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Letter from the President
Executive
Committee
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he bond among Wharton alumni amazes even me! If you do not feel the connection you are not doing one of two things: taking the call (which you knew I was going to say) or reaching out. Remember, nobody can take the call if you do not reach out! This issue shares stories of alumni reaching out over the years. Jon Huntsman, W’59, H’96 writing a letter (and our singing Happy Birthday) to Al Shoemaker, W’60 at this year’s Joseph Wharton Awards Dinner. Brian Roberts, W’81, CEO of Comcast, reaching out to future graduates to participate in the growth of his company. Now, WCNY is reaching out to you with our new WCNY Alumni Gift Discount program, featuring Sokol Artworks, Menaji, Living Room SoHo, So Smart and more creative Wharton-led companies, with wonderful gifts for the Holidays! Most importantly, the Wharton Alumni Network continues to be your most powerful tool for business, social, career and intellectual growth. Use it! Take the Call!
Kenneth Beck, WG’87, P’16 Chief Executive Officer, CEO Connection President, Wharton Club of New York T 646.416.6991 | F 646.292.5129 kbeck@ceoconnection.com | www.ceoconnection.com
Vice President, Business Development Regina Jaslow, W’97 Penn Club of New York rjaslow@pennclubny.org Vice President, Volunteer Services Diana Davenport, WG’87 The Commonwealth Fund dd@cmwf.org Vice President, Programming Jennifer Gregoriou, W’78 Jennifer Gregoriou, Management Consulting jennifergregoriou@gmail.com
of New York Magazine Magazine Editor Kent Trabing WG’01 USP Development
editor@whartonny.com To reach over 30,000 Wharton alumni members in the NY metro area, please contact:
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Executive Vice President George Bradt, WG’85 PrimeGenesis Executive Onboarding gbradt@primegenesis.com Vice President, Finance Rosemarie Bonelli, WG’99 Chartis Global Surety and EcoPractice Chartis Inc., a subsidiary of American International Group, Inc. Rabonelli@aol.com Vice President, Marketing & Communications Peter Hildick-Smith, C’76, WG’81, P’13 Codex-Group, Publishing Audience Research hildick-smith@codexgroup.net General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer Steven E. Sherman, W’72 Shearman & Sterling LLP sesherman@shearman.com Vice President, Career Development Charles S. Forgang, Esq., W’78, P’11 Law Offices of Charles S. Forgang cforgang@forganglaw.com
Wharton Club
President Kenneth Beck, WG’87, P’16 CEO Connection kbeck@ceoconnection.com
Chair, Sponsorship Udi Chattopadhyay, W’01 Ergo Phone (917) 952-5581 uchattop@gmail.com
• Wharton Club of New York 1560 Broadway, Suite #1013 New York, NY 10036 Phone: (212) 463-5559 Fax: (917) 464-5977 Web: www.WhartonNY.com
FRONT COVER: Wharton Dean Tom Robertson; Brian Roberts, W’81; David Nash, WG’86; Kenny Beck, WG’87; Ivanka Trump, W’04; Leonard Lauder, W’54; Dave Power, WG’59
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INTRODUCING THE WCNY
ALUMNI-TO-ALUMNI HOLIDAY
Gift Program whartonny.org
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ever mind the savings of 15% off the purchase price… Never mind that an additional 10% of the purchase price goes to help your Club, which hosts amazing events for you all year long, publishes and mails you this astute magazine, and provides terrific affinity groups to advance your career… Never mind that warm holiday feeling that, by shopping through the WCNY Alumni-to-Alumni Holiday Gift Program, you are “Taking the Call” from your fellow alumni… These products are themselves awesome, all from Wharton alumni owned businesses! Meet your fellow New York alumni below, follow the links to their websites, claim your exclusive Wharton Club of NY 15% off alumni discount, and do your holiday shopping through the Wharton Club of New York! But, first, a word of thanks to our alumni volunteer department heads within the WCNY Marketing team -- Faith Ann Kiely, W’90, entrepreneur, and new Chair of Member Benefits, for investing hundreds of hours in envisioning, reaching out to alumni entrepreneurs, and caring for the myriad details that something this worthwhile always takes, her husband Tom, and to Jack Huang, WG’03, the Club’ Chief Technology Officer and Web maestro, who brings it all to you.
Faith Ann Kiely, W’90
Mënaji Skincare for Men Eric Groberg, WG’89, bought Mënaji Skincare for Men. You should, too! You don’t have to buy the whole company like Eric and his team did, just its clever products that make you look as good as those newscasters under bright lights. Mënaji was originally created by Michele Probst, a Nashville-based celebrity makeup artist with 20 years of experience preparing men who needed undetectable products for HDTV, public appearances, and film. Today, it’s used by men whenever being well-groomed is important, whether for the boardroom or a social function. Mënaji Skincare includes quality Eric Groberg, WG’89 grooming products that cleanse, correct, protect, conceal and, especially, are undetectable, to ensure a man is confident about his appearance when it matters. Holiday gift sets are available. With their investment in Mënaji, Eric and his business partners have brought an experienced team of industry and financial management professionals to transform Mënaji into a leading brand in the men’s grooming segment. Look as good as your favorite film star and enjoy a 15% discount, plus free shipping, on any Mënaji products. Just visit www.menskincare.com, and enter discount code “WCNY12” at checkout. 3
WHARTON CLUB OF NEW YORK | AUTUMN 2012 | WWW.WHARTONNY.COM
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Tastement Rittik Chakrabarti, WG’08, discovered true love in a greeting card. On the cusp of completing his MBA, Seema Malik gave him a beautifully designed invitation to a wedding … theirs! As a “tastement” to their happy life together, Rittik and Seema created a corporate and social design company. Tastement is a New York-based design studio that specializes in making bold and edgy products inspired by urban life. Seema, an architect by training, often finds herself inspired by the buildings, streets and landscapes of the city she lives in. She imagines skyscrapers as testy neighbors, streets gossiping about the people walking around and transit systems engaging in witty repartee. This is what sets apart their business and design aesthetic. Rittik, a consultant by day, is constantly inspired by his wife’s creative ideas. He also helps her manage the financial aspects and maintains that she is the face of the company. Tastement has been extensively reviewed by the New York Post, Time Out New York, Village Voice and NY1. Tastement products are available in several locations in the city, such as the New York Transit Museum in Grand Central Station, treasure&bond in Soho and Grand Slam New York in Times Square, to name a few. Tastement is very excited to introduce its work to the Wharton community. Check out its award-winning iPhone and iPad skins as excellent stocking stuffers. Order your holiday cards now. I bought the subway cards and felt the Wharton love (discount)! The secret code is “WAADP15.”
