Hello INSEADers,
What a ride in the last three months since our September newsletter! The staggering number and impact of recent events, and resulting volatility and emotions is simply overwhelming: from the meltdown of the U.S. financial sector, the stock market deep slide, and the “bailout,” to the worst recession since the great depression, to the election of a “really new” president for the U.S. I think we can all do with a nice big, fun party (in the good old INSEAD tradition!) at the beginning of the year to kick off a new era.
So, save the date!
Welcome 2009 as if it were 1929!
The INSEAD U.S. Winter Ball will take place on the 24th of January at the Park on 10th Avenue
(at 18th Street) in NYC at 7 p.m. Details follow.
INSEAD USA’s Casino Night: Black Jack – Poker – Roulette – Raffle –Auction – Jazz – Dancing –
Cuban cigars (outside only, weather permitting) and more …
Dress: Roaring 20s or Black Tie
Do not miss it; kick off 2009 in a great way! Sign up here.
On a different note, last October I attended, representing the U.S., the International Alumni Association reunion in Bergamo, Italy. As usual, the organization of the event was very good, with interesting meetings and excellent food and wine. Once again, INSEAD and its alumni network proved that no matter where we are in the world, they can put together a great event!
Many things were discussed and there was in general a lot of enthusiasm despite the obvious trying times. The INSEAD Connect website is making good progress and we are evaluating its use for the USIAA. But the most interesting item on the agenda was the new Career Services being offered to alumni (that you will read about in this newsletter). As a business school, one key factor of success is the job opportunities that INSEAD can offer, leveraging its network worldwide. INSEAD launched last month a new dedicated job board and CV bank called CareerLink, ready for use by recruiters and alumni. CareerLink allows you to access both current students and alumni at all levels of experience. Combining the best features of a targeted jobs board and an elite CV bank, the service started in October 2008. Responses to the alumni mailing are flooding in: 5,039 emails were opened on the first half-day alone, and 500 alumni have already registered on CareerLink! We highly recommend that you register and be part of it as there are many obvious benefits. On a similar note if you have jobs and/or other opportunities to offer, please do share them. This is the very best time to make our network work at its best.
We can feel gratified in knowing that the institution we are all proud to have attended has responded so quickly to the current economic situation to provide an even stronger collection of services for its alumni. But these are challenging times, and the environment in which we find ourselves also means that INSEAD needs the support of its alumni now more than ever. If you have not already made a gift to support the 2008-09 Alumni Fund drive, I encourage you to do so. Your participation and generosity in doing what you can will make an important difference in what our school is able to accomplish. And, it is easy to do. Just visit www.giveto.insead.edu, or you can contact Kacey Foster, INSEAD’s recently appointed director of development for the United States, at or 646.254.6915.
Lastly, as an alumni service organization we always need new volunteers to help organize great events, networking opportunities, and social gatherings for our alumni, so please join your local chapter and, if you can, contribute a bit of time to help us continue to raise INSEAD’s profile for the benefit of us all. I look forward to your participation in the USA Alumni Association in the coming year.
There are already many exciting events planned for 2009: scheduled visits from INSEAD professors, industry events, our annual Salamander Ski Cup, our annual Salamander Golf Cup, and more. Make sure you check our website www.inseadusa.com for updates.
I wish you all and your families the best for the holidays.
Ciao,
Tommaso, MBA '90D, President USIAA
Return to “In this Issue”
Happenings in the INSEAD Community
Alumni Sustainability Roundtable
Launched in 2003, the Alumni Sustainability Roundtable brings together senior level executive alumni, industry experts and academics to discuss and debate the business impact of sustainable development. Guided by a Steering Board of senior alumni in collaboration with the INSEAD Social Innovation Centre, the Roundtables have been held two to three times per year on the Fontainebleau Campus. Building on the European-based sessions, efforts are now underway to initiate a similar series in North America, led by Kiku Loomis, MBA’93D.
A new book, Sustainable Development: Perspectives from the Alumni Sustainability Roundtable, edited by Kai Hockerts and Luk N. Van Wassenhove, provides a cross section of the topics discussed over the last six years at Roundtable meetings, highlighting diverse contributions such as practitioner commentary, academic research, and in-depth case studies. From the 50 keynote speakers of the past six years, the book highlights 10 presentations that are both impactful and representative of the type of discussions held at the Roundtable.
