McDONOUGHBUSINESS

w i n t e r 2 008200 9

THE McDONOUGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

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Department of Communications PAID
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 DEAR FRIENDS, The Georgetown University McDonough School
of Business has many unique assets that enable us to
stand apart from our competitors: a community of

Global Leadership achievement; a focus on leadership; a location in the city at the center of world
politics and business; and a global mindset.

First, and foremost among these, is that the School is part of the Georgetown com-
munity, with world-class faculty from academia and business, a network of
highly successful alumni in high-profile positions, and students, all of whom
embody the rich Georgetown tradition of inquiry, dignity and excellence. Next,
our curriculum is designed to teach students the skills necessary to succeed in
the business world but is also structured to enable students to develop their
leadership potential. The third asset is Georgetowns stature and location in
Washington, DC and its proximity to the international institutions and organi-
zations that are part of the business, political and cultural life of the world. And
lastly, our emphasis is on preparing students to take their places in careers in a
constantly growing and changing global marketplace.

Georgetown University has a 220 year history of dedication to academic excellence and innovative, principled leadership. Today,
Georgetowns McDonough School of Business reinforces that focus through its Executive Education programs, producing extraordinary
graduates destined for global leadership. The evidence is overwhelming.
For the past nine years, Business Week has recognized Georgetowns IEMBA program as one of the top 12 Executive MBA programs
worldwide, reflecting the caliber of the McDonough Schools entire curriculum. The same world-class faculty that puts the lessons of
global business into practice in the schools degree programs also delivers the same level of excellence in our custom and open enrollment
programs. And some of the worlds most successful organizations depend on Georgetown for Executive Education programs year after year.
Perfectly positioned in the nations capital, Georgetowns McDonough School of Business offers executives a unique world perspective on
the constant transformations taking place in the global economy.
Lead your organization to the next level. Visit GeorgetownMeansBusiness.com/alum or call 866-674-1942.
It is to that last quality we have devoted this issue. Inside you will find articles
in which students talk about their global residency projects, an integral part of
the graduate curriculum that no other school has the ability or the resources to
duplicate. These projects are actual international consulting projects with inter-
national clients, not just country visits. Other articles profile the research being
done by members of the faculty, our new Georgetown-ESADE Global MBA program,
and the international make-up of our student body.
The School has made great progress in enhancing its students, staff, faculty and pro-
grams, and more is on the way. Moving into our new facility in the spring will allow
us to take even greater advantage of our unique qualities. And as we begin our
capital campaign to support undergraduate scholarships and provide faculty and
program support, I encourage you to visit us on the Hilltop often, keep track of what
we are doing, provide your thoughts and suggestions, and give generously.

Georgetown
Means Business.
With much appreciation and warm regard,

McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University

3520 Prospect Street NW, Suite 214, Washington, DC 20057 George G. Daly, Ph.D.
Dean

International Executive MBA Executive Masters in Leadership Georgetown-ESADE Global Executive MBA
Custom Programs Open Enrollment Programs 1
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 McDONOUGH BUSINESS w i n t e r 20082009

1 Letter from the Dean

4 Strengthening Global Management:

The International Work of McDonough Alumni

14 The McDonough School of Business and

The Walsh School of Foreign Service:
Working Together to Prepare Global Leaders
McDONOUGH BUSINESS

19 In the Classroom & Beyond:

www.msb.edu

dean
George Daly Professors Transform Global Business Thinking
editor and director,
m a r k et i n g a n d

22 McDonough Students: Consultants to the World

c o m m u n i c at i o n s
Keith S. Collins

writers
Senior Writer:
Zia Morales
Writer and Editorial Assistant:
26 Educating World Citizens
Evan Regan-Levine

30 Robert Emmett McDonough

design
Lisa Carey Design, llc
www.lisacareydesign.com

printing
Mosaic, www.mosaicprint.com

McDonough Business welcomes

31 New Faculty, Newly Tenured Faculty, New Deans
inquiries, opinions and comments

37 A Real Structure to Show Off

from its readers. Correspondence
should be addressed to:

Editor, McDonough Business

McDonough School of Business
Georgetown University
3240 Prospect Street
Washington, dc 20007
38 Alumni Notes
202-687-4080
202-687-7039 fax
media@georgetown.edu

Alumni should send address

changes/additions/deletions
to addup@georgetown.edu, or
contact Alumni Records at
(202) 687-1994.
McDONOUGH BUSINESS McDONOUGH BUSINESS
STRENGTHENING GLOBAL
MANAGEMENT:
G
raduates of the McDonough School are prepared to make
The International Work serious contributions to the world of management. They do
of McDonough Alumni so in traditional corporate roles, working at high levels in
marketing, finance and other functions. But they also guide success-
ful operations with non-profit organizations and help break new
ground in fields such as education, government relations, healthcare
and conservation.

Take a look at a few of our graduates and youll appreciate the depth of
the contributions that McDonough alumni are making in the world.

4 5
McDONOUGH BUSINESS McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 After rising to vice president, she realized
Branding and Behavior she had a strong international interest. She
had heard about the McDonough School and
Change in India
its strength in social marketing and applied
for the MBA program. Georgetown exposed
RISHA HESS mba 2003
me to more people from outside the US, she
Director of Research & Communication
says. The student body is so international.
Population Services International, India,
Building relationships with people inside and
New Delhi, India
outside McDonough was invaluable.
www.psi.org/where_we_work/india.html
transmitted diseases treated at our clinics,
she says. Finding New Funding Sources
She sees social marketing as having a big
for Middle Market Companies
impact in India. The big difference here in Latin America
from the past is the focus on research, she
says knowing what behavioral determinates
CARLOS ZALLES bsba 1975
are correlated to people adopting these behav- CEO & Founder, LW Securities, Ltd.
iors. She has been so successful that she was Caracas, Venezuela
www.lwsecurities.com

After graduation she took a fellowship with
Population Services International (PSI), a
nonprofit organization that uses private sec-
tor approaches, particularly in marketing, to
address health problems in the developing
world. She started running a communica-
tions campaign on HIV for PSI in India,
including branding a chain of clinics and
pharmaceutical products. She says she
applied the marketing skills she learned at
McDonough, such as using audience seg-
mentation, consumer insights and branding
to get people to adopt healthier behaviors.
While at Georgetown she had used a model to
develop a branding campaign for the World-
wide Wrestling Federation. When she joined
PSI she started using the same model to edu-
Risha Hess, MBA 2002, with friends at ancient city of Fatehpur Sikri, India.
cate her Indian staff on how to brand a prod-
uct. The aim was to get people to treat their
LOTS OF MONEY HAS
BEEN SPENT IN THE DEVEL-
OPMENT FIELD WITH NO
RESULT. WE REALLY NEED
TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE
AT CHANGING BEHAVIOR.
promoted to director overseeing all PSI/India
projects, including safe deliveries in rural
areas, diarrhea treatment and prevention,
home water treatment, health insurance for
the very poor and others. She also handles
Asia Regional HIV Communication for PSI,
traveling to Papua New Guinea, Vietnam and
Cambodia to build marketing planning and
communication strategy in the region.
President & Chief Investment Officer,
LW Investment Management, Inc.
(subsidiary of LW Securities), Florence, Italy
www.lwfunds.com
M iddle market companies in Latin
America have more funding sources
today because of Carlos Zalles.
During his time at Georgetown, Zalles
became convinced he didnt want to work in
and eventually run the family businesses in
Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. Boring and not
at all lucrative, he thought. Plus, hed be
working in the shadow of his father. His
brother had already worked at Citibank, and
banking seemed much more interesting.
After graduation from Georgetown he took a
position as a management trainee with
American Security Bank, becoming a vice

I ts one thing to change peoples beverage
choice from tea to Coca Cola, says Risha
Hess. But a more important issue for me is,
how do you change peoples social behavior?
Hess has been in love with social marketing
since her undergraduate days at Boston Col-
lege. After majoring in marketing, she moved
to Oakland, California to take a job with Bet-
ter World Advertising, working on advertis-
ing campaigns about HIV-AIDS and drug-
related issues.
She learned a lot at Better World, she says, such
as what audience segments watch TV, how to
do research in social marketing (there often
isnt enough, she says), and the differences
between selling consumer products and selling
sensitive projects.
sexually transmitted diseases (STD) by quali-
fied doctors. We needed to brand the doctors
as well as the treatment and clinics, she says,
to help build their confidence that they will
be treated. But doctors dont want to be labeled
as just STD specialists, and consumers dont
want to be seen going to STD doctors. So we
faced a dilemma: How do you brand some-
thing without telling people what it is?
After research, she concluded that one pow-
erful factor in many peoples choice of doc-
tors in India was perceiving the clinics to be
modern and English-speaking. Hess gave the
network of clinics an English name that was
pronouncable in various languages: Key Clin-
ics. After five years, 34 percent of the four
million men we targeted got their sexually
She gets frustrated sometimes with more tra-
ditional approaches to development aid, such
as focusing on how many people have been
talked to or how many meetings have been
held. These are not the right deliverables,
she says. We should be held accountable on
changing behavior.
Hess loves her work. She is headed to Kenya
soon to become East Africa Reproductive
Health Marketing Advisor. Im excited to
bring things that have worked in India and
see if we can apply them in Africa, she says.
Lots of money has been spent in the devel-
opment field with no result. We really need to
be more effective at changing behavior.
president at the age of 27, running the Latin
America division in Washington, DC. It was
a small portfolio, and by the late 1970s he had
reached a plateau. He jumped at the chance
to run a division at Bank of America in 1980
in Venezuela, overseeing the Corporate
Banking and Financial Assets Group that
managed the distressed loan portfolio for
Venezuela and, later, Mexico.
As he puts it, though, he couldnt bridge the
gap between the money he was making for
the corporation and the money that was
reaching his pocket. In 1987 he started Vest-
corPartners, an investment banking institu-
tion covering all of Latin America. He began
converting commercial bank debt to securi-
ties, helping create a wave of corporate
investment for the region. The company
grew, creating offices in several Latin Amer-
Carlos Zalles, BSBA 1975
ican countries, and then landed in the top 10
of fixed income underwriters in Latin Amer-
ica, in the same league as Goldman Sachs,
Merrill Lynch, Citi and others. In 1999 he
founded LW Securities.
Zalles describes LW as a boutique investment
bank focused on the middle market corporate
sector. Its a sector that big commercial
banks dont want to focus on, he says. They
want to focus on deals of $500 million or
larger, dealing with big companies or sover-
eigns. The $20-50 million sector is too small
for them. LW, with offices in Miami, Milan
and throughout Latin America, originates,
structures and distributes high-yield prod-
ucts to institutional investors in Latin Amer-

