Brand America - Thunderbird Magazine

Spring 2005BrandAmericaHow to restore itstarnished imagein an angry worldMagazineOrangeRevolutionAt the center ofa reborn UkraineSetting anew directionDr. Cabrera outlinesThunderbird’s future

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thunderbird : spring : 20054 AgendaAlpine Retreat T-birds gather in Geneva for a reunion.Tsunami Aid Alumni help in relief and rebuilding.Global Citizens Afghan women learn to become entrepreneurs.Private Equity Thunderbird moves into a growing field.Global Campus Russia celebrates 10 years of success.On the CoverAs the United Statesfollows an activistforeign policy in theworld, it oftenencounters a negativekickback from manycultures and manycountries. Now it issearching to findhow to turn the tideof global publicopinion back in itsfavor. Illustration byartist Robert Case.18 Is Brand America Broken?Signs are that U.S. policies have adverselyaffected sales by American companies abroad.What can be done to reverse that?26 On the Road to TransformationDr. Angel Cabrera was chosen president of Thunderbird due, in part, to his proven abilityto introduce change. After just six months on the job, it’s clear the selection committeepicked the right man.32 A Nation Born in OrangeThunderbird Global Council member Michael Bleyzer witnessed the beginningof Ukraine’s Orange Revolution in November and the birth of a true democracy.38 Playing the FieldSal Galatioto has been behind some of the biggest deals in U.S. sports history. How didthis Brooklyn-born sports fan become the go-to guy for super rich team owners?44 Faculty FocusCultural advantage Foreign language and cultural savvy provide a distinct edge.Brazilian samba Dell’s multistep dance brings a manufacturing plant to Brazil.51 Chapter NewsVintage Thunderbirds The 40+ Initiative gains momentum as more alumni startattending events and more and more chapters introduce the concept.Pole position Among all Thunderbird chapters, Detroit sets the fundraising pace in2004 by increasing the number of donors by nearly 40 percent.54 ClassnotesGolden life Rebecca Golden walked away from the good life she thought she wanted tofind the better life she needed: working for Doctors Without Borders.It’s all in the cards Against long odds, Matthew Hilger has used his MBA skills tobecome one of the best Texas Hold’em players in the world.The sky isn’t the limit Keith Powers helped propel the first privately funded rocketship into space... and there’s much more to come. Buckle your seatbelt.Alumna scores points As the highest ranking woman at the NFL, Kimberly Williamsquarterbacks the league’s finances all the way into the end zone.64 ForumPut Russia back on the map It’s time students take notice of Russia, says presidentof CBSD Russia. There is a lot more freedom and opportunity than most people think.