Click here to download your copy.
Megan Pillsbury, MBA'07J, Executive Director, INSEAD Social Innovation Centre
* * *
New leadership team for the Washington DC Alumni group!
It is my pleasure to announce that Carlos Montemayor and Somit Goyal have volunteered to co-lead the Alumni group in DC. Somit is MBA '06J and Carlos is '96J, a nice span of generations! They took a head start with a survey of their regional alumni group and are now busy planning their event calendar, stay tuned DC Alumni!
Welcome Carlos and Somit and best wishes for success in this new role.
Brigitte Morel-Curran, EVP, Regions, MBA'78J
* * *
Faculty Book Tours in February 2009
In early February Soumitra Dutta, Dean of External Relations, the Roland Berger Professor of Business and Technology and co-author Matthew Fraser, British-Canadian journalist will be visiting key cities for the launch of their book titled “Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom”. The book examines the impact of social networking at three different levels: first, our informal interactions with others; second, our formal relationships inside organisations; and third, our consumer behaviour in the marketplace and citizenship participation in society. These three forms of social interaction – personal, organisational, and consumer/civic – constitute the three sections of the book. They also correspond to the book’s thematic structure, which we have called “ISP” – identity, status, and power. Social interaction is largely concerned with questions related to our personal identity. Our place within organisational structures is determined by notions of status. And our behaviour as consumers and citizens are dominated by issues related to power.
Please join in on the books facebook page.
Soumitra and Matthew would be very happy to collaborate with regional chapters for specific events, presentations to alumni or interested corporate friends. If you are interested in setting up an event, please contact Mary Lee Rieley, Executive Director for INSEAD North America, 917 371 2281, or Raj Singh, Vice President of INSEAD faculty relations for the NAA
Mary Lee Rieley, Executive Director for INSEAD North America
Raj Singh,
VP Faculty Liaisons, MBA '93D
* * *
Alumni Vacation at Club Med
We have a group of 30 going to Club Med Pacific in Ixtapa, Mexico, next February 1 to 7….
11 alumni and their families, including nine children. This is the first INSEAD vacation week of its kind launched in the U.S. At an all-inclusive-price of $666 (without air), this is a true bargain. There might still be some room left at this price, so if you are interested, contact Jag Rao, Rao5@optonline.com immediately.
We had many more alumni interested in this vacation package, but some had to cancel and others had conflicts with their children’s school schedules. We offered a second package to Punta Cana in Dominican Republic or to Cancun, Mexico, to coincide with most of the school holidays starting Feb. 14, but the response from our alumni was poor, perhaps because of the high price during the peak season and the growing concerns about the economic downturn and job security.
We are considering the next Club Med vacation to Martinique next fall after the hurricane season. More on this will follow. If you have other ideas for our alumni vacation club, please let us know.
Jag Rao, Vice President, Careers, MBA, '64
Return to “In this Issue”
Career Link: Another great reason to join the USIAA!
Launched in late October 2008, CareerLink brings together alumni, executive search firms and corporate recruiters who wish to find and/or fill new career opportunities.
Combining a targeted jobs board and elite CV bank, CareerLink offers you as INSEAD alumni access to:
- Search for new job opportunities using specific criteria (geographic region, industry sector, company name, keywords), including full-time, part-time or consultancy opportunities
- Approve your career profile and post your CV for recruiters to access, with a facility to bar recruiters who you do not wish to view your profile
For alumni who are recruiting, CareerLink enables you to:
- Post new job opportunities specifying the level of experience required, amongst other criteria
- Download up to 100 INSEAD alumni profiles per month free of charge
Alumni members can access the career development support website (including resources on topics such as résumé building and skills profiling) and receive discounts for various fee-paying online career tools and recruitment services.
CareerLink is designed to support the entire alumni community - not just those who are looking for new jobs and not just MBA graduates. Our aim is to help you make the most of your career at any stage - from the moment you graduate well into retirement. Even if you are not contemplating a career move right now, CareerLink is the ideal way to check that you are reaching your full potential.
