Vanderbilt Business Magazine Winter 2022

Building the Future of Owen

Owen Graduate School of Management

ALSO INSIDE: Owen Essentials Brings School Culture to the Forefront

We spend a lot of time and energy at the Owen School teaching students about change. There’s an underlying premise to these lessons that’s easy to understand but difficult to manage. The key to success for leaders and organizations is to make positive change while managing the changes that have been made for us – often under circumstances beyond our control – and the changes we choose to make.

Through case preparation, group projects, independent study, internships, and more, our students get to practice this balance of making and managing change. I’d like to think we do an excellent job, given our alumni’s track record of representation in the c-suites of the most successful companies in the world (and the success our graduates have securing employment; see pages 34-35 for highlights of a banner year).

As an organization, Owen faces the same challenge, and we have felt it keenly over the past 3 years. For every positive change we strive to make, whether it’s the renovation and expansion of Management Hall or naming our first EDI Director (see page 2), there are other existential changes, including economic upheaval and world conflict, that we’ve been forced to contend with, and they’ve affected us personally and professionally. There have been periods where we spend far more time managing instead of making, which happens when you try to bring great, timeintensive projects to life.

For me, seeing students, faculty, and staff walk through the doors of our nearly completed building at the start of Mod 1 brought an overwhelming feeling of pride, both in the impact of the change we set out to make and the way our community bonded together to help manage it. Management Hall buzzed with the energy of a new school year we feel every fall – even during the earlier days of the pandemic – and the anticipation of a new era in the life of the school.

The new era is off to an eventful start. Faculty are producing impactful research across a variety of fields, some of which they are forging themselves (see pages 16-19). After more than a year of work to reimagine our culture, we have introduced the “Owen Essentials” to perpetuate a strong sense of Owen’s culture for the next generation of students (see page 3). Thanks to the great success of the Chancellor's daring initiative, Destination Vanderbilt, we have welcomed 6 new faculty, as well as several key staff, and introduced new STEM designations for our MBA and Master of Marketing programs (see pages 4-6).

We also hosted a triple reunion, the first of its kind in Owen history. We were thrilled to welcome hundreds of Owen alumni back to Management Hall and throw a truly unique Closing Bell at the Parthenon (see pages 28-29 for photos).

Through recent years, the support of the alumni community has been critical to our ability to make and manage the change, and as always, you have risen to the occasion. I’m so grateful for your support. I encourage you to stop by Management Hall soon and see the change in progress.

All the best, M. Eric Johnson

Owen Dean Bruce D. Henderson Professor of Strategy

Ralph

Editor Nate Luce, MBA’14

Design and Art Direction

Mary Alice Bernal, Finn Partners Managing Editor MaryKate Rosack

Photography

Chad Driver, MaryKate Rosack, Tonja Russo

Contributors

Lacie Blankenship, Carrie Brake, Bonnie Ertelt, Randy Horick, Morgan Kroll, Nate Luce, MaryKate Rosack

Dean

M. Eric Johnson, Ralph Owen Dean and Bruce D. Henderson Professor of Strategy

Vanderbilt Business is published twice a year by the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University in cooperation with the Vanderbilt University Division of Communications, Loews Vanderbilt Office Complex, 2100 West End Ave., Ste. 1100, Nashville, TN  37203. The editorial office  mailing address is PMB 357737, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235-7737. Telephone: (615) 322-1003.

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Natasha Ovuoba joins Owen to develop and drive the school’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion strategy.

Photo by Chad Driver

Heiki Miki, MBA '96, hosted Owen Japanese students while in town for Owen Reunion.

Natasha Ovuoba Named Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Natasha Ovuoba has been hired as the inaugural Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management.

Office in this new role to develop and implement programs and initiatives that advance equity, diversity, and inclusion within the Owen Graduate School of Management.

As Director, Natasha’s responsibili ties will be comprehensive. Over the next year, she will focus her work on 3 key areas: engagement, communi cation, and culture. She will serve as an advocate for all Owen students by creating multiple avenues to amplify student voices to Owen’s leaders and decision makers. Natasha will regularly share local and national resources to support the academic and profes sional success of people from under represented groups. She will also ensure EDI is incorporated into Owen’s long-term strategy and cultural trans formation by partnering with admin istration across Owen’s programs, departments, and centers.

and opportunities. I hope to empower our faculty, staff, and students with the resources needed to become EDI change agents.”

Natasha holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Business Management from Brigham Young University. She is currently pursuing her Master of Education in Education, Culture, and Society from the University of Utah. Natasha comes to Owen with experience in strategic leadership, organizational development, and regulatory compliance. She most recently worked for the University of Utah and Intermountain Healthcare where she led EDI efforts related to education, community health, and process improvement.

Natasha (pronouns she/her/hers, name pronunciation nuh-TAH-shuh, oh-VWOH-buh) will join the Dean’s

"I am excited to connect with and support the Owen community,” says Natasha. “The business case for social justice speaks for itself. High-performing teams are those that value diversity and leverage diverse ideas, opinions, and skills. Anyone can succeed in business when given individualized support

“I am thrilled that Natasha is joining our team,” says Dean Eric Johnson. “She will be a leader, advisor, advocate, and catalyst for change in our community.”

Outside of work, Natasha is passionate about snuggling with her 10-year-old puppy, belting Broadway hits, and holding deep, joyful conversations over dinner and drinks.

Owen Essentials Brings Culture to the Forefront at Vanderbilt Business

Community-driven project aims to reimagine the school’s culture for students, faculty, and staff

The global disruption of the past 3 years has nearly every business grappling with workplace culture. It was no different for business schools. As the Vanderbilt Owen Community began to emerge from the day-to-day, and later month-to-month focus of the pandemic in 2021, it became clear that, in order to continue delivering on the mission of world class education on a personal scale, a more intentional focus was needed to foster Owen’s unique culture. The disruption also allowed organizations like Owen to rethink how they wanted to work and interact.

“The historical knowledge of Owen was interrupted for all of us,” said M. Eric Johnson, Ralph Owen Dean and Bruce D. Henderson Professor of Strategy. “We could either go back or go forward. By looking forward, we can be intentional about what we want and need Owen’s culture to be to compete and thrive in this evolving environment.”

The pandemic wasn’t the only contributing factor to the school’s evolution – Owen was embarking on the largest building expansion project in school history, while record numbers of students were enrolling in the one-year daytime specialized masters programs.

“It was time to take a step back and get a firm grasp on what is really constitutes Owen’s culture – the personality of the school and dynamics that are driving it and will continue to,” said Melinda Allen, Executive Director of the Leadership Development Program and member of the Culture Team overseeing this project.

To address these changes, the school launched the Reimagining Culture project in the Summer of 2021. Through focus groups. surveys, and one-on-one faculty conversations, hundreds of responses were collected across Owen’s students, faculty, and staff. The community inputs were distilled into central themes and organizational behaviors. From there, the entire community codified on what would become the “Owen Essentials” – the principles that represent the best of Owen’s culture and that will guide and define the Owen culture for years to come.

“We took this opportunity as a school to identify the collective aspirations of the staff, faculty, and students from all programs to help shape our ideals, our norms, and our operating principles,” said Allen.

The 6 Owen Essentials – Trust, Accountability, Transparency, Inclusiveness, Collaborative Community, and Innovation & Learning –come with definitions and everyday behaviors that community members can practice to deliver on the school’s mission and strategy.

”Owen alumni will recognize these principles as the best part of School’s tight knit culture,” said Dean Johnson. “Our goal in codifying them is to ensure we move forward building those ideals into each incoming class of students.”

Over the summer and the fall semester, the culture team will continue to lay the groundwork for communication and provide community members the tools and resources to successful live out the Owen Essentials. Later in the year, a resource hub will be established for the community, and a strategy to sustain a focus on culture.

Initial actions, along with associated collateral, are well underway, but there’s an understanding that cultural projects are an ongoing endeavor. Allen noted that organizations must maintain a long-term focus on fostering and propagating culture.

– Melinda Allen

“It will take each of us to shift habits, behaviors, perceptions,” she said. “The prolonged effort to do so ensures that our environment is different, both subtly and overtly, which eventually will line up with the culture we aspire to and expect at Owen.”

“It will take each of us to shift habits, behaviors, perceptions. The prolonged effort to do so ensures that our environment is different, both subtly and overtly, which eventually will line up with the culture we aspire to and expect at Owen.”

LACIE BLANKENSHIP

VANDERBILT BUSINESS OPENS DOORS TO MANAGEMENT HALL DURING FINAL PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION

With the $55 million renovation and expansion project of Management Hall is in its final months, Phase 1 of the building’s opening was well underway for the start of the school year. Vanderbilt Business welcomed students back into the building at the beginning of Mod 1.

“Phasing into the building is an opportunity for us to embrace the collaborative Owen spirit and focus on flexibility,” said Donald. “This temporary situation will make us appreciate the entire building even more.”

Donald noted how excited students and faculty were to be in the building, especially faculty who worked in the old Management Hall. “Bill Christie, Frances Hampton Currey Professor of Management and Dean (Emeritus), is like a kid in a candy store, and it speaks to the growing legacy we have here at Owen.”

The last months of construction focused on the 3rd and 4th floor, the Great Room, and the main entrance. “I am thrilled to have the building open in its full capacity in January and am especially thrilled about seeing the complete Great Room,” said Donald. “It’s going to be showstopping.”

The opening phase already offers passersby a strong glimpse of the building’s intended promise – to stand as a front door to Vanderbilt for the Nashville business community. “This building shows the investment and importance of our community,” said Donald. “We’re out in front and ready to interact with the business community at large.”

With the first and second-floor lobbies, classrooms, team rooms, and library open for use, the community flocked to Management Hall with the traditional energy that comes at the start of the school year.

“Students are everywhere; the utilization is so high,” said Lindsay Donald, Chief of Staff and one of the leaders of Owen Onward, a team established to help manage the construction-related transitions related to the project. “Even in this temporary state, students are constantly booking the team rooms, meeting in the lobby, and working in classrooms on the second floor.”

