Leading Through Innovation - The Berkeley MBA - University of ...

T h e B e r k e l e y M B A N e t w o r k
Shantanu Narayen
MBA 93
Even though he had the tools to become
a technical success in Silicon Valley – a
bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering
President and Chief and a master’s degree in computer science
Operating Officer – Shantanu Narayen thought he needed to
Adobe Systems Inc. beef up his business knowledge. “It was clear
San Jose, CA
I needed to round out some of my entrepreneurial
genes with a business education.” So
in 1991, the then Apple Computer Inc. manager
decided to attend evening classes to pursue a Berkeley MBA.
Narayen says he learned not only how to apply his engineering knowledge to
running a business, but savored the interaction with his fellow students and
instructors. After Apple, Narayen served as director of desktop and collaboration
products for Silicon Graphics, then co-founded Pictra Inc., a company
that pioneered the concept of digital photo sharing over the Internet.
Narayen joined Adobe in 1998 as a senior VP of worldwide product research,
was later promoted to executive vice president of worldwide products, and
appointed to his current post in January 2005 at the age of 41. He defines
his professional success as being able to capitalize on the opportunities
Adobe provides and says of his Berkeley MBA, “It gives a very broad perspective
on business – and a tremendous amount of confidence.”
Barbara
J. Desoer
MBA 77
Chief Technology &
Operations Officer
Bank of America
Raleigh, NC
Barbara Desoer, MBA 77,
is Chief Technology and
Operations Officer for
Bank of America, where
she leads strategy
development and
execution for Bank of
America’s technology
platforms and operations
capabilities. Desoer also
leads the continued development and
implementation of the company’s increasingly
important payments strategy.
Desoer’s broad mandate – one that covers
technology connecting Bank of America
with its approximately 53 million consumer
households, as well ensuring that critical
operations function reliably and efficiently
to the satisfaction of the bank’s customers
– requires strong technical, analytical, and
strategic skills. Desoer says she was drawn to
Haas because the school provided her with a
comprehensive education in these core areas.
She says her time at Haas has helped her
throughout her career by giving her both a
analytical foundation and early leadership
experience. “The MBA program provided me
with a foundation of technical skills which
I have applied in various roles throughout
my career,” she says. “Team projects in
the program helped me understand group
dynamics such as leadership, compromise, and
how to more effectively work as a team.”
Desoer joined Bank of America in 1977 and,
over the course of her distinguished career,
earned respect of her colleagues at all levels.
During Desoer’s leadership of the bank’s
consumer products division, Bank of America
gained the number one industry positions for
retail banking, deposit market share, number
of banking centers and ATMs, and the number
of active online banking customers. In 2006 and
in 2007, US Banker named Desoer one of the
“25 Most Powerful Women in Banking.”
Desoer is passionate about using the “voice
of the customer” to inform her business
decisions. She believes strongly in the value of
managing using analytics, and is committed to
constantly improving business processes.
Bengt Baron
BS 85, MBA 88
CEO
V & S Group
Stockholm,
Sweden
As president of
Absolut Spirits, Bengt
Baron drew upon
his expertise in both
Swedish brands and
U.S. business to lead
one of the world’s
premium spirit labels.
Now, Baron helms the
V&S Group, which oversees Absolut, along
with V&S Distillers and V&S Wine. About his
decision to join Absolut, Baron said, “There
are not too many international Swedish
brands, and I have spent a lot of time in the
U.S., which is Absolut’s strongest market. So
it was a combination I couldn’t turn down.”
The number two vodka worldwide, Absolut is
available in 125 countries, although all of it is
manufactured in one factory in Sweden.
After graduation from the Haas School,
Baron joined McKinsey & Co., then worked for
a series of consumer product companies. “My
Berkeley MBA gave me a solid foundation to
take on business challenges of various sizes
and shapes,” says Baron.
In 1999, he joined StepStone AS, an Internetbased
job posting board. As director of the
Nordic Region, Baron helped the company
build a pan-European presence and launch
a successful IPO. The company is still going
strong, and it was only the lure of Absolut
that convinced Baron to leave StepStone.
During his time in the U.S., Baron also made
his mark in the Olympic Games. He won
two Olympic medals, a gold and a bronze,
swimming for the Swedish team in the 1980
(Moscow) and 1984 (Los Angeles) games.
Arun Sarin
MBA 78
Ceo
Vodafone Group Plc
London, United Kingdom
Now at the helm of Vodafone Group Plc, Arun
Sarin, MBA 78, has built a legacy as a strategist,
operations genius, and visionary at the
forefront of the wireless industry. Sarin was
appointed head of London-based Vodafone, the
world’s leading mobile telecommunications
company, in 2003.
As someone who has devoted much of his career
to linking people together, Sarin believes in the power of connections, including
those found through the Haas alumni network, which he calls “very supportive,”
adding, “It is part of coming to Haas: it will help to propel your career in
time.” As an alumnus, Sarin still comes to Haas and often makes time to share
his wisdom with current students.
About business, Sarin says, “It is not about money, greed and power. It is
about doing something bigger than yourself.” He notes that Vodafone does
business in more than 50 countries around the world and has more than 230
million customers. What resonates for Sarin about his company’s products
and services is that “We connect people at the deepest level, through telecommunications.
For us, to be a responsible business is tremendously important.”
In fact, Sarin believes, “The key difference between Haas and any other business
school is Haas produces leaders with a heart – leaders who are going to
leave the world a better place.”
As a result of this and what he sees as the university’s rigorous academic
preparation, Sarin finds that the Berkeley name is recognized all over the
world. “Berkeley and Haas both have a tremendous brand name overseas.
Everybody recognizes the university. When I go around the world and meet
chief executives, there are many who also graduated from Haas.”
42 Haas School of Business Leading Through Innovation Full-time Program 2008 Haas School of Business 43