6 7
McDONOUGH BUSINESS McDONOUGH BUSINESS
ica, Europe and the US. The company creates
credit oriented, structured transactions
asset-based securities geared to hedge
funds and high yield investors. Zalles says
yields surpass 16 percent with relatively
short tenors.
Meanwhile, in December of 2007 Zalles set
up a new asset management operation, LW
Investment Management (LWIM). By March
of 2008 he had launched his flagship fund,
LW Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund,
managing about $40 million in assets, which
he wants to take to $200 million. It is a bal-
anced fund, he says, with fixed income and
equity components. Asset-based lending in
emerging markets is the focus, along with
equities based on natural resource invest-
ments across emerging markets. Zalles says
LWIM is also helping Latin American natural
resources and mining companies fund their
projects via private placements or public
offerings in the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Zalles will soon be moving to Florence from
Venezuela and working out of Milan. This is
a family project, he says, and Italy is a good
country for my family and myself. He also
appreciates the political climate in Europe.
Europe has a better understanding of Latin
America, he says. The whole political envi-
ronment in Latin America is changing, mov-
ing toward the left, and Europeans can stom-
ach that more than the US. He also feels
Europe is a good market to raise money for
his fund.
He is still enthused by LWs possibilities. We
are pioneers in asset-based lending, and
were venturing into mining and natural
resource plays, he says. For the last 15 years
we have been attacking segments abandoned
by large investment banks, who have little
interest in going after smaller companies. We
are bringing these companies something
theyve lacked: nontraditional investment
banking resources.
8 9
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
Transforming a Nonprofit
Through Marketing Techniques
BRETT JENKS mba 2004
CEO, Rare, Arlington, Virginia
www.rareconservation.org
I
n 2000 Brett Jenks took Rare, an
$850,000 conservation organization with
a staff of seven, and began applying com-
mercial marketing principles to the problems
it faced. After eight years its now an $8 mil-
lion organization with a staff of 50, working
around the world.
His story starts in 1991. As a professional
filmmaker, he had spent 15 straight 17-hour
days producing television commercials. Wak-
ing up in his apartment after a late night
wrap party, he discovered he had written on
the wall, Get out of the film business now!
NOW THAT WEVE USED
COMMERCIAL MARKETING
TO CREATE CHANGES IN
THE HEALTH AND SAFETY
ARENAS, ITS TIME TO
SEE WHAT IT CAN DO
FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSERVATION.
Listening to his saner, if not sober, self, he
left the lucrative and exhausting world of
commercial entertainment and moved to
Costa Rica to volunteer as a rural school
teacher. The organization he worked for saw
that Jenks was capable of organizing com-
plex projects and asked him to become direc-
tor of its entire program in Costa Rica, work-
ing with the governments ministries of
education and the environment. It was so
inspiring to be able to bring ideas, resources,
and whole programs to help Costa Rica
Brett Jenks, MBA 2004
develop ecotourism and promote environ-
mental awareness, he says.
During this time he met the executive direc-
tor of Rare, who asked him to help develop
new training programs. Jenks agreed and was
now working two jobs. He was back to his 17
hour days, but he was making one fifth the
money and loving it. Soon he joined Rare
exclusively, and by 2000 he was asked to
become CEO. He had never run an organiza-
tion before and set out to read every manage-
ment, strategy and finance book he could get
his hands on. He decided he needed some
validation for his self study and enrolled in
the McDonough Schools International Exec-
utive MBA program.
It was a terrific experience, he says. It
gave me a number of tools I use today, as well
as a network of friends and colleagues. One
McDonough professor, Ed Soule, joined his
board and another, Brooks Holtom, has
helped him develop and write a business case
used in training Rares partners.
Jenks believes the conservation movement is
at a point where marketing principles can
have a major impact. Early pioneers for the
movement wrote emotionally about the need
to care for Yellowstone and Yosemite, he
says. It was more poetry than plan. But by
the 1970s, conservation had become more
technical. Professionals were trained in the
biological sciences and in schools of forestry.
More recently, the field came to terms with
how the worlds ecosystems operate, and
organizations are prioritizing what must be
saved and what critical threats must be miti-
gated. Conservationists have learned to more
clearly define the problems, rather than just
decry them, and this prepared the ground for
a new phase of conservation.
The next generation of conservationists
realizes that behind every threat is human
behavior, he says. But how do you change
human behavior? Here is where consumer
marketing comes in.
The art of behavior change wasnt devel-
oped by conservationists, Jenks notes, but
by the commercial marketing field. Creative
marketing strategies that sold soft drinks or
cigarettes have also been used to increase
seat belt use, cut teen smoking and make the
use of contraceptives socially acceptable.
Now that weve used commercial marketing
to create changes in the health and safety
arenas, its time to see what it can do for envi-
ronmental conservation.
Jenks and his team at Rare are working to
develop a systematic approach to enable
local conservation leaders not only to identi-
fy threats and prioritize them but also to
change behavior surrounding them.
Changing behavior means helping another
person see the benefits of adopting a new
behavior, helping them see that the benefits
are greater than the perceived costs. How do
you get fishermen in the Pacific Islands who
use dynamite as their fishing tackle to see
the benefits of not blowing up a reef to max-
imize their catch? By helping them see
enough short-term benefits to wait around
for what are clearly long-term benefits of a
healthy fishery.
Jenks has tried to take conservation back to
its roots of emotion while updating its
approach to human behavior. We want peo-
ple to celebrate their homeland and in that
way develop a respect and emotional attach-
ment to the environment, he says. This
makes discussions with farmers, fishermen,
mayors, about short- and long-term gains far
easier to manage. Local environmental pride
is a kind of social capital. It creates the confi-
dence needed for better decision-making.
The conservation field has led some good
education efforts, Jenks believes. People just
need a broader perspective. The environ-
mental movement has focused most of its
outreach on educating people about prob-
lems, he says, such as damage to coral reefs,
pollution in our cities, the plight of the envi-
ronment. It has helped build a movement and
open up purse-strings. Now, he believes, it is
time for action. In the next phase, he says,
we have to use more strategic marketing
techniques to promote solutions.
A New Day for
Japanese Politics
ERIKO TAKAHATA mba 2008
CEO & Chief Analyst,
Political Marketing Laboratory, Tokyo, Japan
www.pm-lab.co.jp (in Japanese)
E riko Takahata says she took the job as
CEO of the new firm Political Marketing
Laboratory (PMLab) reluctantly. All she real-
ly wanted was to be an analyst, she says.
Besides, she had only just received her MBA
and was nearly the youngest person in the
Eriko Takahata, MBA 2008
firm. But no one else had the marketing and
management training she did.
PMLab is a cross between a marketing firm
and a political consulting firm, helping politi-
cians learn what voters want, and helping
them develop manifestos (platforms) that
voters will respond to. With national and
Tokyo metropolitan elections coming up
soon, its an opportune time to grow.
PMLab is not the first political consulting
firm in Japan. Whats new, says Takahata, is
that the information the firm provides its
clients is based on quantitative data. Before
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 this, she says, politicians would claim they
knew what voters wanted, but the assertion
was based on their own agenda. Now its
based on numbers.
Takahata is ecstatic about what she learned
at the McDonough School. I tried to imple-
ment everything from my marketing class-
es, she says.
Before Georgetown she worked as an Eng-
lish-Japanese translator, working with politi-
cians in Japan. She could see that Japanese
politicians were not meeting the needs of
voters. Once at McDonough, she interned
with political consulting firm Jamestown
Associates and attended think tank and poli-
cy meetings to learn the American system.
She realized that basic political notions, such
as the desirability of laying out policy in sim-
ple terms so everyone can understand, were
new to Japan. There, Takahata says, people
worship complexity. If its complicated, she
says, people think its good. In America,
simplicity wins the day.
She went back to Japan after graduation and
started working for a parliamentarian run-
ning for re-election. They had talked about
starting a political marketing firm together,
but then he was elected. Takahata thought
the idea was dead. Then he resigned, and
they started the firm together.
PMLab has only four full-time and two part-
time workers, Takahata says, but she hopes
to grow bigger soon. Her aim is to recruit 100
clients among the 300 electoral districts for
national elections. Yet she longs for more
restful days.
Right now I do everything, she says. I
would rather be doing data analysis. Hope-
fully we will get big enough that I can go
back to that.
10
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
Making Consumer Dreams
Come True
DAN KARCHES mba 2002
Brand Manager, Cosmetics Global Design,
Procter & Gamble, Baltimore, MD
www.pg.com
I t was an epiphany when Dan Karches real-
ized that marketing could combine his two
loves, math and design. He had majored in
political science in college and worked in
banking in London and New York, but his
creative side lay dormant. Dutifully he pur-
sued an MBA and arrived at the McDonough
School. When he took Prof. Ken Homas
marketing course, he said, his life became
more interesting. He realized marketing
could be both rigorous and creative. Market-
ing became his passion, and he stepped into a
new career with Procter & Gamble.
Working with Folgers coffee, then Pringles,
then Pantene Hair Care, he is now one of the
Brand Managers for Max Factor and Cover
Girl at P&G cosmetics, creating products that
make the beauty dreams of women around
the world come true.
YOU CANNOT DESIGN PRODUCTS WITH THE LOWEST
COMMON DENOMINATOR IN MIND. CONSUMERS WANT
PRODUCTS DESIGNED FOR THEM, NOT FOR EVERYONE.
The needs in Sweden and Greece may be dif-
ferent from those of users in the US, he says.
Consumers in the UK can be very skeptical,
whereas to Americans the glass is usually half
full. Americans will try anything.
When Karches goes into a new country, he
does three things. I talk to our people and
get the P&G perspective, he says. I go to
stores to understand the in-store experience
for customers of both P&G and competitors.
And I talk to consumers. When I can, I even
go into their homes to find out what they love
and what they dont. Ive met women who go
Dan Karches, MBA 2002
through a 15-step process, with 15 products,
to look natural. Others go through four steps
to look glamorous. It doesnt matter, as long
as it makes them happy.
If Karches has one secret, its that he loves
making people happy. When I was working
on Pantene I realized that if a woman has a
bad hair day she has a bad day. I really want-
ed to help these women. Now that Im with
cosmetics, I realize that women are trans-
formed every morning through cosmetics.
And they look to us to help transform them.
This is a real energy booster for me.
His work as a marketer is only part of his job.
He is also a manager, running teams and build-
ing relationships internationally. His teams
consist of managers in marketing, finance,
sales, product supply, product development,
consumer insight (research) and design.
You have to qualify an idea and make sure
the financials work before you invest in the
creative side, he says. There is the business
side, the general management side, and there
is the marketing side, making sure the con-
sumer is at the heart of what you are doing.
Design is becoming more and more impor-
tant: packaging and aesthetics are what con-
sumers see and therefore what the brand
stands for. You cannot design products with
the lowest common denominator in mind.
Consumers want products designed for
them, not for everyone.
No one is more engrossed in his job than
Karches. I love cosmetics, he says. I can tackle the future? Its only getting harder.
make consumer dreams come true. Thats They need skills for the future.
the fun of consumer packaged goods.
Educating Middle Eastern
Children for the Future
APARNA VERMA bsba 1993
Chairman & CEO,
Scholars International Group, Dubai, UAE
www.scholarsinternational.com
E ducation is Aparna Vermas passion.
Ever since she graduated from George-
town she has worked to create a better way
for the children of the Middle East to receive
an education for the 21st century.
A year after graduating in finance and inter-
national relations she formed Scholars Inter-
national Group (SIG) in Dubai and opened a
K-12 school called Dubai Scholars. She now
has a second school, Scholars International
Academy, and is planning to expand further
in the Middle East and elsewhere.
The sustainability of her efforts is important
to Verma. My financial education at George-
town helped me make the school sustain-
able, she says. SIG owns all the property
used by the schools, and she notes that real
estate in Dubai has gone through the roof.
The group even buys housing for teachers.
Indian by ancestry, Aparna has lived all her
life in Dubai, but she flies regularly to Bom-
bay as well as New York and is an active real
estate investor in both cities.
But education is what gets her excited.
When I look at the younger generation
today, she says, and I look at what is hap-
pening in the world, I dont find a direct cor-
relation between what kids are learning and
what they should be learning. She wants to
create an environment where children can
deal with the future and understand and
shape what it will be for them. Everyone in
Dubai has drivers and maids, and the chil-
dren are not as self-sufficient as they should
be. How can we give these kids the skills to
She has served Georgetown as president of
the alumni group in Dubai, and she has inter-
viewed many potential Georgetown students
from the Middle East. They were straight A
students, she says, but nothing else. I told
them they needed more than A-levels. They
needed to be multi-skilled with sports and
charity work and other activities. She makes
sure some of her students participate every
year in the Global Youth Leaders Conference
in Washington, DC, where artists, directors
and other professionals talk to them about
life and work.
Verma has a business education, but her work
isnt about the money, she says. A lot of pri-
vate schools just want to make money, she
says. They are not giving back. We are really
trying to do something different, give back to
children. I pride myself on being different.
11
McDONOUGH BUSINESS