CareerLink represents a new generation in career market database with its job bank and our CV pool, which efficiently brings together job seekers and job providers, including headhunters. It is the result of years of effort by INSEAD and the International Alumni Association in gathering user requirements, planning, developing, testing and now the execution of enhanced career search tools that many of us have been asking for. Its timing is most opportune in the current worldwide economic climate -- sub-prime mortgage, financial meltdown, credit crunch, recession, and consequent unemployment and high job demand. Let us try to make the best use of it whether we are searching for employment as a new graduate, looking for a career change, or seeking INSEAD alumni to hire for our organizations.
Since access to CareerLink is available only to members of national INSEAD alumni associations, we hope this will prompt our alumni who are not currently members to join the U.S. alumni association or, in the case of discontinued membership, to rejoin.
We would appreciate your feedback on CareerLink's usefulness, usability, ease of use, and areas for improvement.Click here to join now!
* * *
Wanted… Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
This is the constant cry heard everywhere these days. Now more than ever, in these truly trying times of global recession, jobs are desperately needed, even by our star alumni, not just in the financial services, but in every industry and economic sector.
How can we help?
- Alumni, help each other. Do you have any openings in your organization, For-profit or Non-profit where our alumni might fit in? Do you know of anyone else hiring outside? Do you know of any openings coming up in the new year? Let other alumni know by posting those opportunities on our Web, either directly or by e-mail to me.
- Chapter Presidents – please appoint career services persons for your regions so that there is someone to focus on this important issue and to help unemployed alumni in the region.
- Chapters – please organize periodic career-networking events, with or without outside speakers or panelists. These events can not only facilitate exchange of ideas, provide leads, guidance and counsel, but also act as morale boosters.
INSEAD’s newly launched CareerLink (see above) is a vast improvement over job search tools previously available to us and should alleviate the pain in the search process. Fellow alumni, if you are not already members of our national association, please join now for only $75 a year, so that you are eligible to access CareerLink.
* * *
Job Opportunities
For job details, see the Job Opportunities section below, or go to the Employment Opportunities pages in the Career Services Section of our website: http://www.inseadusa.com.
Jag Rao, Vice President, Careers, MBA, '64
Return to “In this Issue”
Northern California and Northwest region, Rich Pulliam, MBA '04D, President
Northern California is building up to a fantastic year in 2009 and kicking it off with a HOLIDAY BASH in San Francisco at The Bubble Lounge on Saturday January 10th! The details are below:
HOLIDAY PARTY COMING UP on SATURDAY JANUARY 10th!!!
Do you miss fun Bay Area INSEAD parties of yesteryear? Do you wish that there were more opportunities to get to know other Bay Area INSEAD alumni? Do you want to optimize the strength of your INSEAD alumni base? Do you like having fun?
If the answer to these questions is YES, then here's your chance to gather 'round, raise a glass, kiss 2008 goodbye (Thank God), meet and greet new bay area alumni and rekindle old relationships. We want to make 2009 a huge improvement over years past and that's why the 2009 holiday party will be special.
The party venue is the elegant Bubble Lounge (a French joint, INSEADers!) in downtown San Francisco. Enjoy hors d'oeuvres, filet mignon sandwiches and petite desserts plus sumptuous champagne and wine in a cocktail party style atmosphere. We want everyone to mingle and be merry, so no sitting down! Not only will you be impressed by the food and drink, but you'll love the company.
But, of course, this can't happen without you! Your INSEAD alumni needs you, yes YOU to come out for the party! Duh! See you there!
Details:
Location: The Bubble Lounge, 714 Montgomery Street, San Francisco
When: Saturday January 10th
Time: 7-10pm
Parking: Moderately Difficult. No Valet.
Attire: Festive Cocktail Attire
Guests of INSEADers are highly encouraged to attend!
Prices:
You can purchase the tickets at this Acteva link: http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=172311
Tickets purchased before December 22nd:
IAA member price: $25
Non IAA Member & Guest Price: $50
Tickets purchased from Dec 22nd to Jan 2nd (No additional tickets will be sold after Jan 2nd)
IAA member price: $40
Non- IAA Member & Guest price: $65
If you are not yet a paid INSEAD Alumni Association member, you can join up here: http://inseadusa.com/membership/.
MORE GREAT Northern California stuff
Are you a fan of vino? Well if so, please join us for regular wine “meet-ups” on Tuesdays at Nectar Wine Lounge at 3330 Steiner Street in San Francisco from 6 to 8pm. Nectar hosts a new “tasting flight” each Tuesday from a different producer with a representative and for a great price, and, well, how many excuses do you need to enjoy great wine and food? Let’s meet up on the first Tuesday of each month, starting on January 6th and start our own INSEAD Northern California wine club. Perhaps we will organize a trip up to the wine country once spring is upon us.