So Smart! Admit it. That one question is keeping you awake at night — will your 3-year-old twins get into Wharton? True, you did make that $200 donation to the Alumni Fund last year, but you’re haunted by a feeling that maybe you should do more. Meet So Smart! Productions. This leading independent producer of award-winning educational media for young children was founded in 1997 by Scott Tornek, C’87, WG’95, and his wife Alexandra, C’90. Starting with one animated video, So Smart! has produced and sold its DVDs, books, e-books and music in the millions and distributes them to over 50 countries. Yes, parents around the world are taking responsible steps to get their kids into Wharton. The latest So Smart! series, Baby’s First Word Stories, gets children ages 1 to 3 excited about speaking new words through stories they learn to love. Each DVD features four animal friends, Edward, Iggy, Larry and Dee Dee, who embark on adventures from getting dressed and playing outside, to nighttime, pets, travel and more. Each DVD includes an activity guide with creative, printable activities that relate to each story. Baby’s First Word Stories has won the National Parenting Publications Gold Award, the Coalition for Quality Children’s Media All-Star Award and the Mom’s Choice Award. In total, So Smart! offers 21 award-winning DVD titles for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. On checkout from www.sosmart.com, Wharton alumni should use the promo code “pennsmart” to receive their 15% holiday discount. 4
WHARTON CLUB OF NEW YORK | AUTUMN 2012 | WWW.WHARTONNY.COM
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FunSpunge How many times has this happened to you? You’re relaxing in the bath, reading Forbes, and your 3-year-old sneaks up on you and pours water on your head. If you’d been wearing the FunSpunge, your tranquil, happy home would have remained so. Babies of all ages dislike water in their eyes and faces, regardless of the shampoo and soap used, making bath time a frustrating experience. Recurring ear infections are also exasperated in the bath. The FunSpunge, featured on Fox & Friends, as well as in Working Mother magazine, is a superabsorbent headband that keeps the soap and water out of the eyes, ears and faces of babies and toddlers alike. Thank you, Paul Hunter, WG’09, for co-founding NPS USA, LLC, and bringing us the FunSpunge. Use the coupon code “WHARTFS” at www.thefunspunge. com for your 15% discount.
Living Room SoHo © 2012 NPS USA, LLC
You exercise your mind intelligently. You need to exercise your body intelligently — you need GYROKINESIS® and GYROTONIC®! In New York City, that means you need Living Room SoHo! Nicholas M. Petrakakos, WG’12, and his wife Angeliki Karamina, pictured here, thought about people just like you when they designed their studio in Soho. A deliciously overstuffed sofa piled with pillows, a luxurious shower room, a wall of antique mirrors and fresh flowers turn this 2,000-square-foot loft into a wellness studio, making exercise feel almost civilized. While the décor comforts, the workouts challenge. Staffed by professional dancers trained in Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis®, Living Room SoHo offers a full schedule of private, semiprivate and group instruction in both modalities, as well as yoga classes, nutritional counseling and various styles of therapeutic massage. All ages, abilities, shapes and sizes are warmly welcomed (and motivated). Living Room SoHo’s fully accredited instructors look forward to accommodating your unique needs and specific goals with a custom-to-you approach. Drop by for a visit at 552 Broadway, Suite 4, 3rd floor, New York City. Use the code “WHARTON12” to access the alumni discount at www.livingroomsoho.com.
Sokol Artworks Margo Sokol, WG’81, after more than 25 successful years in marketing in the beauty and fragrance industries, made a leap of faith that many in the corporate world only dream of. Margo thought she could leverage her professional marketing experience to promote fine art, and in 2010, she established Sokol Artworks with her mother Francine Sokol. Francine was already an accomplished fine artist, whose work has been exhibited in galleries, museums and stores across the U.S. With Margo’s business acumen supplementing Francine’s artistic talents, Sokol Artworks was born. Francine’s portfolio of paintings is now faithfully reproduced as prints. These hand-signed prints are meticulously created using archival inks that are guaranteed to be scratch-, chip- and fade-proof. Each print is made on fine presentation paper and carries a certificate of authenticity. Sokol Artworks recently added a pillow collection as an exquisite expression of Francine’s designs on beautiful black or beige silk-textured fabric. With their stunning plant and floral designs, it’s no surprise that Sokol Artworks is featured at the New York Botanical Garden! Both the art prints and silk pillows make ideal gifts. Visit www.sokolartworks.com, and enter “WCNY12” to receive a discount on your purchases. 5
WHARTON CLUB OF NEW YORK | AUTUMN 2012 | WWW.WHARTONNY.COM
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Bionée Mothers and babies love to be beautiful, especially for the holidays! Just in time, direct from the South of France with patented ingredients, Bionée is a new skin care brand specifically dedicated to the needs of pregnant women, mothers and babies. The products are all free of harmful chemicals and are certified organic by internationally recognized Ecocert®. All ingredients have earned an official safety statement for pregnant women and babies, and each product contains fair trade organic honey. Beautiful gift creations are a perfect present for the holiday season! It was at Wharton that the concept for Bionée Organic Certified Maternity Skin Care was truly conceived. Georges Asmar, WG’10, participated in the Wharton Venture Initiation Program, while his wife and co-founder Eva was pregnant with their first child. As the small child inside of her grew, so did her passion for safe beauty products that could be used during pregnancy and for mothers and babies. Today, the brand has earned coverage in Forbes, New York Times and Parenting magazine. New Wharton parents, and friends of mothers and little ones should use the code “WCNY” to receive a 15% discount and benefit from this unique connection! Visit www.bionee.com to review and shop its products.
Qramel The things this world must wait for. Juliet might have gotten her message correct, the first time, to Romeo. Davy Crockett would have gotten reinforcements to the Alamo. And Walter Mitty certainly would have used these Qramel stickers to send his message safely behind enemy lines. Eugene Lebedev, WG’10, founder and CEO of Qrency, Inc. is the genius behind Qramel, and you should thank him for making it so easy to send a message. With Qramel, you can conveniently record and share your personalized digital messages on greeting cards, announcements, thank-you notes, reminders, gifts, souvenirs, memorabilia or any other place where regular stickers can go. All you need to do is scan a Qramel sticker and record your voice, video or picture message that you would like to share. When your friends, customers or kids scan that sticker, they get your personalized message right on their smartphones. Use Qramel for fun with your friends and family, or to promote your business and delight your customers. For more information, visit www.qramel.com. Wharton alumni can take advantage of a 15% discount on Qramel stickers by applying the promo code “QRAMEL4W” during the checkout process on Amazon. For a volume discount or custom orders, contact sales@qramel.com.
Polara Golf Balls This is a no-brainer stocking stuffer! Recreational golfers all over the world have been looking for — their lost golf balls! But now, they can look in their stockings for this quick fix — a golf ball that virtually eliminates their hook or slice problems! It is the Polara ball’s revolutionary and radical-looking dimple pattern technology that makes the difference. Under independent test conditions, Polara golf balls have been proven to fly demonstrably straighter than any other golf balls, including two of the most popular golf balls, validating the claim that Polara golf balls correct hooks and slices by up to 75%! Jeff Guzy, GEE’76, WG’76, is Chief Business Development Officer for Aero-X Golf. Get 15% off any dozen Polara golf ball orders by using coupon code “POLARA15OFF” at www. polaragolf.com. 6
WHARTON CLUB OF NEW YORK | AUTUMN 2012 | WWW.WHARTONNY.COM
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Exoto Armenio Keusseyan, ENG’07, W’07, sells dreams — for those people in your life who wildly gesticulate and gasp for air when a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport passes them on the road — and those who know who said, “What’s behind you doesn’t matter” (Enzo Ferrari). Armenio thinks the same: “When we were kids, we used to play with little cars. The love and passion in us for anything that rolls on wheels never dies! Armenio’s high-end cast replicas and miniature model cars are known the world over for their accuracy and intricate attention to detail.” Race over to www.exoto.com and www.exototifosi. com to review and purchase a number of great racing classics and many other cool vehicles that would be the perfect addition to your home or office. Wharton alumni should use the promo code “WHA-2525” when purchasing Exoto products to receive the 15% discount.