Faculty and student-facing staff utilized the new office suites on the first and second floor to hold office hours and meetings.

NEW

CONCENTRATION, MASTER OF MARKETING DEGREE RECEIVE STEM DESIGNATIONS

VANDERBILT MBA

A new Vanderbilt MBA concentration, Consumer Psychology and Marketing Analytics, and the Master of Marketing program were designated as STEM degree programs.

“One of our guiding principles is Innovation and Learning, which pushes us to continually evolve our program based on global market needs,” says Sue Oldham, Associate Dean, MBA Program Operations. “The STEM designation in this new concentration signals to employers that our students are ready with a quantitative background to step into highly technical tech and product roles.”

“I’m so excited to offer our MMark international graduates the opportunity to apply to work in the US for three years prior to needing an H-1B visa,” said Suzanne Feinstein, Director of the Vanderbilt Master of Marketing program. “This gives our graduates time o receive additional work experience here and establish themselves professionally.”

Under the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, international students with F-1 status who graduate from colleges and universities in the United States are eligible to apply for Optional Practical Training, which provides up to 12 months of work authorization in their field of study.

Now that the MBA concentration and Master of Marketing program have STEM-eligible CIP codes, international graduates in F-1 status can apply for an additional 24 months of OPT, also known as the OPT STEM extension, for a total of 36 months of work authorization after graduation.

The STEM designations not only impact international students but also strengthens the resumes of domestic students.

The new MBA concentration provides students with a foundation in marketing analytics and an understanding of customer psychology. It includes 4 required courses: Consumer Behavior, Consumer Insights for Marketing Decision Making, Quantitative Analysis for Marketing Decision Making, and Marketing Analytics, and students must also choose 2 courses from options ranging from Marketing Communications: Advertising and Social Media to Pricing Strategies and Brand Management.

“This new concentration will provide our students with a solid foundation in marketing analytics, as well as a strong understanding of the psychology of their customers,” says Jennifer Escalas, Associate Dean of Academic Programs and Dean Samuel B. and Evelyn R. Richmond Chair in Marketing.

THREE VANDERBILT OWEN FACULTY MEMBERS APPOINTED TO CHAIRED DISTINCTIONS

Dean Eric Johnson appointed Daniel Cohen, Jennifer Escalas, and Kelly Goldsmith with chair distinctions effective in the 2022-2023 academic year.

“I am pleased to announce these well-deserved appointments,” says Dean Johnson. “It is an honor to work alongside these incredible scholars who have had significant impact in their fields.”

Daniel Cohen, Professor of Accounting, is one of 6 new faculty members joining Vanderbilt Business in the fall and has been named Frances Hampton Currey Chair. Cohen’s primary area of research is on accounting choices and the influence of these choices on earning management. He also studies how financial statement disclosures affect or influence the firm’s cost of capital and affect the information environment upon which investors and the capital market more generally condition investment decisions. Cohen teaches Financial Reporting II. Jennifer Escalas, Dean Samuel B. and Evelyn R. Richmond Chair in Marketing, has been named Associate Dean of Academic Programs. Escalas’ scholarship focuses on narrative processing and consumer self-identity. She is one of the first researchers to explore narrative processing by approaching consumers as story-builders. In her new role, Escalas will focus on curriculum and course delivery across Owen’s degree programs. Escalas teaches Statistics for Marketing and Consumer Insights.

Kelly Goldsmith, Professor of Marketing, has been named E. Bronson Ingram Chair. Goldsmith is a behavioral scientist who examines consumers’ responses to uncertainty and scarcity. She primarily focuses on identifying and explaining seemingly paradoxical attributes of human behavior, (i.e.: in her studies, she finds that resource scarcity can lead consumers to be more generous, not just more selfish).

Goldsmith teaches Marketing Management.

Daniel Cohen

Kelly Goldsmith

Jennifer Escalas

“ One of our guiding principles is Innovation and Learning, which pushes us to continually evolve our program based on global market needs. ”

—Sue Oldham

SEVERAL NEW STAFF MEMBERS JOIN OWEN THIS FALL

Vanderbilt welcomed new administrators to multiple programs and departments at the start of the academic year.

Jack Eyre (MEd’20) was named the Director of the MS Finance (MSF) Program.

Eyre works at the forefront of MSF recruitment, admissions, mentoring, academics, and development, fostering the strength of the program and supporting MSF students. He serves as the primary liaison between the program and students, Vanderbilt Owen, and the greater community.

“It is an honor to join a renowned MSF program like the one here at Vanderbilt,” says Eyre. “I am thrilled to take on the responsibility of showcasing the Program and look forward to helping curate a student body that enhances the MSF experience for everyone involved.”

Eyre comes to Vanderbilt after 6 years at Kenyon College, where he served as Associate Director of Admissions.

Eyre received his BA in Political Science from the College of Wooster and his Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from Peabody College, with a concentration in Enrollment Management. Eyre interned with the MSF Admissions team during his time at Peabody.

“I enjoyed my time as an intern with Vanderbilt Business and am thrilled to bring my refined expertise to a community that I already know and love,” says Eyre.

Abby Vidmer was named the Director of Recruiting for Young Professional Programs.

Vidmer spearheads recruiting efforts for the Master of Marketing, Master of Finance, Master of Accountancy, and Accelerator programs.

“I am so delighted to join the team at Owen,” says Vidmer. “I am very excited to oversee the recruitment strategy of the specialized masters programs and also ensure that students feel at home here.”

Vidmer comes to Vanderbilt after 3 years at Davidson College, where she served as Assistant Dean of Admissions.

Vidmer received her BS in Business Administration from Bucknell University, with a concentration in Accounting. She expects to complete her Master of Professional Studies in Higher Education Administration from Georgetown in August.

“I look forward to strategizing the way that we recruit, and I can’t wait to see how the different programs progress,” says Vidmer.

Joe Wagstaffe was named the Associate Director of Recruiting and Admissions for the Executive MBA (EMBA) programs.

Wagstaffe spearheads EMBA recruiting and admissions efforts, supports admitted students, and enhances program recognition and reputation. He serves as a primary connection for prospective students integrating into the Vanderbilt Owen community.

“I am honored to join the team at Vanderbilt Business and to be in a position to help connect students with the tremendous programs we offer,” said Wagstaffe.

Wagstaffe joins Vanderbilt after 5 years of serving as Director of Admissions for Bellarmine College Preparatory. His career began in sports management in roles with the United States Olympic Committee, United States Field Hockey Association, and Stanford University Athletics. He transitioned to the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he served as a program Associate Director.

“I am thrilled to work with prospective students who are searching for that next step in their educational journeys; that next piece that can help them achieve their goals,” said Wagstaffe.

Wagstaffe received his BA in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his MS in Sport Management from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

“I am excited to support these professionals and look forward to the future of the Vanderbilt EMBA Program,” he said.

Wesley Notestine was named the Assistant Director of Academic Affairs.

Notestine focuses on providing customized academic advising to graduate students across the multiple degree programs and plays an integral role in academic affairs, supporting class registration, class/exam schedules, and Teaching Assistant assignments.

“I am thrilled to join the Academic and Student Affairs (ASA) team at Owen,” said Notestine. “It is so rewarding to empower students and help them pursue their dreams.”

Notestine comes to Vanderbilt from the University of Mississippi, where she served as Coordinator of Advising, Recruitment, and Retention. She brings experience in student affairs, degree audits, and university policies and procedures after working at Belmont University, the University of Minnesota, and the Vanderbilt University Registrar’s Office.

“Vanderbilt Business students are world class, and I look forward to using my expertise to support this community of developing professionals,” she said.

Notestine received a BA in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi, a BA from the University of Memphis in African American Studies and History, and an MS in Academic Advising from Kansas State University.

“I look forward to working with the students in each of the degree programs,” said Notestine. “Every student will have different goals and different stories, I am honored to help them navigate these waters and get to their goal destination.”

Wesley Notestine

Joe Wagstaffe

Jack Eyre

Abby Vidmer

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LETTER FROM ALUMNI BOARD CHAIR MATT PETERSON (MBA’94)

It was wonderful to be back at Owen in October to celebrate the Reunion and participate in our Alumni Board meeting. As I walked through the festivities on campus, the warmth and camaraderie among Vanderbilt alumni from the different schools and class years was wonderful. It underscored how connected and tight knit our alumni network really is, and how much potential we all have to support the university that has made such an indelible impact on our lives

Reunion weekend was also special because it was the first time in Owen’s history that we combined our Alumni Board meeting with our Board of Visitors meeting, bringing together more than 40 of the school’s most dedicated advocates to collaborate on how best to advance Owen’s mission and to hear directly from Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Dean Johnson. Our Board of Visitors members, many of whom are also former Alumni Board members, partner with the Dean to advance the strategic direction of the school and their expertise and guidance are integral to Owen’s success. I was proud to be in the room with such a fantastic cadre of leaders—some of the finest leaders we have in the business community—and to participate in our deep-diving discussion. It was fantastic to have Chancellor Diermeier join us and challenge us to think about how to broaden Owen’s global presence and strengthen our connection to the broader Vanderbilt University community as well.

A key topic during our fruitful meeting was an overview of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) strategy project, which presented on the state of the business school market. We discussed overall business school trends both nationally and around the world, such as what factors are impacting business schools and their offerings, Owen’s advantages and areas for growth in the marketplace, and what the marketplace is telling us about demand. A few things stood out as key advantages for us—Owen’s size and ability to nimbly adjust as needed, as well as its close connection to the larger Vanderbilt community, are unique and ultimately help to make us a very strong and attractive business school.

As we look to the future and consider our offerings to students and employers, we are carefully considering how Nashville fits in to our success. How can we partner with the thriving healthcare, technology, insurance, tourism and other major industries in our backyard? How do we leverage those relationships and opportunities to prepare our students and alumni for local and global success, while also capitalizing on all the incredible opportunities Vanderbilt has to offer? How do we build meaningful connections between Owen students with faculty and alumni from areas across Vanderbilt, from the law school to the divinity school, and everything in between?