lettersProud ofour ThunderbirdIREAD THE report[in The WallStreet Journalrecognizing Thunderbirdas the No. 1school for academicexcellence in InternationalBusiness]with excitement andpride. It’s alwaysnice to see my pastdecisions affirmed.I didn’t expect mytime at Thunderbirdto be as valuable as ithas been over time,like a fine wine.Ed Miller ’82There is muchmore we need to doto spread our message.I have workedwith many Fortune50 companies andmost people I meetstill have not heardof Thunderbird.As alumni, we aretrying to spread themessage of howgreat T-bird is andhow highly we areranked. Nonetheless,we need to domore marketing toget mainstreambusiness to knowhow great we are!Nicole Larson ’98The InnovationChallenge getsbetter every year.As a T-bird alumnus,I can’t tell youhow proud I am ofthe students of theTHINC Club. Notonly did they bondtogether to executelast year’s InnovationChallengebut they also havecontributed to theelevation of Thunderbird’sbrandamong thousandsof students at 81 universitiesin 17 countrieswho took partin the competition.Anil Rathi ’02With the Garvinendowment andfresh leadership,Thunderbird hasredefined itself asa leader of internationalbusiness education.My sense isthat we have a winningteam in placeand it is building asuccessful strategy,but it’s a huge job.All of us need togive the School thesupport it needs.Marshall Parke ’77Our unique institutionbrings specialskill sets and globalapproaches to thecommunities wherewe work and live,and it is gratifying toknow that recruiterscontinue to understandthe value thatour students contributeto theirworkplaces.Melissa Trimble ’01ExecutiveMBATHE EMBAstudentsshould beincluded and valuedas strong and viablecomponents of theThunderbird program.Many of theinitiatives at Thunderbirdare targetedsolely to the MBAstudents, overlookingthe value of theEMBA experience.I would embrace theknowledge, experienceand commitmentof the EMBAstudents as viableand potential ambassadorsof Thunderbird.We arealready in a positionto spread the wordand send the messageof Thunderbird’sprogram ofexcellence.C. O’Connor ’06Hail tothe chiefAS SOMEONEwho benefitedenormouslyfrom his Thunderbirdexperience, Ithink it is importantthat the School continueto communicateits value to theinternational businesscommunity,and I can’t think ofany better salespeoplethan its alumni.As the new leader ofThunderbird, AngelCabrera has an excellentopportunityto start fresh andengage one of ourbiggest assets—ourglobal alumni base.C. Vaughan ’97I am absolutelydelighted thatThunderbird selectedAngel Cabrera asthe next leader. Hehas the right credentials,background,and ability to leadthe School well intothe future. Giventhe recent financialgift, his selection aspresident, the recentrankings, I’m lookingforward to anexciting future forthe students and theentire Thunderbirdfamily worldwide.Gary Brukardt ’72I was excited toread about our newpresident, AngelCabrera, in the lastThunderbird magazine,especially thesection on the DeontologicalOath forMBAs. Wouldn’t itbe a better world ifnot only MBAs, butall managers andleaders, could signsuch a commitment.David Landry ’88The rightprofessorATTRACTINGand retainingprofessorsbased on PhD statusshould not be sucha high priority.Students can learnmore valuable lessonsfrom a managerwho has beenworking in the realworld and has closedreal deals with realclients than a professorwho has moreeducation credentialsor has publishedmore.Tim Bergin ’98TRULY GLOBALThunderbirdMagazineVolume 57, No. 2, Spring 2005EditorD.J. BurroughArt DirectorPat KennyPhoto EditorKristen JarchowWeb DesignerAdam KlineWeb ProductionBelinda GleasonEditorial AssistantHeidi NeeleyPublisher & V.P., MarketingKen LambertExecutive Director,Thunderbird Global NetworkMeredith PeabodyEditorial DirectorRoger TollAll editorial, sales andproduction correspondenceshould be addressed to:Thunderbird Magazine, 15249N. 59th Avenue, Glendale,AZ, 85306-6000. Editorialsubmissions and letters to theeditor can also be emailed to:editor@thunderbird.edu.Advertising inquires shouldbe addressed to:editor@thunderbird.edu.Changes of address andother subscription inquirescan be emailed to:editor@thunderbird.edu.Thunderbird Magazine is apublication of the Marketingand CommunicationDepartment of Thunderbird,The Garvin School ofInternational Management.2 spring 2005

from the presidentDaring decisionsrequire supportThunderbird’s continued success can only happen ifthe School builds on its strengths and embraces changeTHE NINE MONTHS since Iarrived at Thunderbird has beenan amazing period of discoveryfor me. I’ve found a unique communitythat for all its incrediblediversity shares some common traits: apassion for international business management,for building cultural bridges and forcreating global prosperity through businessor philanthropic endeavors.While I’ve spent a good deal of timegetting to know the faculty, staff, boards andalumni, I’ve also been immersed in strategicplanning, team building and decision making.We have shaped and articulated thestrategic plan elaborated under the leadershipof my predecessor, Dr. Roy Herberger.Having been the leading school of InternationalManagement for more than 50years is no guarantee of our future success.That can only happen if we build on ourlegacy and strengths while making daringdecisions to maintain our edge and spreadour reach. We need to continue to expandthe number of degrees we offer so we canbe sure the people who most desire aThunderbird learning experience aren’tturned away. We need to embrace the latesttechnology so we can enrich the learningexperience of our participants and bettercater to their personal and professionaldemands. We need to continue to brandThunderbird not as the first school of internationalmanagement or even the best sofar, but as an institution that’s a sure bet toalways be on the leading edge. We need tocontinue to build our truly global learningnetwork by strengthening our presence inGeneva, Prague, Moscow, Latin Americaand China, and by exploring ways to establisha solid foothold in new locations.To do all this, we need the support of theentire Thunderbird community. During myfirst nine months, the question alumni havemost often asked me is, “What can I do tohelp Thunderbird.”My answer: Think Thunderbird, TalkThunderbird, and Build Thunderbird.Think Thunderbird first when you areconsidering your business needs for training,recruiting and advising. Talk Thunderbirdand help us spread the word about what theSchool has to offer. Build Thunderbird, byincluding our School in your philanthropicactivities, not only because investing inThunderbird helps strengthen the value ofyour degree, but because it is simply a greatcause. When you support Thunderbird, youhelp us educate a new generation of uniqueglobal leaders who will help bring aboutprosperity, understanding, wealth and peaceto the world.In his nine months aspresident of Thunderbird,Dr. Angel Cabrerahas discovered a diversealumni community thatshares similar passions.BRAD REEDthunderbird magazine 3

