Graziadio magazine - Pepperdine University Graziadio School of

THIRD EDITION | 2013–2014 ACADEMIC YEAR
GRAZIADIO MAGAZINE
George Graziadio:
LARGER
THAN LIFE
Enrich Student
Learning
Enhance Thought
Leadership
Cultivate
Community
Build
Partnerships
Advance
Reputation
p. 5
p. 8
p. 10
p. 16
p. 21
bschool.pepperdine.edu
Commemorate the Past,
Plan for the Future
By LINDA A. LIVINGSTONE
Dean and Professor of Management
It would be impossible for me to
imagine the Graziadio School without
the Education-to-Business (E2B) MBA
consulting program, the Executive MBA
program, and Malibu’s Drescher Graduate
Campus. Each one reached an important
milestone this 2013–2014 school year.
These milestones remind me that when
we focus on innovation and engagement,
we can have an impact that touches
and benefits lives for decades.
This academic year marked the E2B program’s 10th
anniversary, bringing executives and students together
in the classroom to solve real business issues. The
program also conducted its first online MBA project
with new corporate partner Sports Stocks.
By LINDA A. LIVINGSTONE
Dean and Professor of Management
It would be impossible for me to
imagine the Graziadio School without
the Education-to-Business (E2B) MBA
consulting program, the Executive MBA
program, and Malibu’s Drescher Graduate
Campus. Each one reached an important
milestone this 2013–2014 school year.
These milestones remind me that when
we focus on innovation and engagement,
we can have an impact that touches
and benefits lives for decades.
This academic year marked the E2B program’s 10th
anniversary, bringing executives and students together
in the classroom to solve real business issues. The
program also conducted its first online MBA project
with new corporate partner Sports Stocks.
This year, full-time and fully employed graduate students
engaged in real-time projects, tackling business challenges
that ranged from customer retention to software
commercialization and market penetration, identifying
technology solutions for increasing business effectiveness,
and applying advanced statistical analysis to identify
customer segments. Clients included: ReviewInc, Precision
Dynamics, Sport Stocks, MarketShare, Registration Control
Systems, GTS Medical, JustFoodForDogs, VSolvIT, Teleflora,
Netwin Solutions, Vosges Haut Chocolat, Upland Logic,
HealthyVending, Kelton, Adobe, and Symantec.
Executive Programs enrolled its 100th cohort of the Executive
MBA program. Twenty students comprise the newest EMBA
South class, representing companies such as Boeing, Target,
and DirecTV. The Executive MBA and Presidents and Key
Executives MBA programs commemorated the milestone
with a holiday gala. More than 100 students, alumni, faculty,
and staff attended this festive event. Alumni from as far back
as the EMBA 10 cohort were in attendance, as well as faculty
from the first EMBA teaching teams.
In 2003, the 50-acre, five-building learning complex and
executive conference center in Malibu, called the Drescher
Graduate Campus, opened, expanding facilities for full-time
graduate business students, the School of Public Policy, and
Graduate School of Education and Psychology. The bench
and wall around the statue of school benefactor George
L. Graziadio, Jr., are engraved with the names of President
Gerald Ford, Betty Ford, and the many other donors
recognized for their contributions to the original multimillion
dollar construction fund. This year, 31 new names were
added to the fountain bench and wall in recognition of
generous contributions to the schools’ excellence fund.
In January, Pepperdine President Andrew Benton, the
Graziadio Board of Visitors, the Graziadio family, and I came
together to recognize the new donors and commemorate
the campus’ 10th anniversary. We were honored to have
in attendance Mr. Graziadio’s son Louis, his wife Beth
and their two children George and Marianne; son-in-law
Jack Area; and daughter Alida and her husband and
Board Chair Stevan Calvillo.
Alumni, Board of Visitors members, and friends of the school
and of Mr. Graziadio raised $477,500 during a five-month
fundraising campaign to help support the Dean’s Excellence
Fund, enabling the school to advance strategic initiatives
that include pioneering efforts in executive education, blended
learning, strategic marketing, and community outreach.
The contribution adds to the $2.7 million dollars already
donated to the excellence fund since the opening of the
Drescher campus.
We owe a debt to the people who set in motion years ago
the circumstances that led to E2B’s continuing success,
EMBA achieving its 100th cohort, and the Drescher campus
breaking ground. We must look ahead to how we carry
forward the same passion to innovate and grow. With the
2014–2015 school year, the Graziadio School moves closer
to its 50th anniversary in 2019. As a school, we must continue
to customize programs and delivery mechanisms to adapt
to student needs and different student populations in order
for students to differentiate themselves in a competitive
and changing market. We must think creatively and ensure
that the education we provide is consistent with our mission,
while encouraging and supporting the diverse ways students
learn. We need to be thoughtful in the way the Graziadio
School conducts research, teaches, and engages with the
business community to create meaningful, deliberate
economic and social value. We must be equally creative
in how we engage students with one another and with
faculty, as well as students and faculty with alumni.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “The best way to predict
the future is to create it.” We are creating our future at
the Graziadio School. Years from today, we will look
back and commemorate the future milestones we
have achieved together. :.
Commemorate the Past, Plan for the future
Commemorate the Past,
Plan for the Future
Marketing professor Doreen Shanahan grew E2B from
its roots in the marketing discipline to also include
original case projects in finance, information systems,
and decision science. Doreen branched out internationally
with Going Global with Graziadio (G3), in which student
teams investigate opportunities for a company to expand
into an international market. It took six years to do the
first 100 projects. But, remarkably, the next 200 took
only three years.
