Jones Journal Fall 2011

RICE HOMECOMING 2011 NOVEMBER 4-6 Rice University

AROUND THE SCHOOL Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business Fall 2011

REINFORCING RELATIONSHIPS SYSCO EVP AND CFO CHRIS KREIDLER ’87 GETS THE JOB DONE

BUILDING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS ADJUNCT PROFESSOR LAURA ARNOLD APPLIES BUSINESS SAVVY TO THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT WORLD

MAKING AN IMPACT ON TWO FRONTS ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF FINANCE JEFFERSON DUARTE COMBINES PASSION FOR RESEARCH AND THE MBA REAL ESTATE CONCENTRATION

IMPACTING

BUSINESS PRACTICE GLOBAL GROWTH

ROBERT FOYE ’90 AT COCA-COLA LEADING, LEARNING AND LIVING ABROAD

RICE HOMECOMING 2011 NOVEMBER 4-6 JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 1

AROUND THE SCHOOL

Feature Stories

articles 2 More than doors

A detailed look at the impact of Jesse H. Jones

3 BBSA honors alumni

Honors Banquet recognized distinguished black alumni

20 Building Sustainable Solutions 12 Global Growth

Adjunct professor Laura Arnold applies business savvy to the not-forprofit world

By Ann S. Boor

4 Service to students, alumni and community Executive Director of CMC, Deanna Fuehne

5 Who Hires Rice MBAs EXXONMOBIL

6 Rice Business Plan Competition

A conversation with Robert Foye ‘90 about leading, learning and living abroad

The competitive spirit

By Ann S. Boor

8 The Wright Stuff

The transformative business of managing the Wright Fund

10 Alumni entrepreneurship thrives JGSEO Spotlight

24 Making an impact on two fronts 16 Reinforcing Relationships Sysco EVP and CFO Chris Kreidler ’87 gets the job done

Associate Professor of Finance Jefferson Duarte combines passion for research and the MBA real estate concentration

by Jan Hester

REEP Spotlight

28 10 Questions

Ajay Kalra, Professor of Marketing

34 staff profile

peggy shaw, director of business resources

By Julia Nguyen

in every issue

Our Mission:

We excel at developing principled, innovative thought leaders in

global communities. business.rice.edu

11 Geovanny Ponce’s Door to Success

Rice University

1 Dean’s Welcome 31 3 reasons to give 32 Alumni President’s Letter 33 Faculty Recognition 35 Class Notes 36 Alumni Resources

Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business

Fall 2011

DEAN’S WELCOME

DEAN + H. JOE NELSON III PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT BILL GLICK DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND CORPORATE RELATIONS JOY BROWN KIRST EDITOR WEEZIE MACKEY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING MARK RUDKIN CREATIVE MANAGER KEVIN PALMER WEB MANAGER JON PAUL ESTRADA WEB CONTENT SPECIALIST TRICIA DELONE MARKETING COORDINATOR DOLORES THACKER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ANN S. BOOR GENE BRIECK ‘10 STEPHEN CULLAR-LEDFORD ‘12 MARY LYNN FERNAU DEANNA FUEHNE JAN HESTER H JORDAN HIGH ‘11 TY JOHNSON ‘11 JULIA NGUYEN ART DIRECTION + DESIGN MICHAEL SKINNER w/ MIKE’S PROJECTS, INC. CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS MARC BRUBAKER JUSTIN CALHOUN DREW DONOVAN APRIL M. FRAZIER\NAKED I FOTO TOMMY LAVERGNE ERIC LELEU ERIKA MEDRADO DOLORES THACKER PRINTING CHAS. P. YOUNG CO.

The Jones Journal is published semiannually for alumni and friends by the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business. Current and back issues of the magazine are available online issuu.com/ricemba.

Every fall I am filled with genuine excitement about the coming year and what it holds for the Jones School community. October marks the one-year countdown to Rice University’s centennial anniversary, and there is a celebratory mood on campus — a time to reflect on all that the university has accomplished in 100 years and a time to set goals for the future.

In the pages of this issue of the Jones Journal, we are able to explore the Jones School’s strategy for 2020 and take a closer look at how the school impacts business practice — through the research and teaching of our professors and the innovative, ethical approaches of our alumni.

Associate Professor of Finance and Gerald D. Hines Associate Professor of Real Estate Finance Jefferson Duarte is featured in an article about the long-term impact of his research and the launch of the real estate concentration in the full-time program. The article about Adjunct Professor of Management Laura Arnold examines how she applies her business savvy beyond the classroom to the not-for-profit world.

As much as our students benefit from the professors, our alumni also serve as models in the ways they conduct business and engage with the school. Both Robert Foye ’90 and Chris Kreidler ’87 were Rice undergraduates and share an easy affinity

with the university on all levels. Robert is Chief Marketing, Customer, and Commercial Officer for Coca-Cola’s China business — the company’s third largest market. After 19 years with Coca-Cola, 13 of those overseas, he talks about leading, learning and living abroad. Chris is Executive Vice President and CFO of Sysco Corporation and now that he’s back in Houston he is committed to sourcing top-tier talent from the Jones School.

He also talks about his experience working for T. Boone Pickens and Mesa Limited Partnership as well as PepsiCo. The Jones Journal covers activities of the school, students and alumni, faculty accomplishments and any additional news we think will interest you. Please feel free to let us know if there’s more you want to see from your alumni magazine.

Remember to visit campus throughout the year and enjoy the centennial celebration. I look forward to seeing you.

Change of Address? New job?

Update the online directory with your new contact information or send us your class notes at: JonesAlumni.com.

Comments or Questions?

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the Jones Journal. Send an e-mail to Joy Brown Kirst, Director of Alumni and Corporate Relations at jkirst@rice.edu.

Bill Glick, Dean H. Joe Nelson III Professor of Management Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business Rice University 713-348-5928 • bill.glick@rice.edu

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 1

AROUND THE SCHOOL

MORE THAN DOORS From Jamail Plaza, with Baker Institute in the background, the formal entrance to McNair Hall is impressive. A massive doorway celebrates not only the nature of studies happening inside the building — highlighted by robust bronze sculptures of the iconic bear and bull — but also the nature of the man for whom the business school at Rice University was named.

Except during Hurricane Ike, the bronze doors always stand open to welcome students, alumni, prospective students and any visitors to the Jones School. They are a constant reminder to anyone who passes through them of who Jesse Jones was and how he influenced a city and a nation with his leadership and compassion.

Jones’ legacy of service endures today through his lifelong contributions toward the common good. As early Houston’s foremost builder, as chairman of the National Bank of Commerce, and as publisher of the Houston Chronicle, he inspired the city to grow beyond its small town borders.

He was the Houston Harbor Board’s first chairman and led the effort to complete the Houston Ship Channel. As chairman of the federal government’s Reconstruction Finance Corporation, he stimulated economic recovery during the Great Depression and, later, as Secretary of Commerce, helped prepare the nation and its allies for global defense during World War II. Jesse and his wife Mary Gibbs Jones established the Houston Endowment in 1937 to formalize and perpetuate their philanthropy. The couple had donated more than $1 million during the early years of their marriage, and through the endowment it was their intention to help create and develop institutions and organizations that would nurture Houston’s people and encourage the city’s growth.

To the careful observer or anyone on a formal university tour, the doors illustrate the many accomplishments of Jesse Jones and tell a great man’s story. Commissioned by McNair Hall architect Robert A.M. Stern, the doors, the tympanum above the doors, the columns and wings, as well as the bull and bear on pedestals flanking the doorway, were all designed and created in bronze by Kent Bloomer Studio in New Haven, Connecticut.

Each door measures 3’1” wide, 8’8” high and alternates foliated panels with shallow relief plaques. There are 10 themes depicted between the two doors — railroads (RFC), government (Secretary of Commerce), agriculture (RFC), World War II mobilization (RFC), Houston Ship Channel and shipping, Houston Chronicle, electrification of rural areas (RFC), Federal Housing Authority, lumber and banking.

The tympanum is a stylized version of the Houston skyline, with the Gulf Building, built by Jesse H. Jones, centrally featured. The bull and bear embody the American capital markets.

The bronze columns and wings recall details from Rice’s beloved Lovett Hall, designed by Ralph Adams Cram, and make reference to the university’s symbolic owl.

To stop for a moment on the threshold of McNair Hall and study the doors is an opportunity to take in another story that makes up the vibrant history of Rice University. Recounted in bronze, Jesse Jones’ vision for business and public service continues to serve as a great model to all who enter the school that bears his name.

business.rice.edu

AROUND THE SCHOOL

Rice Black Business Student Association Honors Distinguished Alumni

By Ty Johnson ’11 Since its inception in 2006, the Black Business Student

REIT and is also a senior vice president of Hines Interests

Association (BBSA) has been devoted to supporting students at

Limited Partnership.

the Jones School. This year was no different, and the leadership team saw an opportunity to increase the level of activity and

During their acceptance speeches, the honorees encouraged

engagement among its members. They set out on a mission to

students, no matter their level of success in the future, to give

educate, engage and evolve. As a result, the BBSA has instituted

back to their communities. Guests were encouraged to find

the first BBSA Honors Banquet to recognize distinguished black

April M. Frazier\NAKED I FOTO

alumni of the Rice MBA program and provide a scholarship to a current student.

“Our goal was to create a platform that would engage alumni, current students, and leaders in the Houston community,” said Patra Brannon ’11, vice president of development and advancement. “This honors banquet provides that platform through the great networking opportunities among current students and alumni, while also recognizing African-American alumni for their significant contributions to the Jones School.”

Selecting

the

inaugural

honorees

was

no

easy

task.

The leadership team reviewed alumni from as far back as the graduating class of 1977 and selected alumni based on professional

and

personal

accomplishments,

level

of

involvement at Rice as a student and alumnus, and their overall community impact. After months of planning, over 60 current students, alumni, faculty and staff gathered at the

(L-R) Keith Domingo ’05, Edmund Donaldson ’91(honoree), Gregory Broussard ’01 (honoree), Julie Griffith ’04, Assistant Dean Sean Ferguson ’01, and Armistead Burks ’05

Rice Lofts in downtown Houston on April 8, 2011 to honor

something that is important to them and give back in a

Gregory Broussard ’01 and Edmund Donaldson ’91.

passionate way.

Broussard is the director in the Global Commodities Strategy

“A forum like this banquet will allow us to continue building

Trading Group with Citigroup. In his role, he is responsible for

and

leading a global initiative to develop and implement strategic

students, alumni, Rice and the Houston business community,”

trading ideas within commodities and emerging markets. He is

said Woodrow Scott ’11, president of BBSA. “The Jones School

also the founder and CEO of Heritance Investments, LLC, a real

has really been on the forefront of diversity for MBAs and

estate investment firm.

we hope this banquet is only the beginning of many great

strengthening

relationships

among

black

business

things to come.”

