), Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) systems. Brad Smith Photo credit Mikhail Narbekov The annual Sydney Royal Easter Show (the Show) is an institution on the Sydney calendar. The Show, which has run since 1823, is an event that takes place in March/April each year to coincide with the Easter holiday period. It is staged and managed by the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS), a not-for-profi t organisation committed to supporting agricultural development and rural communities in Australia. Originally, the Show focused on agricultural products and competitions, but has grown in stature and importance over the years. It now encompasses not only agricultural events, but promotional events for non-agricultural companies, arts and crafts exhibitions and competitions, fun park rides, and general entertainment as well. With an annual attendance of approximately one million, it is Australia s largest event. The RAS organisers, and other organisations servicing the Show, are very interested in predicting the daily attendance levels as it allows them to plan for the provision of adequate resources for each day. Information is also provided to the NSW Government, who must provide public services like transport and manage other facilities in the area. In 2014, AGSM Adjunct Faculty member and lecturer for Data Analysis Brad Smith developed a statistical regression model for the RAS to help predict daily attendance. Regression is a statistical technique that attempts to identify the important variables that affect an outcome variable of interest. It determines the strength and magnitude of the relationship and can be used to predict future values, based on the historical data. The model takes into account factors such as the day number of the Show, the day of the week, public and school holidays, weather conditions, and the effect of special attendance-boosting promotions. The model was built using data There is a defi nite daily cycle to the Show s attendance fi gures with the fi rst two and last two days having the lowest attendance fi gures. Public holidays greatly increase attendance; Good Friday and Easter Monday increase attendance by about 55,000 on average. Attendance on the other Mondays is typically about 11,000 less. School holidays increase attendance by about 7,500 per day. Heavy rain reduces the daily attendance by about 17,000, but light or medium rain does not affect attendance. If the Show is timed so that Easter falls in the second week of its duration, rather than the fi rst week, attendance is higher. A special promotion to discount tickets after 5pm, on days that were not school holidays, appears to have had not statistically signifi cant effect on attendance. In 2014, Prince William and Princess Kate visited the Show. The effect on attendance was unknown as this event had not happened before, but it was hoped that attendance would be boosted. Regression, however, revealed that attendance was about 50,000 less than for an equivalent day not featuring the Royals. One hypothesis is that people, thinking the crowds would be too high, decided not to attend on that day. This year the Show runs from 26 March to 8 April. If you want to beat the crowds, don t wait for a public or school holiday; instead, go on one of the fi rst two or last two days, hope for heavy rain, and a Royal visit. 14 AGSM STAR 15

9 STUDENT SOCIETY (STUSOC) COMMITTEE MEMBERS President Trevor Harris Vice President Robert Ludwick Finance Manager Rizzia Litany fi Communications Team Christine Savage, Tatiana Rivera Hadad, Nandini Gaur External Relations Manager Kaoru Nishinakagawa Events Manager Pablo Quintero Technology Manager Karan Kaushik Business Managers Matt Kappler, Kenneth Pratt STUSOC CLUBS CONTACTS President Consulting Club Timothy Fagan President Finance Club Shane Simon fi President Innovation, Commercialization & Entrepreneurship (ICE) Club Luis Vegas Arias Stella President Marketing Mikhail Narbekov President Public Speaking and Debate Club Tathagat Yagnik President Social Impact Club Fouad Qureshi President Women in Leadership Club Ambika Asthana