Enrich Student Learning
Table of Contents
Editor:
F. Douglass Gore III
Director, Public Relations
Enrich Student Learning ..................................................................... 5
Contributing Writer:
Randall Mah
Marketing Communications Specialist
Digital Innovation MBA Concentration Prepares
Tomorrow’s Business Professionals........................................................... 5
Design and Layout:
LightStream Group
Enhance Thought Leadership ............................................................. 8
Contributing Photographers:
Ron Hall, Leroy Hamilton, Louis Trinh
Graziadio Welcomes Two New Faculty Members .................................... 8
Recent Appointments .............................................................................. 9
Awards/Recognitions ............................................................................... 9
Cultivate Community ........................................................................... 10
George Graziadio: Larger Than Life ........................................................... 10
LinkedIn for HS Athletes Wins Business Plan Finals .................................. 12
Awards and Recognitions: 2014 George Awards......................................... 13
Signed On For Excellence ......................................................................... 13
Golden Torch Awards .............................................................................. 14
Distinguished Alumni Award ................................................................... 14
Honorary Doctorate of Law ...................................................................... 14
2014–2015 Malibu Graduate Business Society .......................................... 15
Graduation Student Speakers ................................................................... 15
Build Partnerships ............................................................................... 16
For the Graziadio School
John K. Paglia, Ph.D.,
Associate Dean and
Associate Professor of Finance
Gary L. Mangiofico, Ph.D.,
Associate Dean and Practitioner Faculty
of Organizational Theory and Management
Michael L. Williams, Ph.D.,
Associate Dean and Associate Professor
of Information Systems
Chris Bauman,
Executive Director, Administration
Tompkins Wins Pepperdine Waves of Innovation Grant ............................ 21
Photo Credit: Ron Hall.
Advance Reputation ............................................................................. 21
2013–2014 Dean’s Executive Leadership Series ......................................... 22
Class notes ...........................................................................................24
Dr. John Mooney
David M. Smith, Ph.D.,
Senior Associate Dean and
Associate Professor of Economics
23rd in Bloomberg Businessweek ............................................................. 21
SEER Symposium: Helping MBAs Realize a Reward Greater than Profit ....... 18
p5
Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.,
Dean and Professor of Management
Cover Photo:
Dean Linda A. Livingstone (far left) and
Pepperdine President Andrew K. Benton
(far right) with the Graziadio family; son-inlaw Stevan Calvillo, daughter Alida Calvillo,
son G. Louis Graziadio, his wife Beth and
their two children George and Marianne,
and son-in-law Jack Area.
Digital Innovation: Realizing Tomorrow’s Business Dreams ........................ 16
“Feedback from our own
alumni and industry
connections has verified
a critical need for business
professionals and managers
who possess the knowledge
and competencies to
envision, manage, and
lead initiatives that span
the realms of business,
IT, and innovation.”
Enrich Student Learning
Table of Contents
Graziadio Magazine celebrates the advancement
of knowledge and the development of leaders who
create value for business and society.
Editor in Chief:
Dianne King
Executive Director,
Marketing and Communications
Published by Graziadio School
of Business and Management
© 2014 Pepperdine University
Digital Innovation MBA Concentration Prepares
Tomorrow’s Business Professionals
In an increasingly complex technological world, Pepperdine University MBA students now
have a new concentration to better prepare them for a digital world. Graziadio School has
added a concentration in Digital Innovation and Information Systems (DIIS) that is available
to full-time and part-time MBA students.
T
he new concentration differs from the traditional
study of Information Technology in that IT usually
refers to technologies that capture, store, and
process data. DIIS will cover a larger scope along with the
business aspects related to the digital economy.
“The extent of use of digital technologies across most business
processes and many products and services is giving rise to
a critical need for professionals and managers who bring deep
understanding of the opportunities for business innovation
that are enabled by digital technologies and the sophisticated
managerial competencies necessary for effective planning
and implementation to execute these opportunities,” says the
concentration’s architect Dr. John Mooney, department chair
and associate professor of Information Systems and Technology
Management. “Such individuals will be best positioned for
career success by acquiring a comprehensive mix of business,
technology, and managerial knowledge and competencies.”
continued on next page…
ENRICH STUDENT LEARNING
“Feedback from our own
alumni and industry
connections has verified
a critical need for business
professionals and managers
who possess the knowledge
and competencies to
envision, manage, and
lead initiatives that span
the realms of business,
IT, and innovation.”
p5
ENRICH STUDENT LEARNING
Dr. John Mooney
Digital Innovation MBA Concentration Prepares
Tomorrow’s Business Professionals
In an increasingly complex technological world, Pepperdine University MBA students now
have a new concentration to better prepare them for a digital world. Graziadio School has
added a concentration in Digital Innovation and Information Systems (DIIS) that is available
to full-time and part-time MBA students.
T
he new concentration differs from the traditional
study of Information Technology in that IT usually
refers to technologies that capture, store, and
process data. DIIS will cover a larger scope along with the
business aspects related to the digital economy.
“The extent of use of digital technologies across most business
processes and many products and services is giving rise to
a critical need for professionals and managers who bring deep
understanding of the opportunities for business innovation
that are enabled by digital technologies and the sophisticated
managerial competencies necessary for effective planning
and implementation to execute these opportunities,” says the
concentration’s architect Dr. John Mooney, department chair
and associate professor of Information Systems and Technology
Management. “Such individuals will be best positioned for
career success by acquiring a comprehensive mix of business,
technology, and managerial knowledge and competencies.”
continued on next page…
Team Hispanic Heritage students Jorge Arreola,
Roberto Beckmann, Paul Betancourt, Jeffry Fein,
and Maria Valencia took second place in the case
competition sponsored by PepsiCo at the National
Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) Annual
Conference and Career Expo in San Antonio.
ENRICH STUDENT LEARNING
p6
continued from previous page…
As technologies merge and change, Mooney believes
the emergence of social media, smart phones and other
web-connected mobile devices, and the proliferation of
apps are combining to create a much broader, powerful,
and more pervasive range of digital technologies. As the
world enters a realm of “total digitization,” he says, the most
exciting opportunities for innovating products, services,
processes, and social interactions are those enabled by digital
technologies, and the largest portion of economic activity
will occur within the “digital economy.” Digital innovation
is a term used to describe the innovation of business
strategy, business models, products, services, and processes
that are enabled by new and emerging technologies.
“Feedback from our own alumni and industry connections
has verified a critical need for business professionals and
managers who possess the knowledge and competencies
to envision, manage, and lead initiatives that span the
realms of business, IT, and innovation,” says Mooney.
“More broadly at a national level, there are critical shortages
of business and management professionals with competencies
and capabilities to lead the development of the science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) sectors,
to which graduates of the DIIS concentration will be
well-positioned to contribute.”