An alpinereunionJune 2-5 in GenevaTHE 2005 Thunderbird EuropeanAlumni Reunion, the first on thecontinent since 2002, will be heldin Geneva June 2-5. The four-dayevent is expected to draw severalhundred Thunderbirds. The basic reunionpackage includes a welcome cocktail reception,dinner and dancing at Domaine dePenthes in Geneva, a dinner cruise on thelake, and an “au revoir” brunch. The HotelRoyal, in the heart of Geneva, will serve asthe reunion headquarters.Side trips include a journey in a 1915 “BelleÉpoque” Pullman car from Montreux toGruyères, with tours of cheese and chocolatemakers; a boat ride to Yvoire, a medieval village;a visit to Mont-Blanc and the Alpinetown of Chamonix; and a guided tour of oldtown Geneva.The reunion ishosted by the EuropeanReunion Committeeand the Genevachapter. The costis €270 for the basicreunion package, andbetween €15 and €65In the gardens ofEurope’s U.N. headquartersin Geneva.for each side trip. SeeEuropean Reunion adon the back page.ageAlumni at the European reunion can take boat excursions on Lake Geneva.ST/SWISS-IMAGE.CH4 spring 2005

The ever-hopeful alumni got trounced by the currentstudent squad in a Rugby Alumni Weekend match.Alumnishow gutsand bloodBLOOD ANDmud mixedfreely withgraying hair at the2005 Fruit Bowl, anannual rugby matchthat pitted the currentT-bird teamagainst 45 alumniplayers who wereeviscerated 22-10 in ahard-fought match.The Rugby AlumniWeekend, March3-5, also offered networkingsessions, agolf outing, skeetshooting and informalgatherings. Abanquet followedthe match.“This programwill grow as morealumni and studentsget involved,” saysChuck Hamilton ’91.“We hope to doublethe number of alumnihere next year.”The alumni teamwill take on localclubs in Argentinafor 10 days in Augustto help promote theSchool. More than50 alumni and supportersare expectedto make the trip,Hamilton says.28%The percentage dropin graduate schoolapplications bystudents comingfrom outside the USAbetween 2003 and2004, according to asurvey by the Councilof Graduate Schools.The largest decreasein applications wasfrom Chinese students,down 45%over the prior year,followed by India,down 28%, andKorea, down 14%.19The number ofcountries that arerepresented by thefull-time MBA classthat began studies atThunderbird in themonth of January.daT-birds join efforts toaid tsunami victimsTHE TSUNAMI THAT SWEPTthrough the Indian Ocean on Dec. 26did not claim the lives of any of about500 Thunderbird alumni living in the affectedcountries nor any Thunderbirds vacationingthere at the time. But alumni did notsit idly by. In the days following the disaster,no less than half a dozen alumni rushedthere to help survivors left homeless and inneed of clean water, food and medical care.A number of other alumni contributed tothe relief effort through their work withnon-governmental agencies.Randolph Oudemans ’86 traveled toPematang Siantar, a small coastal villageon Sumatra, Indonesia, to see how his nonprofitorganization, REACT, could help thethousands of children left homeless by thedisaster.Jason Wares ’99 is managing a projectfor CHF International to build shelters inSri Lanka for 3,000 families that were lefthomeless by the tsunami.Bob Kimber ’91 paid his own way to Krabi,a coastal village near Phuket, Thailand, onthe Indian Ocean, to help in the cleanup andrebuilding.Rachel Granger ’04 traveled to Sri Lanka tooversee relief efforts for AmeriCare, whichbrought in medical supplies and more than 2million water purification treatment kits.To read the latest journal entries from alumniin the field, go to thunderbird.edu, and click ontsunami relief effort.thunderbird magazine 5

