Volume 5 - Issue 4

April 2006

A message from Steven Oliveira, Associate Dean Dear Wharton Alumni: With Wharton's 125th anniversary celebrations well underway, we have been meeting with alumni from across the globe. But the annual event that so many of our alumni look forward to - Wharton Reunion Weekend - is just around the corner. Wharton will welcome back an unprecedented number of alumni to the 2006 Reunion Weekend. In fact, Reunion Weekend has been extended and will be held Thursday, May 11 through Sunday, May 14. Based on valuable input from our alumni, this weekend of festivities will feature programming for every interest – from family-friendly outings such as a Mural Arts Tour, to professional development workshops and networking events across the campus. And this year, we'll be bringing back all MBA for Executive (formerly WEMBA) graduates for the past 30 years. This year, Reunion Weekend will feature the following groups: Classes of 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 All MBA Exec Reunion Emeritus Society Reunion (1936-1955) For alumni traveling from out of town, headquarter hotels have been assigned for each reunion class, to maximize interaction with classmates. Alumni may choose to reserve a room at any hotel, but it is our hope to establish a "home base" for each class. Because Penn Alumni Weekend and Graduation will be held on the same weekend, we strongly encourage you to book rooms early. Events begin on Thursday evening with a Welcome Reception to kick-off Reunion Weekend. The event will be held at the Koo Plaza at Huntsman Hall, and will be co-sponsored with the Wharton Club of Philadelphia. This event is open to the entire Wharton community. For those in attendance on Friday morning, your first stop should be Registration and the Wharton Expo, to be held in Hoover Lounge (Vance Hall). Here, you'll have access to representatives from Knowledge@Wharton, Wharton School Publishing, Executive Education, the Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management and International Studies, Career Services, and a host of other resources. On Friday evening, Wharton will host an All Alumni Reunion Class Mixer at the World Café Live. Saturday's events will include Jeremy Siegel, Russell E. Palmer Professor of Finance, and one of the world's top investing experts, speaking on "The Future for Investors". In addition, world-renowned Wharton faculty including Michael Useem, Peter Fader, David Reibstein, and others will present on key topics within their fields of leadership, media and entertainment, and marketing. An All Alumni brunch will be held on Sunday morning, followed by the Undergraduate Alumni Procession in its first year and the MBA Alumni Procession now in its third year. The processional is a marvelous tradition-in-the-making in which Wharton alumni don academic regalia and march from Houston hall to Franklin Field to greet the class of 2006, and to welcome them into the distinguished rankings of Wharton alumni. For additional information, please contact Alumni Affairs at 215-898-8478 or via email at reunion@wharton.upenn.edu. For more information on Reunion '06 events, visit Wharton's web site at http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/alumni/reunion/2006/. Also, be sure to visit the Wharton Alumni Virtual Experience (WAVE) to ensure that your personal information is up to date. Alumni Reunion Weekend promises to be an event filled with excitement and energy, through alumni parties, receptions, and dinners with fellow classmates, educational workshops, and more. As Wharton celebrates its 125th anniversary, there is no better time to rediscover and reconnect with classmates, friends, and faculty through this important Wharton tradition. We look forward to seeing you in May. Sincerely, Steven Oliveira .   .   .   .   .   . Tenth Annual Wharton Leadership Conference Leading with Resilience: Coming Back from Challenge and Adversity Members of the Penn community are invited to attend "Leading with Resilience - Coming Back from Challenge and Adversity," the Tenth Annual Wharton Leadership Conference, which will be held at the Wharton School on June 13, 2006. This intensive, one-day conference is devoted to exchanging ideas about how managers can lead with resilience and come back from challenge and adversity, whether in the private, public, or nonprofit sectors. Presenters draw upon their own experiences and those of others who have faced difficult decisions under demanding circumstances, and identify the capabilities that are required to lead a group or organization through an uncertain and challenging period. For more information on the conference, see: http://leadershipconference.wharton.upenn.edu .   .   .   .   .   . 125th Happenings First Collegiate Business School Marks Milestone with Worldwide Events In January 2006, Wharton began a 16-month celebration of its 125th anniversary - and the origin of collegiate business education in the world. Read more... Faculty Tour - Minneapolis George Day - May 1, 2006 Geoffrey T. Boisi Professor; Professor of Marketing Peripheral Vision: Detecting the Weak Signals That Can Make or Break Your Company George Day is a leading expert on competitive marketing strategies, especially for emerging and innovative technologies. He specializes in new product development, as well as strategic planning, surviving shake-outs and building market-driven organizations. Read more... The Minneapolis Club 729 Second Avenue Minneapolis, MN 12:00-2:00 P.M. Lunch will be served Faculty Tour - Seattle Olivia Mitchell - May 2, 2006 International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor; Professor of Insurance and Risk Management; Professor of Business and Public Policy The Future of Retirement Olivia Mitchell is one of the world's leading experts on retirement finance, including Social Security, pensions, and employee benefits. Named to the President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security in 2001, she has also been a consultant to the World Bank, the Federal Reserve Board and the governments of Mexico, Japan and Brazil. Read more... The Ritz-Carlton 1150 22nd Street NW Washington, DC 12:00-2:30 P.M. Lunch will be served .   .   .   .   .   . Inside Wharton Wharton Executive Education Launches New Program in China  New Partnership with China Minsheng Bank Will Lead Branch Managers Through Comprehensive Management Development Program The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has announced a new Executive Education program in China for China Minsheng Banking Corporation. The partnership was made official at a signing ceremony on March 21, 2006 in Beijing. China Minsheng Banking Corporation, the country's only privately-held bank, is expected to become one of the leading retail banks in China in the next few years. Read more... .   .   .   .   .   . Special Alumni Promotions Global Clubs Committee Discussion Board The Global Clubs Committee of the Alumni Association has recently launched an online web community. Alumni can now sign-in to post comments and suggestions about initiatives being undertaken by the Global Clubs Committee. Visit http://whartonglobal.webexone.com and post your thoughts and opinions on the Discussion Board. You may sign-on as a guest or become a member, but don't miss the opportunity to add your thoughts on creating a world class Global Alumni Network! Wharton School Publishing Get Ready for The Chinese Century Within 20 years, possibly far sooner, China will have the world's largest economy. That will powerfully impact you: your job, your company, your economic future, and your country. In The Chinese Century, discover why the U.S. is most vulnerable to China's ascent, learn how China's disregard for intellectual property creates sustainable competitive advantage, and understand how China's growth impacts every global business and consumer. Read more... WSP titles are available to Wharton alumni at a special 35% discount, which includes free shipping. If you register to become a member of Whartonsp.com, you get free access to audio summaries and author interviews, as well as a range of interesting and valuable member-only content. Click here to register and access benefits.  Wharton Executive Education: Upcoming Programs The CFO: Becoming a Strategic Partner: Apr. 30-May 5, 2006 Essentials of Management: May 14-19, 2006 Competitive Marketing Strategy: Jun. 5-9, 2006 Contact a Course Consultant for more information. .   .   .   .   .   . Knowledge@Wharton Published bi-weekly and available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese/Mandarin, K@W has nearly 500,000 subscribers in 189 countries. Prime Time No More: The Television Industry Struggles Against Digital Distribution Upstarts It's open season on the television industry's business model. In recent years, the three pillars of the industry's profits - advertising, regional programming and syndication deals - have come under fire from a band of technology companies, including Sling Media, TiVo, Orb Networks and Apple Computer, that are rewriting the content distribution rules. Read more... How Successful People Remain Successful When James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras wrote their hugely popular 1994 book, Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, they began by stating clearly that they did not mean to write about visionary leaders, product concepts or market insights. Their goal was to find visionary companies - the crown jewels of their industries - and discover what made them extraordinary. Read more... .   .   .   .   .   . Alumni in the News Rod Robinson, WG'95, was featured in an article about Accel Advisors, a consulting firm that works with major corporations to develop supplier diversity programs. Robinson founded the company to assist black-owned businesses. (Cincinnati Business Courier, 3/24/06) David Brailer, PhD'92, was featured in an article about his role in promoting the reform of health-care businesses in America. Brailer serves as the national coordinator of health care IT in the U.S. Health & Human Services Department. (San Francisco Chronicle, 3/24/06) Bob Bowman, WG'79, was featured in an article about MLB.com, a website available to viewers interested in watching major league games online. Bowman serves as CEO of the company. (Associated Press, 3/27/06) Kenneth Fink, W'04, was interviewed about his company Wondergy, a children's entertainment company. Wondergy will be on tour in India to present over 40 science shows. (Fox29 News, 3/29/06) See full list .   .   .   .   .   . About the Wharton Connect Alumni Newsletter This newsletter is a publication of Wharton Alumni Affairs and Annual Giving. To continue to receive this newsletter, as well as the Wharton Alumni Magazine and event information, please update your information on WAVE. If you know of other alumni not getting this e-mail, feel free to forward this newsletter and ask them to let us know their contact information. We welcome your comments at alumni.affairs@wharton.upenn.edu. Wharton Alumni Affairs and Annual Giving is located at 344 Vance Hall, 3733 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.