We had a great happy hour for alumni at The Bubble Lounge in October, and the incoming INSEAD January admission class from the Bay Area got together on Sunday afternoon. Going forward we will be having monthly to bi-monthly happy hours starting in January after our Holiday Party, both in San Francisco and Palo Alto. So keep on the lookout for more information on that! If you are interested in helping to organize events in Palo Alto on a regular basis, please send me an email.
We look forward to a FANTASTIC 2009!!!
TriState + PA, Matt Williamson, MBA '00D, President
December in the Tri-State region
Last month Tri-State had a fantastic event with INSEAD professor JC Larreche, who shared with us his insights into Marketing, as he has done with several other regions. SwissRe generously sponsored both the venue and cocktails following the presentation. I would like to offer special thanks to JC and to Olivier Bouteille, who arranged the SwissRe sponsorship, and Raj Singh, who organized the event details. We had a great turnout of 40 Salamanders from across the range of promotions.
The monthly cocktails are now firmly ensconced at their winter location at the Campbell Apartment at Grand Central Station. The finance interest group made a strong showing at the November event and members were actively trading postcards from the edge. In December, while fighting off competetition for our usual space with holiday revelers, we managed to have another great turnout, almost half first timers. Hopefully we will see many more of you at the January edition (please note the next cocktails will be January 13th).
This year, the annual Winter Ball will be held at The Penthouse at The Park in Chelsea on January 24th. We plan to party like it's 1929! Dress for the Roaring Twenties, grab your partner and come join our host committee chairs Carolin Greiner and Raj Singh in doing your part to stave off the next Great Depression, if only for just one night. Carolin and Raj have organized a fantastic event with gaming tables, a riverview seated dinner, DJ and dancing. For more details, please visit INSEADUSA website (http://inseadusa.com/community/events/details/p/804/).
Finally, if you would like to see more activities in an area of special interest to you or to contribute to an existing interest group, please let me know. For instance, coming up in Q1, we are planning the first healthcare/pharma event in some time. If you would like to be further involved with that event, please contact me or Laurent Lheritier.
A bientot,
Matt Williamson
President USIAA Tri-State
* * *
JANUARY UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday January 13th MONTHLY COCKTAILS
Come join a festive crowd of NYC alums out to mingle and network our way out of the current malaise. The Campbell Apartment is incredibly convenient for suburban commuters and city-dwellers alike. Please join us for the evening or a quick drink on your way home.
Date: January 13th, 2009
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Campbell Apartment – Grand Central Station,
15 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York NY
Details: No need to register, just show up. Meet at the bar area at the entrance.
We’ll have small table flags (US/France/UN)
Contact: Call Sandeep Gill (m: 347-458-0123). Call if you can’t find the group.
Saturday January 24th 2009 Tri-State Winter Ball - START 2009 BY PARTYING LIKE IT'S 1929
As is traditional, the Tri-state chapter would like to invite all US-based Alumni to join us for our Winter Ball! This year it will be held in January, so please save the date - no clashing holiday party excuses!
It might be cold and somewhat depressing out there, so why not leave your cares behind for a night, and join us dressed for the Roaring Twenties (or Black Tie). Our cosy Speakeasy, The Penthouse at The Park has all that you'll need – an open cocktail bar, Black Jack, Roulette and Poker tables with professional dealers, plenty of free chips, prizes for the biggest winners, a seated dinner in the winter garden overlooking the Hudson river, a fishtank DJ booked and rocking tunes.
As always, there will be some great prizes in our silent auction and raffle, so reserve your place now by signing up here.
Prices (held at last year's rates) $125 for USIAA member and partner, $175 for non-members.
Date: January 24th, 2009
Time: 7pm onward
Location: The Penthouse at The Park,
118 10th Avenue (at 18th St.),
New York, NY 10011
Contact: Carolin Greiner (212) 258-9248), Raj Singh (917) 587-5754
* * *
Announcements
If you’d like to get more active in the association, please contact a member of the Volunteers Committee. Check us out on the US INSEAD alumni website: http://inseadusa.com/
Summer 2009 Salamander Sailing Regatta
Organizing committee in formation. If you’d like to get involved, please contact Matt Williamson .