Creating a Seamless
International Real Estate
Franchise
MICHAEL J. GRAZIANO bsba 1988
Co-head, Real Estate Department
Goldman, Sachs & Co., New York, NY
www.gs.com
M I
ichael Graziano didnt set out to go
into real estate. He just wanted a job at
Goldman Sachs. But in his 18 years at the
premier investment bank he has seen the
field emerge from one controlled by families
and private companies into a dynamic, entre-
preneurial industry driven by multi-billion
dollar public companies.
The field has gone through tremendous
change in the last 15 years, he says. When
companies went public in the 1990s many
were public companies in format only. With
family members on boards and private com-
pany infrastructure and mindset, they were
really still private entities but with public
clothing. Now, with the widespread equity
and debt securitization of real estate assets,
there is much broader coverage of the indus-
try, which brings with it a detailed focus that
demands a tremendous amount of discipline.
Were in an era now where these companies,
with their extensive boards and professional,
deep management teams, are an integral part
Michael J. Graziano, BSBA 1988
of corporate America. Yet a number of com-
panies are still run by the founders, some-
times second or third generation, so they still
have lots of skin in the game,and they have
performed incredibly well on all relative
return metrics, standing toe to toe with the
rest of corporate america.
The industry is also now more international
than ever. Our real estate group used to be
comprised of geographically isolated business-
es, Graziano says, but in the last four years it
has been globally structured, integrated and
coordinated. It is no longer just US, European,
Asian, or Australian businesses operating
independently. All our US clients are looking
12
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
overseas as the next avenue of expansion, and
folks overseas are looking to the US market.
Our job is to maintain our leading position as
strategic advisor to our clients, especially now
during the tougher times resulting from the
liquidity crunch, then ultimately into the next
stage of international growth. At some point,
liquidity will return to the system.
Graziano works hard to create and maintain
what he calls the Goldman Sachs culture in his
real estate department: seamless, selfless coor-
dination around the world. It would be very
easy to act in fiefdoms but thats not very
helpful to our clients. Delivering the whole
enchilada is hard. We try to do it in an integrat-
ed way, making sure every client has access to
the enormous expertise available at GS,
regardless of where it exists.
He sees his job as twofold: client advisor and
overall internal business manager. My job is
to be the strategic advisor to CEOs as they
face important decisions and need strategic
thinking, he says. But he also has to manage
a growing department, and he sees his biggest
challenge as making his worldwide opera-
tions run smoothly. The number one task is
to put the right people in the right seats, he
says. Then you need to make sure everyone
views the business as a global business. This
means, for one thing, adjusting compensation
and promotion systems to reward the right
behavior. We hold people to task to make
sure that theyre coordinating, and that they
dont view the business in any sort of
parochial way.
Graziano acknowledges its a challenge. Get-
ting people not to worry about whats in it for
them isnt always easy, he says. We want
the individual in Asia to help with the Euro-
pean operation, and vice versa, without wor-
rying about credit or P&L. If were doing
the job right, we differentiate ourselves to
our clients, and the overall franchise bene-
fits, which is good for all the individuals I
manage, regardless of where they sit.
Finding the Unloved
Business and Helping
it Grow
JOSEPH BARATTA bsba 1993
Senior Managing Director,
The Blackstone Group, London, England
www.blackstone.com
n the early days of private equity invest-
ing, the field became synonymous with
hostile takeovers. Investors bought business-
es simply to break them up. Joe Baratta, who
manages corporate private equity for The
Blackstone Group in Europe, is glad those
times have changed.
Our approach to private equity is different,
he says. We aim to be friends to large corpo-
rations and never undertake hostile deals.
Baratta has helped to build Blackstones rep-
utation as one of the premier private equity
firms in the world. We try to find an unloved
WE TRY TO FIND AN UNLOVED BUSINESS AND
PROVIDE THE CAPITAL IT NEEDS TO MAKE STRATEGIC
ACQUISITIONS AND GROW.
business and provide the capital it needs to
make strategic acquisitions and grow. Some
of our companies weve turned into industry
leaders. He cites Southern Cross, which
Blackstone helped turn into the largest nurs-
ing home operator in the UK, as well as
Merlin Entertainments Group, which owns
Legoland, Madame Tussauds and other busi-
nesses and has become the second largest
visitor attraction company in the world next
to Disney.
After graduation from Georgetown, Baratta
worked as a mergers and acquisitions analyst
at Morgan Stanley for two years, then took a
job at a small middle market private equity
firm, McCown De Leeuw & Co. After mov-
ing to Tinicum Inc., where he managed pub-
lic and private investment for a wealthy
family, he watched the private equity market
double in size every 5 6 years and in 1998
decided to join Blackstone, a major invest-
ment house, with $119 billion under manage-
ment in 2008. He moved to London in 2001
to start a private equity practice for the firm
in Europe.
Baratta describes his approach to invest-
ment: In simplest terms, we take our limit-
ed partners money and buy companies with
it. We look for suitable investment candi-
dates, do the due diligence, decide if we want
to buy and what to pay. We structure the
transaction, negotiate with the sellers, then
Joseph Baratta, BSBA 1993
buy the business, usually keeping existing
management. We capitalize the company and
sit on the board and help management plan
their strategy. We build value over 3-5 years,
then sell the business.
Blackstone sometimes becomes a minority
investor, he says, supplying capital to help a
company finance acquisitions or a project.
But the firm prefers to gain majority control.
Baratta has built up Blackstones European
private equity business from three people in
2001 to 25 today. The firms European private
equity portfolio consists of 10 portfolio com-
panies in which Blackstone has invested
approximately $3.8 billion.
13
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 THE
McDONOUGH Working Together
SCHOOL
OF BUSINESS AND THE WALSH
SCHOOL
OF FOREIGN
SERVICE
B
usiness and international affairs
have had a long relationship at
Georgetown. As far back as the
second decade of the 20th centu-
ry, even before there was a business school,
the School of Foreign Service offered trade
and diplomacy studies.
Today, the McDonough School and the
Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
work together to provide a variety of pro-
grams to meet the needs of students who want
careers in international business, internation-
al government or their intersection. The
School of Foreign Service is the best in the
world at what they do, says Dean Daly. Our
relationship strengthens us both.
The Schools offer a range of possibilities,
and students respond enthusiastically:
14
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
to Prepare Global Leaders
Joint MBA/MSFS Degree
SFS and MSB offer a full-time, three-year joint MBA /
MSFS degree. Designed for students with strong inter-
ests in foreign relations and global business, the pro-
gram focuses on the growing global interdependence
of business and government. It is the most popular of
the McDonough Schools joint-degree programs and
offers terrific summer internship opportunities.
Juan Kingsley, a native of Costa Rica, is one of five
joint-degree students at McDonough today. He describes
the program:
It gives me the context and understanding to
apply professional business skills globally. And I
can leverage two alumni networks that often
intersect in both my areas of interest, interna-
tional finance and private sector development.
(IBD) Certificate
Kingsley loves the summer jobs hes taken during the
Students in both schools can earn an honors certifi-
program: first, with the International Finance Corpora-
tion, the emerging market investment group of the World
Bank; next with Albright Capital Management, a multi-
strategy investment fund dedicated to the emerging mar-
kets, affiliated with The Albright Group and chaired by
former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; and this
past summer with Goldman, Sachs as a summer associ-
ate with the Investment Banking Division.
Kingsley has found, though, that his most valu-
able work experience was a consulting project as part
of a joint MSB / SFS team.
I was a volunteer consultant for Agora Partner-
ships during the Spring of 2007. This non-profit
organization, co-founded by MSFS alumnus Ben
Powell, seeks to provide entrepreneurs in devel-
oping countries with the funding and business
skills to launch small and medium enterprises.
My consulting team, staffed by both MSFS and
MBA students, was assigned to work with the
owner of a small shoe-making workshop in
Granada, Nicaragua. Over the course of the
semester, we analyzed his business to identify
best practices and outlined a plan to expand the
workshop into a small factory that would help
kick-start the local shoe-making industry. After
our consulting work, the company obtained
funding and an important contract, and it has
begun offering shoe-making day laborers with a
formal employment program, a boon for local
industry and the community.
With the dramatic changes going on in the field of
international finance, students like Juan who can
move comfortably between industry, government and
international institutions are getting themselves ready
for very productive careers.
International Business Diplomacy
Carrico has found the interaction with SFS students
cate in International Business Diplomacy as part of a
program begun in 1978. Its purpose is to train future
leaders in international business, public policy and
IBD
business-government relations.
Courses in the program, which is run by SFS, are
taught to more than 600 graduate and undergraduate
students each year, from both MSB and SFS, but only
about 90 enter the honors program that yields the IBD
certificate. Here they learn in depth how to analyze
policy issues and manage business opportunities inter-
nationally. Students from the McDonough School
begin to master non-market issues in greater detail
than they do in MSB courses. SFS students become
more adept in finance, accounting and other technical
fields. The courses are taught largely via cases (see
Gerber: Investing in the New Ukraine on page 17 for
a sample of one case used in an IBD course).
IT IS AMAZING HOW DIFFERENT THE SFS
AND MBA STUDENTS BACKGROUNDS ARE. IN
THE BEGINNING, I THINK THE STUDENTS WERE
ALL PRETTY INTIMIDATED BY ONE ANOTHER.
The IBD program is very rigorous, says Jett
Pihakis, Associate Dean for MBA Programs. Students
who enter it feed off the intellectual energy.
Alexis Carrico is an MBA student in the IBD Hon-
ors Certificate Program:
I have learned that there are so many factors in
doing business internationally. Most of us MBA
students limit ourselves to thinking about finance,
marketing, accounting, operations, etc. My first
SFS class, however, taught me that there are many
other aspects of international business to consid-
er, such as international trade laws, labor stan-
dards, environmental principles, and cultures.
particularly valuable:
15
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 Georgetown-ESADE
It is amazing how different the SFS and MBA
students backgrounds are. In the beginning, I
think the students were all pretty intimidated by
one another. The SFS students could talk for
hours about the WTO, FTAs, BITs, BIPs etc., and
we MBA students were well-versed in financials,
operations, stats, and marketing. By the end of
the course, however, we were going to happy
hours together and learning to appreciate our
differences. I have learned so much from my SFS
peers, and I look forward to working with many
of them in the future.
Prof. Marc Busch, the Karl F. Landegger Chair in Inter-
national Business Diplomacy from SFS, loves the pro-
gram. We give students exposure to non-market
issues that are so important, he says. There are a lot
THE PROJECT WORK, EXPECTATIONS OF PROFESSORS,
DRIVE OF OTHER STUDENTS IT ALL MAKES YOU WANT
TO USE YOUR TIME HERE WELL.
of factors that will decide if a given investment is a
safe one, and we take them up directly. There is a ter-
rific reward from combining two groups in a single
class and getting them to work together. They
approach material from their own vantage points.
Each asks different questions and pursues different
lines of thinking.
Georgetown-ESADE Global
Executive MBA
Beginning this year, the McDonough School teamed
up with the School of Foreign Service, along with
ESADE Business School in Spain, to offer a new exec-
utive MBA program. The launch was successful and
the reaction so far has been beyond expectations.
The Georgetown-ESADE program develops the
next class of world managers and leaders its
like an executive boot camp. You stretch beyond
anything you thought you could do. I wanted an
education to help me engage more effectively with
the global community, and the program has
exceeded my expectations.
Raamel Mitchell
Central US Engagement Manager,
Microsoft Corporation, Dallas, Texas
16
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
The Georgetown-ESADE program has been designed to
accommodate executives with demanding professional
lives. Delivered in modules over 16 months, it enables
participants, many of whom are not from the United
States, to study global business in depth with MSB, SFS
and ESADE professors and accomplished peers.
Each of the six, 11-day sessions takes place in a
commercial center in Spain, Russia, Latin America,
the United States, India or China (the latter two on a
rotating basis). In every session participants explore
the complexities of business in an industry or country,
integrating coursework with real-world, real-time
challenges presented by working business executives.
In the first module, for example, students come to
Washington and examine the factors that shape and
drive the global economy and the implications for
business. Topics include:
The Global Environment of Business
Political and regulatory influences
Comparative institutional analysis
Structure of the macro economy: consumption,
saving, government taxing & spending,
exports and imports
Aggregate supply & demand, growth and productivity
Balance of payments, exchange rates
Regional and supra-regional economic integration
International Business Management
International trade theory: policies and practices
and Sale agreement and take a tougher stance on the issues of ownership, employment, and taxation. Most
Exporting, foreign direct investment and foreign
market entry
Economic, social and political contexts of
international business
Challenges of sales and distribution in global
markets
Corruption, ethics, local vs. universal values,
sustainability
HOW WOULD YOU DEAL WITH THE NON-MARKET
ISSUES IN THIS SITUATION?
A hypothetical but realistic case from the IBD Program
Gerber: Investing in the New Ukraine
T
he history of modern Ukraine began in the fall of 2004 when Katherine Chumachenko Yushchenko
(GU SFS IBD 93) thought she noticed a medicinal scent on the breath of her husband Victor
Yushchenko, candidate for President. Victor had been poisoned. As he recovered in the closing
months of 2004, a peaceful mass protest the Orange Revolution forced the authorities to overturn a
rigged election. Yuschenko was swept into power. Subsequent internal turmoil in the Yushechnko camp
allowed his rival Viktor Yanukovych to engineer a comeback in parliamentary elections and become prime
minister in August of 2006.
By May of 2007, Samuel Heck and Robert Duncan were caught in a delicate position. For months, Heck,
the chief financial officer of Gerber Products Company, and Duncan, the companys general counsel, had been
shuttling between Michigan and Kiev, putting together a deal that would allow Gerber to acquire Nutricia S.A.,
one of Ukraines largest and most successful food processing plants. On all sides, the deal had seemed to make
sense. Gerber would modernize the aging plant, boost its sagging export trade, and give the Ukraine govern-
ment $11 million of the hard currency it so desperately needed. In exchange, the worlds largest baby food pro-
ducer would gain a low-cost base in one of the largest and most fertile agricultural regions, adjacent to the
newly-enlarged European Union and with historical ties as the breadbasket for the former Soviet Union.
Until this point, the negotiations had progressed smoothly. After winning a competitive bidding process
sponsored by Ukraines Ministry of Privatization, the Gerber
officials had signed a Purchase and Sale agreement on May 1.
Under the terms of this agreement, Gerber had formally com-
mitted itself to the Nutricia deal and agreed to work with the
government in resolving a series of complicated issues such as
property ownership, worker retention, and taxation. Everyone
involved in the negotiations had acknowledged that these
issues were critical to the deals success, but because the dis-
cussions were going so well both sides were confident that
they could resolve all issues by the end of the year.
Then on May 24 politics had intervened. After months of
internal squabbling, Kateryna Vashchuk, head of the Agrarian
Party, prevailed upon Prime Minister Yanukovych to revisit
the idea of turning a crown jewel of Ukraines agribusiness
complexes over to foreign ownership.
Heck and Duncan found themselves reconsidering their
options. They knew, at a minimum, that the new government was going to want to renegotiate the Purchase
likely, the government would also tinker with existing policies on profit repatriation, currency devaluation, pri-
vatization, and worker compensation all of which could have a serious impact on Gerbers bottom line. Like-
wise, it was clear that the new government would be unable to deliver many of the promises that had been
made in the May 1 agreement.
In principle, Heck, Duncan, and the rest of the Gerber team were still committed to Ukraine and the Nutri-
cia plant. The facilities were in good shape, the enterprise was well-managed, and the entire operation fit nice-
ly with Gerbers plans for global expansion. But before they spent $25 million for an overseas acquisition, the
Gerber officials needed to reevaluate the merits of investing in such an uncertain situation.
17
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 IN THE CLASSROOM
Analysis of Financial Statements students it all makes you want to use your time
Global comparisons: ratio and cash-flow analysis, here well. Each residency is 11 days, and in the
long-term debt, bond ratings, consolidation and beginning you say thats a lot, but at the end you

AND BEYOND:
intangibles think its not enough.

