Professional Documents
Culture Documents
YOUR MBA
WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY
BABCOCK GRADUATE
SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT ~ CHARLOTTE
4
Revisit your assessment throughout the program. Pay close attention as
to other profiles that fit or do not fit with yours, especially in terms of
target companies. We learned during the seminar that most of the
executive firings were a result of lack of fit rather than skill deficiencies.
• Be very clear about why you are getting an MBA – this clarity of purpose is
probably one of the best leverage points you have for your degree.
• Be sure to visit the website of the Center for Creative Leadership. They have
done a great deal of work on “career killers” and other issues related to
developing your career.
• Do community service project to develop your leadership skills and as a
chance to network.
• Not all career changes are planned – try to increase your awareness of
opportunities; make a list of what would designate an opportunity.
• Curriculum ideas:
o Study groups are critical – use them and get to know your colleagues.
o Change groups at mid‐year – we are considering making this a set
norm in the program.
o Engage in practicum projects or projects related to the curriculum that
involve outside clients.
o Create your list of “this is why it matters” for everything you cover in
class – use this list to explain what you are learning.
o Electives are critical to filling out your skills set – take them in any
program you can.
o Get exposure to various industries.
• The School has many opportunities for you. Consider:
o Networks through alumni – use our directories that are organized
around geography, industry, name and class.
o Career services – professional programs in Charlotte has Andy
Dreyfuss (andy.dreyfuss@mba.wfu.edu) as a key contact with the
Career Management Center at the Babcock Graduate School of
Management.
o We are bringing alumni into the school to visit with students. Take
advantage of the Babcock Lecture Series, the Breakfast Clubs, the
Executive‐in‐Residences, case competitions, and visit to companies.
5
• Plan now for your next career move. Find your skills and knowledge gaps
for the next move and fill them.
• Mentoring is critical.
o Get a mentor not too far removed from your position.
o Get a mentor before you do the MBA.
o Learn about other industries by having a mentor from a different
industry.
• Don’t feel as if you have all of the answers! Yet, if you have knowledge and
skills you own them. “Don’t empty your briefcase all at once! Empty it little
by little.
• Read Po Bronson’s What Should I Do with My Life, a series of vignettes
about people who make career decisions not always according to the
prescribe methods. At the same level is Richard Nelson Bolles’ What Color is
Your Parachute? Get the most recent edition.
• Career Leverage Inventory http://www.careersystemsintl.com/carlev.htm.
This inventory helps employees explore and assess six viable career options:
vertical and lateral moves, job enrichment, exploring, realignment for change
and moving out. The meaning and impact of each option are included.
Finally, users answer questions to determine if their top‐rated options are
realistic.
• Leverage can be defined as the use of various financial instruments or
borrowed capital, such as margin, to increase the potential return of an
investment. The amount of debt used to finance a firm’s assets. A firm with
significantly more debt than equity is considered to be highly leveraged.
Leverage can be created through options, futures, margin, and other financial
instruments. Leverage increases oneʹs risk. What can leverage mean to your
career? Could it mean the power to act effectively as in “she started her
career with more leverage than her colleague had enjoyed.” Or, could it be a
“lifestyle that is leveraged (read – impacted) by business responsibilities.”
6
• Consider that you leverage your MBA before, during and after your MBA
experience. Leverage points can be found from various activities. You set
goals that define what you want to learn, you make contacts during the
program and learn skills that increase your networks, and you maintain your
networks after the program.
• Accomplishments are the points that help sell you to an employer ‐‐ much
more so than everyday job duties ‐‐ and you can leverage your
accomplishments for job‐search success at all stages of the process: resume,
cover letter, interview, and more.
JoAnn Nix recently gave this advice in an interview on the Guru.com Web
site: ʺA resume should be accomplishment‐oriented, not responsibility‐
driven. The biggest mistake that I see in the resumes people send me is
that they list responsibilities. That doesnʹt grab anybodyʹs attention.
People arenʹt interested in your responsibilities. They already know the
general responsibilities of a position so they donʹt want to know what you
do from day to day. They want to know that youʹre a mover and a shaker:
How you contribute to the organization, how you show initiative, that
you can be a key player. Thatʹs what they want to see.ʺ
Use the following prompts to brainstorm all those terrific things you did.
Try to list some accomplishments that set you apart from other job
candidates.
• In each job, what special things did you do to set yourself apart? How
did you do the job better than anyone else did or than anyone else
could have done?