Donaldson is a member of the Capital Markets Group and currently serves as chief investment officer of the

For more information about BBSA, please visit:

Hines U.S. Core Office Fund, Hines REIT, and Hines Global

business.rice.edu/BBSA.

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 3

AROUND THE SCHOOL

SERVICE TO STUDENTS, ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY

by Deanna Fuehne, Executive Director Career Management Center Reporting from Keystone, Colorado, at the MBA Career Services Council (MBA CSC) annual conference, there is much to learn and share, but most of all, there is the opportunity for me to see our team in action. Being here only confirms what I already know, that the Jones School Career Management Center (CMC) provides best in class MBA career services to our students and alumni.

As a board member of the MBA CSC, I have bird’s eye view of the issues and concerns recruiters and MBA career services face in developing and attracting talent. With over 1,000 members representing accredited MBA programs, the MBA CSC is the go-to organization for ranking publications and top MBA recruiters. I chair the media relations committee for the board, which allows me to work collaboratively with many of the ranking publications, including Businessweek, US News & World Report and The Financial Times.

This gives me a broad perspective on how these publications effectively aggregate and interpret MBA student employment data.

Along with news from the conference, I’m thrilled to share some of the remarkable accomplishments of our team to the Jones School alumni community: •

Jennifer Thomas, associate director, had two proposals accepted for the 2011 MBA CSC conference. The first presentation explained ways in which she tackled issues concerning our international students. In order to better serve them, Jennifer launched a Jones School

business.rice.edu

International Advisory board and reported its successes to conference attendees. The second presentation involved our online career course.

The program is considered cutting edge among MBA career services centers — and is required for incoming first-year full-time program students and rising second-year professional program students to prepare them for the recruiting process.

•

•

2011 INVESTITURE HONORS, PRIZES AND AWARDS

JONES CITIZENSHIP AWARDS Anders T. Johnson Bello Idris Ayodeji Tyshunda Johnson Jessica Schroder Berger Stanley Lule Kazibwe Evan Douglas Bertrand Mark Steven Letsos, Jr. Patra Delores Brannon Cathy G. Mann Barbara Healy Campbell Marcela M. Masso Tareq Fasheh David M. Mims H Jordan High Susan Elizabeth Rudolph Bonnie Claire Houston JESSE H. JONES GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ALUMNI AWARD FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE H. Albert Napier

Ashley McTaggart, alumni career services and student counseling coordinator, is the recipient of the 2011 MBA CSC Service Award. Chairing the Professional Development Committee, Ashley worked tirelessly to coordinate over thirty education events for a membership spanning top business schools across the world.

This recognition demonstrates the depth and breadth of service from our team.

MBA FOR EXECUTIVES AWARD FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE Margaret Cording

Yolander Albert, associate director of employer relations, just graduated from Leadership Houston, an organization that recognizes and builds Houston’s community with active business and civic leaders. Along with Brooke Bond Sabo, director of student services for the MBA for Professionals, Yolander dedicated ten months of time to learning about the city, networking with other leaders, and completing their Class XXIX project: the Palmetto Multi-Sensory Trail at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center.

MBA FOR PROFESSIONALS WEEKEND AWARD FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE Prashant Kale

Students may graduate or leave for the summer, but the dedicated staff at Jones School continues to work on improving the way we serve potential, current and past students week after week.

FULL-TIME MBA AWARD FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE Brian Rountree MBA FOR PROFESSIONALS EVENING AWARD FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE Richard Price

M.A. “MIKE” WRIGHT AWARDS Bonnie Claire Houston Marcela M. Masso Cathy G. Mann David M. Mims LORANE T. PHILIPS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN WRITING Wesley Joel Lantrip ROBERT E. PHILIPS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESENTATION Ann Sadler Bradbury Brett William Johnson JONES SCHOLAR AWARDS Qiming Albert Li Anthony Lawrence Almond Yi Michelle Lin Bello Idris Ayodeji Daniel D. Magruder, Jr. Evan Douglas Bertrand Erin Delaine Martin Daniel Brown Robert Thomas Caughlin, Jr. Daniel Peter Motley Richard W. Conyers O’Donnell Jean-Benoit Daumerie Jarod Michael Rolland Jon R. Gogola Ryan Randall Rudloff Craig Alexander Horak Andrew M. Sarantapoulas Bonnie Claire Houston Armin Schumacher Paul H. Jackman Jonathan M. Snell Stephen Mark Johnson Adam Swartley Raymond Kerkvliet James C. Van Loon IV Wesley Joel Lantrip Nolan Bradley Waugh W. Jay Lehmann Andrew Michael Wilson Mark Steven Letsos, Jr.

WHO HIRES RICE MBAs AROUND THE SCHOOL

ExxonMobil, the world’s largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs.

ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is the largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products, and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world.

For more information, visit exxonmobil.com.

“

ExxonMobil looks for MBAs with strong analytical, communication and leadership skills for our financial and marketing functions. The Jones School has been a consistent source of talented individuals interested in the global energy industry.

Marcella Foreman

Functional General Auditor – Chemical, Corporate and Global Services Rice University, BA Managerial Studies ’80 University of Texas, MBA ’83

”

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 5

AROUND THE SCHOOL

By Mary Lynn Fernau

More than $1.3 million in prizes was awarded to the winners of the 11th annual Rice Business Plan Competition held in April at the Jones School.

The prize amount is a new record for the competition, which was already the world’s largest and richest. Teams from around the world presented

WINNERS CIRCLE TNG Pharmaceuticals from the University of Louisville won the grand prize and other prizes, totaling $647,350. The team is furthering the development of a vaccine that will alleviate problems of the horn fly, which costs the U.S. cattle

The Competitive Spirit industry over $1 billion each year. Once developed, the vaccine will significantly reduce the population of the horn fly — an insect that hinders the cattle’s ability to gain weight.

Winners of the 2011 RBPC from the University of Louisville (L-R) Max Brudner, Jenny Corbin, Dr. Van Clouse (team advisor), Larry Horn and Cory Long of TNG Pharmaceuticals give the “L” for Louisville hand signal.

15-minute business plans in front of more than 250 judges — themselves successful venture capitalists, angel investors, entrepreneurs and business leaders — with the top six competitors vying for a grand prize valued at over $640,000.

All 42 teams also competed in the elevator pitch competition, where a representative from each team had 60 seconds to entice a potential investor.

business.rice.edu

Other winning teams included Are You a Human?, University of Michigan; PK Clean, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; cycleWood Plastics, University of Arkansas; Smartershade, University of Notre Dame; and TiFiber from the University of Arkansas. These teams were featured in the May 23, 2011 issue of FORTUNE magazine and on CNNMoney.com, the competition’s national media sponsor for the fourth year.

Numerous supporters of the competition created new or increased prizes in 2011 to put the total amount awarded above the $1.3 million threshold.

The GOOSE Society of Texas surprised everyone at the awards banquet by announcing that they

It is also representative of what we are finding to be an increased interest in innovation and entrepreneurship in the U.S. The current economy certainly affects this as well as the willingness by the millennial generation to take risks to start their own companies. These young entrepreneurs are vital to the U.S. maintaining its technology innovation leadership and its position in the world economy. had increased their $150,000 Grand Prize to $300,000. Other bumps in prize money came from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers with the $100,000 KPCB Prize for Clean Tech Innovation, and the increase in the OWL Investment Prize from $65,000 in 2010 to $100,000. The OWL Investment Prize is provided by a community of RBPC judges who are also angel investors.

Insperity served as the title sponsor for the second year in a row and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and NASDAQ OMX also supported the competition this year.

The 42 competing teams, including seven international teams, were selected from nearly 510 entries — a 20 percent increase from 2010 — from

some of the best universities around the world.

Teams were chosen to compete in six categories: life sciences, information technology, energy, clean tech, social and other technologies.

In addition to a history of ever-increasing prize money, the Rice Business Plan Competition boasts successful past winners. Of the 314 who have competed in the first ten years of the competition, 120 past competitors successfully launched their business and are in business today, raising more than $337 million in early-stage funding and employing more than 600 individuals. In the last year alone, past RBPC competitors have raised in excess of $114 million, including teams from the 2010 competition which have raised

more than $15.4 million in the 12 months since competing at Rice.

“The success rate of past teams is indicative of the quality of teams the competition draws,” said Brad Burke, managing director of the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship at Rice University. “It is also representative of what we are finding to be an increased interest in innovation and entrepreneurship in the U.S. The current economy certainly affects this as well as the willingness by the millennial generation to take risks to start their own companies. These young entrepreneurs are vital to the U.S. maintaining its technology innovation leadership and its position in the world economy.”

Encouraging new entrepreneurs is one of the goals of the Rice Alliance, and it was in that

In its second year, 11 teams competed, more than

School was filled to capacity as the teams competed

vein that the alliance hosted two additional high-stakes

doubling the number of competitors from 2010.

in front of 24 judges composed of Rice MBA students,

business plan competitions for younger participants,

Teams competed for three cash prizes totaling $8,750,

Rice Alliance staff, Jones School faculty and successful

undergraduates and high-school students.

up 75 percent over the inaugural year. The grand prize was

Houston entrepreneurs.

$5,000. More than 25 judges from the Houston business

Rice University Technology Venture Challenge

and investment community evaluated the business plan

A

Rice

competed

presentations and selected the winners based on viability

won top spot. UniversID would be the first to target

for top honors in the Second Annual Rice University

of their technology and the potential market and feasibility

university students at Rice and the surrounding West

Technology Venture Challenge at the Jones School

of the business plan. First place went to ClimaTears,

University communities in delivering food from Houston

in May. Students presented business plans for new

the enhanced diagnostic tool for Dry Eye Syndrome.

restaurants to the customer’s doorstep. Second-place

University

undergraduate

students

unique

restaurant

delivery

service,

UniversID,

Sober Scooters was modeled after a successful Atlanta

technology ventures, including a solar-powered electric vehicle, a baseball containing sensors to perfect pitching

KHHS Business Plan Competition

business, providing a designated driver scooter service.

technique, and a low-cost vision diagnostic device for

Over the course of the spring semester, the entire senior

Other winners included Piezoelectricity, a technology from

developing countries.

class from KIPP Houston High School brainstormed ideas,

the University of Houston to convert mechanical energy to

researched markets and developed business plans as part

electrical energy to recharge cell phones, and an online

The competition was founded by the Rice undergraduate

of their Social Studies capstone project for graduation.

Quinceanera planning and consulting business.

student entrepreneurship club, CoRE, which stands for

Their goal? To transform their ideas from dream into

the Community of Rice Entrepreneurs. The campus-

reality for the first KHHS Business Plan Competition,

As KIPP Economics teacher David Wakefield said,

wide competition was open to all Rice undergraduates

held in partnership with the Jones School.