Global management: pro forma financials, model- Teresa Gendron

ing growth, cash for growth
Decision-support tools / prediction models
Executive decision-making and responsibility,
fraud and Sarbanes-Oxley, bankruptcy
The module ends with a practical session on the
geopolitical business climate. This year the class
became immersed in the dispute among Airbus, Boe-
STUDENTS ARE VERY EXPERIENCED AND VERY INTER-
Vice President, Financial Operations
NII Holdings, Inc., Reston, Virginia
SFS Prof. Busch helped design the program. Its pret-
ty exciting, he says. Students are very experienced
and very international. Its a novel MBA. Rather than
being international in just one course, international
infuses all six modules.
As Dean Daly says, This is one of the best single
examples of intellectual synergy on campuses I know

TRANSFORMING
of. It allows us to do something no one else does. Its
NATIONAL. ITS A NOVEL MBA. RATHER THAN BEING
the only MBA program I know between a business
INTERNATIONAL IN JUST ONE COURSE, INTERNATIONAL
GLOBAL
school and an international affairs program.
INFUSES ALL SIX MODULES.

ing and Northrop Grumman that erupted early in 2008

over a $40 billion contract for a US Air Force tanker.
Daily Interaction
BUSINESS
Participants argued the case, taking sides before a Aside from the joint degree, IBD and Georgetown-
THINKING Stanley Nollen

mock panel of the United States Senate. Very senior
industry participants became involved to provide
expertise and act as judges.
Georgetown-ESADE is much more than a typical
MBA program. It gives you a good foundation,
but it also enables you to think about problems
in a new way. A whole host of solutions come to
mind that you hadnt thought of. The project
work, expectations of professors, drive of other
ESADE programs, students and faculty from the two
schools interact on a regular basis. For example,
Sandeep Dahiya, an MSB finance professor, prepares
SFS students for case interviews each year, where a job
applicant must read a real-life case and suggest a course
of action. He teaches them how to ask intelligent ques-
tions, perceive what information is needed, and come
up with the best strategy. Pose a set of assumptions
and justify your conclusions, he tells them.
SFS and MSB students attend each others class-
es, and professors from both schools teach in each oth-
ers courses. SFS faculty participate in the MSB global
residencies, too.
Working with SFS has made me think more
broadly about all the relevant stakeholders in business
and government dealings, says Devin Kalman, a cur-
rent MBA student. Its made me realize just how com-
plicated doing business in our global economy is.
Marc Busch of SFS is enthused about what lies
ahead. The MSB / SFS relationship is getting stronger
all the time, he says. Were likely to see more action
between the schools. The future could be exciting.
T
he global nature of
business education at
the McDonough School
comes in part from its
professors. They are a varied
and dedicated lot, and through
their research and work with
students they are transforming
the way people and organiza-
tions think about international
business.
Stanley Nollen
Professor and Director,
MBA Global Residency Program
same thing ample supply of technically well
Stan Nollens focus is the program that, prob-
ably more than any other, has come to define
the McDonough School MBA the global
residency program. As director he keeps its
quality high and its growth consistent, but he
has also led many of the programs editions
himself, accompanying students to cities
such as Dubai, Prague, Ho Chi Minh City,
Delhi and Bangalore since 1997.
These residencies let me see transfor-
mations in students lives, Stan says. They
are, I believe, the most distinctive feature of
our entire graduate business education, and I
feel privileged to be a part of it. They offer me
new experiences, variety and close contact
with top managers from different cultures.
Stan will publish a book in 2009 about
the Indian and Chinese software and hard-
ware industries. Its conclusions may surprise
many people. The conventional wisdom is
that Indian software is successful because of
ample supply of technically well educated
labor paid low wages in dollar terms, Stan
says. That is true. But China also has the
educated labor paid low wages in dollar terms.
Why wasnt the Chinese software industry
equally successful as an export industry?
The Chinese industry is as big if not bigger
and as fast growing as the Indian industry.

18 19
McDONOUGH BUSINESS McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 The difference between the two countries is
the management of the Indian firms more
acquainted with western markets and pursuit
of foreign alliances, more experienced in proj-
ect management, quicker to recognize the
value of quality certifications, more fluent in
the English language, and able to take advan-
tage of Indian national culture.
Michael R. Czinkota
Associate Professor, Marketing
Both inside and outside academia in corpo-
rate, government and university positions
Michael Czinkota has built his career around
international trade. Early on he ran a fur-trad-
ing company in Bavaria before selling the
company and traveling to the US to earn his
Ph.D. at Ohio State. In 1979 he began teaching
at Georgetown, then took a leave of absence
IT WAS to join the Reagan Administration as Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Commerce.
REWARDING
Michael R. Czinkota
It was rewarding to implement policy
TO IMPLEMENT POLICY ON on trade, he says. You build up theories, so
when you have the chance to try them out
TRADE YOU BUILD UP and see theory drive behavior its exciting.
THEORIES, SO WHEN YOU Michael is co-developer of the stages theory
of internationalization, a model for how com-
HAVE A CHANCE TO TRY panies go international. It postulates that they
THEM OUT AND SEE THEORY
dont do so overnight but over time, starting
in an entrepreneurial mode and gradually
DRIVE BEHAVIOR, ITS becoming more and more international.
Trade characterizes his research, too.
EXCITING. Recently he has explored the outcome of the
Korean governments promotion of foreign
trade. Governments are not good at taking
on corporate functions like marketing, he
says, but they are good at bridging market
gaps. For example, a company new to inter-
national trade might find the initial period in
the market so risky as not to want to contin-
ue. Here the government can help reduce the
risk through programs like the US govern-
ments Overseas Private Investment Corpo-
ration. Or the government can increase
rewards, such as through permitting defer-
ment of taxes on earnings abroad.
20
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
Paul Almeida
Associate Professor, Strategy and
International Business
Paul Almeida spends a lot of his time running
the new Georgetown-ESADE Global Execu-
tive MBA program. Hes also a dynamic
teacher and persistent researcher. Among his
latest investigations: a study of the Indian
Diaspora in the United States and its influ-
ence on innovation in the high-tech field.
Indians in the US create many different
kinds of networks, he says ethnic, social,
organizational, both personal and virtual
helping them build on their knowledge and
share it. They collaborate with other Indians
and write papers with them. What surprised
Paul was that, contrary to economic rationale,
the networks are less valuable in economic
terms the more they are used. The people
who participate most in these networks tend
to be the more senior people, Paul says.
Rather than producing valuable patents, he
says, they want to give back, help other Indi-
ans, even if it means it hurts their own work.
The sense of identify, the social aspect, drives
them more than economic gain.
Ricardo Ernst
Deputy Dean, Professor and
Co-Director, Global Logistics
Research Program
Ricardo Ernst is an expert in supply chain
management, and he continues to teach
enthusiastically in his field. But teaching is
not the only thing on his mind these days.
Determined to keep Latin American
alumni involved with the McDonough
School, Ricardo, a native of Venezuela, has
created and serves as executive director of the
Latin American Board. The board, which
consists of Jose Maria Aznar, former presi-
dent of Spain, along with a distinguished
group that includes 10 corporate presidents,
helps develop Georgetowns relationship with
Ricardo Ernst
Latin America. The board oversees the Latin
American Alliance, a forum in which George-
town alumni, Latin American friends of the
university, and other members or the George-
town community with an interest in Latin
America can converge.
Ricardo has also put together a program
ing a book on the subject. Why did he decide
to bring young people between 24 and 32
years old from the region to Georgetown for
16 weeks of training on social, political and
business leadership. Participants attend
classes and visit multilateral organizations
such as The World Bank and the Inter-Amer-
ican Development Bank, as well as the White
House and the Pentagon. Then they return
home and develop projects in their countries
based on what they learned at Georgetown.
The program has had a multiplying effect,
Ricardo says.
He recently created a virtual academic
journal called Globalization, Competitive-
ness and Governability at gcg.universia.net.
Its an academic, refereed journal, with
abstracts in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
The journal aims to become a source of new
ideas about the effects of globalization on the
competitiveness and governability of busi-
nesses and countries in Latin America. It is
particularly focused on tools for managers
and politicians to design better strategies to
benefit their businesses and countries.
J. Bradford Jensen
Associate Professor, Strategy
Brad Jensen examines how firms engage the
global economy. Recently, he looked at how
multinationals price exports, comparing the
same firm shipping the same product to the
same country two different ways: at arms
length and through internal channels.
Unsurprisingly, there was a big difference
40 percent between the price charged to
the outside firm and the price charged inter-
nally. One reason is government policy (tax
treatment and tariffs), another is how com-
petitive the market is.
Brad also finds that countries legal sys-
tems affect whether firms import from relat-
ed parties or at arms-length especially for
sophisticated products.
Before coming to Georgetown, Brad was
at the Peterson Institute, where he produced
policy briefs on trade in services and is writ-
to devote his full time to academia? I want-
ed to spend more time doing research, he
says. Being in Washington, DC is great for
the kind of work I do.
His research helps academicians and
executives understand how firms behave in
the international marketplace, he says, and
how trade costs, tariffs or changes in the
international economy influence the com-
petitive landscape. And it helps policymakers
learn what to do and what not to do.
J. Bradford Jensen
Prashant Malaviya
Associate Professor, Marketing
Prashant Malaviya loves the academic life.
After earning his MBA from the University
of New Delhi he took a position for a time at
Nestle but decided that working with stu-
dents and researching his favorite subject,
consumer psychology, was more rewarding.
He went back to school and got his Ph.D.
from the Kellogg School before launching
his teaching career.
His classroom philosophy is simple:
Teaching is telling people stories. He has
many. As an associate professor of market-
ing at the French business school INSEAD he
researched and wrote teaching cases and
articles on the Norwegian telecommunica-
tions company Telenor and the challenges it
faced privatizing the Bangladesh telephone
company; on the Grameen Bank and its
information technology initiatives; and on
the challenges Lays Potato Chips faced
building a brand in Hungary.
Prashants academic research deals with
consumers and how they use information
and make judgments, whether the informa-
tion comes from advertising, web pages,
store aisles or other avenues.
21
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 McDONOUGH STUDENTS:
F
rom Vietnam and South Africa to
Brazil and the Arab Gulf Region,
Georgetown MBA students are
taking their business expertise to
the international market and helping solve
real-world problems. Required global inte-
grative projects, which allow students
direct access to executives in international
organizations through consulting work, are
Here are a few examples of what students
have been doing lately on their global inte-
grative teams:
Vietnam
Creating a Snacking Culture
C rab pellets, shrimp crackers and lobster chips may
not tantalize North American taste-buds, but
these snacks are preferred fare in Vietnam. Just 12
CONSULTANTS TO THE WORLD
Tunch, who now works as a consumer development
manager for Mot Hennessy in New York City, says he
learned lessons that have helped him in his career.
The integrative experience has allowed me to be a
more established marketing manager, he says. I con-
stantly use the tools and strategies that I learned both
in the classroom and on site in Vietnam. Learning
business methods in the classroom is one thing, but to
actually apply them to a real-life scenario at a leading
global company is priceless.
sumer preferences toward health and wellness bever-
ages. Based on their research, the group recommended
that PepsiCo educate Vietnamese consumers on low-
calorie and health-beneficial product offerings, bolster
its partnerships with mini-marts, supermarkets and
hypermarkets, vary container sizes to facilitate on-the-
go purchases, explore market opportunities for iced cof-
fees and teas, and gradually replace glass bottles with
PET (polyethylene terephthalate) packaging.