All this is a definite plus for students. In the classroom
(or digital classroom), students will be offered coursework
ranging from business analytics and digital innovation
to enterprise architecture and infrastructure management.
Graduates will be uniquely qualified for a world in which
every industry will be affected by digital technologies,
Mooney says, including the greater Los Angeles area. :.
Gary Burnison (pictured above), CEO of
Korn/Ferry International and the August
2013 graduation recipient of the Honorary
Doctor of Law degree, taught an advanced
career seminar course for full-time MBA
students with four or more years of work
experience. Burnison taught 8 of the 12
sessions. The first four sessions focused
on his leadership framework, while the
second set engaged students in case studies
requiring them to apply the leadership
and functional skills they are developing.
Students Brian Harman and Toni Washington (pictured left)
are recipients of scholarships from the Council of Supply
Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)-Southern
California Roundtable, valued at $3,000 each. Enrolled
in the part-time evening Bachelor of Science in Management
program, Mr. Harman serves as the purchasing manager
at American Landscape, Inc., a Canoga Park-based landscape
and irrigation construction firm. A student in the part-time
evening Master in Business Administration (FEMBA) program,
Ms. Washington is a sales specialist at Astra Zeneca, LLP,
the global biopharmaceutical company.
Recognizing outstanding teachers
who “inspire, stimulate, challenge,
and motivate their students,” this
year’s Howard A. White Award
for Teaching Excellence went to
professors Mark Chun, Paul Gift,
and Larry Cox. The award pays
tribute to educators who develop
in students the ability to think
critically and creatively about the
world, as well as instill in their
students a lifelong love of learning.
Pepperdine MBA students
Irena Kojouharova,
Tammy Billings, Xiaojing
(Candy) Fan, and Ravi
Gupta (pictured right)
competed at the 2014
John Molson MBA
International Case Competition in Montreal. “The students
represented Pepperdine University well and as always
genuinely benefited from the experience,” said team
faculty advisor Andrea Scott.
p7
ENRICH STUDENT LEARNING
Pepperdine University granted Gabriella Soroldoni (pictured right)
the title of Associate Dean Emeritus. She is the first person to
hold the honor. Provost Darryl Tippens said in a letter read by
Dean Linda Livingstone, “This title communicates to you and
those who know you a number of important things. It declares
that you have served our institution with distinction, it proclaims
our pride in your effective service, and it affirms that our relationship
is, indeed, lifelong.” Ms. Soroldoni served the Graziadio School for
37 years and under four deans, overseeing admission, financial
aid, student accounts, student systems, technology services,
and finance and budgeting departments for the business school.
ENHANCE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Graziadio Welcomes Two
New Faculty Members
The Graziadio School welcomed two new faculty members
this academic year. Dr. Robert Emrich (BA ’91, MS ’98, Ed.D. ’03),
who has taught at the school as a practitioner faculty
member in Decision Sciences, returned as an assistant
professor of Decision Sciences. Dr. Jim Salas joined the
faculty as an assistant professor of Marketing.
ENHANCE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
p8
Dr. Emrich has taught Decision Sciences since 2002, serving on faculty at Pepperdine’s
undergraduate Seaver College as well as teaching at Mount St. Mary’s College and
California Lutheran University. He specializes in teaching Statistics using technologyenhanced instruction. He has developed and published Microsoft Excel-based
tools for easily conducting a range of statistical applications and has developed
numerous manuals and workbooks for learning statistics by working with
real-world data. His Excel tools have been used in higher education since 2004.
Dr. Robert Emrich
Emrich also consults as an applied statistical analyst in fields ranging from
healthcare to nonprofit management. In higher education, Dr. Emrich has
contributed as a statistician to numerous published research studies in fields
such as health sciences, organizational behavior, and political science. His clients
include executives, scholars, professors, doctoral students, and philanthropists.
He earned his Ed.D. degree and master’s degree in Philosophy of Religion from
Pepperdine University.
Dr. Salas comes to Pepperdine from W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State
University, where he taught and earned his MBA and Ph.D. in Marketing. He brings
a primary research interest that focuses on the implementation of service infusion
strategies among traditional industrial manufacturers and their effect on the sales
organization. His graduate studies in this area were sponsored by the Center for
Services Leadership at ASU, where he won several teaching awards.
Dr. Jim Salas
Prior to ASU, Salas spent more than a decade at AT&T in corporate sales, where
he held several sales management and consulting positions. He is a member of
the Ph.D. Project, American Marketing Association, and Academy of Marketing
Science. He has presented his work at academic conferences, and his forthcoming
book “Moving from Products to Services: Transformative Changes to Achieve
Success” is scheduled to be released next year. :.
Recent Appointments
Awards/Recognitions
Julie Chesley, Ph.D., was named director
of the Master of Science in Organization
Development (M.S.O.D.) program.
Darren Good and Abraham Park were
awarded Julian Virtue Professorships,
supporting faculty doing values-centered
research that is aligned with the mission
of Pepperdine University and the
Graziadio School.
John Paglia, Ph.D., associate professor
of Finance and founder and past director
of the Pepperdine Private Capital Markets
Project, has been appointed interim
associate dean with responsibility
for Fully Employed Programs and
the Marketing and Communication
Department.
The Media and Entertainment Services
Alliance (MESA), a consortium of leading
industry service and technology solution
providers, has appointed Demos
Vardiabasis, Ph.D., to chair the newly
formed MESA China Entertainment
Technology Alliance, an initiative to
foster connections between members,
its various special interest groups, and
the China Consortium of businesses.
Darren Good also received he
Ascendant Scholar Award for his
research on individual adaptability
and mindfulness from the Western
Academy of Management
The Denney Chair Professorship was
awarded to Kevin Groves, which will
provide Dr. Groves with the resources
to extend his research on talent
management best practices in national
healthcare organizations.
Owen Hall, Jr., and Roger “Dave”
McMahon were recognized with the
Rothschild Applied Research Fellow Award
for 2013–2014. The honor is awarded
to faculty with a record of outstanding
scholarship that demonstrates prestige,
influence, and rigor.
Dean Linda Livingstone has been
inducted into the Spears School
of Business Hall of Fame and honored
by her alma mater Oklahoma State
University as its first-ever recipient
of the Outstanding Ph.D. Award. :.