“The business plan project helped foster the types of career skills that will make our students more marketable

and was supported by Rice Alliance, Rice Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL), and Finger Interests,

Twenty-five teams went head-to-head in the first round

a local investment firm headed by Jerry Finger, who is also

of competition. The Shell Auditorium at the Jones

in a very competitive global economy.”

an Adjunct Professor in Management at the Jones School.

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 7

AROUND THE SCHOOL

O

n the third floor of McNair Hall, a glass wall separates the El Paso Corporation Finance Center from the gaze of a prospective MBA student. The room is alive with activity — a stock ticker, 10 computers, seven displays, and two LED boards: one with commodities, currency exchanges and treasury markets and the other showing equity market indices, Jones School recruiters and Wright Fund holdings.

Three Different Students, Three Different Backgrounds

A full-time MBA student explains how the center is used, “Finance courses are based on theory; this room is about learning practical applications for that theory. You get training with the finance tools you might use in a job, like Bloomberg, FactSet and Capital IQ. It’s also home to the Wright Fund.”

Officer and Chief Economist. This structure allows the

The Wright Fund is run by Dr. Jill Foote, senior lecturer and director of the El Paso Corporation Finance Center, along with assistance from students elected each semester as Chief Investment Officer, Chief Operations students to be an integral part of the rigorous application process, which requires a long form stock analysis and an interview.

The 2011 officers, all of whom graduated in the spring, have one unique characteristic: none of them were

The Wright Stuff The Transformative Business of Managing the Wright Fund (L-R) Nolan Waugh, Jeff Montgomery, Edward Rowe and Evan Bertrand (all Class of 2011)

Since 1995, the M.A. Wright Fund has served as

management tools and techniques. Students begin by

finance majors or had much work experience in finance.

an educational investment program for students

performing analysis on individual securities, and by

“The Wright Fund positions itself to be open to all three

at the Jones School. Founded with a gift to Rice’s

the second semester are managing sectors and the

programs, whether students have a finance background

endowment from the former chairman of Humble Oil

portfolio as a whole, analyzing cross-market factors.

or not. We’re clearly a testament to that,” CIO Nolan

(now ExxonMobil) Myron “Mike” A. Wright’s estate,

This robust process makes for a more comprehensive

Waugh ’11 says.

the funds were designated for management exclusively

learning experience.

by Rice MBA students in order to gain valuable money management experience.

Waugh is a Rice undergrad (’04) in computer science.

The fund also allows students to foster their peers’

He worked as a web developer for a legal publishing

education: senior Wright Fund students supervise

firm in Houston for three years before taking a job

The Wright Fund’s impact on students comes from

the analyses of junior students, and annually the fund

at the Jones School in the El Paso Finance Center.

an intensive hands-on curriculum covering two

awards scholarships generated from its own returns to

“During college I helped set up the first version of

semesters and teaching a wide variety of investment

two outstanding students.

the trading floor in the finance center. Coming back,

Awards and Accolades: business.rice.edu

•

The fund was crowned Best 2010 Growth Return at two student investment conferences, RISE and QGAME.

Wright Fund students won the CFA Institute’s Investment Research Challenge–Texas at the 2011 Texas Investment Portfolio Symposium held at the Jones School and advanced to the Americas Semi-Finals.

•

the plan was to manage the finance center and also

Bridging the Gap

This approach has generated dual yields —the fund’s

pursue an MBA.” Waugh graduated from the MBA for

With a four-hour class every Tuesday night, the Wright

annualized return over the past 10 years has firmly

Professionals program.

Fund was a challenge for a fully-employed student.

outperformed the S&P 500 benchmark. Second, the

Nolan found that, despite the grueling schedule,

fund has produced successful professionals in a wide

COO Natalie Higdem ’11 earned a hotel restaurant

he flourished. “Even in the first few weeks I was better at

variety of disciplines, whose training in the Wright Fund

management degree from University of Houston in ’05.

my job and had a better understanding of the resources

continues to pay dividends in the form of substantial,

She worked for Aramark managing suite operations for

in the finance center.”

mutually beneficial relationships with top finance firms,

events at Reliant Stadium and for a nonprofit putting on

and increased prominence for Rice University on the

special events, raising funds and doing board relations.

Which is really the point. “Business school students are

“My growing interest in finance and energy led me to the

here for two years,” Jill points out. “They’re expected

Rice MBA program.”

to immediately transition into a higher-level job than

world business stage.

Chief Economist Evan Bertrand ’11 graduated from Rice with a music degree in ’05. He spent three years as a percussionist at the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.

“I felt like there was more opportunity for growth and variety outside of the music world. I was interested in finance and knew that the only way to make that drastic of a transition was to get an MBA.”

Gaining Perspective The blend of student backgrounds enhanced the experience. “We all had something to offer,” Evan says.

“The students with finance backgrounds obviously had technical knowledge, but the students with non-traditional backgrounds were able to approach equities in a fresh way.”

This fresh perspective is exactly the kind of innovation the fund looks for in its members. For Natalie, “The Wright Fund allowed me to do a deep dive into financial statements in a way I had not necessarily done in my classes. It also gave me the opportunity to meet alumni in many different industries and better understand what I wanted to do after school.”

As an associate in the Business Valuation group at Deloitte Financial Advisory Services, she says,

Natalie Higdem ’11 in the El Paso Finance Center

“Participating in the Wright Fund helped not just my interview process but also my onboarding as a new hire.

they had before. A big challenge is to provide a pathway

Much of what I am working on now is quite similar to

between classroom learning and applying theory,

the analysis and reports I worked on as an analyst in

principles and models to live situations. Both the Finance

the Wright Fund.”

Center and Wright Fund aim to bridge that gap and in the process make the students more knowledgeable

The Wright Fund contributed to Evan’s career as well.

and more marketable.”

At ExxonMobil he provides financial analysis as part of the Controller’s division and is currently supporting the

The Wright Fund currently manages $900,000 and

company’s IT business. “The Wright Fund, more so than

is undertaking a capital campaign to increase funds

any other activity in the Rice MBA program, requires you

under management which will concurrently enhance the

to formulate an opinion and defend it to a scrutinizing

student’s learning experience and increase scholarships.

audience. Now I have to do that every day.”

Its charter expressly encourages ethical, disciplined and holistic investment management.

•

Wright Fund students won the inaugural IRC–TX in 2007 and were finalists in 2009.

•

Wright Fund teams have also excelled in the TIPS Portfolio Managers Competition, winning in 2009 and placing in each of the last five years.

Jill Foote is an industry expert who came to the Jones School in 2005 to train the next generation of investment managers. As senior lecturer and director of the El Paso Corporation Finance Center, she also directs the M.A. Wright Fund and is faculty advisor to the Rice Finance Club.

She has 13 years of experience from Goldman Sachs in New York, where, among other positions, she was vice president, managing projects covering strategic initiatives, new business ventures, risk management, and operational, regulatory, and financial audits and risk reviews. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst, has a BA in Economics and Managerial Studies from Rice (Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa), an MA in Economics from New York University and a PhD in Economics from Fordham University.

The Rice MBA is typically ranked among the top ten globally in finance by the Financial Times.

•

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 9

ALUMNI CRYSTALIZING ENTREPRENEURSHIP THE NEXT

THRIVES

By Gene Brieck ’10

G ustavo Kolmel ’08 always

SPOTLIGHT

wanted to be an entrepreneur.

In 1998, 10 years into his career he started his own company. After receiving his company’s first order, he celebrated the start of his new career with friends.

The next morning, the first check he received bounced.

But Gustavo continued to believe in himself and his idea. InterStar Global Logistics grew to 85 employees and, with a footprint in 18 countries, became a recognized leader in global transportation and logistics.

After a long decision process and through the contacts he made while earning his Executive MBA at Rice, he sold InterStar and its affiliates to Crane Worldwide in September 2008.

Now leading his second company LuAnn Capital, which helps entrepreneurs build their businesses, Gustavo attributes much of his success — as an entrepreneur and leader — to attracting and retaining great talent. “It’s all about the people,” he says.

“Regardless of the industry or business, successful organizations have the right balance of talent and leadership.”

Active in JGSEO events, Gustavo leads the business plan development team with monthly conference calls and one-on-one guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs. He says, “The entrepreneurial spirit at Rice is hard to find anywhere else. The JGSEO provides the bridge from a top notch MBA program to launching a successful career as an entrepreneur.”

business.rice.edu

COOL IDEA

By Stephen Cullar-Ledford ‘12

O

ver the weekend of July 15 –17, students in the Jones School’s MBA for Executives program and the JGSEO presented the second annual Next Cool Idea. The workshop generated ideas that will become funded businesses to grow the economy, provide opportunities for leaders, and strengthen the Jones School’s relationships with the Houston business community.

Facilitator James Barlow of the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance led 25 student and alumni participants through three intense days of innovation and entrepreneurship training, beginning with a reality check about brainstorming great ideas and how to refine them. Throughout the weekend JGSEO mentors offered advice, feedback and a lunchtime panel discussing contemporary issues around starting and funding businesses.

For more information, visit www.nextcoolidea.org

JGSEO: Jones Graduate School Entrepreneurs Organization, a group of alumni engaged in entrepreneurial activities.

Top 3 Reasons to Join the JGSEO: 1) Learn how to build and develop your start-up with peer support, resources and encouragement.

Members meet monthly to discuss challenges, set goals, share ideas and help each other’s companies grow.

2) Attend educational and networking events focused on core business topics, such as leadership and management skills.

3) Cultivate Jones School connections since all members are alumni.

RICE EDUCATION ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM (REEP)

DOOR TO SUCCESS

G eovanny Ponce wears a Rice owl lapel pin on his navy blue

jacket. The Hartman Middle School assistant principal and dean of instruction has been a part of REEP’s Business Fellowship for School Leaders since March and begins its Summer Institute for School Leaders today, the Tuesday after a long 4th of July weekend. He is excited and talks with his hands and his eyes. He has a lot to say.

“I will always work in underserved communities,” he says. “Because I was one of them. I can relate.” Growing up in poverty in Honduras, Geovanny spent many years homeless, but he knew from a young age the power of school and that an education could save him.

“I don’t believe in excuses. I believe in results. I tell my teachers, never give up for the children because they don’t know there is a world out there. I tell them, it’s your duty as a teacher to show the children there is a door. You can open it for them.”

For Geovanny, poverty was his inspiration. With a scholarship for high school and college, he earned a bachelor’s degree and got a good job as a project manager for a big company. But when he lost out on a promotion because he didn’t speak English, he decided it was time to move to the U.S. and learn.

A friend offered a place to live in Houston and, at age 28, he landed in an ESL class at Houston Community College. His ESL teacher also taught in the Houston Independent School District. After knowing him only a few short weeks, she told him, “We need you here.”

When he asked what he could do, she said, “You can teach.”

That was 1998. And he’s been teaching ever since.

School’s out for Summer Institute Each July, exceptional school leaders join current REEP students from both the MBA for School Leaders and Business Fellowship at the Summer Institute. This year’s institute consists of 42 educators representing various school districts in the greater Houston area.