Dahlia Angela Hu, WG’02, is the founder and CEO of Dahlia. She created Dahlia to make quality and design more affordable by applying her Wharton knowledge in supply chain management and advanced information technology to provide her customers the products they want, when they want them. Her many lines include fine and fashion jewelry, clothing and accessories, and home products — as in reasonably priced gifts that you can afford to give yourself ! Dahlia has been regarded as one of the highest-customer-rated merchants on Amazon since 2006. Angela’s merchandise has been featured in Modern Jeweler and National Jeweler, as well as in leading fashion magazines, such as Lucky, Martha Stewart Weddings and Elegant Bride, and on TV shows at CBS and ABC. Receive 15% off products storewide at www.dahliajewels.com, using the Wharton alumni discount code “DHWCNY2012.”
coldfront Hugh Brownstone, WG’81, is Chairman, CEO and co-founder of this company with his sister Susie. Their gadget coldfront can keep its cool — and help you keep yours — for up to 12 hours. And you can take it just about anywhere, because it’s small and weighs only a pound. coldfront is a portable cold therapy system that was originally designed to help menopausal women cope with hot flashes. Hugh and Susie learned that, if it can handle hot flashes, it can handle a whole lot more — from cooling off on the golf course to chilling on the train. Use coupon code “WCNY15” to receive your 15% alumni discount when purchasing products on www.personallycool.com. zxx – Enjoy a wonderful Wharton holiday season, with great gifts from our alumni entrepreneurs! 7
WHARTON CLUB OF NEW YORK | AUTUMN 2012 | WWW.WHARTONNY.COM
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Joseph Wharton AWARDS DINNER
(Top photo L. to R.) David B. Nash, WG’86, Brian L. Roberts, W’81, Ivanka Trump, W’04, Leonard A. Lauder, W’54
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– NEW YORK, OCTOBER 4, 2012
Have you ever questioned whether a Wharton family exists, if you are part of that extended family or even if families in general are a good thing? You would have had few doubts by the conclusion of the 2012 Joseph Wharton Awards Dinner, hosted at the Essex House in Manhattan.
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here were the honorees themselves, three of whom joined and helped lead their family’s enterprises to unprecedented new heights:
Brian L. Roberts, W’81, Chairman and CEO of Comcast Corporation, received the 2012 Joseph Wharton Award for Leadership. He joined his father — Ralph J. Roberts, W’41, Hon’05 — fresh out of Wharton, sales at the firm are now over 3,000 times greater today!
Leonard A. Lauder, W’54, Chairman Emeritus of the Estée Lauder Companies, received the 2012 Joseph Wharton Award for Lifetime Achievement. He similarly joined his parents’ fledgling company after graduating from Wharton, and leaving the Navy. Ivanka Trump, W’04, Executive Vice President of Development and Acquisitions of The Trump Organization, received the 2012 Joseph Wharton Award for Young Leadership. She grew up learning from the one and only Donald J. Trump, W’68, and the story of her impact is still in the early chapters, but so far, she’s exceeding everyone’s expectations.
David B. Nash, WG’86, Dean of the Jefferson School of Population Health, received the 2012 Joseph Wharton Award for Social Impact. His story is shared below. We were honored to have the heads of the extended family present. University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann opened the evening, giving credit to the generosity of the Penn alumni family, exemplified by the evening’s four honorees that “have taken their Wharton education and made the world a better place.” David Cohen, L’81, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and Executive Vice President of Comcast Corporation also commended the honorees. “Tonight we gather to celebrate the accomplishments of four remarkable alumni. “David Nash has had an extraordinary impact on the world through his role at Thomas Jefferson University. Ivanka, as Amy Gutmann said, it is absolutely remarkable what you have accomplished, and we can’t wait for the next 24 acts as you go through your life. On a more personal level, Leonard has been an inspiration to so many people at Penn. He’s been a thought leader for what the University should stand for and incredibly generous philanthropically. I won’t easily forget when I was named the Chairman of the Trustees, I came up and you gave me two hours in your office instead of
(Top) Dr. Amy Gutmann, President and Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, speaking to alumni at the Joseph Wharton Dinner. (Middle) Mehmet Oz, WG’86, Linda E. Johnson, WG’86, Leonard A. Lauder, W’54, Wharton Dean Tom Robertson. (Lower) Ivanka Trump, W’04, with her husband, Jared Kushner
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WHARTON CLUB OF NEW YORK | AUTUMN 2012 | WWW.WHARTONNY.COM
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not dead!” Al was the 2008 recipient of the Joseph Wharton Lifetime Leadership Award, as well as former Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees. Jon Huntsman, W’59, H’96, sent a birthday card to Al, which partially read, “What a grand event to be celebrating your 277th birthday, which coincides with the founding of the University of Pennsylvania.… I must say that you are the finest friend a man could have, and I can think of few people who have such a fine sense of ethics, great integrity and complete honesty.… I must admit, however, that you married considerably up when Sally came into your life. She’s done a fabulous job in teaching you how to dress and how to conform to Wall Street standards, at least those that were in effect 40 years ago, when you ran the neighborhood. … … I particularly appreciate your last trip to the South Fork River, when I caught a five-pound rainbow trout, and you caught a sixinch whitefish [to which Al Shoemaker called out, “It’s a lie!”]. I can hardly wait for you to return to Idaho so we can fly-fish again. Know always that I love you, Al. You are truly the finest friend I’ve ever known.” After that, everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to Al. Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.” David Nash, MD, WG’86, recipient of this year’s Joseph Wharton Award for Social Impact, explained how he reached when he was only 17. “My story starts 40 years ago in 1972. I was a high school senior in Merrick, Long Island, and I was reading an interview with Dr. Samuel P. Martin III, about the future of the physician leader. Samuel was a founder of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the Wharton campus. My late father asked, ‘Why don’t you write to him?’ So, I got out my Smith Corona typewriter and wrote Sam a letter. He called me at my house. He had this deep voice and said, ‘Dave, get on a train. Come to see me.’ I had never been to Philadelphia, but off I go, to see Sam Martin. That began a 25-year-plus mentoring process. That’s my core Wharton connection. So, what does Wharton mean to me? Basically, almost everything!” Thus, stories were shared, and friendships made, and the Wharton family extended a little further at the 2012 edition of the annual Joseph Wharton Dinner. zxx
(L. to R.) Al Shoemaker, W’60, Hon’95, Elizabeth de Montrichard, C’86, Peter Lynch, WG’68 the thirty minute we had scheduled. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of a lifetime achievement award. I get to work with Brian Roberts everyday, and gotten to be his friend for twenty years. If there is anyone who exemplifies more the tradition of Joseph Wharton, of entrepreneurship, of thinking what can we do to make the world better than when we started, I just don’t know who that is.” Wharton Dean Tom Robertson spoke about multiple exciting new developments at Wharton including the School’s new Lifelong Learning curriculum, which offers technology tools for younger alumni, how to manage your firm’s external relations for senior alumni, and likely something for you! Dave Power, WG’59, as Honorary Chair conferred his blessing upon the gathering and nominated Club president Kenny Beck, WG’87, “for honorary chair of the University’s Alumni Association!” Club President Kenny Beck, WG’87, shared a story of how, when he was young, his family watched the Academy Awards every year, until the end of the credits, to see the name of its producer, Walter C. Miller. While his family had never met Miller, he was his mother’s second cousin. Kenny said, “I now watch Robert Wolf ’s, W’84 new show, Impact Players, because he went to Wharton; the Dr. Oz Show, because Mehmet Oz, WG’86, M’86, went to Wharton; and I watch The Apprentice, because they all went to Wharton! I realized that this is kind of like an extended family, that I feel just as proud to see these alumni do great things as I do seeing the accomplishments of my mother’s cousin. We help each other; we support each other; and we Take the Call.” Two of the school’s extended family were then recognized. First, W. P. Carey, W’53, who, before recently passing away, commissioned a set of portraits for the school, illustrating the life of Joseph Wharton, from 1846 to 1901. Mr. Carey, who has established business schools at Johns Hopkins University and Arizona State University, once said, “I owed everything I had in life to Wharton”. Next recognized was Al Shoemaker, W’60, Hon’95, who before Kenny could begin, called out from his table, “I’m 10
