It is time to select the new round of GBA leadership for next year.  Elections will be held on April 2nd.

The following positions are up for election:

For candidates interested in contending for these positions, please send your platforms to Owen Opena at lawrence.opena@business.uconn.edu by Friday, March 21, 2008. These platforms will be posted on the GBA website. Those interested in the Professional Development and Social Activities positions have an option of forming teams of 2 and submit a single platform.

If you are interested in any of the positions and want to know more about each role, please contact the current leader in that position: http://www.business.uconn.edu/users/gba/officers.html

by Jud Saviskas, Executive Director of BP&CC

As the new Executive Director of the Business Placement & Career Center, I'd like to introduce myself and make you aware of a few things:

We are staffing up
I arrived here February 1st and a new Program Manager, Kelly Kennedy, joined us on February 18th. We are getting up to speed as quickly as possible and started individual career counseling Monday, February 25th, supplementing Jim Pellegrino's continuing counseling.

Time flies ... jump-start your job search now
Recruiters are already on campus and companies are hiring, but I know that some of you haven't started your job search yet. Even if you have begun, to be successful you need a good resume, an effective "elevator pitch", and sharp interviewing, networking and negotiating skills. Stop by the Business Placement & Career Center to sign up for one or all of our "Jump-Start the Job Search" Workshops to be sure you're well prepared for your search.

About us

Contact info:
Jud Saviskas, Executive Director
Jud.Saviskas@business.uconn.edu
Kelly Kennedy, Program Manager
Kelly.Kennedy@business.uconn.edu
Business Placement & Career Center
860-486-5136
www.business.uconn.edu/career

The association is proud to co-sponsor the following talk along with the School of Business Alumni & Friends Society:

Differentiating Yourself in the Workplace

You have a great resume and nailed your interview. You just found out you got the job ... so what's next? In today's evolving, fast-paced and competitive business environment, it takes much more to succeed than simply getting your job done. On Wednesday, March 19th, the UConn School of Business NAWMBA Chapter will host "Differentiating Yourself in the Workplace", a thought-provoking panel discussion on how to stand out and make a noticeable impact in any work environment.

The panel will include representatives from large companies who have mastered the art of differentiation through effective communications, creating a "personal brand", learning the importance of perception, and much more. The panelists will discuss tips that apply these techniques to help you leverage your skills and individuality to develop your career.

by Alla Remen, MBA 2006

Completing my MBA degree with a concentration in Healthcare and Insurance Studies was extremely beneficial for me following graduation. This area of concentration differentiated me and gave me an advantage over other candidates when I interviewed for my current position as a consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Industries practice. Healthcare is one of the largest sectors of the US economy, currently at 16%, and its share of the GDP is still growing. Employment opportunities for people with a healthcare background are plentiful, especially in Connecticut.

Having a concentration in Healthcare not only allowed me to distinguish myself from other candidates interviewing for jobs at the multitude of health insurance companies in the state, but it also helped me secure interviews in other sectors, which was surprising. Since I concentrated in both Finance and Healthcare, I had an advantage in interviewing with investment firms where I could target my equity research on the healthcare sector. Taking classes within the Healthcare concentration provided me essential knowledge regarding Healthcare practices that I was able to share in my interviews with consulting firms that offered Healthcare sectors within their practices.

In addition, working with the Center for Healthcare and Insurance Studies allowed us to receive substantial guidance and support from professors, while developing working relationships with them. Also, because many of the classes are offered in Hartford, I had numerous opportunities to network with part-time students who were working in the Healthcare field. Outside of my own networking efforts, the program offered a working session with a professional from a recruiting firm, which gave me an opportunity to improve my networking and interviewing skills. In fact, I was able to have a follow-up meeting with the presenter after the working session to prepare for my first interview for my current job. The professors at The Center for Healthcare & Insurance Studies also have numerous connections within the industry and they are willing to aid students in finding summer internships and jobs upon graduation.

The networking, professional development, and classroom experiences provided through the Healthcare concentration gave me the skills I needed to pursue and attain my career goals.

The time of year that you have all been waiting for has finally arrived. It's time for ...

WhirlyBall!
Thursday, March 27th from 6pm to 9pm

WhirlyBall is a game in which two teams of five players are placed in the arena. The game is a combination of lacrosse and jai-alai, putting a scoop-styled racquet in everyone's hand. Added in are some rules from basketball and hockey with a ball and a goal at both ends. For a twist, each person plays in their very own bumper car!

For more explanation, please visit the website at www.whirlyballeastcoast.com.

The game isn't hard or confusing even if it sounds that way. Everyone should come and you can bring friends. It is a great way to have a good time and get to know your fellow MBAs and Professors.

WhirlyBall will include 3 hours of Fun, Food and an Open Bar!

The cost is only:
$20 for Students
$25 for Non-Students
Free for All SB Faculty and Staff

Location:
WhirlyBall East Coast
1265 John Fitch Blvd.
South Windsor, CT
(860) 289-2306

To sign up, please contact Lisa at EKoliopoulos@business.uconn.edu
or Roshi at RArvand@business.uconn.edu

Compiled by A. Kyele King'oo, MBA 2009

For the Spring Semester of 2008, the Finance Club will focus on scheduling guest speakers, training events, and field trips. Field trips will generally be scheduled on Fridays and guest speakers on Mondays-Thursdays. Other than these day preferences and scheduling constraints in March (spring break, Good Friday, and the commencement of the NCAA tournament), we will fill the February-May period with as many events as possible. The Alumni Development perspective is to section things into monthly programs, with up to one speaker and one field trip per month.