We are also continually exploring business school students’ changing dynamics and expectations. Many students today want a flexible and highly personalized business school experience and expect a high return on their business school investment—all things Owen can deliver in spades, especially thanks to our engaged and supportive alumni network around the globe, and our leaders who understand we must evolve to remain competitive. As Chancellor Diermeier often says, “At Vanderbilt we are proud, but not satisfied.” We must continually push ourselves and one another to reach our full potential as a community, and I encourage all our alumni to consider how they can connect with and support today’s students and faculty.

Owen’s spirit of collaboration and community engagement is part of what makes our school exceptional. Management Hall’s beautiful renovation and expansion embodies this sense of connection and energy that sets our school apart, and to me, creates a gravitational pull within Nashville and beyond, bringing people to our community to learn and to grow. I came away from Reunion weekend with a feeling of pride and gratitude. It has been such a meaningful experience for me to be part of Owen, and it is fantastic to see it grow and evolve since I was a student. When I count my blessings, I count Vanderbilt twice. I hope you feel the same.

“ Owen’s spirit of collaboration and community engagement is part of what makes our school exceptional. ”

—Matt Peterson, chief executive officer, ancillary and individual, UnitedHealthCare

Letter from Derek Young (MBA’91) Asia Alumni Board Chair

t has been an honor to serve as the Owen Asia Alumni Board Chair since we formed in 2020. Setting up the board with our inaugural members—my dear friend Heiki Miki (MBA’96); Michael Chandler (MBA’00); Xiaoyan Jiang, (MBA’01); my former classmate Anand Kumar (MBA’91); Qinglin “Austin” Na (MBA’95); and Ian Yee Hang Wan (BA’06, MBA’08)—was such a great opportunity for us to think about how we could leverage our passion for Owen throughout Asia. The Owen Asia Alumni Board has made a tremendous impact in bringing together the various hubs of Owen alumni activity across Japan, China, and Korea that have been brewing for years, and building upon them to be even more impactful. Since we formed, we have also welcomed Prashant Khemka (MBA’98) founder of the Singapore-based investment advisory firm White Oak Capital Partners, whose expertise in Asian markets and more is a tremendous asset to our board and beyond.

In our first year as a board, we thoughtfully and intentionally set as our goals to grow the Owen and Vanderbilt brands across Asia, recruit Asian students to our outstanding community, and place Owen students and alumni in jobs and internships in Asia. I’m pleased to report that we are making excellent progress on all fronts, thanks to the coordinated grassroots efforts of Owen’s incredible alumni.

We are working to increase the number of contact points between Owen and students in Asia through alumni programming and employer engagement, and we are also continually highlighting Owen’s connectivity and place within the larger One Vanderbilt community. As you know, word-of-mouth is incredibly powerful. When Asian students graduate from Owen and return to Asia and share their experiences, it enhances our visibility and reach, encouraging prospective students to explore what an Owen education can do for them.

From our board members to many others, we have outstanding alumni leaders in Asia, and their successes and connections help advance our cause and show others what Owen-educated leaders can achieve. It is so important—and so rare—to have what Owen grads have: ethics, integrity, and intellect—and this mix makes them stand

Iout globally. Owen alumni can be particularly successful in Asia because they possess an understanding of US business and culture, while also having a diversity of thought and business acumen that can help companies strengthen as global corporate citizens. It’s also important that we provide our current students and alumni with career opportunities in Asia, one of the fastest growing regions in the world and teeming with opportunities. Some of our board members are offering internships at their companies as part of this mission, and we are working to enhance our relationships with employers to build out our network.

We have made concerted efforts to increase recruitment of students in Asia, and we are seeing great numbers so far. When we talk to prospective students about Owen, we underscore our uniquely collaborative community, how people really care for and support one another, and how their Owen family will welcome them and make their time overseas enriching and life changing. Sharing what we know and love about Owen with others is crucial to helping us achieve our goals, and that’s why Dean Johnson’s travels to Japan and Singapore this fall with members of the Owen team are so significant. Dean Johnson’s energy and passion for Owen are infectious, and we are lucky to have his leadership and vision for the school. As travel has opened up slowly across Asia recently, people are craving that in-person connectivity that we have missed for the last couple of years, and being able to hear Dean Johnson sharing the Owen story in person is incredibly meaningful.

I am thrilled with the progress the Owen Asia Alumni Board has made so far, but we have more work to do. We have big goals—to grow in Korea, Taiwan, and in other countries throughout the region; expand our board; and leverage our connection to Vanderbilt’s larger alumni network and chapters in Asia. We encourage alumni, friends, and the entire Owen community to get involved. We need your engagement, and I hope you will reach out to me or other board members to share your thoughts on how you think we can meet our goals to expand Owen’s footprint in Asia and around the globe.

Derek Young (MBA’91) is president of Fidelity International’s Japan operations. His daughter, Morgan Young, is a Master of Marketing candidate at Owen.

Matt Peterson, Dean Eric Johnson, and Derek Young at the October 6 Distinguished Alumni Reception at Management Hall.

OWEN FORWARD ROUNDUP

This summer and fall, Owen hosted Closing Bells in Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, New York City and Tokyo for alumni, current and prospective students, as well as the broader Owen and Vanderbilt community. Here are some of our favorite memories from those gatherings. We hope to see you soon in your city! Keep an eye out on our calendar for events near you at events.vanderbilt.edu/business/

1,

2 (BOSTON) Janet Kim McCormick (MBA’88) hosted alumni at her home on September 26, 2022, for the Boston Closing Bell.

3, 4 (TOKYO) Owen Asia Alumni Board Leaders Derek Young (MBA’91) and Heiki Miki, (MBA’96) hosted the Owen community in Tokyo on September 20, 2022.

A FORCE MULTIPLIER FOR GOOD amelia generalis (MBA’98)

After more than 2 decades in human resources executive and management positions at companies including Royal Dutch Shell, Electronic Arts, Anaplan, and 8x8, Amelia Generalis (MBA’98) was eager for her next challenge when Eric Wu, CEO of OpenDoor, approached her with a new opportunity in 2021. He was looking for a Chief People Officer to oversee OpenDoor’s HR department and, Generalis’ extensive experience with Fortune 500 global brands and hyper-growth companies made her the perfect candidate to lead efforts to attract, develop, and promote talent for the growing business.

“I feel like I have the best job in the company,” Generalis says. “OpenDoor is fundamentally changing the way people are buying and selling real estate by empowering them with the freedom to move. I love being a part of a company that I believe is a force multiplier for good.” OpenDoor started in San Francisco in 2014 as a digital platform to reimagine how people can easily make real estate transactions online. Today, the company is in more than 40 markets around the US.

At OpenDoor, Generalis looks to bring on team members who are genuinely curious and excited about the company’s mission and view it through a business lens, with a nuanced understanding of everything

work, and sometimes there are more life responsibilities. The question is, how do I weave these 2 things together?” As a parent to 4 children, she says asking for help and accepting help, both at home and in the workplace, is key. “It’s a team sport inside and outside of the house,” Generalis says. “It’s important to focus more on your outcomes and what you can do, not on what you can’t do.”

Much of Generalis’s approach to work and life was shaped by her time at Owen Graduate School of Management. “Owen gave me an understanding of business, finance, and HR that has been a real differentiator in my career and has influenced how I think about the teams I help build and lead.” After graduating from Owen, she honed her skills at leadership development programs at Ford Motor Company and Shell, helping prepare her to launch her career with a “business first” perspective.

Though she lives in the Bay Area now, Generalis’ connection to Owen has never been stronger. She recently joined the Owen Alumni Board and was back on campus in October to meet with other alumni and leaders. “I am very excited about Owen’s future—it is on the edge of something new and exciting. I’m eager to leverage my 25 years of experience building networks and community to help support students, faculty, and programs at Owen,” Generalis says. She is also committed to helping students and alumni hone their leadership skills. “You must have good technical skills and know your craft, but if you are missing leadership elements, your career will slow. The alumni board can help students accelerate on this front.”

Generalis views Owen’s collegial atmosphere and small size as an advantage to students and wants to encourage today’s students to build their networks early by getting to know their classmates, faculty, and others in the Vanderbilt community. “About 10 years ago, someone in a more senior role asked me, ‘who is on your personal board of directors?,’ meaning you don’t just need a mentor to succeed, you need an entire team around you that helps you along your journey.” Generalis took the conversation to heart and considers colleagues from the tech industry, former coworkers, and her family as her personal board of directors.

from operations and administration to marketing and more. “We train people to not be order takers, but innovators,” she says. “We approach everything from a business-led perspective, and our decisions are made to be meaningful and high-impact.”

Generalis is also a staunch advocate for work-life balance, though she notes “it will never be 50/50; sometimes there is more

As she considers what the ever-changing future holds for current Owen students, Generalis offers some advice: “Take as many new and different opportunities as possible and build out your portfolio of skills. Lean into your strengths—these are things that I have seen serve others, and myself, well.” – MORGAN

KROLL

Amelia poses with classmate and Emeritus Board Member Tom Barr at the Distinguished Alumni Reception during Reunion 2022.

Chris Brown (MBA’10) CEO and board member at WellSpring Consumer Healthcare in Sarasota, Florida, came to Owen Graduate School of Management after beginning his career in corporate finance (and following a one-year gig as an Oscar Mayer brand ambassador for the iconic Wienermobile). After several years in financial planning and analysis, Brown made the move to Owen to turn his focus to marketing and brand management.

Advancing health and wellness through innovation

Chris Brown (MBA’10)

“Owen shaped who I am today,” he says. “Not only did I receive a world-class education that was the perfect blend of technical skills and relationship management, but I made lifelong friends from around the globe.”

After graduating from Owen in 2010, Brown joined Chattem (now Sanofi) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he helped launch lucrative new brands like Aspercreme with Lidocaine and reinvigorate established brands like Gold Bond. He also collaborated with a creative agency to develop the highly successful advertising campaign for Icy Hot featuring basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal.

Brown also ventured into the entrepreneurial realm and co-founded Pints and Pedals with fellow Owen alumnus Russell Autry (MBA’10). “Chattanooga's Ultimate Pub Crawl on Wheels,” Pints and Pedals quickly became one of the city’s most popular nightlife activities.