• What did you do to make each job your own?
• How did you take the initiative? How did you go above and beyond
what was asked of you in your job description?
• What special things did you do to impress your boss so that you might
be promoted?
• And were you promoted? Rapid and/or frequent promotions can be
especially noteworthy.
• How did you leave your employers better off than before you worked
for them?
• Did you win any awards?
• What are you most proud of in each job?
7
• Is there material you can use from your annual performance reviews?
Did you consistently receive high ratings? Any glowing quotes you
can use from former employers?
• Have you received any complimentary memos or letters from
employers or customers?
• What tangible evidence do you have of accomplishments ‐‐
publications youʹve produced, products youʹve developed, software
applications youʹve written?
• Think of the ʺPEP Formula,ʺ Profitability, Efficiency, and Productivity.
How did you contribute to profitability, such as through sales increase
percentages? How did you contribute to efficiency, such as through
cost reduction percentages? How did you contribute to productivity,
such as through successfully motivating your team?
• Employers love numbers. Examples:
o Increased sales by 50 percent over the previous year.
o Produced total meal sales 20 percent higher than those of the
other servers in the restaurant.
o Supervised staff of 25.
o Served a customer base of 150, the largest on firmʹs customer‐
service team.
• Use superlatives. As Donald Asher notes in his excellent resume
reference From College to Career, you can impress employers with
words such as ʺfirst,ʺ ʺonly,ʺ ʺbest,ʺ ʺmost,ʺ and ʺhighest.ʺ
o Use the SAR or PAR technique, in which you describe a
Situation or Problem that existed in a given job, tell what Action
you took to fix the Situation or Problem, and what the Result
was. Some experts call this the CAR technique, in which C
stands for Challenge, or the STAR technique, in which the T
stands for Task. Resume writer JoAnn Nix notes that a sales and
marketing manager could employ SAR/STAR/PAR/CAR
technique this way: ʺJoined organization to spearhead sales and
marketing initiative for newly developed territory. Led the
aggressive turnaround of a poorly performing district and
propelled sales from one to six million in 14 months.ʺ
• Susan Britton Whitcomb, author of Resume Magic, one of the most
highly recommended resume books on the market, calls
accomplishments ʺthe linchpin of a great resume.ʺ Her chapter on
accomplishments is one of the best sources for getting your
accomplishments juices flowing.
8
• The word leverage comes from the word lever. I always picture a big rock
with a big metal bar under it. If you push a little on the metal bar you can
move the rock. Without the big metal bar (the lever), the rock is just too
big for you to move. What small step can I take that will produce a big
result in your career?
First, a plan can be of enormous help as long as you write it, use it and
update it as necessary. Look at it as something you are going to use. A
plan might take several hours to write but then you have a clear view of
how to move the rock when you are done.
Another idea for leverage is to develop strategic partners. These are
people who can point you in the right direction. They might introduce
you to someone who is hiring or know people who need your product or
service. They may be in a complimentary industry and be willing to
recommend you or your service to their clients. Think of strategic partners
as people who are holding the lever with you so you can move that rock
farther and/or faster.
Use your accomplishments for leverage too. They give you credibility
with customers or hiring managers.
• What small action can you take in your work or personal life that will
result in a big move forward? Write down what you want to accomplish
(the result) and brainstorm ideas to move forward quickly or
dramatically. Try brainstorming alone, with a friend and/or with your
coach.
• Write or update your business or career plan for 2005. What will you be
doing to move your business or career forward?
• Check your address book and business card collection. Look for strategic
partners who have helped you in the past or who you think can help you
now. Make an appointment with them to discuss your idea for working
with them.
• Marketing yourself!
o Have a 15‐second and a two‐minute statement about who you are
and how you add value to an organization; have introductory
“sound‐bites.”
o Be aware of the surroundings – who can help you?
9
o Package your skills and knowledge in ways other than functional
labels such as “I know accounting” etc.
o Forget you have an MBA – focus on skills, knowledge, and
accomplishments.
o Sell your critical thinking skills supported by your MBA
knowledge.
o Slow down your presentations; have key points you want to make
during the presentations about yourself.
o When you call someone, know why you are calling – don’t just tell
them you want to network. Have a clear goal in mind.