Brigitte Morel-Curran, MBA'78J for the MidWest Region
The Chicago alumni holiday party on December 6th was a success, bringing together 17 participants across generations and programs. Le Petit Paris served us a delicious dinner, champagne and wines were flowing.
We also had our own personal Santa: Stuart Jackson (MBA 87D), Partner with L.E.K. Consulting had brought several copies of his latest book "Where Value Hides" and kindly signed his book for us with a personalized note for everyone. Thank you Stuart!
Happy Holidays to All!
Return to “In this Issue”
INSEAD North America, Executive Coordinator, External Relations
Responsible for organizing and overseeing INA’s MBA and EMBA off-campus events in North and South America, including logistics, event promotion, audience targeting, registration and follow-up. Prepare event briefing materials for alumni and staff presenters. Provide support to Assistant Directors and marketing team working with corporate sponsors, volunteers, donors or event venues at schedule events; Liaise with Marketing Coordinator to ensure relevant prospect data uploads and delivery occur on a timely basis; Conduct analysis of events feedback and track event Return on Investment; Provide support to the Executive Director of External Relations, the Director of Development, and the Assistant Director of the MBA and EMBA programs. Establish and maintain a comprehensive and effective filing and archive system in the INSEAD database (PeopleSoft) for the Executive Director and the Director of Development to prepare visits and outcomes of visits reports.
Minimum requirements: Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing, economics, finance or related field, plus three years experience in the job offered or as an account coordinator, marketing assistant, and budget analyst.. Contact Mary Lee Rieley, INSEAD North America, 75 Rockefeller Plaza, 15th Fl, New York, NY 10019..* * *
Echo Design Group Job Title: Managing Director
Company Description: Echo is as diverse in its color palette and patterns as it is rich in its family heritage and history. Since 1923, Echo has focused on the principles of creativity, service, innovation and quality established by its founders, Edgar and Theresa Hyman. Initially a scarf company, Echo has built on the Hymans' early vision of creating beautiful products that enrich our lives in ways they could never have imagined.
Job Description: The Echo Design Group, a family-owned industry leader in the design, marketing and distribution of fashion and home accessories, is currently seeking a Managing Director to lead the branded division in Product Development, Merchandising and Sourcing. This individual will be responsible for generating sales growth, strategic planning, brand standards and customer satisfaction.
The Managing Director position reports to the President/CEO and plays an integral part on the company's leadership team.
Responsibilities include:
- Driving all areas of the business in Product Development, Merchandising and Sourcing for the Echo brand toward increased revenue growth
- Ensuring appropriate categorization of products and identifying suitable expansion opportunities, assisting and advising in new business developments
- Managing design and product development teams to uphold customer satisfaction and maintain the integrity of the Echo aesthetic as it applies to branding
- Ensuring that product lines are consistent with the company's mission and marketing objectives
- Developing strong management teams in each functional area to meet future business challenges and growth goals, managing top and bottom lines of budget
- Continually seeking out new opportunities and determining best product categories to ensure growth
- Overseeing and approving all aspects of brand standards including design, buyers, merchandising, corporate feasibility, budget, etc.
- Manage the design, development and implementation of plans in the most cost effective and time efficient manner possible
- Develop marketing plans by product class, buy plans and ensure merchandise flow
- Maintain control over all aspects that impact the bottom line
- Manage and motivate all staff to design brand-appropriate product; train and develop staff, leading by example
- Merchandise line in conjunction with the Director of Design
- Build and maintain strong partnerships with new and existing suppliers
- Continually seek new ways to decrease costs and improve efficiency
- Maintain awareness of competitor's offerings and fashion trends
- Define, oversee and implement (as needed) the corporate sourcing structure, identifying and communicating to internal stakeholders opportunities, new offerings, competitors, prices and obstacles
- Coordinate efforts, clarify corporate policy and manage resources surrounding Sourcing Policy, Code of Conduct, Quality Control Requirements, Distribution and Customer needs
- Research & Development of Market (tradeshows, retail stores, fashion/trend presentations, market awareness, etc.)
* * *
Compass Group LLC
Brief Description: Compass Group is a pan Latin American asset and private wealth manager, with offices in NY, Miami and affiliate offices in Mexico, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Colombia and Brazil.