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Kenneth Beck, WG’87, Chief Executive Officer, CEO Connection, President, Wharton Club of New York Zoom out
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AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP
Brian Roberts, W’81, Chairman and CEO, Comcast Corporation
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elebrating its 50th birthday, Comcast serves over 50 million combined video, high-speed Internet and voice customers in the United States; has achieved a 17.9% compound return on investment since going public in 1972, and continues to grow. This interview with Brian Roberts, W’81, 2012 recipient of the Joseph Wharton Award for Leadership, focuses on the story behind the story, insights into leadership, and the core things that make both a company and a family, great. It’s rare for a family firm to grow so successfully. How did your relationship with your father support that growth? While Comcast is not really a family firm, a family feel
Brian Roberts, W’81
Joseph Wharton
Brian L. Roberts is Chairman and CEO of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology company, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of NBCUniversal. Under his leadership, Comcast has grown into a Fortune 50 company and is the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand as well as to businesses. The Company is the majority owner and manager of NBCUniversal, which operates 30 news and entertainment cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Additionally, Comcast has a majority ownership in ComcastSpectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team and the Wells Fargo Center, a large multipurpose arena in Philadelphia.
continued on page 13
(Top photo) Brian Roberts with Jay Fishman, W’74, WG’74, recipient of the 2011 Joseph Wharton Award for Leadership 11
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Was there training toward your becoming CEO? I just kind of hit the ground running. When I got out of Wharton undergrad as a finance major, it was the beginning of the roaring ‘80s, and I thought, “Great. Let’s work on some deals.” My father said, “Well, you can go work for Wall Street, but if you want to work for Comcast you need to learn the cable business. I started the company when I was 40. I couldn’t start on the ground floor, but you can.” And that is what I did. When I started at Comcast, I worked in almost every part of the cable operation, from climbing the poles, to selling door to door, to being a regional manager, to being Vice President of Operations. That foundation has served me very well. At the same time, there is really no training for the kind of growth that we have been fortunate enough to enjoy. When I started in 1981 — just to give you a sense of scale — Comcast had $20 million in revenues. In the last 12 months, we had close to $62 billion. There is no preparation for that level of growth and transformation. What were your first actions on assuming the president’s mantle at Comcast? Not much changed. In fact, I remember consciously trying to think about whether I should do something different. But you have to be who you are. In 1992, Ralph was the father figure of the company, and I was only 30 years old. I decided not to try to be the senior statesman when clearly I Brian Roberts, W’81, with his father, Ralph Roberts, W’41, recipient of the 2009 was not. Instead, I tried to continue to lead Joseph Wharton Award for Lifetime Achievement by participating and by being a doer. I was very hands-on and I had a great team around is very important to us. And a family culture has clearly me, and I still do. I think we have built an helped the company grow. executive team that is, in my opinion, one of the finest A lot of things have contributed to the success of group of individuals in corporate America. At all levels of Comcast. I cherish the relationship with my father [Ralph the company, we have tried to attract, nurture and develop Roberts, W’41], and I think it’s been a plus for Comcast, our people. I think that has been a key to our success over certainly for me, and for our employees. My dad has the last 30 years. always wanted me to succeed without hesitation. He made Growing up, what did you learn from your father? me President of Comcast when I was just 30 years old. He Ralph is a great listener. He has a wonderful way was 70 at the time. From the beginning, I wanted to move of never saying anything in a meeting. He just lets the fast and he allowed me to make mistakes - but he never person talk until they reach a decision. And finally Ralph called them mistakes. He always supported me, as he does says, “You’re absolutely right.” The person always leaves so many other people in the company. Over the last 20 the meeting thinking, “That was a great meeting, Ralph! years, I hope I’ve proved that I have the right skills to help You’ve helped make it so clear!” He has a marvelous way of this company grow. But that wouldn’t have been possible coaching and leading. But if he does want to do something without my dad’s full support. I’ve been so fortunate. radically different, he knows how to do it with a very soft
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continued from page 11 Brian is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Cable &Telecommunications Association (NCTA) where he served as Chairman for two consecutive terms from 2005 to 2007, and from 1995 to 1996 when the landmark deregulatory 1996 Telecommunications Act became law. He is Director Emeritus of CableLabs, the research and development consortium for the cable industry where he served three terms as Chairman. Brian is a member of the Business Roundtable, a CEO only organization based in Washington, D.C., and also serves on the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. Brian has won numerous business and industry honors for his leadership. In 2011, he received the Ambassador for Humanity Award from the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for his visionary leadership and philanthropic work in education and technology. He also received the Fred Dressler Achievement Award from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University for his consistent and unique contributions to the public’s understanding of the media.
Brian Roberts, W’81
touch that makes you feel like you’ve been guided by someone who respects you…yet is telling you to do something different. He’s not an “I guy.” He is a natural at being the nicest leader you ever met. All that being said, Barry Diller once remarked, “Ralph Roberts may be the toughest businessman I’ve ever run into.” That is the great thing about my dad. He is the quietest guy, but he found a way to build a successful company in a very tough industry and still have almost everyone admire and like him. How did he reconcile the two? Ralph picks his moment. There are some people who go into any situation, and they are the first person to talk and the last person to talk. My father has an innate sense for knowing when to participate. I’ll give an example. Several years back there was a cable company in Timonium, Maryland we were interested in buying. However, the Timonium company was in advanced talks to sell to another company. When Ralph heard the news he got into a car and drove straight down to Maryland. He interrupted their board meeting, took the owner aside, and got him to agree to sell his company to us for about the same price. Inside the company, it became known as “Timonium Mode.” And when Ralph gets in Timonium Mode, look out! There’s nothing that’s going to stop him.