news & notesPresident Angel CabreraPresident Cabrerastirs ethics debatePRESIDENT DR. ANGEL Cabrera ischallenging Thunderbird students tointroduce ethics into business trainingand to take an ethics oath at graduation. “Let’slead the way,” Cabrera says. “Let’s take a stepforward with this idea, write up our code andtalk about how we are going to act in businessafter we leave here.”In 2003, Cabrera sparked internationaldebate over the question of ethics training inMBA schools when he wrote an articleadvocating the practice for Germany’s leadingfinancial newspaper, Handelsblatt. He has sincebeen quoted in articles on the subject in TheWall Street Journal and the Financial Times.Business graduates, Cabrera says, have thesame potential to do good or ill in their professionas attorneys or physicians do in theirs.Both attorneys and physicians sign or recite anethics oath upon graduation.“The kind of wealth you can create, the kindof harm you can do, is second to no profession,”he says. “We are involved with one of the mostimportant professions of our time.” Although hefeels strongly about the issue, he says studentsneed to lead the debate, not the administration.Jim Samuel ’05, chairman of the ThunderbirdHonor Council, says he is forming a teamto study the advisability of taking such an oath.“It’s only a matter of time before an oath comesinto force for MBA graduates, as a profession,”Samuel says. “We believe the corporate worldneeds this, and the top schools are talkingabout it. We don’t want to miss out on it.”The oath Cabrera drafted with the WorldEconomic Forum (See Thunderbird magazine,fall 2004, p. 21) may be too idealistic for mostcorporations, Samuel says. The student teamplans on surveying business executives togauge their reaction to graduates who havesigned an ethics oath. Samuel says it will takeseveral semesters to get enough feedback forstudents to vote on the matter.Thomas Stauffer, executive director ofThunderbird’s Lincoln Center for InternationalManagement Ethics, says he is encouragedby the student interest on the subject. “I takethat as a sign of hope for the future of thisprofession,” he says. “Students have a biggerinterest in ethics than anyone else here.”William& MavisVoris: inmemoryFew have contributed as much to Thunderbird asWilliam and Mavis Voris, who passed away in January.THUNDERbirdlost twoof its mostardent supportersin January whenDr. William Voris,Thunderbird PresidentEmeritus,passed away Jan. 6at age 80. His wifeof 56 years, MavisVoris, followed 17days later.During his 18-yeartenure at Thunderbird,Dr. Voris, whoretired in 1989, increasedenrollmentby 35 percent and enlargedthe campuswith several newbuildings. He startedthe Winterimprogram, launchedstudy programs inARCHIVE PHOTOMexico and Chinaand established theWorld BusinessAdvisory Council.Mavis Voris initiatedthe ThunderbirdInvitationalBalloon Race andSilent Auction, theFriends of Thunderbirdprogram, theSchool’s first endowmentfund andthe student emergencyloan fund.She was known asthe “Betsy Ross” ofThunderbird afterhand-sewing morethan 20 flags for thefirst flag ceremonyheld on campus inthe early 1970s.Each trimester,the Vorises hosted awelcome receptionin their home for allincoming students.The Vorises werelast on campus forthe annual holidayparty for faculty andstaff in December,and a special lunchwith Dr. AngelCabrera and 30 peoplewho served onVoris’ staff duringhis administration.Dr. Voris passedaway after a briefillness. A memorialheld on campus Jan.19 brought togethermore than 200friends and familyto honor his serviceto the School.6 spring 2005