Managing Conflict in the
Family Business: Understanding
Challenges at the Intersection
of Family and Business
Kent Rhodes & David Lansky
p9
ENHANCE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
MBA, Master
of Science in
Organization
Development,
and doctoral
programs
professor
Kent Rhodes
published a new book, “Managing
Conflict in the Family Business:
Understanding Challenges at the
Intersection of Family and Business”
(Palgrave Macmillan). Using a mini
case study approach, Rhodes and
co-author David Lansky address
12 conflicts that are common in
family-owned businesses and
how families can spot them and
then plan for their successful and
effective management in ways that
simultaneously uphold the family
and the business. Managing conflict
is a challenge in any business setting
and yet, when managed correctly,
some conflicts can actually be
beneficial. But knowing how to
leverage conflict into an advantage
is not always so immediately
clear, and this is particularly true
within family businesses. That’s
because the dynamics that can
produce conflict within a family
simultaneously intersect with the
challenges of owning and operating
a business, potentially complicating
both. Rhodes’ new book identifies
“Family Business Conflict
Archetypes” (patterns), “Frames,”
“Roles,” and “Tactics.” They are
discussed with a view toward
educating readers to the common
conflict cycles that families running
a business can encounter. Keys to
effectively managing these unique
conflicts and the changes they
produce are also discussed. :.
CULTIVATE COMMUNITY
George Graziadio:
LARGER THAN LIFE
p 10
CULTIVATE COMMUNITY
In 1996, George L. Graziadio, Jr., gave $15 million to Pepperdine
University’s business school. It was one of the largest gifts ever
made to a business school at the time. His largesse helped
the school significantly increase its faculty and become one
of the most reputable business schools on the West Coast.
To honor his generosity, the school was renamed the
Graziadio School of Business and Management.
O
riginally from Vernon, Connecticut, Graziadio, the son of Italian and
Irish immigrants, set out on an epic road trip across America at the age
of 19 with a friend. When he reached California, he learned that he had
appendicitis. Graziadio underwent surgery but had no money to pay the doctors.
Feeling both grateful and indebted, he decided to work in California until he
could pay them back. It was the beginning of a phenomenal career.
“I don’t want
to hear why
we can’t do it.
I want to hear
how do we
do this.”
George L. Graziadio, Jr.
Graziadio became a salesman, selling everything from insurance and TVs to
cars and real estate. He made his family a big part of his entrepreneurial success.
Every Sunday he would go on long drives with his wife, Reva and their three kids.
Disguising it as a game, Graziadio had the kids write down phone numbers
as they drove by properties that he would follow up on Monday morning.
Graziadio worked tirelessly, says Stevan Calvillo, his son-in-law and chairman
of the Graziadio School Board of Visitors. Despite his continuing success, however,
for many years, the Graziadios lived in a modest home in Inglewood with two
bedrooms and one bathroom.
In the early 1950s, Graziadio met George Eltinge, who would become his lifelong
business partner. Together, they invested in commercial real estate development,
building over 100 retail centers along the West Coast, many of them for Kmart.
But the “Two Georges” became better known for their second venture: Imperial Bank.
Starting in a trailer on the corner of Imperial Highway and Western Avenue
in Inglewood, Imperial Bank opened in 1963 to help small and medium-sized
businesses. Graziadio was frustrated with big banks because he believed they
“Hitch your
wagon to a star,
and get out
and push.”
George L. Graziadio, Jr.
didn’t offer quality service to smaller
businesses. Graziadio and Eltinge raised
$1.25 million from friends, family, and
supporters to launch Imperial, which
would cater to small businesses.
For Graziadio and Eltinge, a bank opening
had to be a spectacle. To announce
Imperial’s launch, Graziadio and Eltinge
hired a helicopter to drop $1 bills above
the bank. At another opening, they
brought a lion, the bank’s mascot.
“He was way out of the
box,” Calvillo says.
The early days, however, were
challenging. “When the deposits came
in, they would tie it to a paperclip and
someone on the second floor would
pull it up on a rope. That’s how they
banked. That paperclip is now framed
at the office,” Calvillo says, laughing.
As Imperial grew, it focused on
industries unique to the Los Angeles
area, including entertainment,
technology, healthcare, real estate,
and manufacturing. In the 1990s,
the bank financed four times the
number of feature motion pictures
than any bank in the world. Among
Imperial’s clients was an early stage
web platform that later became
known as Yahoo!. Ultimately, Imperial
grew to 15 branches in the Southland,
as well as branches in Seattle, WA,
Phoenix, AZ, and Raleigh. NC, and
$7.4 billion in assets. It was one of
the largest financial institutions in
California, traded on the NYSE, and
listed in the top 100 in the country.
Graziadio had a motto: Hitch your
wagon to a star, and get out and push.
That’s exactly what he did.
“George was probably the hardest
worker that I’ve ever known,” Calvillo
says. “You learn how to work when
you’re around George.”
Even in his 80s, Graziadio
wasn’t interested in retiring.
“He was a tall figure to begin with,”
jokes Calvillo. Graziadio stood six feet
tall. But he was also “bigger than life.”
Graziadio was passionate about
education and philanthropy, passions
that he inherited from his mother.
While he considered donating to other
business schools in the Southland, he
ultimately chose Pepperdine because
his core values aligned with the
University’s, Calvillo says. Graziadio was
an innovator with a creative mind and
he wanted to be around bright, inspired
minds who shared his approach.
“I don’t want to hear why we can’t do
it. I want to hear how do we do this,”
Graziadio would say.
Graziadio passed away in 2002 at age 82.
Through the business school that bears
his name, however, his legacy endures. :.
p 11
LinkedIn for High School Athletes
Wins Business Plan Finals
CULTIVATE COMMUNITY
p 12
Recruiting4Me, a social
network and database for
young athletes seeking
to connect with scouting
college coaches, took
first place in this year’s
10th Annual Pepperdine
University Business Plan
Competition finals. MBA
students Annie Macomber
and Craig Montgomery
(with Annie’s brother John)
conceived the “LinkedIn
for High School Athletes”
to address the pain points
they experienced as
accomplished athletes
throughout their pre-college
and university years.