Also in 2011, he and his father, Ralph J. Roberts, were inducted into Babson College’s Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame. In 2009, Institutional Investor magazine named him as one of America’s top CEOs for the sixth year in a row, and named Comcast one of America’s most shareholder-friendly companies for the fourth year in a row. In 2008, he was recognized by Big Brothers Big Sisters for his outstanding leadership in the community and for serving as a role model to youth. In May 2007, he was presented with the cable industry’s highest honor, the Vanguard Award for Distinguished Leadership from the NCTA. In October of 2006, he was inducted into the Cable Television Hall of Fame. In 2005, he was honored by the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) for his commitment to diversity in the cable industry, and by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA) for Comcast’s un-
Brian Roberts sharing stories at the Joseph Wharton Awards Dinner
continued on page 14 13
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Brian Roberts, W’81
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continued from page 13 Like all folklore legends, Ralph’s tough business edge has had great value as we have built the company. It allows us to get things done. Run through any barrier. Not take “no” for an answer. And when you try to figure out why Comcast is still standing versus many companies that aren’t, I think much of it comes down to that can-do attitude, which is done in such a way that everyone loves him. I only get the nicest compliments from people about my father. He has always been our secret weapon. How did Comcast begin to transition from a family firm toward what it is today? As Comcast got bigger, my dad loved it when stock analysts called us the “Little Blue Chip.” He looked at IBM as a role model company, and thought, “How can we structure ourselves to be more professionally managed into the future?” I see us as a company with a $100 billion market cap, not just as a family business. We have huge public shareholders so I actually think we have the best of both worlds. A professionally managed company, with a culture that has a family feel. If we can keep that special feeling going for the employees of the future, then I think we will be successful. How does Comcast approach technology? As a company, our position is that wherever the consumer wants to go -our company is there. We are more of a technology company than anything else and with the NBCUniversal acquisition we are uniquely positioned at the cross-section of media and technology. We have the best content, and some of the most cutting-edge technologies. We call our cable services, Xfinity, “the future of awesome,” and that embodies the whole attitude of the company. I think we have the best products in the business, and we’re trying to innovate every day faster and faster. What would you like to say to Wharton alumni considering a career in media? It’s an exciting time, and there is only more excitement ahead. Technology is revolutionizing the world in so many ways. At Comcast, you are touching products that matter most to people: television, Internet, phone, news, movies, information and entertainment. This is a great place for young alumni. Come to Comcast! You’re receiving the Joseph Wharton Award for Leadership. Can you speak to that? It is more important for me to think about Comcast’s leadership, not my leadership. For Comcast, we want to reimagine the entire television and communication experience. Television will change in the next five years, and Internet speeds will continue to increase. The capability to produce content — whether by professionals or by individuals — will shape what we do with our time. If our company — taking that uniqueness of content and distribution — does it right, we should be able to help lead many industries. I think we are very well positioned to lead the change that is coming through all the new technologies. I am honored to follow my Dad’s receiving the 2009 Joseph Wharton Award for Lifetime Achievement. zxx
precedented commitment of resources to champion the PDFA’s drug-free message. He also was the recipient of the 2004 Humanitarian Award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center. In 2003, Brian was awarded the Steven J. Ross Humanitarian Award by the UJA Federation of New York. In 2002, he was honored by the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia for his commitment to youth programs and community partnerships. Brian co-chaired the 2003 Resource Development Campaign for the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania and was a founding co-chair of Philadelphia 2000, the nonpartisan host committee for the 2000 Republican National Convention. An All-American in squash, he earned a gold medal with the U.S. squash team in 2005 and silver medals at the 1981, 1985, 1997 and 2009 Maccabiah Games in Israel. Brian, 53, received his B.S. from the Wharton School of Finance of the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Aileen, live in Philadelphia with their three children. zxx
Brian Roberts, W’81
14
– Kent Trabing
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AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Leonard A. Lauder, W’54 Emeritus, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
A 1954 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Mr. Lauder also studied at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business and served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He formally joined Estée Lauder in 1958 when it had annual sales of $800,000. Mr. Lauder consistently developed and implemented innovative sales and marketing programs and increased the Company’s sales and profits. He created its first research and development laboratory and brought in professional management at every level. He also initiated The Estée Lauder Companies’ international expansion, which began in 1960 with the opening of the Estée Lauder account at Harrods in London.
Leonard Lauder is larger than life. He continues to serve, chair, and contribute his thoughtful discourse to, multiple trademark organizations throughout America. He gives, and gives again, because he believes in it. He has led a lifetime of achievement. His interview is compelling, and his speech at the Joseph Wharton Awards Dinner drew a standing ovation from his peers. What did you learn from your mother and father that helped you? Quality of products wins the day. When faced with competition, fight! Be gracious to people, and always say, “Thank you.” Has family ownership and management been a competitive advantage for Estée Lauder to grow and endure? It’s been a competitive advantage for us. We could invest money in launching new brands and never have to worry about Wall Street. It helped us enormously. We would never have been able to launch Clinique, which is a huge business today, if we had been a public company. After you became CEO of the firm in the 1980s and 1990s, what did you not delegate? What meetings did you feel you had to attend? I did not delegate the final decision regarding the hiring of key executives. Anything that had to do with the long-term strategy of the company. What were your strengths as you grew the firm? Did you recognize them as such? Picking great people, and recognizing them as such, because it takes great people to run a great company. How would you build your brands differently today? I have very few regrets about what I did. It seems that you (and other leaders like Ralph Roberts, J. D. Power, Peter Lynch and Jay Fishman) have reconciled an intense focus on the one hand, with humility and generosity on the other. How do you do that? This is tough. You can’t have either intense focus or humility or generosity, if it is not inside of you. You can’t fake
Leonard A. Lauder, W’54
Joseph Wharton
Leonard A. Lauder, W’54, is Chairman Emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and is currently the senior member of its Board of Directors. Founded in 1946, the Company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products, with annual sales of $9.7 billion. Its products are sold in over 150 countries and territories across more than 25 well-recognized brand names.
continued on page 17
Leonard A. Lauder, W’54
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it. It is one thing you’ve got to have. If you don’t have it, try something else, or try another business. What compels you to give so much? So many people gave me so much to help me to get started. And this nation has been good to me, so my responsibility is to give back. Has the Lauder Institute at Wharton turned out the way you imagined it would? Yes. It sets a standard for all of the business schools in the nation, if not the world, to follow. I don’t like competition, but on the other hand, I love the fact that we have created a new educational model. In the final words of your acceptance speech at the Joseph Wharton Dinner, you challenged us to be not only great business people and alumni, but also great
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Americans. Can you speak more to that? Do not embrace any one political party as being right in all cases. Embrace the idea that we are all Americans. In some cases, we need to pay taxes to keep the nation strong. In other cases, we have to be socially sympathetic. In some cases, we need to all buckle up and tighten our belts to get through. I lived through World War II — I was a little kid, but then, the nation was one. The nation today is not one, and today it is not being unified together. That is a danger. What makes you proud of The Estée Lauder Companies? We built a great business with great people, with a great reputation. And we are all very proud to be here. To be part of Estée Lauder and American.
“The Whartons, the Dietrichs, the Steinbrenners, the Logans, the Huntsmans — they put the money in so they could give us an education. So, it becomes our responsibility if you have the money, to put the money in, so that future generations of this great nation can be well-educated. I’m proud to be a graduate of Wharton, a graduate of Penn, but more than anything, proud to be an American.”
Leonard Lauder, exhorting alumni at the 2012 Joseph Wharton Dinner. 16
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Mr. Lauder served as President of The Estée Lauder Companies from 1972 to 1995 and as Chief Executive Officer from 1982 to 1999. He added the title of Chairman in 1995 and served in that role through June 2009. Under his leadership, the Company launched many brands, including Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series Skin Care for Men and Origins. Beginning in the mid-1990s, the company also began expanding through acquisitions, including Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Jo Malone, La Mer and M•A•C.