• Networking is critical to the success of your career!
o Organize a lunch and invite people you know and ask them to
invite people you do not know.
o Take advantage of class time to get to know your colleagues.
o Focus on areas that you do not know much about and find people
who can give you that information. It is too easy to gravitate to
people you know or tasks that are familiar. Force yourself to meet
new people and to do different tasks.
o Attend every event you can.
o Use social networking theory to support effective networking –
read The Tipping Point by Gladwell.
o The program’s administration may require incoming students to
arrange one event that crosses programs – a Breakfast Club, an
Executive‐in‐Residence, an informal networking event or some
special event that helps everyone meet each other and others
outside of the program.
o Take time to find out about other people’s career choices and career
paths.
o Establish Yahoo groups.
o Join networks such as www.linkedin.com
o Remember – who you are affiliated with matters a great deal to
your career.
o Participate in events that expose you to as much as possible.
o Leverage alumni of Wake Forest University, not just the business
school.
o Use professional organizations such as alumni clubs, NBMBAA,
GWIB.
10
Biographical Sketches of Our Facilitators and Presenters
ROBERT V. BOYLAN is Co‐Founder, President and CEO of Innofen, LLC, a supplier of
value added components used in the manufacture of residential windows and doors.
Prior to forming Innofen, he was Co‐Founder and Managing Partner of SMS Group,
LLC, a diversified provider of distribution, sales, and marketing services to the
residential construction industry with annual revenues exceeding $30 million from the
firm’s inception in 2002 through calendar year 2004.
Mr. Boylan served as Chief Operating Officer and Director, of Casco International, Inc., a
publicly traded services firm. The company achieved annual sales increases of 13% with
concurrent 35% reductions in inventory carrying costs, 5% increase in gross margins,
and significant improvements in cash flow during his tenure.
Mr. Boylan was Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Jancor, Incorporated, part of
Citigroup Venture Capital’s investment portfolio of high growth manufacturing
companies. In his role as Vice President, he lead a change management initiative in one
of Jancor’s operating companies resulting in a 300% increase in operating profit over a
twenty‐four month period.
Mr. Boylan’s 20 years of experience also includes international markets. As Vice
President of International Marketing for King Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded
pharmaceutical company, he managed the firm’s entry into Central and South America,
Southeast Asia, and Western Europe. His expansion initiatives resulted in several joint
venture business relationships with foreign pharmaceutical laboratories resulting in
incremental sales volume of $20 million in 1999. Prior to the aforementioned
professional engagements, he held a variety of sales and marketing positions with
Certainteed Corporation, a leading global manufacturer of building products.
He also serves on the faculty of The American Management Association (AMA) and co‐
authored Market Research: How to Get the Right Data to Make the Right Decisions, a value
added marketing seminar offered through the AMA. He also co‐authored Win‐Win
Strategies for Effective Sales Compensation. Mr. Boylan is a member of the Board of
Advisors to the Pamplin School of Business at Virginia Tech and does volunteer work
for Habitat for Humanity, as well as a variety of youth programs at Sardis Presbyterian
Church in Charlotte, NC.
Mr. Boylan earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing Management from
Virginia Tech and his MBA from Wake Forest University.
11
BERNARDINE BROWNE (Senior Consultant Lee Hecht Harrison) is a human resource
and career management professional with twenty years of experience in academic,
corporate, healthcare, public and private non‐profit environments. She has been
instrumental in helping clients to develop results‐focused human resource solutions that
achieve their business goals. Ms. Browne draws on her experience in managing staff and
operations as well as her functional expertise in employee relations, compensation,
recruitment, development and training as well as performance management to bring
value to her clients. A sample of the organizations with which she has worked include:
Xerox Corporation, Reebok International Limited, Inova Health System, the National
Museum of Women in the Arts, George Washington University and Arlington Public
Schools.
Ms. Browne assists her clients in developing productive work environments. She has a
reputation for quickly understanding the client’s business strategy and operations as
well as the culture of the organization. Her business insight along with excellent
coaching and facilitation skills quickly generate confidence and trust by leadership and
staff alike. Ms. Browne is adept at helping clients view situations from an opportunity
rather than problem vantage point.
During the course of her career Ms. Browne has developed materials and lead training
initiatives for several major employers. She has successfully managed a centralized
employment center responsible for executive search, external hiring and internal transfer
placements for an organization of 11,000 employees.
Ms. Browne has extensive experience in career management. She works with groups,
individuals and partners with premier career management firms to identify and
capitalize on opportunities for growth and development during periods of
organizational change.