Annie Macomber and Craig Montgomery
“Many students want to continue to play sports in college
but are unsure of the processes and procedures for
recruiting,” they said. “Recruiting4Me addresses these
issues by aggregating all the critical information necessary
to give students the best chance of finding schools that
match both their academic and athletic aspirations.”
The business plan for Shoebrick earned second place for
MBA student Ara Krikorian, a startup consultant, and his
wife Nairi Chopurian, a lawyer. The couple demonstrated
a modular, stackable, foldable shoebox in which any
number can be attached to one another and configured
to accommodate one’s closet, floor space under a bed
or any available shelving.
MBA students Peter Hwang and Peter Jang took third place
with PLADDOW! (plah-DOW), both a mobile app that instantly
connects customers to local businesses and an original
exclamation you say when you have made a successful
transaction using it. The communication platform enables
two-way text conversation (data, not SMS) between you
and like businesses in your area competing for “first mover
advantage” to win you as a customer.
The Pepperdine University Business Plan Competition is made
possible by the generosity of the Graziadio Family Fund,
Burton Morgan Foundation, and the Pepperdine School of
Law’s Palmer Center for Entrepreneurship and the Law. :.
p 13
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
2014 George Awards
Each year, the George Awards honor members and partners of the Graziadio School
community who exemplify integrity, stewardship, courage, and compassion, while enriching
the ever-changing business world through their superior skills and entrepreneurial spirit.
Jerome Novack, Jr.
Director of Clinical Engineering,
Masimo Corporation
Fully Employed Bachelor
of Science in Management Program
Outstanding Student
Matthew Sheridan
Director of Marketing,
Meggitt Safety Systems
Fully Employed MBA Program
Outstanding Student
Manning Chen
Full-time Master of Science
in Global Business Program
Outstanding Student
Brittany Takai
Full-time MBA Program
Outstanding Student
Juliet Irwin
Founder, Juliet Irwin
Management Consulting
Master of Science in
Organization Development
Program Outstanding Student
Nora Crivello
Vice President, Westpak, Inc.
Executive MBA Program
Outstanding Student
Molly Moen, MBA ’01
COO, Downtown Women’s Center
Outstanding Service Award
Charles Franklin, MBA ‘02
Manager of Corporate Services,
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Chairman, Pepperdine Black
Alumni Council
Outstanding Alumnus
Larry Cox, Ph.D.
Associate professor and Lead
Faculty, Entrepreneurship
Outstanding Faculty Member
Michael Sims
Executive Officer, Corporate and
External Relations Graziadio School
Outstanding Staff Member
CULTIVATE COMMUNITY
(Left to right) Michael Sims, Matthew Sheridan, Nora Crivello,
Manning Chen, Larry Cox, Brittany Takai, Juliet Irwin,
William Bone, Molly Moen, Jerome Novak, Jr., Charles Franklin
CULTIVATE COMMUNITY
p 14
Signed On For Excellence
Mary Lou Graziadio-Area
and Jack Area
Alida and Stevan Calvillo
Beth and G. Louis Graziadio III
Dan and Shanna Sanders
David and Esperanza Neu
Michael W. Griffith
Earl M. Cummings
Ayloush and Ullrich Families
Gary C. Yomantas
Ali H. Alireza
David and Patricia Ralph
Lynn Powers
Todd and Nicole Mikles
William J. McMorrow Family
Chris and Dick Newman Family
Farmers Insurance Group
Eric M. Yomantas
Mark and Jennifer Miller
William and Nancy Mortensen
Kendall Hunt Family Foundation
Morteza Ejabat
Alex and Susana Fortunati
John and Rebecca Figueroa
Marcus and Nancy Hiles
John and Robin Renfro
George Leis
Graziadio School Board of Visitors
Janet L. Curci
Keith Tobias
Larry Reimert
Max and Armond Quimby
Crystal and Chip Reibel of Beyond the Olive, the Pasadenabased premium California olive oil retailer, took first place
in the Inaugural Board of Visitors $100,000 Investment
Challenge, in which 25 startups launched by Graziadio School
entrepreneur students and alumni competed for a chance
to win $1,000 and an invitation to be on KFWB 980’s Business
Rockstars radio program.
Golden Torch Awards
The Golden Torch Awards honors
business alumni who have lent their
time and expertise to facilitate the
career development of students
and strengthen the alumni network.
Nicole Elmes (MBA ’06)
Senior Product Manager,
Global Product Management
& New Product Strategy
The Walt Disney Studios
Ned Downes (MBA ’09)
Investment Associate
UBS Financial Services, Inc.
Leslie Paton (MBA ’04)
Vice President, Sales Operations,
Wonderful brands Sales
and Merchandising Roll Global
Danni Sun (MBA ’99)
President
LJC Investments Inc.
Earl Cummings (PKE MBA ’09)
Distinguished Alumni Award
Earl Cummings (PKE MBA ’09)
Chairman of the Board, BTS Team
Zack Hicks (BSM ’97)
Chief Information Officer
(North America); Group Vice President
Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
David Neu (PKE MBA ’09)
President, AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp.
Honorary Doctorate of Law
Gary Burnison
Chief Executive Officer
Korn/Ferry International
Zack Hicks (BSM ’97)
p 15
Rui (Alice) Wan
Graduation Student Speakers
2014–2015
Malibu Graduate
Business Society
Students in Full-time
Programs elected new
officers to the student
government association,
The Malibu Graduate
Business Society (MGBS) for
the upcoming school year.
First-year MBA candidate
Willis Clow succeeds Chris
Rovin as president. Clow’s
cabinet includes Tyler
Dempsey (vice president),
Amy Gubman (director
of Alumni Affairs), Payden
Tierney (director of Finance),
Celyn Stanford (director
of Communications), Stacy
Yiyin Yuan (director of
International Student
Affairs), and Hala Hadawar
(director of Student Life).
Arjun Jolly
Vice President, Operations,
adQuadrant Inc.