Leonard Lauder, W’54, receiving his award from Peter Lynch, WG’68, 2011 recipient of the Joseph Wharton Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Mr. Lauder has maintained a strong connection with the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School. He is a long-term Trustee of the University and currently holds the position of Emeritus Trustee. He and his brother, Ronald (W’65), founded the Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management and International Studies in 1983. Both have served as members of the Lauder Institute’s Board of Governors since its founding. In 1996, Mr. Lauder received the University’s Alumni Award of Merit.
Here is an excerpt from Leonard Lauder’s speech at the Joseph Wharton Dinner, following his introduction by Peter Lynch, WG’68 , Vice Chairman of Fidelity Management Research Company. When I went to Wharton, I took a course in salesmanship. They taught me to never give someone the opportunity to say “no.” Fast forward to 1995, as part of our IPO, as part of our road show, there’s something called a “one–on-one.” Guess who had to do the one-on-one with Fidelity Fund? They could eat you for breakfast, lunch and dinner and spit you out. I was terrified. As luck would have it, the Fidelity person was a Wharton graduate. Talking about the Penn family, we have a great Penn family — my sons William Lauder, W’83, and Gary Lauder, W’84; my brother Ronald Lauder, Class of ‘65; and my granddaughter is at Wharton now, Class of ‘13. When I was at Wharton, there were some subjects I didn’t understand. But the school taught me how to think, how to do things right and, most important, how to do the right thing. I came out of there with self-confidence that I knew how to do things. After a three-year stint in the U.S. Navy, I arrived at Estée Lauder, a tiny company. And, Brian, you shared an office with your father — I shared an office with my mother. There’s a difference! My grandmother was Hungarian, and my mother learned one Hungarian word from her. When I would have meetings with a client, she would sit there at her desk with a big smile on her face and say to me, “Legyen nyugodt!” — “Be quiet!” But I want to say one word not about Wharton but about our responsibility. Remember this. Our education was largely paid for not by our parents or grandparents, but largely by people who didn’t know us at all! The Whartons, the Dietrichs, the Steinbrenners, the Logans, the Huntsmans — they put the money in so they could give us an education. So, it becomes our responsibility if you have the money, to put the money in, so that future generations of this great nation can be well-educated. I’m proud to be a graduate of Wharton, a graduate of Penn, but more than anything, proud to be an American. Let’s make this a great nation. Let’s educate the next generation and generations to come. Thank you for this great honor! zxx – Kent Trabing
Brian Roberts, W’81
continued from page 15
On the 20th anniversary of the Lauder Institute’s first graduating class, in 2006, Mr. Lauder delivered the commencement address at the MBA graduation and was honored with the Dean’s Medal in recognition of his commitment to global business In addition, Mr. Lauder is extremely involved in the worlds of art, politics and philanthropy. He became a Trustee of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City in 1977 and currently serves as its Chairman Emeritus. He is also Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Trustee of the Aspen Institute, Chairman of the Aspen Institute International Committee, and a member of the President’s Council of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital. Mr. Lauder served on the Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiations under President Ronald Reagan. Included among his honors, he was presented with the National Order of Merit by the French government, named an Officier de la Légion d’Honneur by France and recognized by the United States Navy Supply Corps Foundation with its Distinguished Alumni Award. Most recently, the Lauder family received the esteemed 2011 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in recognition of their long-standing commitment to philanthropy and public service. Mr. Lauder has two sons, William, Executive Chairman of The Estée Lauder Companies, and Gary, Managing Director of Lauder Partners, LLC, and five grandchildren. zxx
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David B. Nash, WG’86
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David Nash was named the Founding Dean of the Jefferson School of Population Health ( JSPH) in 2008. This appointment caps a 22-year tenure on the faculty of Thomas Jefferson University. He is also the Dr. Raymond C. and Doris N. Grandon Professor of Health Policy. JSPH provides innovative educational programming designed to develop healthcare leaders for the future. Dr. Nash is a board-certified internist who is internationally recognized for his work in outcomes management, medical staff development and quality-of-care improvement. In 1995, he received the top recognition award from the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy. He received the Philadelphia Business Journal Healthcare Heroes Award in October 1997, and was named an honorary distinguished fellow of the American College of Physician Executives in 1998. In 2006, he received the Elliot Stone Award for leadership in public accountability for health data from the National Association of Health Data Organizations. In 2009, Dr. Nash received the Wharton Healthcare Alumni Achievement Award.
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Joseph Wharton AWARD FOR SOCIAL IMPACT
Repeatedly named to Modern Healthcare’s list of Most Powerful People in Healthcare, Dr. Nash takes on national activities covering a wide scope. He served as Chair of a National Quality Forum Technical Advisory Panel and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Care Continuum Alliance (formerly DMAA). Dr. Nash is a principal faculty member for quality-of-care programming for the American College of Physician Executives in Tampa, Florida, and is the developer of the ACPE Capstone Course on Quality. He also leads the academic joint venture between ACPE and the JSPH.
David B. Nash, WG’86
Founding Dean of the Jefferson School of Population Health (JSPH) David B. Nash, WG’86, M.D. is vibrant. He is thrilled to receive the 2012 Joseph Wharton Award for Social Impact. He is enthusiastic about his life’s work of teaching, and founding the Jefferson School of Population Health in Philadelphia. He is rejuvenated by his family (Esther, Jacob, Rachel and Leah — “We’re half of the Old Testament!”). He invigorates others to care about improving the nation’s health. David is one of the lucky ones who has figured out how to grab life by the horns and take it for a ride. And he does consider himself lucky. Since leaving Wharton, he has campaigned for, as much as taught that we must improve public accountability for the outcomes of medical care, we must measure quality and safety, and we must sound the alert that medical error is epidemic in our country. He can feel vindicated because, “These issues were not at all popular in 1986. Today, these are front-page news. How many people can say that their work interests directly coincide with the principal domestic agenda of the country?” I asked him to explain his passion in layman’s terms.