During Summer Institute, students are taught by nationally recognized leaders in education. Students learn to apply the managerial knowledge they have learned in class to the school setting. These sessions focus on educational entrepreneurship and educational leadership. Classes are taught all day during this three-week session.

“ This is truly a unique and

new face for the landscape of educational leadership.”

With one week of Summer Institute under his belt, Geovanny is enthralled and more effusive than ever. Although each day is full, he is reflective about his teaching, leading and managing. “REEP has taken me to different levels. It has been very powerful.”

SPOTLIGHT

GEOVANNY PONCE’S

He continues passionately, “Education was my door to success.

An effective teacher opened that door for me and I truly believe that effective school leaders can open doors for our children living in poverty. REEP has helped me evaluate and prepare the whole child, by simply surrounding us — the participants — with other passionate, creative school leaders whose desire is to change the American educational system. This is truly a unique and new face for the landscape of educational leadership. Thank you to REEP for giving me the opportunity to network with such dedicated education entrepreneurs. The best gift effective leaders can give to our underserved children are effective teachers who will educate them and open doors to success.”

REEP is committed to continue recruiting and training a cadre of professionals, like Geovanny, ready to lead excellent public schools for all children, particularly those who are currently underserved.

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 11

FEATURE ARTICLE

GLOBAL

A CONVERSATION WITH ROBERT FOYE ‘90 ABOUT LEADING, LEARNING AND LIVING ABROAD

By Ann S. Boor

As a kid, Coca-Cola products were daily staples for Robert Foye. He loved the brand long before he ever knew he’d be working for this storied company now celebrating its 125th year anniversary. With a global presence in over 200 countries and the fast pace that comes with being an industry leader, Coca-Cola is a perfect fit for Foye. He’s been with the company for 19 years, 13 of those overseas. Currently, he

DID YOU CHOOSE TO WORK GLOBALLY OR DID THAT COME WITH THE JOB?

Another similarity is the need to simplify and

Officer for Coca-Cola’s China business — the

I was initially based in Houston working in

your consumers and customers, making sure

international business development for Minute

you concentrate on building your strengths and

company’s third largest market in the world.

Maid, a Coca-Cola business line, but I traveled

mitigating your weaknesses. Third, is always

to many countries working on various projects.

the need for solid and robust processes to

Then I was presented the opportunity to move

innovate and execute in the marketplace.

to Hong Kong to develop the juice business

in Asia. I never had been to Asia and my wife

Having said this, you have to keep in mind

was seven months pregnant with our first

the differences, and I think the biggest one

child. But, I took a leap and we moved when

encompasses insight and culture. Being a

our first son was eight weeks old. I never

foreign guest in a country requires an extra

have looked back.

effort to listen, learn and be culturally sensitive

is Chief Marketing, Customer, and Commercial

focus on what you are capable of doing well for

to your surroundings. I’ve found that people

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GLOBAL BUSINESS AND JUST DOING BUSINESS?

who have natural curiosity and empathy tend to thrive most in new environments.

I actually think there are more similarities than of people and building a great team. When you

WHAT GETS YOU EXCITED ABOUT COMING TO WORK?

have the right team, everything else becomes

Seeing the business prosper and my team

easier and more possible: it becomes 1+1=3.

develop. Everything is dynamic for us; no day

differences, the first one being the importance

business.rice.edu

AROUND THE SCHOOL

GROWTH

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 13

AROUND THE SCHOOL

WITH THE INTERNET EXPLODING IN CHINA, HOW DOES THIS AFFECT YOUR WORK THERE?

is ever the same. But, I know together we will find a way to drive the business forward and make a difference.

WHAT ARE THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES OF BUILDING A BRAND IN CHINA? The two biggest challenges are around: 1) dealing with the sheer size, scale and pace of change in China and 2) the aggressive competition.

China has 34 provinces and autonomous zones with many different cultural, geographic and economic subsets. The country has a population of 1.3 billion spread out over an area more than twice the size of the European Union. To succeed in China, you have to execute things with very large scale, but also take into account local differences. It’s the classic marketer’s challenge. The country is also changing rapidly, urbanizing by almost 35 million people per year and this comes with brisk changes in how people shop; there is a move towards more modern retail outlets.

As to competition in the beverage industry, competitors in China are as aggressive as I have seen anywhere. Some of the local competitors have become the same size as some of our global competitors based only on the size of their China business.

YOU’VE WORKED IN INDONESIA, HONG KONG, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA FOR COCA-COLA. WHAT LESSONS TRANSLATE FROM PLACE TO PLACE? Each role I’ve had in a new country has brought a new set of challenges and learning. But, one thing I’ve learned that holds true everywhere is that business always looks more complex than it is. The correct answers are usually right in front of you, but sometimes they require difficult decisions.

business.rice.edu

AROUND FEATURE THE SCHOOL ARTICLE “ There are over 450 million Internet users in China and more than 800 million people using mobile phones.

The number of Internet users is expected to double over the next five years. Digital and Internet have become a much bigger part of our marketing plans used to build our brands. Internet, search, blogging and mobile platforms will become ever more important. I joined the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, known as Weibo. After one week, I have 44,000 followers. Amazing.”

WHAT LESSONS LEARNED AT THE JONES SCHOOL STILL INFLUENCE WHAT YOU’RE DOING TODAY?

We’ve also been extremely lucky and blessed

No. 1 is teamwork. The Jones School had a

got very interested in the thought of adopting

very good system of requiring you to work with

children from other cultures and giving them

a full team and produce one unified piece of

a safe and loving home. Over time, this led

work where each team member got the same

us to adopt two beautiful girls, Meredith,

grade based on the quality of the work. It is

now 8, from China, and Annabel, now 7,

exactly like that in business. Everyone on your

from Indonesia. This has been an amazing

team wins or loses together. It’s that simple.

addition to our family which includes my

in a major way in regards to our family. We were doing some work at an orphanage and

wife, Kristianna Schmitt-Foye, a Rice 1991 Another learning lesson was provided by the

undergraduate, and our sons Robert, 12,

case study method where you had to take lots

and William, 10. Having such a large and interesting family has made us feel more at

FOYE’S FIVE: PREPARING FOR YOUR FIRST OR NEXT GLOBAL ASSIGNMENT? ROBERT FOYE SHARES HIS TOP FIVE TIPS:

1 Take risks. Don’t ever look back.

2 Look for the new and good things in your new assignment. Don’t focus on what you have left behind.

3 Be curious, listen and learn.

Opportunities are all around you.

4 Build a world-class team.

Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that certain kinds of capability are hard to find.

home wherever we are, especially in Asia.

WHAT’S ON YOUR “WHAT’S NEXT OR WHERE’S NEXT” LIST? Not one specific thing. I care about constantly learning: I’m a big believer in investing time in

it. You are a guest in your 5 Enjoy new country and unfortunately

you will not be able to stay there forever.

developing yourself because what you learn stays with you the rest of your life. I care about making a difference in the business and with MEREDITH, WILLIAM, ROBERT AND ANNABEL FOYE

of complicated information, some not in your area of expertise, and develop a viable strategy and way forward. This taught me that you

my team; and I care about living in a great environment for my wife and kids to enjoy and grow. All this could happen in so many places in the world. JJ ~

never have 100 percent of the information and

Over the past 19 years, Robert Foye has held

there is never one right answer. Your greatest

varied positions at The Coca-Cola Company,

accomplishments will come from assimilating large amounts of data, simplifying the way you look at the world, and taking decisive action.

ranging from finance, operations and business development for Minute Maid to innovation and GM roles across the globe. Prior to joining Coca-Cola, he worked two years for Deloitte & Touche and earned his CPA and CFA designations.

HOW HAVE YOU BALANCED A GLOBAL BUSINESS CAREER WITH FAMILY?

He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Rice

One thing we have chosen to do is live in the

School (1990). Rice connections include Robert’s

middle of the major city in which we are based.

wife, Laura Kristianna Schmitt-Foye ’91; sister,

This allows us to really experience the city and absorb the culture. In addition, it usually helps us to develop a great balance of expatriate and local friends.

University (1988) and an MBA from the Jones

Carrie Hooper ’85; brother, Patrick Foye ’90; brother-in-law, Rich Hooper ’85; cousin, Ted Carver ’87 and PhD ‘93; sister-in-law, Ana Blackmon ’90; and nephew, Sam Hooper ’15 (expected).

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 15

FEATURE ARTICLE

By Julia Nguyen

REINFORCING C

hris Kreidler’s draw to business came when he was an undergraduate at Rice University. The college campus, with its residential colleges, administrative structure and budgets was much like a small company – and the perfect setting for getting a taste of business.

At the time, Kreidler was Lovett College’s class president. Naturally, he would study engineering, given that he came from three generations of engineers. But, perhaps most consequential, Kreidler was the properties ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYSCO EVP AND CFO CHRIS KREIDLER ’87 GETS THE JOB DONE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

coordinator for his residential college. His first task? Giving the basement a fresh coat of paint. To get the job done, Kreidler sought Rice’s Housing Manager Frank Petru for help.

“I’ll never forget him. Mr. Petru was a tough guy with a stern exterior.

He didn’t like Lovett College much because, quite frankly, the students there never treated him with much respect. But, I was determined to develop a relationship with him and to prove to him that we were worthy of his help. I told him I would keep my word if he would give me a chance.”

Mr. Petru more or less acquiesced, at least on a trial basis – in exchange for paint, Kreidler would provide labor. Flyers were posted soliciting volunteers, but no one was available over the winter holiday. To keep his end of the bargain, Kreidler painted the basement over the break.

When his fellow students wanted a sand volleyball court, Mr. Petru only agreed to supply free sand if Kreidler could get the court dug out.

Again, his plea for help yielded no one, so Kreidler began digging.

business.rice.edu

AROUND THE SCHOOL

RELATIONSHIPS “As he does with all projects, Mr. Petru came by to check my progress.

He saw me out there digging alone and must have decided to have pity on me. About an hour later, one of Mr. Petru’s crew showed up with a back-hoe and we finished the project in about two hours. From then on, we worked as a team to serve our constituents, the members of the college, and to stay within budget. I really enjoyed it.”

“If there was ever an ‘aha’ moment, that was it.”

Kreidler graduated from Rice twice, first with an undergraduate degree in economics and management and then with an MBA with specializations in marketing, accounting and MIS from the Jones Graduate School of Business. He was ready to begin what would be a high flying career in corporate finance.

MORE THAN A CFO Today, Kreidler is the Executive Vice President and CFO of Sysco Corporation, the global food services corporation that sells, markets and distributes food and equipment products to restaurants, health care and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers.

Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the food-service and hospitality industries. The company, which is headquartered in Houston’s thriving Energy Corridor district, generates more than $37 billion in sales a year, making Sysco the largest non-oil related company in Houston and the largest food-service distributor in North America.