Executive MBA Program
Maggie Stonestreet
Fully Employed MBA Program
Global Store Development,
Starbucks Coffee Company
Arjun Jolly
Maggie Stonestreet
Rui (Alice) Wan
Master of Science in Applied
Finance Program
CULTIVATE COMMUNITY
David Neu (PKE MBA ’09)
BUILD PARTNERSHIPS
p 16
BUILD PARTNERSHIPS
Digital Innovation:
Realizing Tomorrow’s
Business Dreams
Allen Fazio
Vice President of Global Business
Technology Strategy
Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
With the introduction this fall of the
Digital Innovation and Information
Systems (DIIS) MBA concentration at
the Graziadio School, the 2013 Digital
Innovation @ Pepperdine Conference,
sponsored by Internap, assumed added
significance. Chief information officers
and executives from organizations
including SpaceX, Data.gov, Disney,
Sears, and Medavie Blue Cross explained
not only how new technology is
revolutionizing the conduct of business
and enhancing the customer experience,
but also the critical need to graduate
business leaders who embrace
digital innovation.
Ken Venner
SpaceX CIO
p 17
BUILD PARTNERSHIPS
Jeanne Holm
V
enky Kulkarni, chief information
officer and vice president of
digital health at Medavie Blue
Cross of Canada, answered the question
many have been asking: What is digital
innovation? Kulkarni defined digital
innovation as technology-enabled
innovations that drive change and
create new business opportunities,
forcing companies to innovate and
expand into unfamiliar territory.
In this regard, Disney has taken the lead
in innovating to ensure an interactive,
memorable customer experience.
Allen Fazio, vice president of global
business technology strategy at Walt
Disney Parks and Resorts, showed off
brightly colored digital wristbands that
give patrons instant access to places
like Disneyland and their hotel rooms,
Demetrios
Lazarikos
streamlining the guest experience.
But what enthralled the audience
was a new tool that enables visitors
to create a custom plastic action figure
of themselves as their favorite Disney
character. Fazio himself showed off
how he realized his dream of becoming
a Star Wars stormtrooper.
While Star Wars remains a fantasy,
SpaceX, the brainchild of Tesla’s Elon
Musk, is striving to make intergalactic
travel a reality. Ken Venner, SpaceX
CIO, played a clip of the launch of
the rocket and spacecraft developer’s
Falcon 1, the first privately developed
liquid-fueled rocket to reach orbit.
Perhaps at the core of digital innovation
is the accessibility of information. Jeanne
Holm, the U.S. White House evangelist,
explained how the federal government
is endeavoring to make all nonclassified
data available to the public through the
new open information project Data.gov.
By releasing information on even the
most esoteric and mundane subjects,
Holm explained that Data.gov is a fount
of information that can empower people
to make better decisions in business
and in their lives.
Venky Kulkarni
CIO and VP, Medavie Blue Cross of Canada
With the wide availability of information,
however, comes risk. Demetrios (Laz)
Lazarikos, a former chief information
security officer and the visionary behind
the information security and compliance
team for the Sears Online Business
Unit, explained that businesses are
prime targets for cyber criminals and
technology must continually evolve
to protect against them.
Concluding a day of wide-ranging
discussion, Graziadio School alumni
Sashi Edupuganti, director of software
solutions at NBCUniversal; Brooke
Aguilar, vice president of global business
development at Fluid, Inc.; Ted Hooten,
senior sales leader at Internap; and
Pandora Ovanessian, former vice
president of management information
systems at Thermo Fisher Scientific,
urged business students to reexamine
their goals and to put into practice the
concepts of digital innovation to create
new opportunities. :.
BUILD PARTNERSHIPS
p 18
Ayr Muir
Founder and CEO
Clover Food Lab
SEER Symposium: Helping MBAs Realize
the Rewards of Doing Good
Pepperdine business students know even before classes begin that the
university seeks to mold them into leaders whose entrepreneurial spirits
will make the world more compassionate, ethical, and prosperous. The
2013 Socially, Environmentally, and Ethically Responsible (SEER) Symposium
on November 8 demonstrated how Pepperdine alumni and other business
leaders are living this mission. Founders and executives from Patagonia,
Clover Food Lab, ecoATM, Aveda, Guayaki, and Odwalla shared how,
by establishing businesses on principles bigger than the bottom line, they’ve
built thriving enterprises that leave the world better than they found it.
Ankur Jain,
Kairos Society
founder
Chris Mann, Cofounder and CEO, Guayaki Yerba Mate
Greg Steltenpohl, Founder and former CEO, Odwalla
p 19
BUILD PARTNERSHIPS
C
iting Boston mayor Thomas Menino, Ayr Muir, the founder and CEO of
Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Clover Food Lab, knows many people
simply can’t stomach going meatless. Menino unsuccessfully tried to avoid
eating Clover’s BLT upon learning it is in fact made with soy. But with livestock
a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, Muir discovered a golden
opportunity. By offering quality vegetarian cuisine that people actually find tasty
and paying living wages, he is convincing one diner at a time to make healthier,
sustainable choices, while growing a business aligned with his values. Muir’s
proof: Menino enthusiastically finished his BLT.
“Leading with the environment” inspired Guayaki Yerba Mate cofounder and CEO
Chris Mann and Odwalla founder and former CEO Greg Steltenpohl to embark
on ventures that merge passion and purpose. Business, Steltenpohl said, must be
“connected to purpose, that coupling,” to thrive. Consequently, Steltenpohl, now
CEO of Califia Farms, has worked to ensure his products’ ingredients are free trade.
Similarly, Mann has brought the economic benefits of yerba mate to indigenous
peoples by growing it organically in South American rainforests. While they want
to build billion-dollar businesses, Mann said, that has never been their motivation.
By introducing groundbreaking, fully automated kiosks that enable consumers
to get cash for their old cell phones, ecoATM founder Mark Bowles is convincing
people otherwise indifferent to sustainability to recycle. Using artificial intelligence
that scans and determines the value of a cell phone, ecoATM operates 900 kiosks
nationwide and has collected 2 million phones, 60 percent of which are ultimately
reused. While customers may not necessarily be motivated by sustainability,
Bowles explained that a far-fetched business idea can alter people’s mindsets
while being profitable and purpose-driven.