Dr. Nash is a consultant to organizations in both the public and private sectors. He has chaired the Technical Advisory Group of the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council for more than a decade, and he is widely recognized as a pioneer in the public reporting of health outcomes. In December 2009, he was named to the Board of Directors for Humana, one of the nation’s largest publicly traded healthcare companies. In March 2011, he joined the Board of Directors of Endo
continued on page 20 18
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What is population health science, and why is this new distinction important? “Population health” is a term coined 35 years ago to encompass the spectrum of determinants that have an impact on health. The “laying on of hands” (active medical care) accounts for only 15% of a society’s well-being. The other 85% is all about caring for the population in other ways — recognizing that education, genomics and people taking more responsibility greatly affect health outcomes of the population. For example, alcoholism, smoking and obesity are central to 40% of all deaths in this country. Population health would say that traditional doctor care, one individual at a time, cannot fix this problem. We need a different approach. We need to teach healthy lifestyle behaviors. We need a patient-centered medical home. We need economic incentives (for doctors and patients) designed to promote health and keep people well. And we need all kinds of things under the umbrella of what we call “population health.” Population health argues that we need a new approach to what looks like a medical problem, but is really indicative of complex social problems in the population. Our tax dollars go to Medicare to pay for bariatric surgery for the morbidly obese when we know that a $.02 tax on sugar-sweetened beverages will dramatically decrease adolescent obesity. So that’s a great microcosmic example of what drives our healthcare costs. We create rules to pay for bariatric surgery, hospitals then build bariatric units, and surgeons get rich, when what we really need is a societal attack on obesity on all fronts. Then the things that induce people to smoke or abuse alcohol, which result in expensive treatments for liver, cardiovascular or cancer problems, depression, and more … Very similar! Population health says that, by addressing these kinds of social problems, we can improve people’s health and dramatically drive down healthcare costs. Thomas Jefferson University was founded in Philadelphia in 1824 as Jefferson Medical College. You are the founding Dean of the Jefferson School of Population Health ( JSPH), established in 2008. Why was this school created? We must create leaders who can address the issues central to reforming the healthcare system. Our graduates are armed with tools and techniques, such as performance improvement strategies, lean thinking, systems analysis and change management. JSPH provides innovative education through four master’s degrees. Public health is a traditional program, and then three programs are exclusively online master’s degrees Health Policy, Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Quality & Safety, — the last two being unique in this country. You chaired the Technical Advisory Group (statewide experts) to the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council for more than a decade and
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continue to do so. What are three practical ways to save costs? The cornerstone of what we call Health Care Cost Containment Council (HC4) is to drive market share, based on outcomes, and promote public accountability. It’s the philosophy that better information will drive patients to institutions that produce better outcomes. It doesn’t actually drive down costs, but it has accomplished critical results that add value to the system. It has reduced mortality, reduced hospital-acquired infections, reduced waste and, at the end of the day, saved thousands of lives! So our advisory group gives HC4 insight on what kinds of information the public needs to make better purchase decisions. Can you give some examples? Sure. We (HC4) pioneered the public reporting of outcomes for open-heart surgery in 1991. We pioneered the public reporting of outcomes for heart attacks. We pioneered the recognition that you can get an infection in a hospital in a famous report published in late 2006. What is an important metric in healthcare that Americans should pay attention to? The United States spends $8,000 per person per year, including children, on healthcare. Do you believe we are
Dr. Nash with NBA Hall of Fame member Bob Lanier at one of the NBA’s Dribble to Stop Diabetes events. 19
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David B. Nash, WG’86
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continued from page 18 Health Solutions, a publicly traded pharmaceutical company headquartered in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. From 1998 to 2008, he served on the Board of Trustees of Catholic Health Partners in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he chaired the Board Committee on Quality and Safety. Through publications, public appearances, his blog and an online column on MedPage Today, Dr. Nash reaches more than 100,000 people every month. He has authored more than 100 articles in major journals. He has edited 22 books, including Connecting With the New Healthcare Consumer, The Quality Solution, Population Health: Creating a Culture of Wellness, Demand Better! and, most recently, Health Care Quality: The Clinician’s Primer.
David Nash, MD, with his wife Esther J. Nash, MD, at the Joseph Wharton Awards Dinner getting $8,000 worth of healthcare per person each year? We are bankrupting Medicare. If we don’t make major changes, as called for in the Institute of Medicine report this past week, and reduce waste, then we are headed over the fiscal cliff with healthcare. How do you get things done? I go to sleep early and get up early. I take good care of myself, which is important in the fast-paced world. I eat right. I don’t smoke and hardly drink. It sounds corny, but it’s really important. If everyone took care of themselves, it would be wonderful. Then, I have a wonderful supportive family. I’ve been happily married to another doctor for 32 years. And great co-workers. I’ve been very lucky having been at Thomas Jefferson University for 22 years with the same executive assistant from the day I walked in the door. And wonderful colleagues at my school, who are incredibly helpful and part of the team. Some people think that I’ve created this school by myself, but that’s clearly not the case. Currently, you serve as Editor-in-Chief of five major national journals, including American Journal of Medical Quality, Population Health Management, and Biotechnology Healthcare. You also speak and blog. Is there one driving message you hope to communicate? The message is all about creating a new kind of leader for the future. The most important job that leaders have is to create leaders for the future. If I have a legacy, I hope it will be all the students whom I have taught. What do you like to read? Historical biographies of leaders throughout history who confront their own challenges and how they persevered. I like reading about Thomas Jefferson (of course), Lincoln, FDR, John Glenn, a few select World War II admirals and Churchill. Recently, I visited the Morgan Library in New York. They had some of Churchill’s early work, including a report card that said he would never amount to anything. What did you learn at Wharton that sticks with you? “Process, process, process.” That was one of the favorite expressions of Samuel P. Martin, the head of the Clinical Scholars program and a powerful person at the school. He taught that paying attention to the process often leads to a good outcome. zxx
Dr. Nash received his BA in economics (Phi Beta Kappa) from Vassar College; his MD from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry; and his MBA in Health Administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, he was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar and Medical Director of a nine-physician faculty group practice in general internal medicine. Dr. Nash lives in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania, with his wife of more than 30 years, Esther J. Nash, MD. They have 25-year-old fraternal-twin daughters and a 21-year-old son. He is an avid tennis player. Visit http://Jefferson.edu/population_health/ and his blog at http:// nashhealthpolicy.blogspot.com. zxx
(Photo by Ted Grudzinski)
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– Kent Trabing
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The Three Requirements for Consulting Success
T
o be successful as a consultant, you must be different; you must be strong; and you must be committed. The consulting field is growing faster than ever, driven by the information revolution, baby boomers moving out of corporate roles and the struggling economy. Some consultants will join larger consulting firms as experienced hires, while others will make a go of it on their own. In either case, these requirements apply.
Be Different
To start, you must be able to answer two questions that get at core positioning: 1. 2.
What do you do?
How is that different from others doing the same thing?
Get this right before you do anything else, or you’ll be competing for consulting work on price. Consulting is all about solving someone’s problem. First prize is solving a problem that no one else can solve — an unmet need. If you can’t George Bradt, WG’85 do that, solve a problem in a way that no else can — a new way of meeting needs. For example, PrimeGenesis focuses exclusively on executive onboarding — helping new leaders and their teams get done in 100 days what would normally take 6-12 months. We’ve been doing this and just this for a decade. It’s a big problem and we’re the only ones exclusively focused on it. We are different.
Be Strong
Teams with tactical capacity — the ability to work under changing conditions and translate strategies into actions — beat individuals every time. Get a partner or ally, so you can be better together and avoid the consultant roller coaster. For example, we opened PrimeGenesis with five partners. Now, we have 12 partners around the globe and strong alliances in China and India. We’ve worked hard to have partners with complementary strengths. Eight of us are former CEOs, Presidents or Managing Directors across industries. Four are organizational development experts. We are strong.
Be Committed
Consultants must be committed to customer satisfaction, continuous improvement and business development: •
Customer satisfaction — It’s why you exist. If your clients don’t get value, you don’t have a business.
•
Business development — The No. 1 job of a company is to create a customer. If you don’t love selling, really love selling, go do something else.
•
Continuous improvement — If you’re not getting better, you’re getting relatively worse.