Kreidler acknowledges that his role at Sysco tends to be amorphous.

As CFO, he handles the traditional financial aspects of the business: accounting, planning and forecasting, internal audit, investor relations and treasury, but Kreidler also fully embraces his responsibilities that reside outside of a CFO’s typical purview. He contends that CFOs must think more like a business partner to meet the demands required by today’s markets. “A CFO today needs to understand how the company makes money, how it serves the customer, its operations, its strategy, how to allocate resources, how investors think about the company, and how to assess and manage risk.”

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 17

With this line of thinking, it’s no wonder Kreidler excels in multiple areas of expertise making him a formidable jack of all trades. He is well versed in M&A, corporate and real estate strategy, enterprise risk management, investor relations, and has significant interaction with the board of directors.

And Kreidler hasn’t forgotten the simple, but valuable, lesson he learned with Mr. Petru – working as a team. “When you help your boss with what’s on their plate, it’s a win for everyone. You free up his or her time to explore new ideas and innovations that move the company forward, and you add valuable skills and knowledge to your own portfolio.”

THE X-FACTOR Kreidler’s career in corporate finance began in the area of M&A. He spent almost eight years at T. Boone Pickens’s Mesa Limited Partnership, which at the time was one of the largest independent producers of oil and natural gas in the U.S. When he joined PepsiCo in the Pizza Hut division as VP of M&A, Kreidler was asked to increase transactions from one or two per year to 20-30 annually, deals that ranged in size from $20 million to $200 million. He grew the M&A group from one employee – himself – to 30 professionals.

The team knocked its objectives out of the ballpark in the first two years, delivering cash flow that exceeded $250 million in each year.

Kreidler would eventually manage corporate strategy, treasury and M&A activities for Yum! Brands Worldwide.

Kreidler quickly points out the importance of teamwork in everything he has accomplished. “I’ve been fortunate to work with some truly outstanding individuals throughout my career. With them, this has been challenging, but fun, work.”

If there’s one area that he always seems to gravitate toward, it’s mergers and acquisitions.

“Deal-making is a specialization I haven’t been able to get away from, even today,” Kreidler jokes, however, it is true. He’s a magician of sorts in this area. One might suspect that the ability to make deals – and the skills that go with it – is the secret sauce in his professional repertoire and the longstanding key to his success. That, and his knack for building relationships.

“One thing I have found that works to build rapport is to treat everyone you meet with respect, regardless of their gender, title or position.

business.rice.edu

FEATURE ARTICLE “ A CFO TODAY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE COMPANY MAKES MONEY, HOW IT SERVES THE CUSTOMER, ITS OPERATIONS, ITS STRATEGY, HOW TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES, HOW INVESTORS THINK ABOUT THE COMPANY, AND HOW TO ASSESS AND MANAGE RISK.”

If you make it obvious that you’re trying to be respectful of a person, even if you miss some culturally important nuance, you score points. Then, if you’re able to show that you’re human – smile, laugh, be self-deprecating – you begin to develop a relationship.”

Kreidler says he’s also honed his people skills through traveling.

To date, he has been to 60-70 countries on six continents, including living and working two years in Europe. Experiencing different cultures has helped Kreidler learn to “read” people better. “You can enhance your understanding of a message being conveyed to you, and how well your message is being received by others, by looking for visual clues: facial expressions, body language, seating order. I know this has made me more effective at building relationships and, ultimately, doing my job.”

RICE CONNECTION Between work and traveling, Kreidler makes his home with his family in Houston. He exercises six or seven time a week and cycles on occasion.

He really enjoys spending time with his four-and-a-half-year-old daughter, who also keeps him very active.

Despite his busy schedule and numerous years away from greater Houston, Kreidler has already found his way back to his alma mater where he continues to find ways to forge relationships with the Jones School and its students. Deanna Fuehne, the executive director of the Career Management Center, may know better than anyone.

“Chris Kreidler epitomizes everything that an alumnus can do to positively impact our students,” Fuehne said. “No matter where he’s worked, at Yum! Brands or Sysco, he is committed to sourcing top-tier talent from the Jones School.”

Now that he’s back in town, Kreidler is eager to be more involved with the school especially with the curriculum through seminars and teaching as well as fulfilling the school’s mission – developing principled, innovative thought leaders in global communities. “I love to develop people. I enjoy finding students who have real drive and curiosity and try to help them grow.

“We are one of the largest companies in Houston next to one of the top schools in the country. It will be interesting to see how we can strengthen our relationships with the Jones School, Rice University and the greater Houston community. I’m looking forward to being a big part of it.” JJ

Sysco Headquarters, Houston JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 19

FEATURE ARTICLE

W

hen Laura Arnold began reflecting on

federal dollars. “What we should do as

As part of the process, the foundation is creating

how she and her husband, John,

philanthropists is leverage our dollars to

what Arnold refers to as “proof points” which

could most effectively use the resources they are

show policymakers the proof that there is a

demonstrate why these solutions are more

blessed with, she turned to what she knew best—

more efficient, transparent, and cost effective

effective. And once you have proven your point,

a strategic business approach. “In my view,

way of doing something. Once you do that,

sustainable changes are more apt to follow.

there’s no distinction whether you’re thinking

changing policy gets easier.”

about a corporation, non-profit or philanthropy,”

The foundation currently focuses on three major

said Arnold. “It’s all about analytics and

With the creation of the Laura and John Arnold

areas; education, criminal justice and pension

expectations. I have a strong private sector

Foundation, Arnold felt like she had a tremendous

reform. “In each area, we strongly believe the

mentality that drives everything I do.”

opportunity and challenge on her hands—and she

market has not achieved efficient results due

She readily acknowledged that it’s much easier to put metrics around investments in the private

BUILDING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

sector that help direct year-to-year decisions.

In philanthropy, not as many activities lend themselves to these same criteria. That’s why Arnold believes that time spent on the front end learning and studying issues is so critical.

“The challenge is to translate entrepreneurial and private sector mentality into philanthropy and part of that is viewing all of our investments with the same expectation of high returns.”

TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE The idea of starting a foundation grew out of

Adjunct professor Laura Arnold applies business savvy to the not-for-profit world

decisions the Arnolds made after pondering some big questions. “We don’t believe in generational

By Ann S. Boor

wealth. We didn’t want to wait until we die to give money to philanthropy or have someone else make the decisions. We wanted to do it ourselves.

was very excited. The foundation targets change at

to some type of power imbalance or lack of

This is our social responsibility; to create a better

all levels, from the local community to nationwide.

information and communication.”

environment for others around you.”

“Our primary mission is transformative change,”

said Arnold. “We want to look at some big

Their work around sustainable education reform is

They also wanted to do it differently, something

problems and in a relatively short period of time

an example of the foundation’s strategic approach

that was beyond the standard definition

we want to tackle issues where the market itself

in action. The details include fostering an efficient

and attitude of philanthropy. In Arnold’s view,

has arrived at inefficient solutions.”

market of excellent education alternatives

philanthropy alone is never going to change

both inside and outside the school district

anything in this country because philanthropy

The objective is to inject new solutions that might

structure; developing the best possible metrics

dollars are a drop in the bucket relative to

lead a market to realize its own efficiencies.

around teacher performance, hiring, training

business.rice.edu

AROUND THE SCHOOL

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 21

Laura and John Arnold Foundation Supports New Consortium Rice University and the Houston Independent School District (HISD) are developing a consortium to collaborate on research aimed at closing socioeconomic achievement gaps in Houston elementary and secondary education.

The Laura and John Arnold Foundation is supporting the effort with a $1.3 million gift.

The gift will create the Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC), which will: • Undertake a rigorous research agenda aimed at understanding and meeting the needs of local education leaders; • Produce research findings that will lead to more effective and meaningful programs; and • Provide analyses to support data-driven policymaking at HISD and to guide strategies to ensure that all students, regardless of background or socioeconomic status, receive equal educational opportunities.

“An important part of Rice’s commitment to the city of Houston is helping to improve K-through-12 education,” Rice President David Leebron said. “This new consortium promises to bring rigorous research to the task of helping our educators achieve the best learning outcomes for our students, who are the future of this city.

We’re grateful to our Rice trustee, Laura, and her husband, John, for providing such generous support for the consortium.”

business.rice.edu

FEATURE ARTICLE

and evaluation; and integrating technology in

being at the forefront of community engagement,

to understand human interaction is vital in

the classroom. A fourth component focuses on

and an association with the university seemed

business and in all aspects of life. “I hope they

management practices. “We identify our policy

like a logical and worthwhile pursuit.

are stimulated to communicate in a way that is

objectives in each area and these determine at

articulate, concise and respectful, and that they

which level—federal, local, district or state—

“I wanted to get involved in Rice and remain

always show interest in others. I hope they leave

they can be implemented,” explained Arnold.

involved with the field of mergers and acquisitions

class with takeaways that you can’t look up in

even though I was no longer practicing M&A,”

books or online.”

The foundation’s newest area of interest, criminal

said Arnold. “So it was a wonderful opportunity

justice, is in its infancy. It is looking for scalable

to start teaching in the Jones School in 2008.

While her students ask plenty of questions

projects and proof points that could be replicated

Of course, I expected the students to be bright

about her foundation and pursuing a life of

on a national basis to tackle complex issues

and

that

service, Arnold always encourages them to first

such as reducing gang violence. “For each issue,

expectation. I love the fact that my students are

spend time in the private sector. She sees it as a

we share the approach of seeking transformative

engaged and very responsive.”

critical training ground for professionals before

motivated,

and

they

exceeded

they enter the non-profit or philanthropic fields.

“The private sector is where cutting-edge

“We don’t believe in generational wealth. We didn’t want to wait until we die to give money to philanthropy or have someone else make the decisions. We wanted to do it ourselves. This is our social responsibility; to create a better environment for others around you.”

strategies are developed and where many big thinkers come from.”

Arnold understands that she is in a unique position—able to concentrate on her foundation work every day, so early in life. “If you’re blessed with success, this is your obligation.

Our foundation is the right way for us to fulfill it.” JJ

change through a methodological analysis of

While the class focuses on the legal aspects of

problem-solution,” said Arnold. “Then we craft

mergers and acquisitions, Arnold hopes the

multi-dimensional solutions to the problems.”

students walk away with lessons that transcend the study of law. “There are very few classes that

TEACHABLE MOMENTS

when you leave you’ll have learned everything

Arnold is so involved in the Houston community

about the topic that you need in your profession.

that it’s hard to imagine it has been less than

To me, the classroom is about fostering

six years since she arrived from New York as a

independent thinking and critical analysis that

self-described “foreigner.” While she didn’t know

are fungible in a broad number of areas.”

anyone in Houston other than her business

partners, she quickly became familiar with

Arnold claims that in the classroom she discusses

the business landscape of the city and its rich

the topic of behavior probably more than anyone

academic environment. She saw Rice University as

cares to hear, but she feels that students need

Laura Arnold is an adjunct professor of management at the Jones Graduate School of Business and a member of the board of trustees at Rice University. She is co-founder and co-chair of the Laura and John Arnold Foundation.