Pepsico products sold by vendors on the streets of Vietnam.
a highlight of their McDonough experi-
ence. What 2007 McDonough graduate
Renee Baioronus says of the global project
she undertook can probably be said by
every student who has been through it: I
really valued the chance to take on sophis-
ticated challenges and execute everything
we learned on a global scale.
months after being launched by Pepsi Cola, the Poca
brands seafood snacks grabbed market leadership. To
get insights in order to sharpen their long-term mar-
keting strategies, Pepsico Vietnam drew on the expert-
ise of a group of five Georgetown MBA students in
2007: Tunch Doker, Emily Cunningham, John Lally,
Renee Baiorunos and Darren Cogan. The students
aim was to create brand awareness and equity
throughout the country and come up with an effective
pricing and packaging strategy.
We started by analyzing the market and getting accli-
mated to the demographics of this country of 83 mil-
lion, Tunch Doker says. We looked at the consumers
ages, genders, income levels and how people lived in
cities. We noticed that family dynamics were changing,
and that life was becoming more fast-paced, with more
and more people on the run. This was the perfect oppor-
tunity to introduce a snacking culture. The group pre-
sented its proposed strategy, which included creating an
icon associated with the brand and introducing vending
machines to the line-up of distribution channels, in
front of a panel headed by PepsiCo Vietnams CEO.
We learned how incredibly important clear communi-
cation is, says Renee Baioronus, especially in cross-
cultural situations. From simply defining the scope of
our project, to developing recommendations that were
applicable to the Vietnamese market, down to the
details of conveying those recommendations to our
client, establishing clear and effective methods of
communication was more valuable than any of us
would have imagined.
South Africa
Drinking to Health
With over 700 million people poised to enter the mid- Selling the Nation to American Tourists
dle class by 2015, emerging markets in Latin America,
South Asia and the Asia Pacific have become major
drivers of growth for companies like PepsiCo. In
I n 2000, the International Marketing Council (IMC) of
South Africa began trying to create a strong, positive
and united image for the country. In 2008 they called on
2008, a group of Georgetown MBA students helped
Georgetown MBA students Jenny Lee, Victoria Gelfeld,
the company develop marketing and production strate-
Angela Mellon, Alisa Srikacha and Vanessa Ting to
gies to communicate the health and wellness aspects
help them. The students task: provide the IMC with
of the companys beverages to Vietnamese consumers.
research to help build a brand for the country.
The group included Lauren Adamo, Jeffrey Cullen,
Kelly Dirks, Paul LaRusso, Robert Marshall and
The group conducted interviews, desk research and
Nivedita Patel.
analysis and incorporated the perspectives of students,
academicians and international development and nation-
The students started off by studying beverage trends
branding professionals from the US and overseas. Our
in the US as well as other parts of the world. We dis-
research focused on general marketing aspects, says
covered that with rising incomes and changing
Vanessa Ting. We outlined the strategies used by other
lifestyles, about 82 percent of demand for soft drinks
countries and highlighted best and worst practices.
in Vietnam has yet to be exploited, one student says.
Vietnamese consumers are also showing a greater
The students say they were intimidated by the
awareness of their health and drinking more non-car-
prospect of taking their limited knowledge of brand-
bonated fruit-based, vegetable and fibre drinks. With
ing, which was focused on the private sector and US
all the tropical fruits such as longgan, blue dragon,
mango, coconut and rambutan in the country, and a
production capacity that only meets 18 percent of Viet-
namese demand for fruit juices, the potential for
growth was tremendous.
To get a better feel for the Vietnamese market, the group
conducted field research in the streets of Ho Chi Minh
City. They observed both Pepsi and competitor products
in the marketplace and drew conclusions about con-

22 The MBA team focused on branding South Africa

for an American audience. 23
McDONOUGH BUSINESS McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 national brands, and applying it to a nation. So it was
with trepidation that they presented their work to a
panel of seven brand managers at the IMC and one
member of the Board of Directors.
In their presentation, the group stressed the need to be
consistent in the brand message, better utilize public
relations, leverage partnerships to garner maximum
financial support and manage perceptions by tackling
negative issues head-on with concrete facts.
The IMC was more than receptive to their recommenda-
tions. Throughout the presentation we saw a lot of
heads nodding, and at the end we got an enthusiastic
fantastic job! says Vanessa. They gave us glowing
feedback, including a comment from the Board member
that they should work with Georgetown again next year.
As with the Vietnam snack team, the IMC team
learned lessons in communication. This was a great
lesson on the importance of keeping open dialogue
with your client, says Vanessa. We learned you have
to establish expectations up front and then remind
your client of those expectations at the right time.
Then, if expectations werent aligned, it was pretty
easy to get back on the same page. I can imagine if we
waited until the end to check expectations, we would
have faced a difficult situation.
24 Nissan vehicles await shipment from Japan to the Gulf Cooperation
Council member states.
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
Arab Gulf Region
Selling Japanese Cars in the Desert
W ith booming economies driven by oil rev-
enues, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC),
which consists of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait,
Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, is a key market for luxu-
ry car manufacturers. And as one of the leading
Japanese players, Nissan Middle East F.Z.E has a
major stake in the market. To improve its prospects
in the region, Nissan enlisted McDonough students
Suk Won Kim, Jeong Hwang, Jimi Taylor, Chris
Zheng and Saran Raksincharoensak to improve the
accuracy of its Total Industry Volume (TIV) yearly
forecasting model.
During the course of the project, the group researched
historical automotive sales as well as industry and eco-
nomic data for the GCC region automotive industry,
reviewed the existing forecasting model against alterna-
tive forecasting frameworks and selected an appropriate
methodology for the GCC region. The result was a new
and more accurate TIV forecasting model for Nissan in
the GCC Region.
Happy with the outcome of their engagement with
McDonough, Nissan Middle East invited Georgetown
MBA students back in 2008 to further refine the fore-
casting model to project automotive demand by mar-
ket and segment. Jason Chi-Hung Cheng, Kai
Huang, Jill Kiatbaramee, Koichi Kitashita and
Seung Ho Lee did in-depth research on industry and
economic data, analyzed Middle Eastern market
trends to better understand fluctuations and other
variables and evaluated alternative forecasting frame-
works and methodologies. The group developed a new
TIV forecasting model that included explanatory
economic variables that could better estimate TIV
demand by market, year, month and segment level.
The group also produced a TIV forecast for the GCC
region at the market-annual-month-segment level for
April 2008 to March 2013.
The Georgetown MBA team had to learn the ropes of the Brazilian shipping industry.
Brazil
Exploring Opportunities in Brazil
I n 2007, Ugo Amoretti, Edward Crnkovich, Paul
De Young, Florin Jichi and Joe Varadi explored
strategic expansion opportunities for Brazilian compa-
ny Santos Brasil. The company manages and operates
TECON 1, the leading container terminal in South
America, handling more containers in 2005 than the
next five largest Brazilian ports combined. With con-
tainer traffic projected to grow annually by 12 percent
to reach 6.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units
(TEUs) by 2010, Santos Brasil had the potential for
major growth.
To help the company get a clearer picture of its
prospects, the team studied the countrys infrastruc-
ture data and analyzed the South American port indus-
try in depth. According to Ed Crnkovich, the work was
intense. None of us had knowledge of the shipping
industry, so we had to learn about the history of glob-
al shipping, South American ports, the transportation
infrastructure in South America, container shipping
and the kinds of products produced in Brazil, among
other things, he explains. We used public records,
government records, industry reports, public financial
statements and port authority projections.
In the end, they produced five expansion scenarios
that ranged from building a container terminal to
diversifying into value-added logistics. Their recom-
mendations, which were presented to eight decision
makers within the company, were accompanied by a
list of criteria to guide the companys opportunity-
selection process, as well
as a detailed opportunity IN THE END, THEY PRODUCED FIVE
matrix. The panel was
pleased with the groups EXPANSION SCENARIOS THAT
analysis and shocked that
none of the students had
RANGED FROM BUILDING A CON-
worked in shipping prior
TAINER TERMINAL TO DIVERSIFYING
to the project. One of
them commented that this INTO VALUE-ADDED LOGISTICS.
shows Santos how quickly
they needed to act they said the fact that five stu-
dents with no previous industry knowledge could
come up with this analysis and these conclusions tells
us that our global competitors could do the same.
More than a year later, the experience continues to make
a difference, at least in the students lives. It was a great
opportunity and a great project, Crnkovich enthused.
We learned that handling group dynamics and helping
a team to gel are things that have real implications in the
professional environment. And we saw first-hand the
impact of globalization on transportation.
25
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 EDUCATING WORLD
W
ith roughly a third of each full-
time MBA class comprising
international students, the
McDonough School is a truly
global institution. Every year, aspiring business
leaders from countries such as China, Kenya,
Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile and Japan enroll in the
school to take their careers to a new point. With
its global network of alumni, a roster of profes-
sors with substantial international experience, a
curriculum that provides opportunities for cross-
border business experience and a diverse and live-
ly academic and cultural environment, the school
gives students the tools they need to succeed.
Here is a glimpse of a few international students
who are members of the MBA class of 2009:
Bruno Sobrai
Bruno Sobral
Brasilia, Brazil
G lobal opportunities have
already begun to blossom for
Bruno, a civil engineer and econo-
mist with experience working for
the Brazilian federal government. Almost everything
I know about finance, operations, strategy and market-
ing, I learned at the McDonough School, he says.
The training I had here was crucial in getting me the
chance to work at [the Brazilian oil company] Petro-
bras and helping me perform well during my time
there. Georgetown gave me a real-life view of busi-
ness. And my experiences here, from the soccer games
at Yates to beers on the Car Barn rooftop and the life-
long friendships Ive made with people from around
the globe, have turned me into a true world citizen.
26
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
Andreas Hjelde
Oslo, Norway
A
native of Oslo, Norway,
Andreas came to the McDo-
nough School because of its inter-
national orientation, excellent rep-
utation and the opportunities it offered. My
background is in political science, and I worked in gov-
ernment as an advisor prior to business school, he
explained. I realized that even though my job was
great, it would only take me so far. An MBA from a
highly recognized school such as Georgetown would
provide me with the opportunity of working interna-
tionally in the corporate sector.
For Andreas, the school has lived up to its reputation.
The professors are readily available. In fact, one
accounting professor complained that too few students
were coming to his office so he moved to the Car Barn.
That kind of accessibility sets McDonough apart.
Andreas says that while the corporate world may be
highly competitive, the discourse at McDonough is
shaped more by cooperation than cut-throat competi-
tion. Ive asked many of my peers for career advice, and
every student I asked made a serious effort to help me,
Andreas relates. I believe the cooperative spirit at the
McDonough School sets us apart from other top tier
schools. He tells of one student who drove 30 minutes
from home and conducted a practice interview with him
for more than an hour on the students day off. His
classmates help paid off when Andreas landed a job
doing financial modeling for a high-tech company dur-
ing the summer. He was thrilled to be able to take the
holistic approach to solving complex business problems
that he learned at McDonough and use it on the job.
Andreas wants to be able to pay forward the advan-
tages he has gained at the business school. I hope that
with my education, I will find a job that will enable me
CITIZENS
to work all around the globe. And I hope to benefit
from the international network I have gotten here at
Georgetown, while at the same time being of service to
my fellow students and alumni in my future jobs.
Cindy Cui
Beijing, China
C indy was drawn to Georgetown because of its tra-
dition of excellent education, curricular focus on
global business and the resources it offers to interna-
Mike Evans, second from left, in Mongolia
tional students. Because there are so many students
from different countries, the McDonough School
Cindy Cui
offers a great opportunity to learn from international
Mike Evans
practitioners and share ideas, she says.
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Cindy brings experience working in operations and
customer support at IBM in Beijing to the business
A
merican students like Mike have also thrived in
school. Despite the initial McDonoughs global environment. The interna-
challenges presented by
tional student body offers exposure to different cul-
the language barrier and a tures, work ethics and personalities that I might not
very different educational otherwise be exposed to, he says. From playing soc-
system, Cindy believes cer to working in groups, I have gained perspectives
the training at McDo- from people who live in Europe, South America, Africa
nough has enriched her and Asia, Evans, who helped start the schools soccer
professionally. During club, recently returned from an internship in Mongo-
my undergraduate years lia, where he worked in the Economic Section of the
in China, she says, we US embassy, investigating Mongolian economic policy
were always told very issues and writing reports on inflation, mining, avia-
clearly what to do and tion and other topics for the Department of State. His
what the deliverables were, and classes were conduct- training in international business under Professor
ed as lectures. Here, the professor posts the syllabus Nollen, he says, made it easier for him to meet his job
and we are expected to figure out on our own what to requirements, and his exposure to myriad cultures in
do. Also, theres more discussion. Ive already learned the business school helped him adapt quickly and
how to see things from different perspectives. She work well in a foreign environment.
says she thinks more broadly now. I am more inde-
pendent, she says, and Ive already expanded my
skills base to include marketing, strategy management
and consulting.
27
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 J A PA N T R E K
The McDonough School is home to a wide range of international
organizations and activities. Here a group of MBA students gather
during Japan Trek, an eight-day tour through Japanese economic
giants such as Sony and Toyota as well as tourist highlights such
as Osaka and Kyoto.
Sue Choi
Seoul, South Korea
A veteran of the Asian video
game industry, Sues intro-
duction to diverse cultures at the
McDonough School included a
crash course in football. In class, there would be
many references to American culture, TV shows,
movies, sports, she says.
It was sometimes hard
for me to relate. I finally
learned what a touch-
down means. She also
learned how to communi-
cate better with her class-
mates. Respect for lec-
turers in the classroom is
very important in Asian
culture, but in the US, this
attitude is sometimes
misinterpreted as being
too shy, or difficult to talk
Sue Choi
to, or not very smart, she
says. Eventually I got
used to the collaborative
environment in American
classrooms. Knowledge is
meant to be shared. And if
you arent proactive about
things, you lose opportu-
nities.
In her first year at the
McDonough School, Sue
made the most of her
opportunities, garnering meetings with leading tech
companies and Hollywood executives thanks to the
Georgetown Entertainment and Media Alliance.
28
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
GEORGETOWN
MSB STUDENT
CROSSES BORDERS
Shiro Omichi
Tokyo, Japan
WITH NEW BOOK
L ike Cindy, Shiros perspective has been changed by
his interactions at McDonough with fellow busi-
ness professionals from all over the world. In class,
when we talk about whats happening in places like
China in terms of business ethics, having Chinese stu-
O n New Years Day, 2003, McDonough School
student and missionary Mike Kim packed a
couple of duffle bags and set out from Southern Cal-
handed the reigns over to a
management team, but he
still serves as a donor and
dents talk about their opinions and actual experiences
ifornia for the China-North Korea border on a one- consultant to the organiza-
is invaluable, he says. In a sense, we have access to
way ticket. He would spend the next four years lead- tion from time to time.
insider knowledge of business realities. His notions
ing North Korean refugees through the 6,000 mile Kim says his consult-
of leadership have also gained an added, more Ameri-
underground railroad, an experience that would ing work for the organi-
can dimension. Many Japanese blue-chip compa-
become the basis of his recently released book, zation has been greatly
nies think as a group, so strong leadership at the top
Escaping North Korea: Secrets of the Worlds Most enriched by his time at
isnt a necessity, he says.
Isolated Country. the McDonough
I strongly believe that we
During my time there I met and interviewed School. I did a brand
need both. The balance
hundreds of North Koreans and documented their management internship at John-
between the top-down
horrific stories of famine, oppression, imprison- son & Johnson McNeil in Fort Washington,
and bottom-up approach
ment and sex trafficking, he says. But I was also Pennsylvania. As a result of that, as well as the mar-
is important.
inspired by how many of the North Koreans had an keting classes I took at Georgetown, Im able to
amazing will to survive and overcome adversity in think broader and bigger when it comes to market-
Shiros training at McDo-
their lives. His book, which draws on first-hand ing Crossing Borders. He also has found the com-
nough has already bene-
accounts as well as his extensive access to govern- munication training at McDonough invaluable. I
fited Mitsubishi Corpora-
ment officials, journalists and aid workers, is a had a lot of public speaking experience coming into
tion, his educational
glimpse into a hidden world of torture, gulags, reli- Georgetown, he says, but I still have made signifi-
sponsor and a company
gious oppression and famine. cant improvements through doing presentations
he has worked at for nearly a decade. During his sum-
His desire to help the people he met drove him to among my peers and the management communica-
mer internship at Mitsubishi Motors in California, he
set up Crossing Borders Ministries, an organization tions class in particular.
says he was able to apply what he learned in market-
dedicated to aiding North Korean refugees. Original- In the future, the missionary turned NGO organ-
ing and statistics to make suggestions and fill gaps
ly a vehicle for helping North Koreans navigate the izer and author wants to continue making a differ-
that existed between current and best practices.
perilous escape route and gain asylum, the non-gov- ence by writing books and serving as a consultant to
ernmental organization has since established several NGOs. He also hopes to inspire his peers to go after
shelters and orphanages along the border to provide their own dreams. Whatever success Ive achieved
food, clothing, medicine and shelter. to this point, he says, I consider it a result of
Kims leadership for the organization, which dreaming big, never giving up and surrounding
involved vision-casting, recruiting, fundraising and myself with great people. I have never been one who
managing the excellent talent that it had, enabled is afraid to go after my dreams or attempt extremely
Crossing Borders to evolve from a small operation to challenging tasks. Sometimes I fail, and other times
a self-sustaining, independent NGO. He has since my efforts reap great dividends.
29
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 ROBERT EMMETT NEW FACULTY,
McDONOUGH NEWLY TENURED FACULTY,
NEW DEANS
The McDonough School has recently
recruited a number of distinguished
faculty members, given tenure
to others, and brought on board
dynamic new deans.