For example, PrimeGenesis does all of these things. In particular, I personally spend the first hour of every day on social media — responding to requests, commenting on others’ articles, and writing and sharing my own articles on Forbes.com, LinkedIn, Twitter and the like. We are committed. All in, we at PrimeGenesis are 10 years into this consulting stuff. We’re still around because of three things: 1) We solve an important, previously unsolved problem and make a big impact; 2) we’ve built a strong team, perfectly suited to the task; and 3) we work harder than anyone else to deliver to our clients, get better every day, and create new customers. The bottom line: Want to try consulting? Be different, be strong and be committed …or be something else. George Bradt, WG’85, Managing Director, PrimeGenesis Executive Onboarding 21
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WHARTON CLUB of NEW YORK
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Your acceptance to the Wharton School was a milestone in your education and your career, and the benefits didn’t stop when you graduated. Because you live in the New York area, you automatically belong to the Wharton Club of New York, giving you access to a family of more than 30,000 alumni in the area. The Wharton Club of New York organized 120 club events in the last year - business events, career events, social events. Each one is an opportunity to build relationships, and meet other successful Wharton alumni and support the largest, most vibrant Wharton alumni community in the world! You belong to the club, and the club belongs to you! We want you to be a bigger part of the Wharton Club of New York. You can become a contributing member for as little as $95 per year, helping yourself while you help the WCNY to better serve you and other alumni.
YES, I want to be a Contributing Member of the Wharton Club of New York, giving me benefits including: y More access to your fellow alumni y Eligibility for leadership positions
y 1/2 price on most WCNY events y Special, members-only discounts on special services, and health insurance.
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Benefactor Level - $3,500/year – includes membership in the Penn Club
Please go go to to http://www.whartonny.com/memsub.html http://www.whartonny.com/memsub.html or or complete Please complete and and mail mail to: to: WhartonBusiness BusinessSchool SchoolClub Clubof ofNew NewYork, York, 1560 1560 Broadway, Wharton Broadway,Suite# Suite#1011, 1011,New NewYork, York,NY NY10036 10036 Questions? Contact Gabriela Sanchez at gsanchez@whartonny.com Questions? Contact Gabriela Sanchez at gsanchez@whartonny.com 22
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Take the Call! The Wharton alumni community is one of the most exclusive and powerful networks in the world. One key element of our success is the willingness of alumni to help other alumni. Take the Call is a simple concept: Wharton alumni should buy from, hire and help Wharton alumni. And if Wharton alum calls us for any reason, we Take the Call. The Take the Call Forum allows you to reach the Wharton alumni community directly. Just post your message at www.whartonny.com/forum.html, and it will be promoted to the 30,000 alumni in the New York metro area. Find opportunities offered by your fellow Wharton alumni. Help alumni get answers. Gain ideas and useful information. Excerpts from the latest Take the Call Forum–
CEO Position at Innovative Startup Company (NYC)
Seeking Chief Technology OfficerHealthcare Start-Up
A well-funded startup transforming the business card into a powerful marketing and networking tool. We combine a unique, physical business card with the online world. The team is looking for an experienced marketing professional who can manage operations and grow the business into a successful organization. Please email your CV to Yaron Eitan, WG’84, yeitan@selwaycapital.com.
We are a start-up employer wellness company in NYC and are looking for a CTO to build and lead the company’s technology development. Please send letter/resume to Bill McKeever,
WG’80, wsmckeever@gmail.com.
Opportunity: Part Time Flexible Project Work
Bottom Line Concepts – Incisive Analyses Deliver Big Savings
CEO Connection is expanding its ability to recruit members. Specifically, we are looking for a couple of Membership Co-Chairs to make phone calls to CEOs to encourage them to join CEO Connection. Essentially this is an independent, flexible, commission-based selling role, perfect for an independent consultant or a stay-at-home mom or dad who wants to work 4-6 hours a day. If you can “take this call” or if you know someone who can, go to the Take the Call Forum or visit www.ceoconnection.com.
Bottom Line Concepts utilizes proprietary methodologies to identify significant savings in fifteen key cost categories common to nearly all businesses and non-profit organizations. - For more information, contact Richard Meli, WG’71, rmeli@blcostsavings.com Digital Media Internship
WCNY Part-time paid position: Leads Councils Coordinator
The Wharton Club of New York (WCNY) leads councils are non competitive groups of Wharton alumni who exchange business leads. This part-time paid staff person will be responsible for: Managing, developing, and expanding the WCNY Leads Council program to provide value to members and recurring dues for the club. Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume indicating interest in this position to rjaslow@alumni.upenn.edu. Need to Interview Political Candidates
I founded a startup company that aims to build the best online voting guide – We released an Ohio-only beta for the last election and had 30,000 Ohioans use it in a month. We’re raising money and would like to talk with people who have run for office in the past, or have been involved at a senior level in running campaigns. Would be grateful for any introductions. Daniel McLean, WG’09, dmclean93@gmail.com.
Wainscot Media is a regional publisher with offices in northern New Jersey and New York City. Our magazine brands in the metro New York area include New York Spaces and the Health & Life family of regional lifestyle magazines. We also publish custom and sponsored media in other cities throughout the U.S., serving the fashion, jewelry and other industries. Wainscot is entrepreneurial and focused on growth, offering a great career environment for creative people. — Nigel Edelshain, WG’93, nigel.edelshain@ wainscotmedia.com Support Creative Photography Project on Kickstarter
I’m creating and producing a travel photography book with my close friend and photographer in Asia. We’ve launched our project on the innovative crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. Please take a moment to visit our project page! We would appreciate any support either by contributions or promotion! Lisa Brignoni, W’05, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1758292981/the-lifeof-the-festival, www.globallymisguided.com 23
WHARTON CLUB OF NEW YORK | AUTUMN 2012 | WWW.WHARTONNY.COM
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The Wharton Business School Club of New York 1560 Broadway, Suite #1011 New York, NY 10036 • USA
WCNY–CALENDAR Check website for details! Whartonny.com/events.html
WHARTON ALUMNI RELATIONS ‘Wharton Webinar - Why Good People Can’t Get Jobs Thursday, December 13, 2012 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Faculty webinar offered to our Wharton alumni community. Led by Professor Peter Capelli. Registration will be open EXCLUSIVELY to members of the Wharton Global Clubs Network. OBAMACARE – A REALITY What Does It Mean For You In The State of NJ – Your Care, Your Job? Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 6:00pm The Wharton Health Care Management Alumni Association and the Wharton Club of New Jersey host an Expert Panel Discussion at Cegedim Relationship Management, 1425, route 206 south in Bedminster, NJ.
PRESIDENT’S FORUM
Ian Schrager: Icon, Entrepreneur, Hotelier
Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 6:00pm Please join the President’s Forum in welcoming Ian Schrager: Icon, Entrepreneur and Hotelier for a discussion on how he has transformed the entertainment, residential, and hotel industries over the past forty years. WHARTON CAREER SPEAKERS SERIES Starting and Sustaining a Successful Consulting or Sole Practitioner Business February 28, 2013, see website for time. Carl E. Rosen of Shelter Rock International, LLC, will host a panel of successful consultants on how to become one.
FRIDAY MORNING New Business Leads Council Friday, Dec 21st, 2012 at 8:00am Blyth Industries Boardroom, One East Weaver Street, Greenwich, CT Expand your selling and business development network, advise and help other non-competing Wharton alumni grow their businesses Grow with Wharton Alumni as your extended sales force.
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