Young people’s boundless idealism and embrace of unconventional thinking is
empowering the next generation to find solutions to today’s problems, according
to Ankur Jain, a 23-year-old serial entrepreneur. The founder of the Kairos Society,
a nonprofit that encourages young people to use innovation and entrepreneurship
to transform the world, Jain urged his peers to uncover new opportunities and to
be the societal disruptors who embody the change they seek.
continued on next page…
Mark Bowles
ecoATM founder (pictured right)
2 million
ecoATM operates 900 kiosks
nationwide and has collected
2 million phones, 60 percent
of which are ultimately reused.
“Live by your
convictions.”
Marilyn Tam
BUILD PARTNERSHIPS
p 20
continued from previous page…
Rick Ridgeway proves that youthful idealism refines with age. The vice president
of environmental affairs at Patagonia was among the first team of Americans to
ascend K2 in 1978. Ridgeway, however, stopped mountain climbing for years after
a close friend died in his arms following an avalanche on a peak in China.
In tragedy, Ridgeway ultimately realized that each person has the power to be
the change the world needs. At Patagonia, he forged a partnership with Walmart
to create the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. The organization has brought together
other clothing giants like Levi’s, Nike, Gap, and Adidas to impose meaningful
industry standards that minimize the environmental harm of manufacturing,
while positively impacting all communities affected. To students skeptical of
mission-driven enterprise, Ridgeway was emphatic: You choose your employer
and if it values profits above purpose, take a hike in your Patagonia shoes.
Rick Ridgeway, the vice
president of environmental
affairs at Patagonia was
among the first team
of Americans to ascend
K2 in 1978.
Recounting a childhood of abuse in Hong Kong, Marilyn Tam and her immigrant
story of the American dream remind naysayers that it is possible to channel
a personal mission into results. Tam was a child laborer. Later, as president
of Reebok Apparel and Retail Group, Tam, a former CEO of Aveda, used her
influence to compel manufacturers to meet codes of conduct.
Business, these leaders insist, can and must provide rewards more meaningful
than profit.
“You do this because it’s right to do, and it might be good for your business,”
Tam said. “Live by your convictions.” :.
ADVANCE REPUTATION
23rd in Bloomberg Businessweek
Graziadio School placed 23rd internationally In Bloomberg Businessweek’s
biennial ranking of the best executive MBA programs, advancing eight spots.
In one component of the overall ranking, a poll of 2013 program graduates,
Graziadio ranked #17 in the category, as well as received an “A+” for curriculum
and “A” for academic support.
“A+” for
curriculum
and “A” for
academic
support.
Tompkins Wins Pepperdine Waves of Innovation Grant
Dr. Teri Tompkins is one of six finalists to receive the first
annual Waves of Innovation Award in the University wide
initiative created to inspire, engage, and motivate faculty,
staff, and students to re-think Pepperdine and share
innovative proposals that might help shape a more agile
and sustainable future for the institution. Tompkins was
awarded an $83,000 grant for a proposal to study how the
Graziadio School can create a next-generation Executive
MBA program that allows students from other parts of the
country (and outside the United States) to attend Pepperdine
EMBA classes, and allows traditional EMBA students greater
opportunities to take emphasis courses.
Dr. Teri Tompkins with University President
Andrew K. Benton.
The Waves of Innovation Committee and University President
Andrew Benton reviewed the submissions and narrowed
the field to eight semi-finalists, whose proposals were
evaluated on their potential to increase the net resources
available to support Pepperdine and/or to improve the
University’s reputation.
p 21
ADVANCE REPUTATION
The Fully Employed MBA program earned 12th place for the Western region and
50th place overall in the United States. Graduates surveyed awarded the Graziadio
School 15th place nationally for the degree delivering a positive post-MBA outcome.
U.S. News & World Report continues to recognize Pepperdine MBA programs
nationally among best business schools, advancing the Full-time MBA program
20 places for 2015.
A+
ADVANCE REPUTATION
p 22
Russell Goldsmith
Chairman and CEO
City National Bank
2013–2014 DEAN’S EXECUTIVE
LEADERSHIP SERIES
Liam McGee
Chairman, President and CEO
The Hartford Financial Services Group
p 23
ADVANCE REPUTATION
Richard Cordova, President and CEO, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (pictured above)
Mr. Cordova engaged a panel of his peers in a discussion about what healthcare looks like in 2014,
moderated by Dean Linda Livingstone, that included David T. Feinberg, MD, MPH, Chief Executive
Officer, Hospital System Associate Vice Chancellor, UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, and Arthur
M. Southam, MD, MBA, MPH, Executive Vice President, Health Plan Operations, Kaiser Permanente.
Maria Poveromo
Senior Director of Social
Media, Analyst Relations
and Public Relations
Adobe
Rob Moore, Vice Chairman
Paramount Pictures
Class Notes
2013–2011
CLASS NOTES
p 24
Saif Abood (MBA ’13) joined Accenture as a global
sales consultant.
Audra Quinn (MBA ’13) raised more $25,000 to produce her
Pepperdine University Business Plan Competition-winning
wine-tasting board game UNCORKED!.
Monica Aguilera (MBA ’10) has been appointed as a vice
president, HNW lending advisor at Morgan Stanley.
Stephanie Rodgers (EMBA ’11) has been named regional
director for Executive Programs at the Graziadio School
in Northern California.
Dave Denicke (MBA ‘12) was named an associate marketing
manager at Mattel.
Hang Tian (MSAF ‘12) was named a managing partner at the
New York Immigration Service.
Owen Eagan (EMBA ’10) is now a senior consultant for the
Saint Consulting Group and teaches at Emerson College.
Chris Tolan (MBA ‘12) has been promoted to research
manager at Lieberman Research Worldwide.
Jens Eser (MBA ‘13) founded Surf2o, which provides
innovative, body-attached, hands-free hydration systems
for action and water sports enthusiasts.
Adriana Velasco (MBA ‘12) was recently hired as a marketing
manager at Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Ryan French (IMBA ‘13) co-founded and launched FISH&CO.,
a fish retail and business consulting service in Oman.
Miying (Sarah) Li (MSAF ‘13) joined NBCUniversal
as a data management coordinator.
Shandell Maxwell (BSM ’10) joined Allied American
University as an institutional research analyst.
Sarah Weaver (MBA ‘12) was recently appointed human
resources manager at Microsoft.