news & notesIn Thunderbird'scomputer lab, Artemisfellows MarinaHamidzada, KamelaKhaliq, WahidaMohammed Zai, andArefa Haidary study theuses of technology.BRAD REEDOut of theshadowsProjectArtemis offerskey businessskills, andhope, toAfghanwomenKATRIN Fakirimay soon behelping herfellow Afghanis tofind jobs via theInternet, WahidaMohammed Zaimay be running aschool for women,and Hamida Amanmay be recordingand broadcastingthe songs of musicianswho have beensilent for years.This optimisticfuture for Afghanistanis closer to realityas a result of ProjectArtemis, namedfor the Greek goddessand protectorof women and children,which broughta select group of 15Afghani women toThunderbird forbusiness training. InJanuary, the fellowsspent two weeks onthe Glendale campusnetworking withstudents and businessowners, visitingsuccessful businessesand taking coursesfrom Thunderbirdprofessors. The costsof the groundbreakingprogram wereborne by Thunderbirdand its partners.“This was anextraordinary opportunity,”says Fakiri,who hopes to setup her country’s versionof Monster.comfor the nation’s 12million workers.“Knowing the faithThunderbird hasin us inspires us tomake our dreams areality.” Each fellowcreated a plan for thebusiness she wantsto launch to obtainfinancing.“The fellows leftwith a real focus ontheir ideas,” saysSteven Stralser,Artemis programand academic director.“The experiencegave them a tangibletake-away to use toadvance their ideasin the marketplace.”The fellows includewomen frommedicine, business,journalism, engineeringand communitydevelopment.Most fled the countryor stopped workingduring the yearsthe Taliban ruled thecountry.Each fellow waspaired with a mentorfor the next twoyears, a group thatincludes MeredithPeabody ’96, executivedirector of theThunderbird GlobalNetwork. A principaldriving force behindthe project wasformer ThunderbirdBoard PresidentBarbara Barrett, whoinitiated ProjectPhoenix businesswoman Katie Pushor will mentorArtemis fellow Zarghuna Walidzadah for two years.Artemis after a 2003trip to Afghanistan.“At Thunderbirdwe believe in businesseducation asa force of social reconstruction,”saysPresident AngelCabrera. “An entrepreneurialspirit,backed by the skillsand perspectivewe teach, can bea valuable tool inbuilding peace andprosperity.”Project Artemishas generated muchinterest in the U.S.,including newspaperand magazinearticles. One of thefellows, HomiraNassery, was seatednext to BarbaraBush during thePresident’s State ofthe Union address.Read a profile ofeach of the fellows atthunderbird.edu.“At Thunderbird,webelieve inbusinesseducationas a forceof social reconstruction.An entrepreneurialspirit,backed bythe skillsand perspectiveweteach, canbe a valuabletool inbuildingpeace andprosperity.”thunderbird magazine 7

news & notesAlumnicardsharksjoin MBApokertourneyANEW BREEDof poker tournamenthasfound its way to LasVegas, and Thunderbirdalumni werethere for the deal.“It’s about timewe competed againstthe top B-schoolsin something otherthan rugby and casecompetitions,” saysIngrid Lee ’03, aLas Vegas Chaptermember who servedas team captain.The MBA PokerChampionship, nowin its second year,drew 300 MBAsJanuary 14-16 toBinion’s HorseshoeCasino. Six pluckyThunderbirds wereamong them: Lee,Quinton Singleton’03, Bill Loux ’03,Jeremy Castleman’03, Mark Abromovitz’02 and Eric Yaver’98. The Thunderbirdspaid up to$200 each to buyinto the TexasHold’emgames.“It was thefirst tournamentI’ve ever played in,”Singleton says.“I played well, butall I could thinkabout was whetheror not my shakinghands were a tell.”Although noneof the Thunderbirdsmade it into themoney, whichmeant finishing inthe top 20, Lee andSingleton wereamong the top 50.“I got knocked outpretty early on Saturday,”Abromovitzsays. “I had pocketkings and the otherguy drew a flush onthe river.”In Texas Hold’em,players are dealt twocards down, thenshare five commoncards. They try tomake the best pokerhand from the sevencards. The last commoncard dealt iscalled the river card.The eventwas as much aboutnetworking andfundraising as itwas about playingpoker, Lee says.A networking partySaturday night, distributionof a bookwith each player’srésumé and thepresence of severalrecruiters were attractivemotivators.At last year’s event,some studentssnagged interviewswhile sitting at thecard table. Morethan $15,000 wasraised for theAlzheimer’sAssociation.Lee hopes to recruitmore alumni,faculty and currentstudents to create apermanent pokersquad that wouldplay in a few eventseach year.(l to r) Roger Nelson, Pres., Scottsdale SisterCities Asso.; Sibylle Andres, Pres., InternationalFriendship Asso., Interlaken; Christian Blickenstorfer,Ambassador of Switzerland; Pat Buchanan,Dir., Sister Cities International; Max Haechler,Swiss Consul and Chair of Ambassador's Ball.Gala addsmoney toscholarshipfundDiplomats,sister citydelegates andrenownedchef join funat Ambassador’sBallMORE THAN450 peoplesippedchampagne, delightedin Swiss-styleroasted veal anddanced the polkato the music of a 20-piece band at Thunderbird’sannualAmbassador’s Ball.“It was the biggestsuccess in the 22-year history of theevent,” says host,Max Haechler, honorarySwiss Consul.“We raised moremoney, attractedmore people and hadmore fun than atany other ball.”Sales of attendancetickets, araffle and an auctioncombined to raisemore than $90,000,which was donatedto the ThunderbirdEndowment Fundby the ConsularCorps of Arizona.The donation increasesthe endowmentto more than$500,000, which providesscholarships todeserving students.Christian Blickenstorfer,Swissambassador to theUnited States, andFranz Hunkeler,Swiss Consul Generalin Los Angeles,attended the gala,along with a 10-persondelegation fromInterlaken, Scottsdale’ssister city.The organizersalso flew in a traditionalSwiss folkloreband and the executivechef from theacclaimed Victoria-Jungfrau GrandHotel in Interlaken.The event was atthe Scottsdale HyattRegency Resort atGainey Ranch.8 spring 2005

