CIOs Ask Daily: What’s Next in Business?

CIO panelists from Synchrony Financial, FactSet, and Stanley Black & Decker talk about Leading Digital Transformation (Katherine Ruiz/UConn School of Business)
CIO panelists from Synchrony Financial, FactSet, and Stanley Black & Decker talk about Leading Digital Transformation (Katherine Ruiz/UConn School of Business)

Whether their business is customer service, manufacturing of tools, or software and analytics, corporate chief information officers are always focused on the next “best technology.”

That was the message from the UConn School of Business-sponsored program on Nov. 7 titled, “Leading Digital Transformation,” at the Stamford campus. Panelists included Carol Juel of Synchrony Financial, Cindy Finkelman of FactSet and Lori Groth of Stanley Black & Decker. The program was moderated by Sulin Ba, associate dean.

All three presenters talked about the rapid pace of business today and that their companies must quickly adapt to digital transformations ranging from cybersecurity to artificial intelligence to employee recruitment.


Business Leaders Assess Impact of Technology

Stamford Advocate – The executives who participated in the panel discussion Tuesday night at the University of Connecticut talked a lot about speed. As chief information officers at three of the state’s fastest-growing companies, they said they think constantly about keeping up with the pace of change.

Read article


Military Family Finds Entrepreneurship Offers Healing

Hartford Business Journal – While U.S. Marine Gulaid Ismail was serving in Iraq last decade two of his friends committed suicide. Later, Ismail suffered a nervous breakdown and was honorably discharged. If it weren’t for Davina Ismail, his wife and caregiver, he said he’d be in jail or in a grave.
“She gave me purpose to live,” Gulaid Ismail said.

Read article


Unity Virtual Reality Programming Workshop

On Friday November 3, the Operations and Information Management (OPIM) team held one of its most successful workshops to date in the Gladstein Lab on Unity Virtual Reality (VR) Programming. The workshop, led by adjunct professor Stephen Fitzgerald, focused on acquainting people with Unity VR by “showing its historical progression, introducing students to the equipment, and teaching students how to stage a virtual reality space and make a virtual environment.”

Read article


Faculty Creativity in Action

To spur creativity during the closing session, conference participants were given minimal resources such as old magazines and cardboard boxes, with which they created "toy theatres" at the Ballard Puppetry Museum. (Devin Basdekian/UConn School of Business)
To spur creativity during the closing session, conference participants were given minimal resources such as old magazines and cardboard boxes, with which they created “toy theatres” at the Ballard Puppetry Museum. (Devin Basdekian/UConn School of Business)

Cooking, Puppetry, Research All Part of Management’s Creativity Conference

How do you celebrate and inspire creativity when you have three dozen top creative scholars coming to campus? Continue Reading


UConn Hosts CIBER Case Challenge

CIBER Case Challenge participants gather around the Husky statue on the UConn Storrs campus for a quick photo. (Arminda Kamphausen/UConn School of Business)

Unique Competition Requires Strong Knowledge; Fosters Quick Team Bonding, Personal Growth

The UConn Center for International Business and Education Research (CIBER) held its 14th Annual Case Challenge in October and the event included business case brainstorming, forging new friendships and a day trip to Boston. Continue Reading


Newman’s Own Grant Fortifies UConn’s Veteran Entrepreneurship Program

The EBV hosts up to 25 U.S. military veterans during an annual, 10-day program that prepares them to become entrepreneurs. Pictured above, EBV Class of 2017 veterans in class. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)
The EBV hosts up to 25 U.S. military veterans during an annual, 10-day program that prepares them to become entrepreneurs. Pictured above, EBV Class of 2017 veterans in class. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

“They Consider Us Elite”

Newman’s Own Foundation has awarded a $135,000 grant to the School of Business’ Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), one of only 26 non-profits nationwide to receive financial support. Continue Reading



CTSBDC, School of Business Address Chinese Business Delegation

In late October, the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) and the UConn School of Business addressed a business delegation from China. (Emily Carter/Connecticut Small Business Development Center)
On November 1, the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) and the UConn School of Business addressed a business delegation from China. (Emily Carter/Connecticut Small Business Development Center)

On November 1, the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) and the UConn School of Business addressed a business delegation from China. The delegation, representing 22 of the country’s largest industry sectors, learned about the approaches and services used by CTSBDC to assist the state’s small businesses, as well as the educational programs and resources offered by the business school. Graduate student and former VERGE consultant Guanwei Tao and CTSBDC business advisor Joe Williams were also part of the conversation which took place at the New Haven Chamber of Commerce.