“Russell was the ideal partner to work with,” he says. “I never worried that we would deal with any surprises that would negatively impact the business. After 3 years of owning Pints and Pedals, we had a profitable exit. I learned an immense amount about entrepreneurship and was able to give the proceeds of the sale to my parents and

brother to support his battle with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).”

Brown’s brother Justin has battled with CRPS for more than 15 years. A rare and debilitating condition, CRPS constantly sends distress signals from the nerves to the brain, causing excruciating pain. Brown is passionate about raising awareness and CRPS research funding and is grateful to many of his classmates for their financial contributions and awareness-driving efforts since he joined Owen in 2008.

“A few years into Justin’s diagnosis, I realized that taking on this mission alone was too much to ask of myself,” Brown says. “I started sharing Justin’s story and the things we needed to help him beat this disease—love, encouragement,and the financial means to afford medical bills not covered by insurance. More than a decade later, the Owen community remains just as committed as the first time I asked for help.” Today, he is thrilled to share that his brother is receiving excellent care at the Spero Clinic in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and has a chance to win his battle with CRPS.

Brown views his time working in consumer healthcare as a way to give back and say thank you to everyone that has helped his family, and especially his brother, during his journey. Brown joined WellSpring—which develops and markets over-the-counter and personal care brands in the consumer healthcare industry—in 2019 as vice president of sales and marketing and was promoted to CEO in January 2022. WellSpring has enabled Brown to further pursue his passion for entrepreneurship and to expand on his growing success reinvigorating iconic brands.

“We are focused on putting the consumer first and emphasize the importance of innovation grounded in consumer insights and delivering on unmet consumer needs,” Brown says. “I love working in consumer healthcare, and I wake up each morning and read reviews about the products that we offer and how we are helping to improve the health and wellness of our consumers.”

After establishing a strategic vision for the business and elevating WellSpring’s reputation within the consumer healthcare community, he recently led a successful sale process for the Audax Group and is excited to collaborate moving forward with Avista Capital Partners to accelerate WellSpring’s growth.

Throughout his career, Brown has also remained connected to Owen and recently joined Owen’s Alumni Board, comprised of the school’s most committed alumni.

“I view Owen as a part of my extended family, and I think it is important to give back to a community that has given so much to my family and me,” Brown says. “I have also admired those that served on the alumni board over the years and generously given back their time to former students such as myself. As a new board member, my goals are to strengthen my connection with the Owen community, contribute to the strategic direction of the university, and reconnect classmates with Owen to enhance our alumni network.”

MORGAN KROLL

INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL

Crossing the Line to Communicate Power

After the #metoo movement’s horrifying tales of bathrobes, roofies, and casting couches, the sexually predatory boss is almost a cultural trope. But does power really promote sexual harassment? New research from Jessica A. Kennedy explores the relationship between gender, power, and sexually harassing behavior in the workplace. Professor Kennedy discussed her latest study – Who do they think they are?: A social-cognitive account of gender differences in social sexual identity and behavior at work with us earlier this fall.

You’ve co-authored a new study that looks at gender and sexual behavior in the workplace. Can you tell us more about the study and what the findings were?

We looked at sexual behav iors that were rated low in warmth and high in dominance, and therefore likely to be per ceived as offensive and sexually harassing. As you might guess, gender differences emerge for this behavior, but holding high levels of power and activating goals to connect with others eliminate the gender differences. I find that encouraging. It was also surprising to us that desiring a powerful image (not holding power) promoted this behavior among men. Subordinate men were more likely to desire a powerful image than men who actually held power, and therefore, subordinate men were

more likely to engage in this behavior with a female boss than were either high-power men or subordinate women with a male boss.

How does your research connect with gender stereotypes?

I think there are old stereotypes about people who sleep their way to the top, and I think women were historically stereotyped as doing so more than men, but that stereotype is outdated already, and it’s in complete contra diction with what we find here. Lacking power did not promote sexual behavior among women interacting with powerful men.

Otherwise, stereotypes don’t play much of a role in explaining what we find here, but what does is the self-concept. We wondered what people could possibly be thinking when they engaged in behaviors like asking, “Have you ever had a workplace relationship?” or “Do you like to make the first move?” in an interview setting where they are getting acquainted with people of the other sex. We find that people’s self-concept helps them to rationalize this behavior. Greater endorsement of statements like, “I am a big flirt,” “I know how to turn on the charm,” and “When I want something from someone, I know how to be irresistible” comprise what we call a social sexual identity, or self-defining as a person who leverages sex appeal in pursuit of personally valued gains. I think this construct helps us understand what people are thinking when they do these things. When you see these events in the news, it can be difficult to understand how the behaviors are consistent with any type of self-regulation process, but our studies help to provide some answers.

New research finds that subordinate men, not high power men, are more likely to engage in sexually harassing behaviors

“Stereotypes don’t play much of a role in explaining what we find here.”

What lessons can workplace leaders take from your study to improve their work environment?

Encouraging people to act from the right motives – connecting with others, not establishing a powerful image – might help to mitigate sexual harassment. It’s the power motive, not holding high levels of power, that is problematic. Leaders can model and rein force the right intentions and create cultures that emphasize connection, not appearing powerful (especially when you aren’t). As a behavioral ethicist, I believe in the power of cultivating the right intentions within yourself and within the workplaces you lead. Organizational cultures inform our selfconcept and our intentions. Our findings also suggest that leaders should watch out for contrapower harassment and have a plan to deal with it. Sexual harassment from less powerful men to more powerful women is likely to be more common than predatory bosses, according to our study, and should not be ignored or dismissed.

Why is it important to study and under stand these workplace behaviors?

Leaders are responsible for creating environments that help people perform their best. Sexually harassing others is pretty much the antithesis of doing that. It doesn’t respect the dignity of anyone involved and it generates a major cognitive load that is distracting, so understanding why people engage in those behaviors is important if we want fair, efficient workplaces where people can do their best work.

The Impact of COVID-19 Migration Patterns on Municipal Bonds

The COVID-19 (COVID) pandemic is labeled as a global health crisis, but its impact reaches far beyond health. The term ‘unprecedented’ has become part of a common vocabulary used to describe unemployment rates, supply chain fluctuations, prices, technological demands, and the average day-to-day.

Challenged with these unprecedented times and due widely to the increase in remote/hybrid work and life, municipalities have experienced significant shifts in their economies, with new migration patterns and varying goods/services needs.

A Flash in the Pan(edemic)? Migration Risks and Municipal Bonds, by Peter Haslag, Assistant Professor of Finance, finds that the disruption to migration patterns due to the pandemic has a natural and significant impact on the fiscal health of municipalities. Using data on municipal bonds, this study explores how the pandemicmotivated change in migration patterns and lifestyles impacts the vitality of municipalities.

The study finds that in light of the pandemic, the disruption to migration patterns and changes in preferences for goods/services significantly impacts the vitality of municipalities and is likely a lasting and economically relevant phenomenon.

“The ultimate takeaway is that the change in preferences that are revealed through migration

patterns is likely to be a permanent and economically meaningful event,” the authors write.

The bond market confirms that areas suffering from abnormal population outflows will see the largest yield changes in 5 to 10 years, suggesting more risk in the medium-run.

“The forward-looking nature of municipal bond prices allows us to better understand to what extent the pandemic-induced shift in location and lifestyle preferences will have a lasting impact on local economies,” says Haslag.

In areas experiencing greater outflows, bond yields increased, suggesting greater risk for these counties going forward. Likewise, in areas where people migrated to, bond yields were relatively lower, a sign of lesser risk.

The findings from this study add to the conversation of whether or not the pandemic’s economic effects are likely to persist. “The anticipated permanence of these shifts in location preferences and the underlying risk factors for local economies and municipal finances are important considerations for policymakers, investors, employers and employees moving forward,” the authors write.

– Lacie Blankenship

INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL

How Do Psychological Disorders Affect Consumer Behavior, and How

Marketers Respond?

The field of consumer behavior has revealed countless insights on purchase preferences, messaging responses, and other tactical pieces of information that marketers can use to shape their products and promotions and drive higher sales. What is less understood is how these marketing efforts affect consumers with clinical disorders, positively or negatively.

The research that does bridge clinical psychology with consumer behavior has uncovered valuable findings:

Individuals exhibiting high symptoms of adult separation anxiety disorder are particularly susceptible to advertisements that appeal to the notion of “coming home.”

Clinical symptoms can drive how individuals judge and choose among consumer options.

Military members experiencing the stress of being away from home and without ready access to commodities are more prone to compulsive purchases post-deployment, while those who are fired upon and/or exposed to the carnage of combat experience the opposite effect.

Marketing can move individuals with addictive disorders toward or away from addiction.

Body-related messaging and imagery has a direct impact on the likelihood of disordered eating behaviors.

A consumer behavior expert at Vanderbilt is seeking to develop a new field of research that helps marketers and consumers make decisions with mental health in mind.

Steve Posavac, E. Bronson Ingram Professor of Marketing at the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management, is advocating for the development of a psychological subfield dubbed “Clinical Consumer Psychology” – the study of how dysfunctional and maladaptive cognitive and behavioral processes interact with individuals’ consumer experiences and behaviors.

In the paper Toward a Clinical Consumer Psychology, Posavac and his co-authors argue that a better understanding of how clinical disorders can be worsened or improved by consumptive behaviors and marketing messages can facilitate improved mental health in a variety of ways.

Should

“Marketers as well as mental health practitioners can be more effective when they appreciate the interface of clinical and consumer psychology.”

How Personality Disorder Symptoms Can Affect Purchasing Behavior

Recent research from Steve Posavac demonstrates the impact that Clinical Consumer Psychology can have on our understanding of how individuals with clinical-level symptomologies navigate the consumer-based aspects of our world, and how marketers can keep clinical psychology in mind when crafting marketing messages, campaigns, and brands.