Job title: Equity Analyst
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Job Description:
Sao Paulo based equity analyst reporting to portfolio managers of a Brazil focused hedge fund. Responsibilities include duties and functions related to the areas of fundamental, quantitative and technical stock research, economic research, and strategy, trading performance analysis and attribution, and initiation to portfolio management. Assists in collecting, organizing, interpreting and analyzing data to select stocks from selected industries.
Salary: undefined
Qualifications: Minimum 2 years of experience in similar roles on the buy- or sell-side. Strong fundamental analysis / modeling skills. Fluent in Portuguese and English. Working knowledge in Spanish.Contact: Antonio Miranda, Compass Group LLC, 135 E 57th Street, 30th Floor, New York, NY 10022, Phone: +1(646)845-8607,
* * *
Value Edge Limited Seeks Partners in Social Entrepreneurship Project
Following the Dean’s communication around the turbulent times that we face with the collapse of some of the world’s most admired financial institutions, and in the same breadth the resourcefulness, tenacity and network of INSEAD alumni, we as INSEAD alum from the emerging world have put forward a few practical ideas that might resonate with some alumni in your country.
We would like to start by telling you a bit more about ourselves and the idea behind Value Edge. Between Vinod Janardhan (MBA December 2001) and myself (MBA July 2002), we have around 30 years of work experience across 12 countries. For me, this work has spanned across building companies, brands, businesses and customers currently as Director - Market and Business Development for a leading global biotech and previously as Global Marketing Director for Sanofi Aventis France, working out of Paris and Delhi. Vinod has worked in India and Europe on developing and launching new products and services through strategic alliances and corporate venturing. More recently, he has been a management consultant with Arthur D. Little and Booz & Company working on developing strategies, governance structures and operating models for companies in the Middle East and the Far East, working out of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Singapore.
During our careers, one of the issues that has resonated with us is the extent of the skills gaps that industry faces across different levels. These gaps exist in both “soft” generalist skills such as leadership, teambuilding and managing in multi-cultural environments but also in “hard” domain-specific skills. These skills gaps appear to be more pronounced in developing regions such as India, the Middle East and Africa where there is an emergence of organized services industries such as insurance, retail, banking and financial services and even more pronounced as we move away from the private sector towards the sector – be it government owned companies (“public sector”) and government owned public institutions that have been set up to impart education and skill development. The need to address these skills gaps is what has given birth to our firm, Value Edge.
In India at this point this has been recognized as a national level issue that requires resolution at the highest levels. Consequently the Prime Minister of India has set up a National Skills development council comprising the CEO’s of some highly regarded Indian companies like Infosys (who are also talent acquirers) and highly regarded academics such as C.K. Prahalad to come together to formulate a strategy that would work at multiple levels across multiple institutions. This would be include industrial training, vocational training and managerial training.
Our Approach
Value Edge aims to offer best-in-class skill development programs in developing markets by partnering with leading academics and practicing managers. Potentially we could seek to provide a platform where current managers and business leaders who have years of skills and experience offer short duration “executive education” kind of courses on a range of themes from “developing leadership” to specific verticals such as “wealth management”, “investment banking”, “organized retail” “luxury management” and so on. While these would be targeted at the private sector, we are also exploring how we could work with the governments to address the core issues of skill development.
Specifically we are looking to develop the following opportunities:
- Partner with INSEAD alumni who have deep vertical experience in services industries – banking, wealth management, retail, insurance or specific niches such as luxury management to collaborate and develop programs to upskill Indian/Middle East/ African managers.
- Partner with INSEAD alumni who are looking for ‘social entreprenuership’ projects that make social impact or can offer training to government institutions.
Let’s take an example of how this may work. If we take the case of India we would organize 2-4 day programs where you would come and share some of your experiences and learning in a ‘blended learning’ exercise along with Indian faculty and some industry leaders. You would be paid plus all expenses plus have the opportunity to see for yourself opportunities in the areas of your interest in some of the fastest growing markets of the world.
As we partner with the government and approaching key industry associations such as Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Business Leaders South Africa (BLSA), we will develop opportunities for alumni to participate in these platforms on a for profit basis but in areas that create social impact
These are a couple of illustrative examples of how we can work together – we are open to your ideas, suggestions, contacts. To take this further please send a mail to Vinod Janardhan. Look forward to hearing and connecting with some of you.