Ms. Browne holds dual MBA degrees in the areas of Organizational Behavior and
Labor/Human Resources and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the Ohio State
University. She participates in a number of professional organizations including the
Society for Human Resource Management, the American Society for Training and
Development and the Institute of Management Consultants.
GLENN DEBIASI is Vice President of Human Resources for Alex Lee, Inc., a $2.5b
privately‐held Company with 10,000 employees. The Company operates in the
southeastern U.S. and consists of Lowes Food Stores Inc. (109 supermarkets), Institution
Food House (food service distributor), and Merchants Distributors Inc. (grocery
12
wholesaler). Mr. DeBiasi is responsible for leading the development of the human
capital capabilities required to support the other business strategies. He is also actively
involved in the local community and teaches at nearby universities.
Prior to Alex Lee, Mr. DeBiasi was Director of Management Development and
Management Training for Pizza Hut, which was part of Pepsico at the time. He was
Director of Management and Organization Development for what is now the Sentera
Health System, and served on the faculty of Old Dominion University in Norfolk,
Virginia.
Mr. DeBiasi received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University in industrial &
organizational psychology, achieved his SPHR certification, and has attended
educational programs in strategy, HR, and leadership at Harvard, Stanford, University
of Michigan, Babson, and others.
ANDREW DREYFUSS is Interim Director of the Career Management Center (CMC) for
the Babcock Graduate School of Management. Mr. Dreyfuss leads the CMC and
provides student counseling for operations, general management and consulting
concentrations. He counsels students for the Charlotte MBA programs, teaches the full‐
time programʹs Career Management Course, is the Operations/IT Club liaison and
contributes in the areas of business development and corporate retention.
Prior to joining the Babcock School, Mr. Dreyfuss was Director of Operations Planning &
People Supply for the Coca‐Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia. As director, he
collaborated with senior leaders from Marketing, Sales, Distribution, Finance, and
Business Systems to develop plans for a large operating unit. Additionally, he managed
the Fountain Operations MBA Intern program and recruited extensively at leading
programs such as Emory University, Wake Forest University, UCLA, University of
Virginia, Duke University, and FAMU.
While at Coca Cola, he led the annual business plan process for a group with a $90
million budget and 1,200 employees, redesigned Coca‐Cola Fountain’s water filtration
strategy by pursuing a non‐proprietary technology solution through multiple supplier
partnerships, managed alliance with Bulk C02 partner by focusing on service integration
opportunities, differentiated marketing programs, and increased sales force
connectivity.
During the course of his tenure at The Coca‐Cola Company, Mr. Dreyfuss served in
strategic Operations positions and also collaborated closely with Human Resources on
reorganizations, compensation systems, leadership training, and succession planning.
13
In addition, he has held key positions with MCI Telecommunications, Apple and SAP
America. He graduated Magna cum Laude from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor
of Science in Economics in 1986.
STEVEN L. HAIMBAUGH is a surgical sales consultant for Adler Instrument Co. In
this distributor relationship, he is responsible for increasing sales in new technology
product lines for general, gynecology, and urology in the Charlotte and surrounding
area with 35 accounts. While with Adler, he has been a driving force behind a total
Adler Sales increase of 51%. This major contribution has earned him several awards
including:
• Top Sales Consultant Territory Increase”, 1st out of 18 reps.
Boston Scientific annual increase from $24K to $325K
• Awarded “Top HTA sales award in Southeast” 1st out of 32 reps.
Gyrus Medical annual increase from $180K to $495K
• Awarded “Sales Excellence Award” 2nd out of 155 reps.
While working for Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon Endo Surgery Group., Mr. Haimbaugh
was responsible for full line sales (endo‐mechanical, harmonic scalpel, and new
technology products) in a 2 million dollar territory based out of Columbia, SC and
surrounding area with 8 accounts. He increased total territory sales by $285K (16%
increase) and was trending to increase harmonic scalpel sales $226K to $467K (219%
increase).
Mr. Haimbaugh received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and
Marketing from the University of Illinois in 1989, his Masters of Business Administration
from Wake Forest University in 1998 and attended International Business Curriculum
graduate classes at Oxford University in 1998.
BEMETRA SIMMONS is the daughter of an Air Force Chaplain and has lived in 10
states and 2 countries. She attended Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN on a
basketball scholarship and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business
Administration in 1997 and her MBA from Wake Forest University in 2004 (Charlotte
Evening). While in graduate school, she was a member of the Student Advisory
Council. Ms. Simmons began her professional career in 1997 as an Account Manager
with WorldCom (UUNET Technologies) and has since served as a Global Account
Manager for AT&T Global Services. Presently, she is employed as a Business Services
Officer for Branch Banking and Trust Co. in Atlanta, GA after graduating from BB&T’s
Management Development Program.