People who present symptoms of HPD are more likely to make consumer choices for the sake of grabbing others attention, even when those choices are more expensive and offer fewer benefits, according to his new study, “The Utility of Clinical Psychology Concepts for Judgment and DecisionMaking Research: The Case of Histrionic Features.”

“We conducted this study to show how clinical psychology symptoms can affect consumers’ judgments and choices,” said Posavac.

Histrionic Personality Disorder affects between 1%-2% of the population. HPD is characterized by extreme emotionality and a desire to be the center of attention, which can lead to behaviors such as dressing provocatively, behaving in an inappropriately seductive manner, and exhibiting shallow, overly dramatic emotions.

Through 4 studies, Posavac and his co-authors identify the product attributes that consumers who present with HPD symptoms prioritize in their purchase decisions.

The studies revealed that consumers with HPD symptomology rated attention-grabbing attributes “Status Symbol” and “Acceleration” over the more practical attributes “Mileage” and “Reliability” when it came to purchasing a car, to the extent that they would prefer a car that rated high on “Status Symbol,” even at the expense of gas mileage and reliability. They also found that these consumers were more willing to pay for a fancy, expensive rental car versus a standard option to attend their high school reunion, specifically because they thought it was important to rent a car that would grab people’s attention. Moreover, apartment searchers with high HPD symptoms are willing to settle for a smaller apartment if living there will help them draw attention.

“Taken together, our experiments show that clinical symptomology can affect how important consumers perceive given product attributes to be, their choices, the tradeoffs they make, and their willingness to pay,” said Posavac.

“Clinically relevant psychological phenomena are a big part of everyday life,” said Posavac. “Marketers as well as mental health practitioners can be more effective when they appreciate the interface of clinical and consumer psychology.”

The paper poses several research questions that explore the role of clinical disorders on consumer behavior processes, how marketers can use clinical phenomena to better serve consumer segments while appreciating potential vulnerabilities, consumption’s ability to alleviate and exacerbate distress, and more.

“Our team is hopeful that laying out promising research directions will drive interest among marketers as well as clinical

psychologists in understanding the important but underappreciated interplay between the two fields,” said Posavac.

For Posavac and his co-authors, the goal of promoting Clinical Consumer Psychology isn’t just to better understand the human experience, but also to improve it.

“Ultimately, both marketing and clinical psychology are service fields. Developing a robust clinical consumer psychology literature has strong potential to help practitioners in each to be more effective,” noted Posavac. – Nate Luce

INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL

Is Media Hype Behind the NFT Market Growth?

It’s a common question among financial professionals and market researchers: how much does the media affect rapid growth in high-risk markets? Ample evidence shows media coverage plays a vital role by reducing uncertainty and informing the public about investment risks. At the same time, when journalists fixate on growth and quick returns to excite their readers, news can create a fear of missing out that prompts irrational investments.

The debate has never been more significant than in the non-fungible tokens (NFT) market, where massive growth and media coverage appear to have risen as

volume grew 255% year-over-year in 2020 and 62,912% in 2021.

Media coverage of NFTs similarly skyrocketed in the same period, picking up real speed in 2021. Of the 26,000 NFT articles in the study’s database, only 200 dated back to 2020. But there were 3,000 NFT articles in the first quarter of 2021 alone and 12,000 in the final quarter of the year.

To measure media’s effect on the market, researchers merged their databases of trades and news articles on a daily basis. They also measured the tone of each article. Applying advanced analytics across the combined data allowed researchers to estimate the link between NFT news and market fluctuation across a number of days. They measured media’s influence on market participation, volatility and seller returns.

suggests that media increases the public’s understanding of NFTs’ risks and values.

Seller Returns: Average NFT returns were high but fairly consistent during the sample period, averaging between 70.4% and 158.2%. Again, going against the expectation in a media-hyping situation, seller returns were lower following surges in NFT news, especially when the news was negative or neutral.

The articles in the study came from 1,600 national and local news sources. Researchers segmented sources into 5 categories: local, national, financial, tech, and crypto. They measured the coverage and tone of each segment, again looking at changes in market participation, volatility, and returns in the days following.

one, and few entrants fully understand the underlying blockchain-based technology.

A new study co-authored by Joshua White, a finance professor at Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management, finds that in the case of NFTs, media fosters growth without triggering a frenzy of investment decisions.

Examining 7.6 million NFT trades from 2017 to 2021, the study identified extreme growth in the number of NFTs minted (i.e., created), the total number of NFTs, dollar volume, and marketplaces. The number of unique buyers and sellers rose from 8,000 in 2019 to over 1.15 million in 2021. NFT dollar

“If the news media are primarily hyping NFT markets, you should see a positive relation between NFT news and NFT volatility and returns,” said White. “If the media are educating market participants, then seller returns and price swings should decline because new buyers are better informed.”

Market Participation: Unsurprisingly, the more the news coverage, the greater the increases in NFT minting and trading five days later. As public awareness about NFTs grew, more buyers and sellers also entered the marketplace. Negative news coverage weakened the effect, but only 9% of all the coverage took a negative angle (41% was positive, 50% neutral).

Volatility: News prevalence actually seems to reduce NFT volatility. Counter to the media hyping theory, this evidence

Financial media covered NFTs the most and most positively. National and tech news articles were typically more neutral, and together these 3 segments spurred greater and more informed market participation. Local media coverage was the most negative but least impactful of the group. And though one might expect crypto sources to tend toward hyping NFTs, their tones follow the averages of the other segments, and their coverage correlates with lower volatility and seller returns.

Taken on the whole, the study seems to overturn the idea that news outlets are primarily igniting dangerous growth in NFTs. Instead, media appears to play an educational role.

“We found very little evidence that media coverage of NFTs exacerbates irrational investor choices by amplifying fear of missing out,” White said.

While it remains to be seen whether this role holds true over the long term in the NFT market, in the interim, it can offer investors some assurance that journalists help readers see through the hype of fast-growing, complex, and unregulated markets such as non-fungible tokens. – Lacie Blankenship

5 Tips for Managing an LGBTQ+ Inclusive Workplace

Creating a workplace environment that is LGBTQ+ inclusive and accepting is not only the morally right thing to do, but it’s also a game-changer for business productivity.

“The research is very clear. When LGBTQ+ people feel they need to conceal their identities at work, it takes up a lot of their mental and emotional capacities, which can harm their productivity,” says Gabrielle Lopiano, Assistant Professor of Management. “An inclusive workplace removes that burden and allows LGBTQ+ employees to fully immerse themselves in their work.”

Lopiano, an expert in stigma, identity management, workplace diversity, discrimination, and social hierarchy, shares 5 tips for managers to create and maintain an LGBTQ+ inclusive and accepting workplace.

Adapt company policies with inclusion in mind.

Company policies lay the legal foundation for employee and employer expectations. It’s fairly common that these formalities feature non-inclusive language. One example is the use of ‘maternity’ and ‘paternity’ leave. Company leadership has the opportunity to improve this by changing gendered terms (i.e.: maternal/paternal leave) to nonbinary terms (i.e.: parental/family leave). Another example is spousal benefits. Companies should ensure that employees in same-sex relationships have the same protections and benefits that non-LGBTQ+ employees do.

Corporate leadership can also improve company policies by reevaluating the formal dress code. These types of policies often mention that men should wear a collared shirt and dress pants, and women should wear skirts, dresses, styled hair, etc. These guidelines are harmful to multiple marginalized groups because they set a biased standard of what professionalism looks like.

“I think that removing gendered language from formal policies is a really good first step,” says Lopiano. “Professionals should be mindful of the language they are using and what sort of gender norms they formally perpetuate in policies like written benefits packages and formal dress codes.”

Align internal and external efforts.

Performative allyship is not acceptable. Companies that adapt their logos for June but don’t take active measures for LGBTQ+ inclusivity are not authentic allies. Authentic allyship looks like supporting LGBTQ+ communities, advocating for equality and acceptance, changing policies, and reevaluating norms. LGBTQfocused inclusion training and employee resource groups are additional ways to build workplace inclusion internally.

“A rainbow logo means very little if it isn’t backed by inclusive values and action. Failing to speak out against anti-LGBTQ

legislation – or worse, actively supporting it – says a lot more about a company’s values than sponsoring a Pride event,” says Lopiano. Encourage informal and interpersonal inclusion.

There’s a line between sharing and prying. Some people may not be comfortable sharing a lot of personal details at work, and others may be thrilled to share more. It is never appropriate to assume anything (pronouns, sexuality, identity, etc.) or pry. However, there is a balance that fosters inclusion.

Matching personal dialogues is a good way to approach this. As a general guideline, if someone shares about their significant other and refers to them with a specific noun, that’s how you can refer to them. Avoid walking on eggshells and match these dialogues; if someone tells you about their ‘wife,’ then it’s okay for you to ask about their wife.

“Steering away from asking personal questions is a form of bias,” says Lopiano. “Make sure that LGBTQ+ colleagues are just as included in personal conversations at work. Ask them about their weekends!”

Normalize preferred pronouns.

Normalizing the sharing of preferred pronouns is a powerful implementation for fostering an LGBTQ+ inclusive environment. From onboarding onward, there are many opportunities to do this (i.e.: employee directories, name tags, email signatures, Zoom titles, etc.).

“It’s nice to see non-LGBTQ people disclosing their pronouns because it’s a signal that the organization as a whole is inclusive,” says Lopiano.

Listen to others and welcome feedback.

There is vast room for improvement in terms of LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the business world. A key aspect of becoming more inclusive is to stay open-minded, listen to others, and welcome feedback. True leaders will proactively look for ways to include everyone and take action when new perspectives are presented.

“I think it’s important to note that no one is looking for special treatment. The only agenda is to ensure that LGBTQ+ employees receive equal treatment as their non-LGBTQ+ peers,” says Lopiano.

– Lacie Blankenship

Building the Future of Owen

BY NATE LUCE

Samuel Richmond arrived at Vanderbilt from Columbia in September 1976 with a long to-do list. To remain sustainable, the 7-year-old school required an overhaul of the curriculum, a new recruiting strategy, and significant financial support, among other things. With boundless energy and deep experience in higher education, the new Dean set an ambitious agenda for the young business school, marking his priorities on a board in his office at Henry Clay Alexander Hall, a repurposed mortuary located off of West End Avenue and the first home of the Vanderbilt Graduate School of Management.