The club's primary goal is to aid MBA students in developing their knowledge of Finance. The club is completely student run and organized. Therefore, the club's activities and goals are tailored to what each MBA class wants to focus on. Officer elections occur in the fall semester and positions are maintained through the academic year. If you have any questions or would like to join the MBA Finance Club, please contact Ben Smith at benjamin.smith@business.uconn.edu.

The Venture consulting club is in planning to revamp and change its image. We are working towards re-defining our goals and objectives with a broader perspective of students. We are also planning to attend the Connecticut Venture Consulting group business plan competition as spectators to gain knowledge through observation and presentations given. The venture consulting club has also been approached by some regional start up firms and is currently discussing possible activities for this semester.

For more information, please contact Chirag at Chirag.Bansal@business.uconn.edu.

The Marketing Club had a great lineup of events last year, including hosting buzz marketing guru John Taylor (CEO, PacifiCove LLC) whose previous promotion projects included launching Britney Spears' career. The club also organized speaker events by Jack Mitchell and Doris Christopher that were well attended.

A core group of MBA Marketing Club members also attended a meeting of the Undergraduate American Marketing Association and had an insightful back-and-forth discussion about careers and education in marketing, our motivations for entering the MBA program, and our post-graduation visions.

We are working hard to bring you four big events this semester.  We are excited to be bringing in Gordon Weinberger; an entrepreneur and small business guerilla marketing master.  You can learn more about him at http://www.infinitepersistence.com.  We also welcome Dr. Nicholas Perricone, a board-certified clinical and research dermatologist who started his own company and marketed it from the ground up.  We are also trying to bring back Ann Baldwin, CEO of Baldwin Media Marketing, a PR firm based in CT.  Ann spoke with us last year on our panel event "Build the Brand. Set the Trend. Make the Connection", and we are excited to hear from her once again.  We have also been working with Aetna to partner up for an information session and field visit to their Marketing Department.  This was a resounding success last year, and look forward to repeating it with a new class.

We will be holding elections for the 2008-2009 Marketing Club President in April, so if you are a first year student, please give thought to your next year's schedule and consider if you would like the responsibility of leading the MBA Marketing Club.

As always, please stay tuned to the MBA Marketing Club Website at http://www.business.uconn.edu/org/mbamktg/index.html to stay apprised of our new initiatives!  If you would like to join our club, send an email to ktomlinson@business.uconn.edu to be added to our distribution list for updates on future events.

Thank you, and have a great semester,

President:  Kimberly Tomlinson (ktomlinson@business.uconn.edu)
Vice President, Communications:  Allison Ray
Vice President, Programs:  Phuong Le
Vice President, Career Development:  Jie Sun

The MBA OPIM club celebrates the following activities from the Fall 2007 semester:

Agenda for the Spring 2008 semester:

For more information on the OPIM Club, please visit http://www.business.uconn.edu/org/mbaopim/index.html

As application season comes into full swing, the SMC is trying to make sure that a personal note is sent to all prospective students. Blank note cards with pre-addressed envelopes can be found in the GBA Reading Room, 213. Please take some time to write just a few each week so that we can make sure every student that has shown interest in our program knows that we are interested in them. Thanks.

For more information, contact SMC Chairs, Alex Stein and Kim Tomlinson.

Konover Development Corporation welcomed University of Connecticut Real Estate undergraduate and MBA students on Friday, February 8, 2008 for a luncheon and project development presentation. The corporation specializes in the development of shopping center facilities for national and regional retail clients.

Jim Ainsworth and Stan Glantz gave an introduction to the Konover Corporation, shopping center development, and discussed current industry trends with the students. Students had the opportunity to network with Konover professionals over lunch and were afterwards walked through the logistics of a current project they are working on with John Anderson, Jeff Johnson, Michelle Carlson, Chris Rice, David Steinberg, Rich Giveans, and Steve Elson.

For more information on the club or if you would like to join the real estate concentration, please stop by the Real Estate Center on the 4th floor of the Business School.

by Kevin Prechtl, MBA 2008

Most of you have probably never heard of Chenin Blanc or Tempranillo, unless someone gave you a bottle as a gift or you took a recommendation from a wine shop. Chenin Blanc is usually a grape used for blending while Tempranillo is mostly grown in Spain. Read a little about these two varietals below and the next time you are in a wine shop looking for something different, ask about these grapes and enjoy them on a hot sunny day or a cool spring evening.

Chenin Blanc – This white grape is widely planted and grown in the Loire Valley area of France. Wines can be made very dry to very sweet but usually have good acidity at any level. It is sometimes used for sparkling wines in the Saumur area of France. In America and Australia, it is usually made into a table wine for consuming when it is still young. My favorite and one of the best standalones on the market today is Ballentine Vineyards Napa Valley Chenin Blanc.

Tempranillo – The quality red grape from Spain is responsible for Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and numerous Penedes greats. It is also used in Portugal for table wines and as the Port blender, Tinta Roriz. There are also some new world outposts principally in Argentina and Chile. Tempranillo’s characteristic ripe berry nose is enhanced, in most cases, by wood aging and secondary bottle bouquet.  In Spain, Tempranillo is bottled into four primary wines: Generics – which are typically young blended wines which do not follow the strict rules of Spanish wine making; Crianza – held in oak for usually under a year and in the bottle for 12 months before being released; Reserva – held in oak for up to two years and in the bottle for 1 year before being released; and Grand Reserva – held in oak for up to three years, but not less than 2 years and in the bottle for 2 years before being released.  One of the most respected Bodegas of Spain is Muga Vineyards which offers all four wines and of superior quality.