Hang Zhou (MSGB ’13) joined Kamerycah, Inc. (DBA
Kanefuku America) as an international marketing specialist
for the Southeast Asian market.
2000s
Eugene T. Miller (MBA ‘11) is a product manager
at Turner Sports in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tom Boobar (MBA ’04) has joined Alliant Insurance Services
as vice president of its Public Entity Group.
Ashley Murphy (MBA ’10) has accepted the position
of director, corporate development at the Make A Wish
Foundation.
Angela Copeland (MBA ’05) published the e-book
“Breaking the Rules and Getting the Job.”
Diane Olmstead (PKE MBA ‘11) has been appointed to the
Extra Space Storage Inc. board of directors.
Yoann Pinet (MBA ‘11) is a financial control project manager
at Orange Communications in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Augusta Gohil (EMBA ’07) joined Closets By Design
as the director of marketing.
Radek Havlin (MBA ’09) was named a senior vice president
and senior sales consultant at Citi in Singapore.
Michael Lydon (PKE ’09) has been named vice president
of technology operations for lynda.com.
Eric Guempel (MBA ’95) was named vice president of product
strategy and program management at ImmunoGen, Inc.
Donovan Pullen (PKE ’02) has been appointed chief operating
officer at agrochemical solutions company ORO AGRI.
Dawna Lee Heising (MBA ’94) won Best Actress at the 2014
Mockfest Film Festival and a 2013 Entrepreneurs on the Move
(EOTM) Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host for her Eye on
Entertainment television show on Time Warner Cable.
Salik (Sal) Rahman (PKE ’06) has accepted a new leadership
role, vice president of sales at Learning.com.
Donald Romano (MBA ’02) joined Hyundai Auto Canada
Corp. as its chief operating officer.
Anthony Squegila (PKE ’01) has been appointed chief
financial officer of Boston Therapeutics.
Robin Washington (EMBA ’95) was promoted to executive
vice president at biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences.
Eric Wikramanayake (MBA ’98) was appointed deputy
chairman and executive director of Lanka Century
Investments PLC.
Susan Sutherland (MSOD ’00), who serves as senior vice
president, human resources and statistics, and director
of the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at the Federal Reserve
Bank of San Francisco, expanded her responsibilities to
include oversight of the Seattle Branch Office and its board
of directors.
June Bower (MBA ’81) was appointed chief marketing officer
of iPass, Inc., the global Wi-Fi roaming leader for enterprises
and telecom service providers.
Jake Wall (MBA ’08), co-founder of Artful Gentleman,
was named the readers’ choice for the 7×7 Hot 20 San
Franciscans for 2013.
Chin Hua Loh (PKE ’89), CFO and CEO-designate of Keppel
Corporation, was named chairman of the board of Keppel
Land Limited.
Francisco Uribe (EMBA ’04) has been appointed by Valley
Presbyterian Hospital to its board of directors.
David Clementz (EMBA ’80) has been appointed by Boopsie,
Inc., the leading mobile app platform for libraries, to its
advisory board.
1990s
Patrick Avery (PKE ’96) was appointed chief executive officer,
president, chief financial officer, treasurer, director, and
chairman of the board of directors at Silver Horn Mining Ltd.
Shirley Huang Batman (EMBA ’99) was named chief financial
officer at Crown Marketing Pharmaceuticals.
Jeff Greenberg (EMBA ’90) has been appointed to the board
of directors at international manufacturer Premier Mounts.
1980s
Rick Grbavac (MBA/MPP ’85) co-authored a new book, The
Star Factor: Discover What Your Top Performers Do Differently
and Inspire a New Level of Greatness in All (AMACOM, 2013).
Deborah Harvey (MBA ’83) recently joined
TSI Semiconductors, LLC.
Susanna Kass (MBA ’88) was named the first entrepreneurin-residence at New Mexico State University.
continued on next page…
p 25
CLASS NOTES
Shahin Ourian (MBA ’09) was recently appointed as a senior
account executive for new business at Edelman Digital.
CLASS NOTES
p 26
Class Notes
In Memoriam
continued from previous page…
Ralph Montelius (PKE ’87) passed away
on February 14, 2014, and was interred
with full military honors at the Sacramento
Valley National Cemetery.
Roy Musgrove (PKE ’88) joined Wells Fargo Insurance as
senior vice president with its local Property and Casualty
practice.
Daniel W. Yohannes (MBA ’80) was nominated by President
Obama to serve as the representative of the United
States to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development, a position with the rank of ambassador.
John Philip Reberger, Jr. (MBA ’13)
passed away Saturday, February 8, 2014,
of a sudden heart attack near his home
in Los Angeles.
1970s
Ben Carlsen (EMBA ’78) released a new book, “Out to
Get You”, a scathing critique of the U.S. government.
Chong Guk (C. G.) Kum (MBA ’79) was recently appointed
president and chief executive officer of Hanmi Financial
Corporation in Los Angeles.
John Jordan (BS/MBA ‘70) has been appointed chief
financial officer at Cardinal Energy Group, Inc.
To find more alumni
class notes, visit the
“Alumni Awards and
Recognition” section at
bschool.pepperdine.
edu/alumni.
STAY CONNECTED
p 27
News & Events
bschool.pepperdine.edu/newsroom
Graziadio Business Review
gbr.pepperdine.edu
Graziadio Voice
bschool.pepperdine.edu/voice
Social Graziadio
Centers of Excellence
Facebook
facebook.com/pepperdine.graziadio
Center for Applied Research
bschool.pepperdine.edu/appliedresearch/
Twitter
twitter.com/graziadioschool/
Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence
bschool.pepperdine.edu/ctle/
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/edu/school?id=17898
Destinations
Google Plus
plus.google.com/110607291238483952629
Graziadio Alumni Network
bschool.pepperdine.edu/alumni/
YouTube
youtube.com/view_play_list?p=50A13C6E7455745B
Executive Education
bschool.pepperdine.edu/programs/
executive-education/
Instagram
instagram.com/graziadioschool/#
Flickr
flickr.com/photos/bschool-pepperdine/sets/
Giving Back
bschool.pepperdine.edu/giving/
CLASS NOTES
Publications and Website
6100 Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045
bschool.pepperdine.edu