Dean Richmond and his team accomplished an impressive number of major initiatives in a short amount of time. In 1977, Ralph “Peck” Owen (’28) and Lulu Hampton Owen made a series of sizeable gifts to the school that now bears their name, ushering in a new era of financial stability that attracted other donors. The school continued to grow at a rapid pace through the end of the decade. By 1979, Henry Clay Alexander Hall was stretched beyond its capacity. Richmond had crossed several of his top priorities off the board in his office, and now he turned his focus to one of the few that remained – finding a new and larger home for the Owen Graduate School of Management.

Flash forward about 50 years, and Owen finds itself in a similar situation. The school has experienced remarkable growth since those early days at the converted mortuary. It has helped launch and elevate the careers of thousands of accomplished professionals around the world. Through their research, insights, and impact, faculty have shaped the course of marketplaces and organizations, as have research centers like the Hans Stoll Financial Markets Research Center. Owen has continued to expand its portfolio of programs to meet the needs of students and industry.

As the school approached its 50th Anniversary, it became clear that Owen needed a larger home to accommodate its growth. With generous initial support from The Owen Century Partners – a group of prominent Vanderbilt University alumni and supporters – Dean Johnson announced in 2020 that the Owen School had raised enough to commence a $55 million Renovation and Expansion project at Management Hall. It’s the largest project in the history of Management Hall, and the first donor-led building project in Vanderbilt’s history.

“It was amazing to see the Owen community come together to make the long-held dream of a world-class building a reality,” Johnson says.

The project achieves multiple strategic goals for Vanderbilt’s Business School and the University.

The expansion increases Management Hall’s footprint by more than 50% (an addition of 48,000 square feet to the existing 70,000 square foot structure), which helps more comfortably accommodate a total student body of roughly 650 students across 7 programs. It also allows all faculty, staff, and classrooms to be located under one roof, facilitating more opportunities for collaboration and community-building.

“Owen had long ago outgrown our original building,” Johnson says. “The expansion will fuel collaboration by bringing the community together and inviting Nashville business into the life of the school.”

Accessibility and inclusion were primary considerations in the design of the renovated space, inside and out. The front entrance offers enhanced visibility and easier access from the adjacent walkway and drive. A relocated café space, to be operated by Nashville favorite Bongo Java, sits adjacent to the front desk, offering an ideal spot for meetings or catchups with community members and visitors alike. The elevator shaft has been relocated from the center of the lobby to the edge of the building, improving flow on the first and second floor, and the lobby has been reconfigured to better welcome and accommodate visitors to the student centers on the first floor.

“It was amazing to see the Owen community come together to make the long-held dream of a world-class building a reality.”

– Dean Eric Johnson

The third floor remains the home for faculty and staff, but their workspaces have been redesigned and expanded, affording enough room for the entire community to work and collaborate under one roof.

The fourth floor, a completely new addition to Management Hall, boasts 2 classrooms, indoor and outdoor event spaces, a kitchen, and collaboration rooms. These spaces will be used to host a variety of events and programs for Owen and the broader business community, including Executive Education programs, Closing Bell receptions, and more.

With outward-facing, transparent features along 21st Avenue and the main entrance, the new Management Hall greatly enhances the school’s corner of campus and aligns with the university’s vision for how it presents itself to Nashville.

“The new building makes a statement on 21st Avenue, with its presence and transparency that invites the business community to be part of our growth,” says Johnson. “We look forward to hosting many more business events, creating a crossroads for business innovation.”

New features abound throughout the building, but with the same focus on collaboration and connection that could be found in the original design. Reconfigured spaces like the Collaboration

Porch offer students the chance to study individually or in small groups, in full view of the lobby. Tables and chairs will remain located throughout the first and second floor lobbies, as they have for decades. As Dean Johnson is fond of saying, “there’s nowhere to hide away” in this latest version of Management Hall.

The renovated building will also play a critical role in the Owen School’s new strategic plan, which will be announced later this year. Developed in conjunction with University leadership and guided by Boston Consulting Group, the plan looks towards the next 50 years of business education at Vanderbilt, with an emphasis on meeting the future needs of students and the global business community.

Owen Essentials (see page 3) will support this new strategic plan. Announced over the summer, the 6 guiding principles and their associated behaviors are already being incorporated into programming across the school, with the aim of supporting and enhancing the Owen culture as the community returns to in-person education in a permanent home.

The energy and strategic mindset that Dean Richmond established during his tenure at Owen remains alive and well today on campus, and the newest version of Management Hall is wellequipped to handle the kind of growth that prompted its construction more than 40 years ago.

“I am deeply grateful for the investment our alumni community to pay it forward for the next generation of Owen business leaders,” says Johnson.

Fast Facts

The $55 million renovation and expansion of Management Hall – the largest such project in the building’s history – has fundamentally transformed the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management and its ability to deliver world-class education on a personal scale. Consider these facts and figures about the project:

Encompassing 48,000 square feet, the expansion grows Management Hall’s footprint by 50%.

The project allows all faculty, staff, and classrooms to be located under one roof.

The project is designed to achieve LEED Gold Certification.

A new fourth floor offers 2 classroom spaces, kitchen, and event space designed to better host the communities around Vanderbilt and Nashville.

A named space houses the Turner Family Center for Social Ventures and Vanderbilt Center for Entrepreneurship, trans-

institutional centers that count students from every Vanderbilt graduate school as members, as well as undergraduates.

This is the first donor-led building project in Vanderbilt's history, conducted in partnership between Vanderbilt and Owen Graduate School of Management, with over half of the funding raised by the Owen Century Partners.

“The new building makes a statement on 21st Avenue, with its presence and transparency that invites the business community to be part of our growth.”

– Dean Eric Johnson

Life in the New Building

Mod 1 kicked off at the newly renovated Management Hall with energy and enthusiasm, with events new and old held around the building, including the Human Capital Case Competition and Thursdaynight Closing Bells.

Reunion Recap

Owen hosted an unprecedented Reunion October 6-8, 2022, celebrating classes that graduated with a year ending in 0,1,2,5,6 and 7. Additionally, all alumni were invited to celebrate Homecoming and the Management Hall First Reveal for one of the largest Vanderbilt Reunion gatherings in our history.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHAD DRIVER

Thank you to our Reunion sponsors for making this event possible:

CLASS ACTS

studio manager for the Welk Music Group. Following law school, Howard served as vice president and general manager for PolyGram Music Pub lishing for five years before becoming the senior vice president of A&R for Disney owned Lyric Street Records. In addition, he served as senior vice president and general manager for Disney Music Publishing/Nashville.

‘74

Daniel Prince , MBA, is retired for the second time! After founding and operating a Nashvillebased firm that provided research and advice to healthcare clients across the country, Dan retired in 2019. Since then, he has completed a one-year consulting engagement, learned basic Spanish, and traveled a lot. He lives in Nashville, where he is writing his second screenplay.

facilities and generated $1.8 billion in revenue. In his role as executive vice president and chief financial officer at Caremark, Clemens led the orga nization’s growth from $100 million to $50 billion in revenues, as well as Caremark’s merger with CVS. A 1987 graduate of Samford, Clemens earned a B.S. in Mathematics and a minor in Business Administration and went on to earn his M.B.A. with concentrations in Finance and Ac counting from Vanderbilt University in 1991. He lives in Franklin, Tennes see, and is married with two children and two grandchildren.

Labor Relations, Network Opera tions Control, Regulatory Programs & Compliance, Operations Strategy, Performance & Design, Safety & Security, and Technical Operations. Additionally, he will continue to oversee the airline's Network Planning Department.

‘98

Rudy Moeller, MBA, has recently opened the Louis ville, KY office for Calder Capital, one of the Midwest’s fastest-growing mergers & acquisitions firms. In his role as M&A Advisor, Rudy will work with clients primarily in Kentucky and southern Indiana. Calder is based in Grand Rapids, MI, and has a total of seven offices primarily in the upper Midwest.

‘80

Dan Moore , MBA, president of South western Advantage, will be retiring at the end of this year, his 49th with Southwestern Family of Companies (SWFC). During his tenure, Moore trained more than 100,000 people how to sell, how to lead, and how to get on the path toward achieving their goals in life.

‘89

Doug Howard , EMBA, a longtime music industry executive, recently announced his retirement as dean of Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, effective Aug. 31. Howard, who has held the role of dean since January 2015, is a proud Belmont alumnus and a shining example of the enter tainment industry success the Curb College fosters. The former senior vice president of A&R for Lyric Street Records/Walt Disney Company, Howard graduated from Belmont College in 1979 before receiving an MBA from Vanderbilt University and JD from the George Washington Uni versity School of Law in Washington, D.C. His history in the Nashville music scene began as a song plugger and

‘85

Tom D'Orazio , MBA, joined SHINE Technologies, LLC (SHINE), a next-generation fusion technology company, as the CEO of Phoenix LLC (Phoenix). SHINE and Phoenix are both wholly owned subsidiaries of Illuminated Holdings, and Phoenix operates the industrial imaging arm of the business.

‘91

Peter John Clemens IV, MBA, has joined the Samford University Board of Trustees as a Member. Peter has a distinguished healthcare finance career span ning more than three decades with experience managing business in both the private and public sector at the highest level. As executive vice president and chief financial officer at Surgical Care Affiliates, Clemens evaluated and executed the business strategy for the company, which at the time operated 200 surgical

‘93

Smoke Wallin , MBA, was appointed to Adastra Holdings (CSE:XTRX) board of directors. The manufacturer of ethnobotanical and cannabis science products said Wallin is a highly accomplished CEO, entrepreneur and philanthropist with over 25 years of success across the consumer products, beverage, cannabis, distribution and technology industries.

