What Makes a Company Thrive?

June 21, 2017

From left: Mark Fagan, office managing partner at Citrin Cooperman, Oni Chukwu, CEO and member of the board of directors at etouches, and John J. Preli, director of regulatory management and governance for The Weather Co. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)
From left: Mark Fagan, office managing partner at Citrin Cooperman, Oni Chukwu, CEO and member of the board of directors at etouches, and John J. Preli, director of regulatory management and governance for The Weather Co. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

Right People, Strong Culture Are Keys to Success, say Experts at ‘CEO Evolution’ Program

Two prominent executives in the software and technology industry credited their companies’ enduring successes, in large part, to well-chosen employees and a vibrant corporate culture. Continue Reading

Dollars for Scholars Awards Scholarships

Greewich Time – Stamford Dollars for Scholars awarded 29 city high school graduates scholarships worth $97,500 at its sixth annual ceremony last week.

More than 180 family, friends and guests attended the ceremony, which featured a keynote address from Gary Freeman, president of Stamford Dollars for Scholars. Twenty-three of the scholarships, valued at $44,000 were sponsored by generous individuals and organizations in the community.

Presidential Historian Talks Trump and Risk at UConn-Stamford Conference

Stamford Advocate – United States of America Inc. last year made its riskiest hire to date when its shareholders chose a new chief executive, according to a knowledgeable observer of the enterprise.

In the keynote speech Wednesday at the University of Connecticut’s Risk Management Conference at the Crowne Plaza hotel, presidential historian and author Douglas Brinkley assessed the rise and prospects of President Donald Trump and compared the current commander-in-chief’s challenges to those of his predecessors.

Stamford Hedge Fund Pushes City Mall Owner for Change

June 20, 2017

Connecticut Post – Jon Litt takes an elevator down from his seventh-floor offices at the downtown Landmark Square complex and walks a few steps to visit the city’s shopping mall.

At the Stamford Town Center, the founder and chief investment officer of hedge fund Land and Buildings enjoys visiting establishments such as the Apple store and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5TH.

But Litt sees much more than a place to go shopping.

Professor Folta Takes Reigns at Academy of Management

Management Professor Timothy B. Folta will oversee the Business Policy & Strategy division at the Academy of Management (UConn School of Business)
Management Professor Timothy B. Folta will oversee the Business Policy & Strategy division at the Academy of Management. (UConn School of Business)

Timothy B. Folta Will Oversee the Academy of Management’s Business Policy and Strategy Division

Management professor Timothy B. Folta has been elected to a five-year term overseeing the Business Policy and Strategy (BPS) Division of the Academy of Management.

With a global membership of more than 5,000, the division is the second largest within the Academy of Management. The five-year commitment involves a series of responsibilities, including designing the annual conference program, and culminating in the chairmanship. Continue Reading

Swiss Conference Features UConn Expert

June 14, 2017

Gregory Kivenzor (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)
Gregory Kivenzor (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

Professor Kivenzor: Business Games Stimulate Adult Learners, Elicit Creative Solutions

In the graduate class he teaches on Marketing for Global Competitiveness, Professor Greg Kivenzor plays the role of chief shaman of an Amazon tribe, with some of the students playing the role of tribe members. Continue Reading

A Gluten-free, Worry-free Pasta Business

Shirley Tarabochia ’17 MBA with John DePuma of DePuma Pasta and Professor Wayne Bragg (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

Shirley Tarabochia ’17 MBA with John DePuma of DePuma Pasta and Professor Wayne Bragg (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

UConn MBA Student Assists Small Business Company

When Gina DePuma was diagnosed with celiac disease 10 years ago, forcing her to abstain from eating traditional pasta, it was nothing short of a crisis in the DePuma family.

“My wife is Italian, and she just loves pasta,’’ recalled John DePuma, a professional chef. “I said, ‘I have to find a solution to that!’ It really was a labor of love.’’ 

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