Arnold also serves on the national board of directors of Teach for America and The Innocence Project and is a trustee at Baylor College of Medicine and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. She is a member of the Board of Visitors of the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her prior experience includes executive vice president and general counsel of Cobalt International Energy, L.P. in Houston, and mergers and acquisitions attorney at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz in New York City. She holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, an M. Phil. in European studies from the University of Cambridge, and a B.A., Magna cum Laude, in government from Harvard College.

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 23

FEATURE ARTICLE

Dr. Jefferson Duarte has a unique take on “Some regard thought leaders as popular thinkers, people others listen to,” comments Duarte. “I don’t see it that way. When Albert Einstein was doing his research, very few people actually understood his findings. Even though his ideas weren’t popular at the time, he was arguably the most important thinker of the last century.”

Duarte sees a thought leader as someone conducting research that makes an enduring impact on the way we think.

by Jan Hester

MAKING AN IMPACT ON TWO FRONTS “It may not be popular at the time, but it can have a tremendous long-term impact. I try to develop ideas that expand our understanding of finance and economics.”

REAL ESTATE FOR THE REAL WORLD Dr. Duarte is a natural fit to head the new MBA real estate concentration, which graduated its first five students this spring. As Associate Professor of Finance and Gerald D. Hines Associate Professor of Real Estate Finance, he has taught classes on the subject since joining the Jones School in 2008.

The new program offers full-time MBA students an opportunity to interact with successful

business.rice.edu

real estate practitioners and entrepreneurs as well as renowned Rice faculty members.

While the concentration is new, many alumni of the Jones School are highly successful in the real estate sector.

“There are enough facets to the real estate business to accommodate a wide range of interests,” comments Duarte. “Entrepreneurial types can go into real estate development.

Those drawn to finance can pursue real estate banking or investing. People with expertise in accounting and valuation can become appraisers. It’s a large industry, and individuals with knowledge and ambition can become very successful.”

JEFFERSON

what constitutes thought leadership.

DUARTE:

AROUND THE SCHOOL

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 25

Some regard thought leaders as popular thinkers, people others listen to....

I don’t see it that way. When Albert Einstein was doing his research, very few people actually understood his findings. Even though his ideas weren’t popular at the time, he was arguably the most important thinker of the last century.

CREDIT HIS LOOKS Duarte embraces the opportunity to carry out groundbreaking research.

“It’s very satisfying to pose a question on a topic you find interesting and then dedicate your time and resources to answering that question.”

He is currently working on a project highlighted in March 2009 by The Economist that examines the impact of one’s appearance on their perceived creditworthiness.

“We found that people who look trustworthy receive better interest rates when borrowing money,” notes Duarte. “Both race and gender are important contributing factors, but they don’t tell the whole story. Something related to your appearance comes into play when you request a loan.”

Duarte is delighted that the Jones School administration supports faculty research.

“The Jones School’s strong research focus is very valuable to MBA students.”

REAL ACADEMIA MEETS THE REAL WORLD Duarte’s students acquire a wide range of practical expertise through outside speakers who complement his strong academic focus.

“For example, in the real estate finance course I lecture on applying finance techniques to the evaluation of real estate assets,” explains Duarte.

“Then we bring in a series of guest speakers to

business.rice.edu

provide real world case studies of these principles in action.”

In addition to real estate finance, Duarte teaches a joint real estate development course with the Rice School of Architecture.

“Each year we develop an actual site,” explains Duarte.” This year our project is a boutique hotel in New York City – on Governors Island.”

For this project, students will work with a Houston developer who has extensive hotel experience. Duarte looks forward to addressing some of the challenges involved in building on an island, including transportation, storing adequate provisions to sustain a transportation stoppage and other logistical issues.

FORAY INTO THE PRIVATE SECTOR Duarte, a native of Brazil, launched his teaching career as a teenager helping younger students with math, physics and chemistry.

His motivation? “I was inspired by the fact that I needed money.”

After completing his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, Duarte focused on finding an academic job but also sent his resume to select investment banks. He was set to accept an academic offer when he received an eleventh-hour call from JPMorgan inviting him to meet with them in New York.

“The job was on a proprietary trading desk doing the kind of trade that a large hedge fund,

Long Term Capital Management (LTCM) used to perform,” says Duarte. “My interest in finance originated from the work of some of LTCM founders, so they were sort of my heroes.”

While working for JPMorgan Chase, Duarte began to specialize in commercial mortgage backed securities and in the process broadened his knowledge of real estate.

“There were fascinating things happening in that market,” notes Duarte. “It was 2001, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were already major players in the American fixed income market.”

Duarte decided to return to academia with his new expertise and accepted a position at the University of Washington in Seattle. After writing some well-received papers about mortgagebacked securities, he was invited to be a visiting scholar at Freddie Mac. “It was personally a great experience,” comments Duarte, who co-authored a paper with the director of research at Freddie Mac (forthcoming at the Real Estate Economics, Journal of the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association). “I enjoyed the people a lot, and they were very knowledgeable. Despite their unfortunate problems, they still have tremendous human capital.”

CHALLENGING BELIEFS Duarte most likes to see his students learn to think on their own, “to look at something and come up with a way to analyze it, hopefully using tools they have learned at the Jones School to think about finance.”

FEATURE ARTICLE

Duarte believes in letting students express their views and come to their own conclusions rather than pushing the principles of business ethics on them.

“Students have their own opinions about what is happening now, what caused the financial crisis and how regulators should respond,” notes Duarte. “In class, students with conflicting views often have heated discussions. I think that’s great.

They build a solid background by thinking for themselves and challenging their own beliefs.”

Duarte recounts one session with a guest speaker who is the CEO of a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in Houston that had just gone through an IPO. Some of the students saw some real ethical issues with privately traded REITS and chastised the guest speaker for failing to advocate change.

“The CEO explained how he had tried to transform his own company from the inside,” comments Duarte. “The students ultimately learned that reality is not black and white. While the CEO was all for changing the industry, his job was to provide value to his shareholders, not be a crusader.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Duarte looks forward to seeing real estate graduates land excellent MBA-level entry jobs.

“That will reflect well on the new concentration,” observes Duarte. “The demand is here. We have students with a passion for the business and access to top real estate professionals who are willing to come here and teach.

“That’s what differentiates Rice from its competitors. It’s not just about the course offerings. It’s about having excellent industry connections here in Houston. I don’t think there are many programs like that around.” JJ

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 27

AROUND THE SCHOOL

business.rice.edu

TEN QUESTIONS WITH AJAY KALRA, PROFESSOR OF MARKETING

DR. AJAY KALRA JOINED THE JONES SCHOOL’S MARKETING GROUP IN 2008 AFTER TEACHING AT CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY’S TEPPER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS FOR 17 YEARS. HE EARNED HIS PH.D. IN MARKETING FROM FUQUA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT DUKE AND HIS M.A. IN ECONOMICS AT BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, PILANI. AJAY’S RESEARCH INTERESTS ARE FOCUSED ON ANALYTICAL MODELING AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOR, WHILE HIS TEACHING INTEREST IS ADVERTISING BECAUSE IT’S “FUN AND UNPREDICTABLE.”

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET INTO

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS UNIQUE ABOUT

BIGGEST MARKETING MYTH?

ACADEMICS?

THE RICE MBA PROGRAM AND THE SCHOOL

Not the biggest myth – but lots of people

I realized early that I wanted to be in

IN GENERAL?

think that marketing works instantly.

a profession where I would not have a

In terms of curriculum, ALP

In most instances it requires a lot of time

boss. Academics turned out to be a

(Action Learning Project) stands out –

to plan and execute and, importantly,

good choice. Doing research is like

but I think it is more the atmosphere.

to see any effects. Hyundai is a great

solving puzzles all the time – it is more

The learning takes place in a very

example of how a brand changed how

fun than people think. Teaching is great

congenial environment.

consumers perceive it – but it took a

because you are around interesting people all the time.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO RICE?

few years.

WHAT CLASSES DO YOU CURRENTLY TEACH? The core Data Analysis and a doctoral

WHAT DO YOU READ FOR PLEASURE?

seminar on consumer behavior.

Anything that is well written starting

Great colleagues of course.

with Harry Potter. Right now, I am reading

The Jones School is clearly on the rise –

WHAT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE YOUR

“A Short History of Nearly Everything”

it is ambitious and doing all the right

STUDENTS TO LEARN?

by Bill Bryson. I highly recommend it.

things. The business school has hired

To question any analysis that is given

tremendous faculty in the last few years.

to them.

WHY SHOULD SOMEONE CONSIDER AN MBA? It changes the way you think about

HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOUR STUDENTS?

managing a business. JJ

Using interesting or fun examples where analyzing data can directly lead to a decision.

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 29

AROUND THE SCHOOL

Giving to Jones

1

The Jones Partners is a committed group of business leaders working to open doors and build ties between the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business and the Houston business community. Central to its mission, the Jones School relies on the continued collaboration and support of companies and their professionals. The Jones Partners supports the school’s initiatives and encourages you to join in this effort to educate and develop global business leaders. Log on to business.rice.edu/jones_partners.aspx to find out more.

2

The Jones Corporate Investors Program provides corporations with many ways to become involved with the Jones School, tailoring each contribution to be the most productive and mutually rewarding for both the school and the investor. For more information business.rice.edu/Corporate_Investors.

3

The Jones Fund is an annual fund that provides unrestricted revenue to support scholarships, program enhancement, and other operation expenses. More than 70 percent of the contributions raised in 2011 will go to support scholarships and recruitment efforts for top candidates.

4

Sponsorship Opportunities Corporate Investors at the level of Patron and above can direct their donations to a variety of sponsorship opportunities.

Whether the goal of your investment is to develop future talent, increase the skills and knowledge

of your employees, network with leadership in the Houston business community, access Jones School faculty and research, or to link your company’s name to one of the premier business schools in the country, you can target your investment to meet these needs.

Partial listing of Annual and Long-Term Sponsorship Opportunities: •

Scholarships

•

Jones Fund

•

Faculty Research

•

Jones Partners

•

Rice Summer Business Institute (for high school students from challenged schools)

•

CMC recruitment events

•

Diversity Weekends (women, minorities)

•

Student Managed Investment Portfolio

•

Student Clubs (Energy, Finance, Consulting, NAWMBA, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Real Estate, Net Impact–community outreach, Asian, Hispanic and other clubs)

Rice MBA Student Participation in Inter-Collegiate Competitions

5

Graduating MBAs Set Record Giving Levels For the second year in a row, a Jones School MBA program gives 100 percent and the overall participation by all three programs increases to 96 percent, climbing from 95 in 2010.