Henry Lee Guy Jr. , MBA, was appointed President of Pittco Management, LLC (Pittco), the single-family office of Joseph R. (Pitt) Hyde III and his wife Barbara Hyde. Guy was appointed Chief In vestment Officer at Pittco in October 2021 and he will retain those duties and responsibilities. As President, Guy will be responsible for manage ment and oversight of all aspects of Pittco's day-to-day operations and will serve on the firm's Executive Committee. His 25 years of investing experience includes both public and private markets. Guy has founded, funded, and led venture capital and buyout funds and served on the boards of both hedge and 40 Act mutual funds.

‘94

Michele Golden , MBA, was named Global Chief People Officer, Imax, overseeing HR, recruiting, talent management and diversity, equity, & inclusion. She joins Imax from WarnerMedia (now Warner Bros. Discovery), where she spent 20 years, most recently as chief human resources officer for HBO Max. As a member of the executive leadership team, she was instrumental in executing Warner Media’s strategy to launch and scale the streaming service.

Chr istina L. Zamarro , MBA, was elected to L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) Board of Directors. Christina is Vice President, Finance and Treasurer at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and her addition expands the L3Harris Board to 14 members.

‘05

Vincent Cirel , EMBA, joined Gannett Co., Inc. as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), accelerat ing Gannett’s digital evolution as a data and technology subscriptionled business.

‘96

Andrew Watterson , MBA, was recently promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Southwest Airlines. In his new role, Watterson will provide Executive Lea dership to Flight Operations, In flight Operations, Crew Scheduling, Cargo & Charters, Customer Sup port & Services, Ground Operations, Hospitality Operations Support,

Ser gio Corbo , EMBA, joined Emera Technologies as VP of Product Experience.

‘08

Rachel Askew, MBA, was ap pointed Managing Director of a new office in Nashville for Systems Evolution Incorporated (SEI), a Cincinnati-headquartered manage

ment consulting firm. The Nashville office is SEI’s 12th in the country, joining locations in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dal las, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. The employee-owned consultancy has 450 consultants and uses a local delivery model.

at the athletic, medical and lifestyle categories. All Sockwell products are sourced and manufactured in the USA, using sustainable practices and Merino wool, farmed in Colorado. As the Head of Marketing, Justin will report directly to the business Partners and oversee all marketing efforts for the organization.

Jack Johnson , MBA, and wife Emily welcomed their second son, Tommy, on April 6th, 2022.

Leslie (Parrish) Gattuso , MBA, started a new role in May as Director, Innovations at Walmart, where she will be focused on their Health & Wellness business.

‘09

Michele Oglesby, MMHC, was promoted to senior operating partner for health care investment firm Graham Healthcare Capital.

Jim Ward , MBA, was promoted to managing director for health care investment firm Graham Healthcare Capital.

Thomas Sheeren , MBA, and wife Elena Gutierrez welcomed their first child, Maria Lucia Sheeren, in August of 2021.

‘10

Rod Harkleroad , MMHC, was named CEO of Sumner Regional Medical Center. Harkleroad will also serve as market president of HighPoint Health System, which includes SRMC as well as Riverview Regional Medical Center in Carthage, Tennessee and Trousdale Medical Center in Hartsville, Tennessee. He joins SRMC from Frye Regional Medi cal Center, a Duke LifePoint facility in Hickory, North Carolina, where he has served as CEO since 2020. In 2019, he was named one of Becker’s Hospital Review’s “60 Rural Hospital and Health System CEOs to Know.”

Dave Mayer, BS 2009, MACC 2010, has joined Thompson Burton as a Partner. Dave specializes in tradi tional estate planning for high-networth families and individuals, with a focus on complex trust drafting around estate and gift tax issues.

James Suh , EMBA, was named COO of New Orchard, an analytics com pany focused on accelerating and improving organizational strategy for advisory firms.

‘11

Justin Hawkins , MBA, recently accepted a new role as the Head of Marketing for Chatta nooga-based Sockwell. Sockwell was launched in 2011 by former Smart wool leadership with the intent to offer high-quality, stylish, solutionbased therapeutic socks targeted

‘12

Evan Savarick , MSF, was appointed Managing Direc tor, Investments and Senior PIM Portfolio Manager for The Savarick

Rebekah Murphy

Cassis , MBA, was married on May 7, 2021 in Noank, CT. Alumni in attendance: Rebecca Urbelis ('14), Alexandra Noll Iacobucci ('14), Renee White Friesen ('14), Sharde Miller Marchewski ('14), Eric and Georgiana Noll ('90), Kyle Staley ('14), Rob Schickler ('14), Anna Koff ('14)

Reggie Ford , BA 2012, MAC 2014, founder and president of RoseCrete Wealth Management, was named to the 40 Under 40 in Nashville Busi ness Journal.

Huyen (Julie) Nguyen , MBA, married Anh Anh Tran in their home country of Vietnam in August.

, MMHC, was recently named President of the Highlands Medical Center in Scottsboro by Huntsville Hospital System. Ashley, a nurse practitioner and administra tor by training, was the owner and operator of a rural health clinic in Limestone County for 16 years.

Michael Drescher, MMHC, joined XSOLIS as Vice Presi dent of Payer Strategy. XSOLIS is a healthcare technology firm focused on improving healthcare operations through cognitive computing.

Patrick Price , MBA, was promoted to Director, Brentwood Capital Advi sors. Patrick leads deal execution for M&A, recapitalization and capital raising transactions. With 6+ years in investment banking, Patrick has completed 20+ advisory and capital raising transactions.

‘17

Chris Culver, MBA, started a new role in February as the AVP, Product Strategy, supporting the Smart Factory Services Offering at Deloitte.

‘15

Peter Hemstead , EMBA, was appointed Chief Executive Officer of HCA Florida West Marion Hospital.

Mike Foster, MBA, began a new posi tion as a Private Equity Sponsor with Q Investments in 2021. As part of his duties, Mike recently took on the role of Chief Financial Officer of PHI Health, LLC, a $300M air ambulance company.

‘19

Julie Timm , EMBA, was unanimously approved by The Sound Transit Board as the agency’s next CEO.

‘22

Dr. Eric Eskioglu , EMBA, was named one of the Top 25 Innovators and 50 Most Influen tial Clinical Executives by Modern Healthcare. Over the two past years, when healthcare faced extraordinary challenges, Eskioglu leveraged his aerospace engineering background, dedication to research and belief in technology to drive significant digital transformation and process improvements in pursuit of improved community health.

‘14

Deaths

Stephen Mark Dennis, MBA 1984

Stephen Mark Dennis, age 64, of Cold Spring, Kentucky passed away on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, sur rounded by his family. Steve was born in Evansville, Indiana on June 7, 1958, to his parents, Roy and Una (nee Dunn) Dennis. Steve completed his undergraduate education at the University of Texas and went on to complete a master's in mathemat ics at the University of Kentucky and an M.B.A. at Vanderbilt University. After over thirty years in marketing, including time spent at the PGA TOUR where he was one of the key creators of the FedEx Cup, Steve left busi ness to teach. He loved teaching and was a popular math professor at St. John's River State College until his retirement in 2019. He loved games, especially word games, and at one time was ranked in the top 250 Scrabble players in North America.

In April 2018, Steve was diag nosed with ALS. Despite his illness, he enjoyed the remainder of his life spending time with his children, extended family, and friends. He is survived by his sister, Vickie Wheat ley (Jim); his children, Kate Dennis Nye (Thomas), Chris Dennis Myers (Chris), Eric Dennis, and Kit Bur roughs; and his three grandchildren, Edie, Bea, and Walt.

Michelle Crawford Hunt, BE 1986, MBA 1991

Michelle C. Hunt, age 58, of Lakeway, Texas passed away August 11, 2022, at her residence following a recent illness. Michelle Crawford entered Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee in the Fall of 1982, liv ing in busy Branscomb Quad, and pledged to the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Michelle earned a B.E. in chemical engineering, with honors, in 1986. Michelle took an active role in early work of the Vanderbilt Chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and encouraged young women with similar interests to follow their passion and pursue studies in STEM. Michelle met fellow Vanderbilt engi neering student Jeff Hunt in the first semester of 1982 and was married shortly after graduation in 1987. She returned to Vanderbilt and earned her M.B.A. in 1991.

Robert Keith Jackson, EMBA 1987

Robert was born in South Bend, Indiana on April 20, 1943 and passed peacefully at home in Monteagle, Tennessee on July 16, 2022. Robert graduated from Otsego High School in 1961 and held several Associates degrees from Kalamazoo Valley Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Vocational Industrial Education from Western Michigan

University, and an MBA from Vanderbilt University Owen School of Management. Robert went to work for Eaton Corporation in 1968 and retired in 2001.

When he wasn't researching family history, he was serving the community in many ways. He was a life member of the Elks Lodge. Was an active member of Rotary Interna tional in Shelbyville, Humboldt, and Monteagle, Tennessee. Served as the President of the Monteagle Tennes see club from 2004-2006 and was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship award in 2011. He served on Uni versity Advisory Boards for Motlow State Community College and Middle Tennessee State University, always eager to share his knowledge and to support education.

Victor Mavar, Sr.

Mr. Victor Vadrian Mavar, Sr. passed away on September 3, 2022. Mr. Mavar and his wife Mrs. Gayle Mavar established the Victor and Gayle Mavar Scholarship in 2003. Victor is survived by his six children, includ ing Geoffrey Mavar, MBA 1990. Victor was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, on July 27, 1926, to John Mavar, Sr. and Olivia Skrmetta Mavar. Victor was the youngest of six children and upon passing was 96 years old. He died peacefully at his home in Biloxi.

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Victor married his wife, Gayle, in 1958. They established a scholarship at the University of Southern Mississippi, School of Nursing, in honor of his sister, Antonia Mavar Talijancich, who was a nurse. They also established scholarships at the Mississippi College School of Law, Vanderbilt University MBA School, and West Virginia Wesleyan University. They established a fund to support the operation of the Learning Disability Department at Nativity B.V.M. Elementary School in Biloxi. In addition, they provided for the construction of two classrooms, a general study room and an office, all for the Learning Disability Department.

Matthew J. Pianka, MSF 2022

Matthew J. Pianka of Tarrytown, New York, passed away at the age of 23 on October 1, 2022. Visitation and a funeral mass were held on Friday, October 7, 2022.