M
cDonough school namesake
Robert Emmett McDonough,
who passed away on Novem-
ber 21, 2007, was not only a
great friend of the school but also one of its
most faithful workers.
Bob McDonough was a man of excep-
tional intelligence, grace and generosity who
lived the American Dream and worked to
make it possible for others to do so, Dean
Daly said in a message to the school. His
contributions to Georgetown University and
the McDonough School went far beyond his
naming gift. He visited the school often,
always in the spirit
of optimism and
BOB MCDONOUGH WAS A MAN OF EXCEPTIONAL good will that col-
ored his personality
INTELLIGENCE, GRACE AND GENEROSITY WHO
and world view.
LIVED THE AMERICAN DREAM AND WORKED TO McDonough
was a 1949 graduate
MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR OTHERS TO DO SO. of the School of
Foreign Service,
and he served on both the universitys board
of directors and the business schools board
of advisors. Every year he and his wife
Simone welcomed incoming Georgetown
students at a party at their California home.
It is an understatement to say that he will be
missed by all who knew him, Daly said.
After his graduation from Georgetown,
McDonough began establishing himself in
the business world. By 1965, he had served as
an oil executive and had opened the first
office of Remedy Intelligent Staffing, a tem-
porary agency. This Riverside, California
firm has grown to more than 260 offices
across the United States.
Despite his success in business, McDo-
nough never forgot his connection to the
Hilltop and remained an active and devoted
member of the Georgetown community. His
1998 gift to name the school was the largest
single gift in Georgetowns history, arising
from his desire to do something special for
the university. The volunteer leadership
positions he held at Georgetown included
membership on the Alumni Association
Board of Governors and leadership roles in
the Georgetown Club of Orange County. At
the time of his passing, he was serving his
fourth term on the Georgetown University
Board of Directors.
Georgetown will not forget the stalwart
service and generous contributions of Mr.
McDonough, and generations of business
students will know his legacy and example.
NEW FACULTY
Daniel Brooks Baer
Visiting Assistant Professor, Strategy
Daniel Baer arrives at Georgetown after a year
as a faculty fellow at the Edmond J. Safra
Foundation Center for Ethics at Harvard. He
brings experience as a consultant and project
leader in consumer goods and strategy with
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and as a
special assistant in African affairs to the U.S.
Ambassador to the United Nations. While
with BCG, he undertook a series of studies
focused on issues related to U.S. public educa-
tion and international economic development.
Dr. Baer received his Ph.D. in Interna-
tional Relations from Oxford University,
M.Phil in International Relations from
Oxford, and AB in Social Studies and African
American Studies from Harvard.
Dr. Baer graduated summa cum laude and
Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard, and attended
Oxford as a Marshall Scholar. He has written
for a number of international newspapers,
including The Christian Science Monitor, The
Guardian and The Sydney Morning Herald.
His current research focuses on the intersec-
tion of political theory and global business.
Preeti Choudhary
Assistant Professor, Accounting
Preeti Choudhary joins the McDonough
School after completing her Ph.D. in Busi-
ness Administration (Accounting) at the
Fuqua School of Business, Duke University.
She has taught courses in financial account-
ing, accounting information systems and
managerial accounting at Fuqua, the McIn-
tire School of Commerce at the University
of Virginia, and the Robert H. Smith School
of Business at the University of Maryland.
She has also worked as an internal auditor
at The Washington Post Company and as an
auditor on the Enterprise Risk Services staff
of Deloitte & Touche.
In addition to her Ph.D., Dr. Choudhary
received an MS in Accounting and a BS in
Commerce from the McIntire School at the
University of Virginia. She has co-authored
several teaching cases on accounting issues
and customer satisfaction for Harvard Busi-
ness School.
Dr. Choudhary has presented papers on
accounting at several conferences. Her
research interests include earnings manage-
ment, information quality and accounting
choices.