“We fostered a sense of community from the beginning of our journey at the Jones School,” said Cathy Mann, a graduated EMBA and Director of Corporate Affairs at Haliburton.

“We all contributed to the 2011 class gift campaign because we wanted future students to share the exceptional experience we benefited from through this prestigious institution. “ Associate director of development Donna Platt is enthusiastic as well. “We consider this 100 percent successful. The class gift campaign’s success not only shows how proud students are of their Rice MBA experience, it is also the first step as newly minted alumni in their continued philanthropic support of the Jones School.

We’re so grateful for their contributions.”

•

•

Rice MBA Student Participation in Social Entrepreneurship Projects, including the Global Health initiative in developing countries and domestic projects

•

Annual Rice Energy-Finance Summit

•

Annual Health Care Symposium

•

Selected Speaker Events and conferences

•

Undesignated funds will be credited to the Dean’s Discretionary Fund to support urgent current needs

Michael Hart ’11, an associate at Citi, explains his reasons for giving. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my two years at the Jones School and believe this time has allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. My decision to participate in the class gift campaign was motivated by a desire to help the Jones School preserve and grow the programs from which I have benefitted.

I believe that financial support of the program after graduation is a strong indication of how much the Jones School has helped advance my career.”

Centennial Campaign Summary as of June 30, 2011 Currently, the Jones Graduate School of Business is engaged in a Rice-wide capital campaign with an overall goal of raising $1 billion by FY 2013, Rice’s centennial year. In the last capital campaign, the Jones School built a world-class facility. With the Centennial Campaign, we will invest in human capital!

Commitment Total for Fiscal Year/Quarter $65 million $40 million $20 million $10 million

Sept ’05’

June ’06

Campaign Goal: $65,000,000 business.rice.edu

June ’07

June ’08

June ’09

June ’10

June ’11

Fiscal Commitments: $14,192,602

The Jones School Centennial Campaign goal is $65 million, which will allow us to attract and develop future leaders through scholarships and to recruit and retain the best faculty in the world. These elements will help make us an engine of innovation with a global impact.

Cumulative Commitments: $37,584,443

3 Reasons to Give

AROUND THE SCHOOL

Heather Kopecky Rice MBA ‘00

A member of the first graduating class of Rice MBA for Executives, Heather Kopecky witnessed the Jones School’s pioneering efforts to make a difference within a highly diverse group of students. She appreciated the knowledge and growth she experienced while in the program, but had no idea the vital role it would play in the future of health care delivery. A senior client partner at Korn/Ferry International and a member of the firm’s Global Healthcare Services Practice, she earned a PhD from Texas Women’s University and a BSN and MSN from University of Texas Health Sciences Center.

These are three reasons why Heather gives:

1 Passion I feel passionate about giving to projects and organizations that provide access to knowledge — an inherent right and an imperative need of all people.

Knowledge makes a difference in individuals, connects them with their communities and results in global breakthroughs. Philanthropy is an important instrument for generating new knowledge.

2 Service Having grown up professionally in the Texas Medical Center, and later the business world, I have been the recipient of a great deal of philanthropy. Whether it was the time mentors spent with me, the talent of other’s with whom I practiced, or specialized funding for scholarship and research, philanthropy was given from the hearts of others and created change in my life personally and professionally. This change has helped me to be of service to others as a nurse, a community volunteer, and a global business person.

3 Transformation What are your values and what are the issues you are passionate about? Is it possible the Jones School is aligned with you? If so, be intentional and give what you can so that the school can continue to be transformational.

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 31

Jones Graduate Student Alumni Association (JGSAA) 2011 OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS PRESIDENT CAROLYN GALFIONE ‘97 FINANCIAL ADVISOR LINSCOMB AND WILLIAMS PRESIDENT ELECT KATHRYN YOUNG ‘04 VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS SIRIUS SOLUTIONS PAST PRESIDENT TED DIMITRY ‘02 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE HAYS COMPANIES OF TEXAS BOARD MEMBERS JIM BARRY ‘84 MANAGING DIRECTOR - INVESTMENTS MERRILL LYNCH

BO BOTHE ‘05 PRESIDENT & CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER BRANDEXTRACT PHILLIP BROWN ‘08 MANAGER HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY DAVID CASE ‘05 VICE PRESIDENT JP MORGAN CHASE FRANCISCO CASTRO ‘02 CEO ALIANT CAPITAL S.A. DE C.V. MICHAEL CHEVALIER-WHITE ‘89 MANAGING DIRECTOR MORGAN KEEGAN MARK COURTNEY ‘94 DIRECTOR CIMA ENERGY, LTD, INC. JULIE DAVIDSON ‘04 DIRECTOR COGENT COMPENSATION PARTNERS, INC. JAY HAWTHORN ‘05 VICE PRESIDENT BARCLAYS CAPITAL JACK LEDFORD ‘02 PROJECT MANAGER KBR, INC.

Dear Fellow Alumni,

Welcome to the Centennial Year for Rice University!

It is a proud time to be alumni from a university with a one hundred year history of educational excellence. The Jones School shares in celebrating the honor which this brings.

In this commemorative year, as the president of the Jones School alumni board, I reflect on how we can all strengthen our 4,000+ member community.

The day you earned your MBA from the Jones School, you became a member of the Alumni Association. The membership is automatic – no membership forms to fill out, dues to pay or initiation events to attend. We pride ourselves on simplicity and inclusion.

The Alumni Association is led by the Jones School Alumni Board which is made up of 18 former students from the full-time MBA, MBA for Executives and MBA for Professionals programs within a spectrum of graduation dates. Profiles of these board members are listed on the Jones School website. The purpose of the Alumni Association is to provide a framework through which alumni can maintain an ongoing relationship with the Jones School through continuing education, community service, networking with individuals in the business community and giving. Board members are nominated and chosen because of a conviction that the Rice MBA made a difference in their lives, and they wish to work toward building a strong alumni association to continue to enhance the reputation of the school and the value of their degree.

MIKE MCLAUGHLIN ‘07 PRINCIPAL ANALYST EL PASO CORP.

Each year in August, the alumni board begins its year of planning. On the Jones School website calendar you will see events sponsored by the alumni association and include a wine tasting evening in early August, reunion events in November, drinks and discussion with the dean (a great networking event with an update on the school by Dean Glick), and a night at the opera including a special reception. In addition to these and other social events during the year, alumni act as student mentors, attend luncheons with current students who are interested in a particular industry, participate in mock interviews, talk with prospective students, act as liaisons between students and board members, and work with Dean Glick and the Jones School team to enhance communication and teamwork between the school and alumni. We are also discussing an alumni community service program this year.

Even though you have completed your academic years at the school, there is so much the school still offers you. As you reconnect with fellow alumni or engage with students and faculty, our board is committed to making your alumni experience fulfilling and enjoyable.

We look forward to seeing you at one of the many events!

Carolyn Galfione ‘97 President, Jones Graduate School Alumni Association

DUSTIN OLSON ‘06 MARKETING MANAGER LYONDELLBASELL INDUSTRIES PIERCE OWENS ‘98 FIRST VICE PRESIDENT CB RICHARD ELLIS PRISCILLA PLUMB ‘01 KIM-KAY RANDT ‘07 DIRECTOR, PRICING FOR BRANDED CENTRAL CONOCOPHILLIPS

business.rice.edu

Faculty Recognition Faculty Honorary Titles

Faculty Promoted to Full Professor

James Weston – William S. Mackey and Verne F. Simons Distinguished Associate Professor of Finance

Utpal Dholakia Amit Pazgal

Alex Butler – Jones School Distinguished Associate Professor of Finance

Inducted

Research Awards

Jennifer George, Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of Management and Professor of Psychology, was formally inducted into the Fellows Group of the Academy of Management.

Alex Butler and Utpal Dholakia received the research award for tenured faculty

Gustavo Grullon Anthea Zhang

Jing Zhou, the Houston Endowment Professor of Management and Director for Asian Management Research and Education, was formally inducted as a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP).

Scott Sonenshein received the research award for untenured faculty

Full-time Students Adopt Mission Statement In April 2010 Assistant Dean Sean Ferguson invited

Late

iterations,

as faculty, staff and the business community.

a number of first-year students to discuss student

the committee composed their final draft.

Ultimately the goal of this initiative is to enhance

culture. What, he wanted to know, did it mean to

It was clear, concise and representative of

the culture at the Jones School which should

be a Jones School MBA candidate, and what—if

student ideals.

serve to enhance the value of the Rice MBA.”

last

spring,

after

five

anything—might be missing? The answer arrived in the form of a referendum one year later. And with the support of the Jones Student Association (JSA), club presidents, students, faculty and staff, that referendum passed overwhelmingly and a new student mission statement was adopted.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS Of the first-year students originally queried, a few were enrolled in Dr. Sally Widener’s Management Control; through application of coursework,

specifically

Dr.

Robert

Simon’s

Levers of Control framework, they realized that the school’s mission statement served to align faculty, staff and administration, but left an opportunity for students to adopt their own mission.

Last fall of 2010 the group reconvened and

Jones School MBA Mission Statement: As aspiring leaders, we join the Jones School to develop ourselves through academic pursuit and contributions to our community. To demonstrate our commitment, we will: • Act with integrity, • Value the differences in individuals, and • Strive for excellence.

In accordance with this commitment, we hold ourselves accountable to be prepared, respect the wisdom of our faculty and peers, and practice intellectual curiosity. We will also hold our instructors accountable to help us develop the skills and intuition necessary to distinguish Jones School graduates as superlative leaders.

Upon graduation, we will demonstrate principled leadership in our communities and uphold strong ethical values while guarding the reputation of our peers, school, and profession.

formed the Student Statement Committee: H Jordan High ’11, Macy Shaver ’11, Jimmy Moffett ’12 and Jennifer Neeley ’12. During the year they

MISSION CONTROL

met weekly, surveying students and faculty,

When asked to comment on the purpose of the

This statement was brought for referendum

soliciting input from club leaders, and periodically

statement Jordan said, “We believe that this

before the full-time student body and passed on

updating the JSA, faculty and club presidents

mission will help set the long-term direction of the

April 15, 2011, with the intention of being passed

to develop a statement that would better align

student body and will help to set the expectations

by both the Rice MBA for Professionals and Rice

students’ interests.

of both current and prospective students, as well

MBA for Executives programs in the fall of 2011.

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 33

PEGGY SHAW,

STAFF PROFILE

BIC DETECTIVE DEVOTED TO THE HUNT Peggy Shaw is full of surprises. As director of business information resources at the Jones School, she is also resourceful, determined and possibly tenacious when it comes to getting the job done. Just ask her. “I love the reference, it’s like a mystery,” she said. “You give me a problem and we go look for the answers. It’s just like being a detective.”

Sort of. “I once worked for a private detective, but only lasted a month.

It was too boring.”