14
Ms. Simmons currently serves on the Project Outreach Committee of the Charlotte
Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., is a graduate of the Charlotte
Chamber’s Leadership School in 2002, and active member in local literacy programs. She
is also an active member of the National Black MBA Association.
In addition, she is married to Quincy Simmons, a Charlotte Mecklenburg School middle
school teacher and coach.
GREGORY J. WESSLING is a seasoned executive with 33 years experience in senior
merchandising, marketing and operating positions. He is a member of the Executive
team that transformed Lowe’s Companies, Inc. into a leading chain of home
improvement retail stores and brought the company to Fortune 50 status as a NYSE
public company.
Mr. Wessling offers broad knowledge in numerous business categories: Lumber,
Building Materials, Millwork, Plumbing, Electrical, Home Décor (carpet, flooring, paint,
cabinets), Appliances, Electronics, Lawn and Garden.
Through a combination of his work ethic, education and business knowledge, he has
moved from Floor Sales Specialist to Store Manager, Purchasing Manager, Marketing
Manager, Director of Merchandising, Vice President of Merchandising, Senior VP –
General Merchandise Manager and finally to Senior Vice President – Store Operations
for Lowe’s Companies, Incorporated.
Mr. Wessling has played a key role in Lowe’s incredible expansion and exponential
growth over the past two decades and is accountable for improving comparable and
new store growth performance each year. He has overseen assignments that included
door and window manufacturing, merchandise selection and product line development,
inventory management and logistics, advertising and promotion, global sourcing,
international trade and development, all aspects of store operations, new store
expansion and personnel growth. He is responsible for regular leadership participation
for training at all levels for Lowe’s future management.
Mr. Wessling is also a Principal Partner with A&G Associates and Partners, a business
consultation and advice firm for companies with strong growth potential.
In addition to his demanding career and business ventures, Mr. Wessling is a vital part
of his community and serves in Leadership capacities in Community Service
Organizations, is a Live Television Personality and offers Executive Training and
Coaching. He is also Scout Leader for the Boy Scouts of America, District Chairman,
and Council President. He also serves on the Babcock Graduate School of Management
Alumni Council and Board of Visitors.
15
Mr. Wessling earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1974 and his Master of Business
Administration from Wake Forest University in 1987.
DANIEL S. FOGEL received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts from the
Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. He has
held academic positions at the University of Houston, Tulane University, and the
University of Pittsburgh and has been a senior manager at two oil companies and a
hospital system. His international research and teaching had been conducted in several
different countries in South America, Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe. He was
Dean of the International Management Center, Budapest, Hungary; Dean for the Czech
Management Center in Prague, Czech Republic, and Associate Dean at the University of
Pittsburgh and Tulane University. He was Professor of Business Administration and
Director of the Institute for Industrial Competitiveness at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate
School of Business, University of Pittsburgh. As of May 2003 he was appointed Dean,
Charlotte Programs and Executive Professor of Strategy at the Babcock Graduate School
of Management, Wake Forest University.
His research and teaching areas are in international business and strategy including
strategy development in firms in emerging and transition economies and in the
biotechnology industry. He has published in behavioral studies, education, health care,
psychology, sociology, economics, and management journals, and has written several
book chapters, books, cases and popular press articles. His books include Managing in
Emerging Market Economies (Westview) and Firm Behavior in Emerging Market
Economies (Avebury).
Dan has consulted for diverse organizations, such as PPG, General Electric, Motorola
(Brazil), Lockheed Martin, Lucent (Brazil), TESS (Brazil), Carvajal S.A. (Colombia),
McGraw Hill, (Hungary and USA), Samsung, AT&T (Corporate), Parker Hannifin,
Unisys, Keviep (Hungary), Timkin, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pfizer, Inc.,
Holiday Inn, Inc., Pennsylvania Blue Shield, Tuscarora and TENNECO International.
His awards include research grants, teacher honor rolls, a Fulbright Scholarship to
Brazil, the 1988 Winner of the Yoder‐Heneman Award, and several times the
Distinguished Professor Awards by the University of Pittsburghʹs FLEX‐MBA and
EMBA. Mr. Fogel has served and is serving on Boards of Directors or Advisory Boards
within the United States and abroad.
16