30 31
McDONOUGH BUSINESS McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 J. Bradford Jensen
Associate Professor, Economics and
International Business
Brad Jensen comes to Georgetown from
the Peterson Institute for International
Economics, where he was Associate Direc-
tor. His research focuses on the effects of
international trade and capital movements.
Dr. Jensen received his Ph.D. in Economics
from Stanford University and BA from
Kalamazoo College.
Dr. Jensens recent work examines the
effect of increasing import competition on
U.S. manufacturers and the impact of trade
in services on the U.S. economy. His research
has been supported by the National Science
Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur
Foundation and has been published in the
American Economic Review, Review of Eco-
nomics and Statistics, Journal of Internation-
al Economics, Journal of Monetary Econom-
ics and Harvard Business Review. Dr. Jensens
research has also been cited in popular press
publications including The Economist, The
Wall Street Journal, The New York Times,
Fortune and Business Week.
Prior to joining Georgetown in 2007,
Dr. Jensen served as director of the Center for
Economic Studies at the U.S. Census Bureau,
on the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University
and as a visiting professor at the Tuck School
of Business at Dartmouth College.
32
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
Prashant Malaviya
Associate Professor, Marketing
Prashant Malaviya comes to Georgetown
from INSEAD in France, where he was an
Associate Professor of Marketing. He has
served as a Visiting Associate Professor at
the Wharton School and ALBA Graduate
Business School in Greece and has held
appointments at Northwestern University
and the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Dr. Malaviya received his Ph.D. from
the Kellogg School of Management at
Northwestern University, his MBA from the
University of Delhi and his B.Tech. from the
Institute of Technology, Benaras Hindu Uni-
versity in Varanasi, India. His research
focuses on how consumers use information
to form product evaluations and make judg-
ments. His recent research examines how
meta-cognitions and feelings influence
these evaluations and judgments. He has
taught courses in marketing management,
marketing strategy, brand management, cus-
tomer focus, consumer behavior, advertising
and related topics.
Dr. Malaviya has published articles in
Advances in Consumer Research, Journal of
Consumer Psychology, Journal of Consumer
Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of
Marketing Research, Journal of Marketing
Theory & Practice, and Psychology & Mar-
keting. He was a finalist for the Best MBA
Core Teacher award at INSEAD and was
named Outstanding Reviewer by the Journal
of Consumer Research. He currently serves
on the editorial review board of the Journal
of Consumer Psychology.
Korok Ray
Assistant Professor, Accounting
Korok Ray comes to the McDonough School
from his most recent position as Senior
Economist for the Council of Economic
Advisers at the White House. Before arriv-
ing in Washington he served as Assistant
Professor of Accounting at the University of
Chicagos Graduate School of Business.
Dr. Ray earned his Ph.D. in Economics
from the Stanford Graduate School of Busi-
ness and his BS in Mathematics from the
University of Chicago, where he graduated
summa cum laude. He has given presenta-
tions on accounting and organization theory
at Duke University, Kellogg School of Man-
agement, INSEAD, Singapore Management
University, University of Aarhus, University
of Bonn, University of Chicago and the
Wharton School.
Dr. Ray has published articles in The
Accounting Review and the Journal of
Accounting Research. His research interests
include managerial accounting, perform-
ance measurement, financial regulation and
political economy.
Jason D. Schloetzer
Assistant Professor, Accounting
Jason D. Schloetzer joins the McDonough
School faculty from the Joseph M. Katz
Graduate School of Business at the Univer-
sity of Pittsburgh, where he recently earned
his Ph.D. in Accounting. He received an
MBA from The George Washington Univer-
sity and a BS in Mechanical Engineering
from The University of Kansas.
Dr. Schloetzers research interests
cover inter-firm relationships, performance
measurement systems, managerial incen-
tives, corporate governance and auditing.
He has worked as an internal auditor and
cost analyst for Equant N.V. and as an inter-
nal auditor for Sprint Telecommunications.
He conducted audits in over 30 countries
and integrates this perspective into his
research and the classroom.
Jason Sturgess
Assistant Professor, Finance
Jason Sturgess arrives at Georgetown from
London Business School, where he recently
earned his Ph.D. in Finance as well as an MRes
and MSc in Finance. He also received an MSc
in Weather, Climate & Modelling from The
University of Reading and a BSc in Mathemat-
ics from the University of Nottingham.
Dr. Sturgess has presented papers at
the European Finance Association, at the
European Doctoral Research Conference
and at the Transatlantic Doctoral Confer-
ence in London. He was awarded stu-
dentships from the Economic and Natural
Environment Research Council and the Eco-
nomic and Social Research Council.
Dr. Sturgess conducts research in the
areas of corporate finance, corporate gover-
nance, international finance, banking and
capital budgeting. His recent work has
examined whether multinational firms suc-
cessfully export corporate governance, how
capital market regulation impedes efficiency
and the link between ownership, gover-
nance and value. Prior to completing his
Ph.D., Dr. Sturgess worked in the corporate
finance group at Royal Dutch Shell where
he was involved in international M&A and
project finance.
James Wade
Professor, Strategy and Economics
James Wade taught at Rutgers University
and the Universities of Illinois and Wiscon-
sin before coming to Georgetown.
Dr. Wades research interests include
top management team issues, industry evo-
lution, social movements, the technological
evolution of standards and the impact of
inter- and intra-organizational personnel
flows on organizational and industry-level
outcomes. His articles have been published
in Administrative Science Quarterly, Strate-
gic Management Journal, Academy of Man-
agement Journal, Organization Science,
Rand Journal of Economics, Journal of
Labor Economics and other outlets, and he
is on the editorial boards of Administrative
Science Quarterly, Strategic Organization,
and Journal of Engineering and Technology
Management. He also was a senior editor
for Organization Science and served as the
division chair of the Technology and Inno-
vation Management Division of the Acade-
my of Management.
Dr. Wade holds a BS from Rice Univer-
sity in Mechanical Engineering and worked
as a design and field engineer in the oilfield
services industry. He received an MBA from
the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D.
in Business Administration (Organizational
Behavior and Industrial Relations) from the
University of California at Berkeley.
33
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 FACULTY RECEIVING TENURE
George Comer
Associate Professor, Finance
Professor Comer has been on the faculty of
the McDonough School since 2001 and
teaches Business Financial Management at
the undergraduate level. He has been a
member of the PhD Project Finance Doctor-
al Student Association since its inception
and serves as a faculty advisor for the
organization. Previously, Professor Comer
taught in the analyst training program for
JP Morgan and currently serves as the
finance instructor for the training program
of First Manhattan Consulting Group.
He has a Ph.D. in finance from New
York University, an MA in economics from
Stanford and a BA in economics from the
University of Chicago.
Professor Comers research focuses on
the performance and behavior of institu-
tional money managers. Past research proj-
ects have focused on hybrid mutual funds
and exchange traded funds. His current
research focuses on municipal bond funds,
international mutual funds, and unit invest-
ment trusts.
In 2006, Professor Comer was awarded
the Robert E. McDonough School of Busi-
ness Joseph LeMoine Award for Undergrad-
uate and Graduate Teaching Excellence.
34
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
Robin L. Dillon-Merrill
Associate Professor, Operations and
Information Management
A member of the McDonough School facul-
ty since 2001, Professor Dillon-Merrill
teaches Decision Support Systems at both
the undergraduate and MBA level.
In her research, Professor Dillon-Mer-
rill seeks to understand and explain how and
why people make the decisions that they do
under conditions of uncertainty and risk.
This research specifically examines critical
decisions that people have made following
near-miss events in situations with severe
outcomes (i.e., hurricane evacuation, NASA
mission management, etc.). Her past
research in risk has included supporting the
Department of Energys selection of a new
tritium supply facility, aiding NASAs Jet
Propulsion Laboratory in decision making
for the Mars Exploration Program, and
residencies and the hiring of all adjuncts.
developing a quantitative decision support
tool for the management of software project
resources based on an analysis of both the
information system and the design. She has
received research funding from the National
Science Foundation, NASA, and the Depart-
ment of Defense. She has also served as a
risk analysis and project management expert
on several National Academies Committees
including the Review of the New Orleans
Regional Hurricane Protection Projects.
She has a B.S. / M.S. from the Universi-
ty of Virginia in Systems Engineering and a
Ph.D. from Stanford University.
NEW DEANS
Valeria Bellagamba
Assistant Dean, Academic Planning
Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina,
Valeria Bellagamba worked in consumer
banking at Citigroup before coming to the
US for graduate school at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she
earned her MBA. She speaks Spanish, Por-
tuguese, Italian, French and German and
loves to run, ski and read lots and lots.
Most recently she served as Director of
Enrollment Management at The George
Washington University School of Business.
At the McDonough School she over-
sees scheduling and planning of curriculum
envoy and community organizer and as a
offerings, including analyzing supply and
U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Africa. She
demand for courses as well as revising new
offerings. She also administers the global
Her attitude toward work: Smile and get
the job done the best you can!
Jeannette Frett Cindy McCauley
Assistant Dean, Assistant Dean and Director,
MBA Career Management MBA Student Services
Jeannette Frett comes to Georgetown with Cindy McCauley worked in day-care man-
extensive experience in corporate, govern- agement before entering the world of busi-
ment and non-profit organizations. A DC ness schools. She arrives at the McDonough
native, she returned to the District in 2007
after being hired by Fannie Mae to serve as I WANT TO HELP STUDENTS HAVE A GOOD
VP for Recruiting. Prior to Fannie Mae, she
was Senior Vice-President of Human EXPERIENCE HERE. THIS MEANS SUPPORTING THEM
Resources at Banco Popular and a director
in international and domestic Human
BUT ALSO EMPOWERING THEM TO SUCCEED.
Resources at Verizon, where she held posi-
tions in human resources strategy and Cindy McCauley, Assistant Dean and Director, MBA Student Services
mergers & acquisitions, leadership develop-
ment, staffing and labor relations. Jeannette School from Fox School of Business at Tem-
worked in the 1996 U.S. Olympics as an ple University. A graduate of Robert Morris
University in Pittsburgh, she has spent most
of her professional life in Pennsylvania.
received her BA from Wells College in Auro- As assistant dean for MBA Student
ra, New York and studied Spanish at the Services, Cindy intends to establish better
University of Sevilla in Spain. She received structure and services in her area. I want
her MBA from the University of Maryland. to help students have a good experience
Her new job energizes her because she here, she says. This means supporting
will be able to focus on her passion: the them but also empowering them to succeed.
development of value-based, global leaders.
As assistant dean, she is committed to help-
ing MBA students (full-time and evening
programs) realize their career goals. She
will work with employers and alumni to
identify career options for future leaders
coming out of Georgetowns MBA programs.
35
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 Anthony Pirrotti
Assistant Dean,
Undergraduate Program
Anthony Pirrotti says he was drawn to the
McDonough School because of its openness
to innovation. He sees creativity as a hall-
mark of the McDonough community, some-
thing that sets it apart from traditional aca-
demic culture.
He graduated from Georgetown with a
major in Renaissance literature, then worked
as an editor, actor, high school teacher, and
student services employee for the George-
ALUMNI HAVE A LOT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE UNDER-
GRADUATE EDUCATION OF OUR STUDENTS.
Anthony Pirrotti, Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Program
town Law Center. He continues to research
and teach Renaissance literature in addition
to his duties at the McDonough School.
Anthony works primarily with juniors
and seniors to assist them with professional
development and networking. He has also
revitalized the Young Alumni Mentor Pro-
gram, where alumni help students develop
meaningful careers. Alumni have a lot to
contribute to the undergraduate education
of our students, he says.
36
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
Mary Anne Waikart
Assistant Dean,
Executive Masters Programs
Before coming to Georgetown, Mary Anne
Waikart worked at London Business School
as Associate Dean and Director of the MBA
program. She has also served as Chair of the
Board of the GMAC, the organization that
owns the GMAT test, and MBA Director at
the University of Maryland College Park.
Earlier in her career she was president of a
start-up company taking government data
and turning it into marketable products.
In her current position, Mary Anne
oversees all the executive masters pro-
grams at the McDonough School, includ-
ing the International Executive MBA, the
Global Executive MBA and the Executive
Masters in Leadership. She says she is
working to involve alumni from all three
programs in both the admissions and the
marketing processes at the school. She is
proud to say she has a son who is an army
officer in Iraq.
Kelly Wilson
Assistant Dean and Director,
Full-Time MBA Admissions
Kelly Wilson directed admissions for full-
time and part-time MBA programs at the
University of Pittsburgh for nine years, ris-
ing to assistant dean, before coming to
Georgetown. Prior to her time at Pitt she
worked for Pricewaterhouse-Coopers and in
admissions at George Mason University, the
latter position while getting her MBA. She
has served on the board of directors of the
Graduate Management Admissions Council
as well as on the selection committee for
the Muskie Fellowship for students from
former Soviet nations.
Kelly now oversees marketing and
recruiting for the full-time MBA program
and is working to implement a customer
relationship management (CRM) system for
the program. Her aim is to make every
student applying to the MSB feel that he
or she is the only student applying. The
CRM system will serve up customized web-
content based on individual students
interests and questions.
L
ast year we just had renderings of
what we expected the building to
look like, says Virginia Flavin,
Director of Facilities Planning and
Special Events. Now we have a real struc-
ture to show off! With the dramatic glass,
brick and stone edifice of the new McDo-
nough School building essentially com-
plete, the building is on target for opening
in mid 2009.
Work now focuses mainly on interior
finishes, such as flooring and wood trim, as
well as creating spaces that will both func-
tion well and be aesthetically appealing. The
design theme is sophistication with a sense
of excitement and fun. While the building is
an academic structure, there has been a con-
certed effort to mirror a corporate atmos-
phere, especially in many of the buildings
signature spaces: the atrium, the colloquium,
student commons and office reception areas.
The academic structure reflects an effort
to mirror a corporate atmosphere.
THE INTERIOR OF
Flavin is working with The designers have
the Washington, D.C. office THIS BEAUTIFUL paid special attention to the
of a prominent design firm, audio/visual technology in
RTKL, to select the furnish-
STRUCTURE IS the auditorium, including
ings for the building. The WONDERFULLY the state-of-the-art high-
interior of this beautiful definition television sys-
structure is wonderfully ARTICULATED BY tem. The structure for the
articulated by some stun-
SOME STUNNING third floor plaza linking the
ning architectural ele- new building to the Leavey
ments, Flavin says. There ARCHITECTURAL Center was finished in the
are support columns that summer, with the entire
span four floors, an exciting
ELEMENTS plaza slated for comple-
central atrium, bridges that tion by spring 2009. Plans