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Earned a promotion or got a new job? Had a get-together with Owen classmates? Tied the knot or welcomed a new member to the family?

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We want to know! Share your interesting life updates to be included in the next edition of Vanderbilt Business Magazine. Class Notes (and photos!) can be submitted to owen.alum@vanderbilt.edu or scan the QR code to go to the online form: https://owen.wufoo.com/forms/share-your-news-with-your-friends-and-classmates/

CLASS OF 2022 Full-Time Employment Statistics

Salary Data

Total Class Average Median Low High Base Salary*

U.S. Citizen/Permanent Resident

$ 139,629 $ 135,000 $ 80,000 $ 180,000 Foreign National $ 141,025 $ 136,300 $ 93,000 $ 175,000 Total $ 139,711 $ 135,000 $ 80,000 $ 180,000

Signing Bonus**

U.S. Citizen/Permanent Resident $ 33,298 $ 30,000 $ 4,500 $ 90,145 Foreign National $ 47,994 $ 47,500 $ 10,000 $ 85,300 Total $ 34,262 $ 30,000 $ 4,500 $ 90,145

*Salary report is based upon usable salary information for 92% of those graduates who accepted a job. **89% of graduates reporting base salary also reported receiving a signing bonus.

Job Function Percent Average Median Low High

Business/Data Analytics 5% $ 122,113 $ 127,500 $ 80,000 $ 140,000

Consulting 34% $ 149,813 $ 165,000 $ 90,000 $ 180,000 Finance/Accounting 21% $ 149,503 $ 160,000 $ 90,000 $ 180,000 General Management 8% $ 136,836 $ 132,600 $ 130,000 $ 150,000 Human Resources 3% $ 116,820 $ 115,000 $ 100,000 $ 144,100 Information Technology 1% Insufficient Data Marketing 15% $ 117,611 $ 120,000 $ 87,000 $ 140,000 Operations Management 8% $ 133,350 $ 131,300 $ 105,000 $ 175,000 Other 4% $ 136,880 $ 130,000 $ 119,400 $ 175,000

Job Function: Detail Percent Average Median Low High Consulting

Management/Strategy 31% $ 151,681 $ 165,000 $ 90,000 $ 175,000 Internal 3% $ 132,333 $ 122,500 $ 92,000 $ 180,000

Finance/Accounting

Corporate Finance 5% $ 111,942 $ 122,500 $ 90,000 $ 122,500 Investment Banking/Cap. Markets 9% $ 173,077 $ 175,000 $ 150,000 $ 175,000 Investments/Private Wealth 7% $ 144,667 $ 160,000 $ 92,000 $ 180,000

General Management

General Services 2% $ 147,533 $ 145,000 $ 132,600 $ 165,000 Leadership Development Program 6% $ 134,600 $ 132,600 $ 130,000 $ 150,000 Marketing

Brand/Product Management 10% $ 114,692 $ 116,000 $ 87,000 $ 140,000 General 5% $ 125,200 $ 121,000 $ 115,000 $ 140,000 Operations Management Supply Chain 3% $ 140,400 $ 132,000 $ 105,000 $ 175,000 Other 5% $ 128,229 $ 130,000 $ 115,000 $ 140,000

Class of 2022

Employment by Job Function

n 34% Consulting n 21% Finance/Accounting n 15% Marketing n 8% Operations Management n 8% General Management n 5% Business/Data Analytics n 4% Other n 3% Human Resources n 1% Information Technology

Salary Data

Industry Percent Average Median Low High Consulting 34% $ 150,833 $ 165,000 $ 90,000 $ 175,000

Consumer Products 9% $ 115,273 $ 115,000 $ 105,000 $ 125,000 Financial Services 20% $ 153,407 $ 160,000 $ 92,000 $ 180,000 Healthcare 13% $ 125,868 $ 130,000 $ 80,000 $ 150,000 Manufacturing 3% $ 126,774 $ 127,500 $ 122,096 $ 130,000 Non-Profit 1% Insufficient Data Real Estate 3% $ 115,000 $ 120,000 $ 100,000 $ 125,000 Technology 17% $ 128,622 $ 130,000 $ 87,000 $ 180,000 Other 1% Insufficient Data

North American Geographic Region Percent Average Median Low High

Mid-Atlantic (PA, MD, VA, WV, DE, DC) 3% $ 175,000 $ 175,000 $ 175,000 $ 175,000 Midwest (WI, MO, KS, IA, MN, NE, MI, OH, IN, ND, SD, IL) 13% $ 138,533 $ 130,000 $ 80,000 $ 175,000 Northeast (ME, VT, NY, NH, CT, MA, NJ, RI) 17% $ 147,629 $ 150,000 $ 92,000 $ 180,000 South (NC, SC, KY, TN, GA, FL, AL, AR, MS, LA) 42% $ 137,660 $ 132,500 $ 87,000 $ 175,000 Southwest (CO, AZ, TX, OK, NM) 9% $ 132,861 $ 125,000 $ 90,000 $ 175,000 West (CA, HI, WA, OR, AK, MT, ID, UT, NV, WY) 16% $ 138,687 $ 132,600 $ 115,000 $ 180,000 Nashville Metro 26% $ 131,980 $ 130,000 $ 87,000 $ 175,000

Undergraduate Major Percent Average Median Low High Business 46% $ 142,819 $ 145,000 $ 80,000 $ 180,000 Technical 22% $ 135,210 $ 132,600 $ 92,000 $ 175,000 Other 32% $ 138,330 $ 130,000 $ 90,000 $ 180,000

Professional Experience Percent Average Median Low High One Year or Less 1% Insufficient Data

More than one year, up to three years 22% $ 141,933 $ 140,000 $ 87,000 $ 180,000 More than three years, up to five years 36% $ 140,804 $ 140,000 $ 80,000 $ 180,000 More than five years 42% $ 138,432 $ 131,250 $ 92,000 $ 175,000

Geographic Data

Top Metro Areas: Number of Graduates

Dallas-Ft Worth

Continental United States

Top Hiring Companies: Number of Graduates Hired

Amazon 12 Ernst & Young (EY) 10 PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) 7 Deloitte 6 Boston Consulting Group 4 Bank of America 3 Jefferies Group 3

Source of Accepted Offers

School-Facilitated Activities Internship (Originally Through School-Facilitated Activity) 50 % Job Postings via Owen/Resume Books 13% Interviews Scheduled via Owen 7 % School Network (Alumni/Faculty/Class Referrals, Class Speakers, and Projects) 7 % Activities Supported by Career Center (Job Fairs, Treks, Interview Events) 5% Total 83%

Graduate-Facilitated Activities Personal Network (Family and Friends) 7 % Online Job Posting 5 % Other Student-Initiated Activities 3% Internship (Originally Through GraduateFacilitated Activity) 2 % Total 17%

Timing of Offers & Acceptances

By 3 Months

By Graduation After Graduation May 2022 August 2022

Job Offers # % # %

U.S. Citizen/ Perm. Resident 134 92% 142 98% Foreign National 8 67% 10 83% Total 142 90% 152 97%

Job Acceptances

U.S. Citizen/ Perm. Resident 129 89% 139 96% Foreign National 7 58% 10 83% Total 136 87% 149 95%

World Regions: Percent of Graduates Hired North America 99% Asia 1%

Jon Stevens (MBA’95) named 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner

President of JLL Technologies, Jon has had an invaluable impact

on Owen and Vanderbilt

We celebrate and recognize all our Owen Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients:

2022 Jon Stevens (MBA’95)

2020/2021 John Hawkins (MBA’92)

2019 Paul Jacobson (MBA’97)

2018 Adena Friedman (MBA’93)

2017 W. Jackson (Jack) Long, Jr. (MBA’83)

2016 Virginia “Gigi” Banks Lazenby (MBA’73)

2015 Heiki Miki (MBA’96)

2014 Brent Turner (MBA’99)

2013 Eric Noll (MBA’90)

2012 Jim Sohr (BE’86, MBA’90)

2011 David B. Ingram (MBA’89)

2006 A.J. Kazimi (MBA’84)

2005 Amy Jorgensen Conlee (MBA’77)

2004 William Douglas Parker, Jr. (MBA’86)

2003 David C. Kloeppel (MBA’96)

2002 James H. Herring, Jr. (MBA’89)

2000 Kimberley G. Newton (MBA’99)

1999 Brad Williams (MBA’94)

1998 J. Smoke Wallin (MBA’93)

1997 Donald E. Townswick (MBA’92)

1996 Robert W. Davis (MBA’91)

1995 Thomas Eckert (MBA’90)

Over the past 25 years, the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management Distinguished Alumni Award has recognized one alum who has exhibited outstanding leadership and service in both the professional and philanthropic realms. The recipient contributes significantly to Owen by donating time, energy, talent, or philanthropic support, building networks through class activities, being of service to current students and faculty, hosting regional programs such as Closing Bells, or serving in volunteer leadership positions such as the Alumni Board. Owen annually grants the Distinguished Alumni Award not only to honor worthy recipients, but also to inspire students and alumni by the legacy those before them have left.

We are proud to announce the winner of the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award: Jon Stevens (MBA’95) President, JLL Technologies. Over the years, Jon’s extraordinary personal involvement and financial sup port have had a direct impact on Owen faculty, students, and the Owen alumni community. Jon’s engagement and service on the Owen Alumni Board, his leadership support for Management Hall’s transformation, and his commitment to helping deserving students through the Stevens Family Scholarship have made an incalculable difference in the lives of so many. Through hosting events like the Commodore Launch, fundraising dinners and more, Jon and Susan have also given their time and energy, and the Owen community is forever grateful.

Please join us in congratulating Jon on winning this prestigious award, and in thanking him for all he and Susan do for the Vanderbilt and Owen community, both on and off campus. We are proud to have Jon as a distinguished alumnus of our school.

1994 James Welch (MBA’89)

1993 Mark Hilling (MBA’88)

1992 Brian M. Cote (MBA’87)

1991 Carin L. Barth (MBA’86)