Her duties at the BIC range from developing the business collection in paper and electronic formats to acting as a reference contact to the students, faculty, Rice community and the public. “By the charter of Rice University, the school’s libraries are public and we have a fair number of people from the outside who need help.” She also oversees the day-to-day operations, supervises four research analysts, and teaches students the research process and how to use various resources.

DEFINING MOMENTS Born in New Orleans followed by three years in New York City, Peggy was raised in Houston and attended school in Bellaire. During high school she used to join friends at Fondren Library to do homework and research. It was her first introduction to Rice and its students.

She loved it and promptly told her mother, “The kids at Rice don’t wear shoes.” And they didn’t, because it was the 1960s.

An overachiever in college, Peggy graduated from Louisiana State University in six years with three majors: journalism, economics and political science. She also earned a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of North Texas. Before arriving at the Jones School 25 years ago, she had a variety of jobs (that were not detectivebased). Peggy worked at an accounting and consulting firm; taught high school history, government and economics; was a reporter in New Orleans; spent two years at KMPG as a librarian and a year and a half at the Houston Public Library; along with that month-long stake out for a private detective in Houston.

A defining moment for the BIC director came before all the jobs and responsibilities, however. It happened one summer backpacking with a friend during college. “Within 24 hours of arriving in Europe, I managed to get put in a Dutch jail for my own protection,” Peggy said with a laugh. And that was only the beginning.

Over the next six weeks she also found herself locked in Dachau with a group from Texas A&M, taken off the train in Yugoslavia and held for two hours, and flat broke in Paris. “I went to a Paris marketplace and sold all my college T-shirts and went home with more money than when I came.”

Peggy found resourcefulness that summer that she never lost.

Something we at the Jones School are as grateful for as she is. If you’re looking, you can find Peggy at the BIC Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 9:30 pm, Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Saturday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Sunday from noon to 9:30 pm. Maybe she’ll tell you about her European vacation. JJ Gilbert and Ruth Whitaker Business Information Center The BIC occupies beautiful quarters in McNair Hall. Since its inception in 1984, the BIC has functioned as a unique entity in Rice University’s library service, with Fondren Library and the Jones Graduate School of Business collaborating on its operation. The BIC serves as a business research library not only for the business school, but also for the greater Rice community and the general public. Currently 5,000 volumes in various formats, as well as a variety of electronic databases and services, are housed there.

Rice MBA Contacts: Dean: Bill Glick bill.glick@rice.edu • 713.348.5928

Assistant Dean for Degree Programs: Sean Ferguson sean.o.ferguson@rice.edu • 713.348.5260

Executive Director of Admissions: Melissa Blakeslee melissab@rice.edu • 713.348-.3197

Assistant to the Dean: April Velasquez april.velasquez@rice.edu • 713.348.4838

Associate Dean for Executive Education: Brent Smith smithb@rice.edu • 713.348.4323

Executive Director of MBA for Executives: Lina Y. Bell lybell@rice.edu • 713.348.4731

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs: Jeff Fleming jfleming@rice.edu • 713.348.4677

Assistant Dean for External Relations: Ben Renberg ben.renberg@rice.edu • 713.348.3982

Executive Director of Rice University Executive Education: Michael Grojean michael.grojean@rice.edu • 713.349.2812

business.rice.edu

CLASS NOTES

Michael D. Contant ’00 is now a principal of Patriot Wealth Management, Inc. in Houston.

Patrick Roman ’08 and his wife, Ellen Zarchin, proudly announce the birth of their son Luke McCarthy. He was born on February 26, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario. He weighed 8.1 pounds and was 22 inches long. Patrick is an associate in the Investment Banking Group at Morgan Stanley in New York City.

Jonathan Pina ’03 (BA) ’05 (MBA) was appointed CFO, Marketwire by Circle Star Energy.

Sidhya Jayakumar ’08 and her husband, Maneesh Amancharla, are thrilled to welcome their first child, Sunaya Leela Amancharla, who was born on May 15, 2011. She weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces and measured 20 inches long.

Kara and Justin Hopkins ’04 celebrated the birth of their daughter, Kate Ray, on November 10, 2010. She was born in Bangkok, Thailand, while Justin is on overseas assignment serving as Chevron’s Category Manager for Major Projects for their Asia South Business Unit.

Alex Cestero ’08 began as vice president and general counsel at Lufkin Industries, Inc., in May. Michael Reid ’05 and his wife Lisa are proud to announce the birth of Rylan Porter Reid on May 4, 2011. Alexa is a very proud big sister.

Sean Burnett ’06 is Senior Vice President of Operations and Client Services at Freed Advertising.

IN MEMORIAM Edward Robbins (Rob) Koger, Jr. ’04 passed away July 25, 2011. He was 35.

He worked as a stockbroker for U.B.S. PaineWebber in Burlington, Vermont, as a market analyst for Conoco Phillips in Houston, Texas, as an analyst in business development for Koch Industries in Wichita, Kansas, and as vice president of the Wichita Center for Excellence. He also owned and operated Rio Rubix Ranch near Belvidere, Kansas. He is survived by his parents: Edward and Kay Koger; grandparents James and Loretta Luder; brother Jared Koger (Amanda); and sister Jenna Simmons (Matt). Memorials may be sent to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas or Kansas Food Bank in care of HatfieldPrusa Funeral Home, P.O. Box 417, Coldwater, Kansas 67029.

John Randall Hager ’06 of Berthoud, Colo., died June 7, 2011. He was 49.

A celebration of life service was held June 10 at Aspen Lodge in Estes Park.

Everyone was asked to wear purple to honor John’s love and passion for Kansas State University. In lieu of flowers the family asked for donations to be made in John’s honor to the Ahearn Fund at the Ahearn Fund Office, 1800 College Avenue, Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, KS 66506.

Most recently John was CFO for Prime Natural Resources. He is survived by his wife, Kim; son, Jason (Jen); daughters, Lauren and Hanna; grandson, JJ; father and mother, Darrel and Millie Hager; sisters, Sherri and Stacey Irwin; brothers, Jeff and Mark; and many nieces and nephews.

CLASS NOTES

2000

Rachel and Robert Mardock ’07 welcomed Greyson Zachary on September 29, 2010 in Seattle. Robert works in financial planning and analysis at Starbucks.

Executive Director of Career Management Center: Deanna Fuehne fuehne@rice.edu • 713.348.6368

Director of MBA for Professionals: Brooke Bond Sabo brooke.bond@rice.edu • 713.348.6223

Executive Director of Marketing: Mark Rudkin rudkin@rice.edu • 713.348.5387

Director of Rice Education Entreneurship Program: Andrea Hodge andrea.hodge@rice.edu • 713.348.3722

Director of MBA Full Time Program: Crystal Clayton crystal.l.clayton@rice.edu • 713.348.3398

Managing Director of Rice Alliance: Brad Burke bburke@rice.edu • 713.348.6136

Director of Alumni and Corporatate Relations: Joy Brown Kirst jkirst@rice.edu • 713.348.2421 Director of Development: Rachel Fleck fleckrl@rice.edu • 713.348.4262

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 35

ALUMNI CAREER SERVICES Lifelong support for alumni throughout your careers, including confidential access to job postings and avenues to recruit top caliber students at the Jones School.

LIFELONG LEARNING Whether you have an MBA and could use a refresher or work with someone who could benefit from training, Rice University Executive Education offers more than 100 programs annually that focus on the working executive and includes open enrollment, certificate programs, application based management programs and custom-designed programs for organizations. For more information, please visit business.rice.edu/ee.

ONLINE NETWORKING Access to the Jones Alumni Directory and official JGSB groups on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter (@ricemba) accounts.

RICE HOMECOMING 2011

RESOURCES

SAVE THE DATE!

ALUMNI RESOURCES

Visit JonesAlumni.com to learn more about the opportunities and resources for alumni.

Come back to Rice on November 4-6 and reconnect with old friends and faculty.

A full list of events is on JonesAlumni.com.

GET INVOLVED Share your professional and life experiences with future business leaders in a variety of ways.

ALUMNI MENTORING PROGRAM NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES JONES GRADUATE SCHOOL ENTREPRENEURS ORGANIZATION ( JGSEO): The JGSEO provides the systems, processes and social networks to bring together and support Jones alumni with real world entrepreneurial experiences. Details are available at JGSEO.JonesAlumni.com.

MBA COUNCIL OF HOUSTON (MBACH): The Jones School is a member institution of the MBA Council. All alumni are invited to the Council’s eventswhich provide a great opportunity to network with other MBAs in the area. Member institutions include HBS, Wharton, MIT, Texas, Tulane, Kellogg and others.

WHARTON-RICE MBA ALUMNI NETWORK: The Jones School collaborates with the Wharton Club of Houston. The club’s network is designed to assist MBAs who are seeking employment opportunities and career advancement. All member schools of the MBA Council of Houston are invited to attend these meetings. Details available at WhartonRice.JonesAlumni.com.

RICE BUSINESS NETWORK (RBN): Connect with fellow Rice alumni for a monthly networking lunch. This is a great way to share business referrals and career opportunities while broadening your network with the Rice alumni in the Houston area.

JONES ALUMNI REAL ESTATE CLUB: A club for Jones alumni who are interested in building their network in the real estate community via quarterly happy hours and other events.

business.rice.edu

Mentor a second-year Rice MBA student who is seeking first-hand information about prospective careers from professionals.

Through the mentoring program, alumni: • Cultivate a deeper connection with the JGSB and our students • Share professional and life experiences with future alumni and business leaders • Provide guidance in an ongoing relationship

JONES ALUMNI VOLUNTEERS FOR ADMISSION (JAVA) The Jones School is actively seeking ambassadors from around the world to represent the school in attracting top-tier candidates to the Rice MBA program.

JAVA ambassadors may: • Interview prospective students • Represent Rice at recruiting events • Counsel admitted students during the decision-making process

ALUMNI-STUDENT LUNCHES The Alumni-Student Lunch Series is an opportunity for current students to meet with alumni. Lunches provide students an informal setting to gain insight into professional areas of interest and to engage the alumni in current happenings at the Jones School.

For more information about alumni involvement opportunities, visit JonesAlumni.com.

JULY 15-17, 2011

AUGUST 2, 2011

WINETASTING RECEPTION

Facilitator James Barlow of the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance led student and alumni participants through the Next Cool Idea workshop in July.

EVENTS

NEXT COOL IDEA

AROUND THE SCHOOL

MAY 7, 2011

CINCO DE MAYO

(L to R) Heather Mattingly ’10, Anne Robin ’10, Kim Kimmey, Lecturer in Management, Frances Parker ’10, and Allison Lami ’10, enjoy reconnecting and learning about wine from the sommelier during winetasting held at Baker Institute.

Former classmates catch up at Cinco de Mayo: (L to R) Ozen Ahmed, Faraz Paliwala and Jeffrey Shu, all Class of 2010.

Face painting is one of many attractions for young families at the Cinco de Mayo celebration.

JONES JOURNAL FALL 2011 37

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