Rohit Anand and Vinod Janardhan
* * *
Charles Schwab: Senior Manager, Affluent Client Experience
Group Objective/Purpose
The Client Experience Support group (CES) is responsible for business strategy, offer design and process improvement as it pertains to the different client segments within Schwab Investor Services (Retail). The CES mandate is to design and optimize the combination of services, products, and tools to deliver an experience that exceeds clients’ expectations. To do this we work with partners and delivery organizations to ensure key processes / interactions are designed and executed smoothly. We also manage tradeoff decisions and priorities to enhance the overall client experience. The Affluent CES group specifically focuses on the ~20% of clients determined by their portfolio size at Schwab, who represent ~80% of retail assets.
Brief Description of Role
The Senior Manager, Affluent Client Experience will help to: (1) Define the segment strategy and seek to improve the client experience for our affluent client tiers ($250k+ assets); (2) Refine the workflows and tools to ensure the client experience is delivered in a scalable manner; (3) Lead projects including cross-functional partners such as the Schwab IS channel organizations (branch network, service centers, schwab.com), Operations, Marcom, Legal, Supervision, and Compliance on marketing strategy, process improvements, and to develop key policies and procedures; and (4) Work with Finance and internal reporting groups to assist in the timely provision of reporting and status updates.
As part of their responsibilities, the Senior Manager will produce strategic business cases, tactical business requirements, client and market analysis, and other deliverables necessary in the design and implementation of new solutions or enhancements to the existing client experience. Note that this is not a marketing communications role, though MarCom is a key partner in executing communications plans for specific initiatives.
Technical/Functional Qualifications
The ideal candidate will possess the following capabilities:
- Ability to effectively combine strategic and tactical marketing skills
- Strong marketing analysis and problem-solving skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including being able to synthesize data, develop recommendations, and influence partners
- Ability to gain the respect and support of leadership, partners and peers
- Attention to detail, and the ability to multi-task and work efficiently to meet tight deadlines with little supervision.
- A client mindset - whether from the perspective of a Financial Consultant or an actual client
Additional Qualifications
- Bachelors degree with 5+ years relevant experience, MBA preferred
- Financial Services industry experience is preferred
3 Critical Success Factors
- 2+ years experience in a strategy consulting or product management role
- Ability to learn quickly and thrive in a complex, dynamic environment
- Outstanding "soft" skills - including ability to work well with a diverse range of partners and proactive, can-do attitude
Reports to Director, Affluent Client Experience Support
Contact hiring manager: Beth Flynn or apply at www.aboutschwab.com/careers , Job Requisition # U44z145.
Return to “In this Issue”
US INSEAD Alumni Association National Executive Team
| Tommaso Trionfi, President | Ellen Cohan, Vice President, Public Relations, Marketing and Membership |
| Brigitte Morel, Executive Vice President, Regions | Jag Rao, Vice President, Careers |
| Yusuf Khapra, Executive Vice President, Operations | Lydia Zaininger, Treasurer |
| Carol Cunningham , USIAA Administrative Coordinator | Bob Stillerman, Vice President, National Communications |
| Raj Singh, Vice President, Faculty Relations |
Other US INSEAD Contacts
| Frank Brown, Dean | Roberto Buaron, President, US Council |
| Eric Benhamou, Chairman West Coast Council | Sharyanne McSwain, US INSEAD Alumni Fund Rep |
| Tom Barry, President IMEF |
US INSEAD Alumni Association - Regional Presidents
| Christian Mazzi
President of New England [Boston] (main1e, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Delaware, Vermont) |
Richard Pulliam,
President of Northern California & Northwest
(Northern California, Washington, Oregon) |
| Frances Pordes Phillips
President of Central [Denver] (Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, North/South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas) |
Brigitte Morel-Curran,
Acting President of Midwest [Chicago] (Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan) |
| Darach Chapman
President of Florida [Miami] |
Open
President of Southeast [Atlanta] (North/South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee) |
| Somit Goyal, Carlos Montemayor, Co-Presidents, DC (Virginia, W. Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, DC) | Open
President of SoCal (Southern California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona) |
| Jamie Rutledge
President of South Central [Houston, TX] (Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana) |
Matt Williamson
President of NY, TriState & PA (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania) |
Return to “In this Issue”