take one from the central stairway that floats include finishing the roadway and the grad-
in the atrium space into a beautiful wood-clad ing around the building before the ground
pavilion. The furnishings will both comple- freezes in winter.
ment and energize all the interior spaces. Construction has been largely trouble-
Theyll enhance the state-of-the-art technolo- free, with only minor construction delays
gy in the building and offer everyone a wel- stemming in part from the complexity of the
coming and exciting place in which to study auditorium design that includes a very
and work. advanced technology plan, unexpected below
ground excavation issues, and sequencing
work in the large, complicated atrium space.
When the building is completed, it will serve
as a dynamic space for communication and
collaboration for the McDonough School
community as well as a recognizable symbol
of the school for many years to come.
The glass facade will make a bold state-
ment to the campus and the world. 37
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 ALUMNINOTES
IEMBA 2006
Jen McDonald recently left Revo-
lution Health and is moving west
with her husband and daughter to
Kansas City, Missouri to be closer
to family. Shes accepted a position
at the marketing/advertising agency
VML (part of NASDAQ: WPPG)
as a Group Account Director.
MBA 2006
Lawrence Pearlman headed to
Rome after graduation to work for
the United Nations World Food
Program on a year-long contract.
After his contract ended, he took
his motorcycle and embarked on
a year-long journey from Scandi-
navia to Australia. Currently in
Europe, he is moving back to the
US soon.
Lawrence Pearlman
Yousef Shamoun started an online
recruitment company called Akhta-
boot.com, which has been active
since June 2007. Akhtaboot, which
is Arabic for Octopus, is dedicated
to finding a user-friendly way of
linking the right person to the right
career opportunity. He also recently
launched a website for card games
tailored to the Arab world called
We encourage you to send updates about yourself for inclusion in future issues of McDonough Business.
Please send to classnotes@msb.edu, or post notes to hoyasonline at https://alumni.georgetown.edu.
To submit a class note to the university alumni magazine Georgetown Magazine, please mail your note
to Classnotes, 2115 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20007, or fax it to 202-687-2311.
38
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
Angela and Raymond
Sulentic, both MBA 06, with
their new son, Chase.
Jawaker.com (plural for Joker in
Arabic), which has been online
since August of this year. Both
websites were developed through
his web development company
Boundless.
Overjoyed parents Raymond
Sulentic and Angela Sulentic
(Fajardo), both 2006 MBAs, wel-
comed the newest addition to their
family on August 14, 2008: Chase
Fajardo Sulentic. Chase anticipates
being a Hoya in 2037. Angela is
still at LOreal Paris and Raymond
at UBS OConnor Hedge Fund.
Rachel Rettman, true to form,
is doing some interesting things
these days. After working at Levis,
Barclays Global Investors, and
UBS private wealth management
in San Francisco she moved to LA
and is currently becoming a highly
trained Pilates instructor with the
goal of opening her own studio or
studios, as well as possibly becom-
ing a Licensed Massage Therapist.
She plans to also possibly become
a life improvement coach of sorts,
helping people to overcome what-
ever they might need in order to
potentiate themselves combining
fitness with her business prowess to
improve peoples lives. Feel free to
be in touch at rrettman@gmail.com.
Undergrad 2004
Kirk and Ashley Syme (both
B04) were married on August 2,
2008 at Saint Ignatius Church in
San Francisco. Rev. Philip L.
Boroughs, S.J., Vice President for
Mission & Ministry, was the Princi-
pal Celebrant, assisted by Rev. Eric
A. Zimmer, S.J., former Assistant
Professor of Communications. In
attendance were over a dozen
fellow Hoyas.
IEMBA 9 (2004)
Class Correspondents:
Mike Willhelm,
mikewillhelm@yahoo.com
Amy Appleby,
amydapples@aol.com
Myleeta Aga and her family have
moved to Mumbai, India where
Myleeta will be starting up a new
television network called Whats
On TV. Myleeta, previously nomi-
nated for an Emmy award, is the
Co-Founder and Channel Head for
Whats On TV.
Alice Boyer Wiewel has relocated
to Portland, OR and will be work-
ing for the Oregon University Sys-
tem in their Capital Construction
division. Alice had previously
worked for Georgetown University.
Additionally, Alices husband Wim
was named to the distinguished
post of president of Portland State
University.
Webb Dryfoos married Emily
Elizabeth Barrett in Bluemont, VA
in March. Webb still works at
NeuStar, Inc..
Webb (IEMBA 9) and Emily
Elizabeth Dryfoos were mar-
ried in March, 2008.
Kirk and Ashley Syme (both B04) were married on August 2,
2008. First row (L-R): Christopher R.M. Henderson '03, Christian
R. Jenner 03, Stephen M. Feiler '02, Katie Mullaney 05, Kirk
Syme 04, Ashley Syme 04, Shannon Cunningham 04, Jessica
Schatz 04, Aimee Scott 04, Jen Rooke 04, David Childs 04 Norrell at the Kona Village Resort
Second row: Aimee Harris 98, Greg Mullaney 05, Rev. Philip
L. Boroughs, S.J., Rev. Eric A. Zimmer, S.J., John V. Coghlan 06,
Glenn Schatz 04. Third row: Jim Harris 99, Jim Gregoire 04
Cheryl Contee recently launched Croughton. Lea also married Drew
Fission Strategy, a bicoastal social Raw in July 2008. Drew is from
media communications consulting Yorkshire, England.
firm based in San Francisco and
Thomas Pablo and his wife
Washington DC. Fission Strategy
Jennifer delivered their third boy
consults clients on integrating Web
Callum Thomas on 15 Feb 2008.
2.0 and social media techniques
Callum is joining his brothers
including blogs, Facebook, Twitter,
Burke and Reilly. Thomas also just
Bebo, and other sources into their
recently completed his first Hood
outreach and communications
to Coast Relay Race. His team fin-
initiatives.
ished with an impressive 25:21:21
Jeff Ezell was recently promoted to
Sujat Sukthankar has accepted a
Director of Worldwide Public Rela-
new position as General Manager
tions for BD (Becton, Dickinson
of Best Nomos, a company that
and Company), a leading global
develops products used in the
medical technology company head-
detection and treatment of cancer.
quartered in Franklin Lakes, NJ.
In addition to his GM duties at
Nomos, Sujat is also responsible for
all new product development with-
in the Best Medical International
family of companies worldwide.
Although the offices are located in
Pittsburgh, PA, Sujat will continue
to live in New York while managing
staff in Pittsburgh and worldwide
locations.
Dave Weinreich and his wife Jen
had twin boys Alexander Steven
and Zachary Michael on 16 April
2008. Welcome to the new
additions.
Larry Williams completed two full
Ironman triathlons during the first
Lea Kirkwood was
half of 2008. Larry completed
promoted to Lieutenant
Ironman South Africa on April
Colonel in April 2008.
5th in a mind-boggling
11 hours, 13 minutes and
Lea Kirkwood was promoted to 34 seconds. Then the
Lieutenant Colonel in April 2008 machine finished the
and took command of the United Lake Placid Ironman in
States 422 Air Base Squadron in 11:19:25 on July 26th.
the United Kingdom at RAF
Larry Williams
IEMBA 8 (2003)
Class Correspondent:
Tina Elsner,
tinaelsner@hotmail.com
Oscar Avalle and his wife, Erica,
welcomed their first child, Mateo
Avalle, on August 18, 2008.
Robert Burger and his wife,
Debra, welcomed their first child,
Seth Jacob Burger, on August 11,
2008.
Stephanie Cinocco married Joe
and the four other senior officers
on the Big Island of Hawaii on
April 26th, 2008. Stephanie and
Joe have moved to Placitas, New
Mexico.
Mark Damato and his wife,
Kristin, welcomed their first child,
Collin Mark Damato, on November
8, 2007.
Ronaldo Ferreira married Maria
Leopoldina Machado in Curitiba,
Brazil on December 8, 2007.
Lisa Gomez has returned to
Deloitte Consulting as a Senior
Manager in the Strategy and Oper-
ations practice. Lisa and her family
have also moved to a country
estate in Waterford, VA.
Greg Hamilton and his wife, Mau-
reen, welcomed their third girl, Julie
Cadwallader Hamilton, on Novem-
ber 6, 2007.
Kamonte McCray has accepted a
promotion as Vice President, New
England Operations for Xerox
Corporation in Boston, MA.
Ali Sadrieh has been promoted to
Group Vice President, Environmen-
tal Services Group, at Plexus Scien-
tific Corporation, an Alexandria-
based employee-owned company.
MBA 2002
Joanne Perlman has been accept-
ed into the prestigious Broad Resi-
dency in Urban Education. The
program places early-career execu-
tives from the private or civic sec-
tors into two-year, full-time paid
positions at the top levels of
urban school systems across the
country. Joanne will be work-
ing with the Chicago Pub-
lic Schools to improve
management practices
and advance change ini-
tiatives, such as creating new
schools, improving human resource
management, overhauling district
budgeting processes and rolling out
major technology systems.
IEMBA 6 (2001)
Class Correspondent:
Bob Wagoner,
robert.c.wagoner@saic.com
Terri Stafford Thomas was pro-
moted to Chief Executive Officer of
BRTRC in November 2006. She
then completed a full management
buyout of the company, signing on
the dotted line in June 2007.
BRTRC, headquartered in Fairfax,
Virginia, provides focused profes-
sional services to Federal Govern-
ment agencies. The company has
grown steadily over the past 20
years to an organization with over
180 employees and revenues in
excess of $27M in 2006. Terri
reports shes having a great time
with thisthe buyout was like get-
ting a 2nd MBA and the CEO job
has been an entirely new level of
learning as well. Congratulations
to our new CEO.
John and Sarah Meekhofs start-
up company, Capstone Consulting
Group, LLC received the Depart-
ment of Homeland Securitys Small
Business Achievement Award from
the DHS Undersecretary for Man-
agement in the spring 2008. The
award recognized their support to
the DHS Office of Health Affairs
Avian and Pandemic Influenza Pro-
gram. Capstone also won 2008s
Business Plan Contest through the
Community Business Partnership
in Springfield, Virginia. As a result
of winning this competition, John
and Sarah were interviewed on the
Arnett Report for August, a pub-
lic service television show that
spotlights unique business and mar-
keting in the DC metro region. Visit
Capstone at www.capstone-cg.com.
David Messina has taken on a new
job as Managing Director of the
Global Security Division for Lock-
heed Martin UK. David relocated to
London in June 2008 and figures
hell be putting his IEMBA skills to
excellent use in his new position.
Bob Wagoner was promoted to
Vice President and Manager of the
39
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
 Advanced Systems and Technol-
ogy Division at Science Applica-
tions International Corporation
in February, 2007. Bobs division
of 100 scientists and engineers
is based in Arlington, VA and
generates $35M in annual rev-
enue. The division supports over
30 projects in diverse fields
including theater air and missile
defense, radar performance
assessment, adaptive signal
processing, systems engineer-
ing, hydrodynamic code devel-
opment, dynamic simulation,
threat assessment, defense poli-
cy analysis, and distributed and
networked system development.
Chris King retired from the
Army recently and took a posi-
tion with BAE Systems focused
on International Business Devel-
opment. Chris reports he found
the IEMBA schooling helpful
while in the military and is sure
that trend will continue in the
private sector. BAE Systems is
a global company engaged in the
development, delivery and sup-
port of advanced defence and
aerospace systems in the air,
on land and at sea.
MBA 1992
Debbie Mercer Cifone has been
working at Taco Bell/Yum!
Restaurants for 13 years. Recent-
ly, she worked on the team that
launched the brand into its first
new country in years, in Mexico
of all places. Currently, shes
leading the team and agencies
that produce all the merchandis-
ing and signage you see in the
restaurants. Shes also leading a
complete redesign of the packag-
ing, something you will all get to
see next year at your local Taco
Bell. Debbie is married to Rocky
Cifone and they have one son,
J.R. (3 1/2) and are expecting
another child next year. They
live in Laguna Niguel, CA
and can be reached at
debbie.cifone@yum.com.
Karen OSuch Gorman is
keeping busy in San Francisco
with her husband Bill and their
two young children, Trip (6)
and Elizabeth (3). If you are
visiting the Bay Area, she would
love to hear from you at
40
McDONOUGH BUSINESS
karenosuchgorman@aol.com.
Karens also comparing child-
related notes with [getting
expertise from!]Valerie Parker
regularly, especially when
their two families get together.
Valeries married to Peter
Mellen (MBA 98). Valeries
busy in Bethesda with her two
children, Elisabeth (4) and
Will (3). Negotiating skills from
school sure do come in handy
for both of them these days.
Valerie can be reached at
val.parker@gmail.com
Eser Ozdeger is the Associate
Director of Communications for
YOUNG ALUMNI MENTOR PROGRAM
the Maret School in Washing-
ton, DC. Her son Taylon is 10.
In April, Mitchell Rubenstein
became Managing Partner/
Executive Producer of 1K
Studiosa 10 year old entertain-
ment marketing firm specializ-
ing in DVD and Blu-ray inter-
face design, behind-the-scenes
featurettes, and interactive con-
tent. This year, the company
has worked on films such as
The Dark Knight, Ironman, and
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull.
Amy Wright is married and
living on Capitol Hill in Wash-
ington, DC. She is currently
the CEO of an Information
Technology consulting firm she
founded in 2000, Macro Solu-
tions, focused on Enterprise
Systems (Accounting, HR/Pay-
roll, and Supply Chain systems)
for the Federal government.
Their offices are in Arlington,
VA, and the company has
achieved steady growth for
the past 8 years.
MBA 1984
Since graduating, Carolyn
Griffin has been involved with
MetroStage, a professional
theatre in Alexandria, serving
the Washington metro area and
beyond. She is the Producing
Artistic Director and has pro-
duced world premieres and area
premieres in the 130 seat
theatre. In 2007, she was hon-
ored as a Living Legend of
Alexandria for her work as
a champion of live theatre.
Don't miss the chance to learn,
network and reconnect with classmates.
John Carrol Weekend | April 1619, 2009 | New York
Interact with international, business and political leaders and
enjoy a host of educational panels, cultural tours and social
events in the company of Georgetown University alumni, stu-
dents, faculty and friends.
W
hen he was an undergraduate student in the
McDonough School, Jim Gregoire wasnt sure At the Georgetown Global Forum, gain exclusive access to
what kind of career he wanted. He ended up liking the renowned philanthropists and leaders from academia, NGOs
direction he finally chose he is now a senior consult-
and the public and private sectors as they address the ques-
ant with Infrastructure Management Groupbut he
tion Profit, Policy and Philanthropy The Key to Global
couldnt get out of his mind the turmoil hed gone
through. I wish Id had someone to talk to about all Development? Join us in New York City for this one-of-a-
GEORGETOWN
this, he says. kind educational and networking opportunity.
UNIVERSITY
Jim went to Dean Daly and asked if there was a
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION To learn more, visit http://jcw.georgetown.edu.
way he could do something for current students.
Indeed there was. Dean Daly put Jim in touch with the
undergraduate office, and Jim ended up working with
Anthony Pirrotti, the new Assistant Dean for the A WEEK END OF SOCI A L , CULT UR A L A ND INTELLECT UA L ENGAGEMENT
Undergraduate Program. One of Anthonys initiatives
was to revive the Young Alumni Mentor Program. The
match was perfect.
The YAMP involves about 40 alumni in the DC area,
almost all of whom graduated within the last 10
years. Current undergraduate students are matched
with alumni according to the students fields of inter-
est, with no more than four students per alum. The
program has several formal events each year as well
as informal get-togethers. Alumni help students by,
among other things, looking at resumes, hosting vis-
its to their workplace and setting up interviews.
Last year 110 students participated, and Anthony
expects even more this year.
Students seem to have really loved it, Anthony
says. And alumni have heard about it and want to
participate. He hopes to start a chapter in New York
City next summer for students interning there.
Alumni, take note!
SUPPORT YOUR REUNION:
Reunion Panels and Networking
Ensure a strong class turnout and help advise and support the
McDonough reunion events. Contact us at alumni@msb.edu or
202-687-4983.
May 28th-31st The events feature a new format with special attention to the
BECOME A CLASS OR REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE:
Magis Alumni and Classes of 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974,
needs of our alumni in challenging market conditions.
Please contact alumni@msb.edu to become a class or regional 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999 and 2004 Find an event near you:
representative.
http://reunion.georgetown.edu http://msb.georgetown.edu/alumni/