news & notesT-bird pubinspirestwo Latinstudentsto createbusinessALOT OFGuinnessassistedideashave been hatchedover the years in theThunderbird pub inGlendale, but fewhave been as fruitfulas the one dreamedup by Arturo Perchemlian’04 andSantiago Mejia ’04.It was there thatthe two friends conceivedof the idea forTours Gone Wild,an adventure travelcompany that wouldbring young professionalsto LatinAmerican hotspots,like Rio de Janeiroand provide themwith more than thestandard packageA few post-exam beers in the Thunderbird Pubhelped Arturo Perchemlian ’04 (left) and SantiagoMejia ’04 discover a winning business idea.amenities. Theirtours would haveconcierge servicesand would get theirtravelers into all thehappening local barsand nightclubs.“We had justfinished a statisticsexam and wantedto ease some stressby kicking back,”Perchemlian says.They worked onthe idea in a Thunderbirdentrepreneurshipbusinessplan class and laterentered it in Thunderbird’s2003 GlobalBusiness Plan Competition,which theywon. They used the$25,000 prize moneyas seed capital tostart the tour company,TGW Travel,Inc., which is nowbased in MiamiBeach, Florida.Business is boomingfor the T-birds.In the second year,they’re on pace todouble the first-yearsales of $750,000.CareerFair onGlendalecampus isa big hitRECRUITERSrepresentingmore than30 corporations werepresent at Thunderbird’sSpring CareerFair at the Glendalecampus Feb. 16-18.Students had 311 interviewsand countlessmore informaldiscussions, duringthe three-day event,says Kip Harrell,associate vice presidentof ProfessionalDevelopment andCareer Management.“These aregreat numbers,”he says.The interviewswere more than doublethe total fromlast year’s springcareer fair, while thenumber of corporationsrepresentedwas up a third. Althoughthe increasescould be taken as asign of an improvingeconomy, Harrellbelieves the strongshowing is morelikely due to holdingthe event on campusfor the first time inseveral years.“It made it a loteasier for students toget to,” says MikeLavin ’05, who hadfive interviews andwas offered a summerinternship withIBM. “It meant youdidn’t have to miss aday of classes.”Corporate recruitersalso likedthe change in venue,which allowed foreasier interactionwith students. Ifthe ThunderbirdActivity Center canbe cooled, the FallCareer Fair also willbe held on campus,Harrell says.Bozo the tribeTo mark the end of the rainy season, members of the Bozo tribein the Ségou region of Western Africa hold a multiday festival.A tribal leader dons this heavy wooden headdress and covershis body with an equally bright costume and, through song anddance, conveys tribal history, village life and ancientfables. This authentic artwork—and awhole lot more—is available atthe Global Market on theGlendale campus.thunderbird magazine 9

news & notesStudentstest theirbrandingabilitiesIn the 2004 GlobalBrand competition, Sarah Cody '04and James Montero '04 were just two of the winningteammates in the 2004 GlobalBrand competition.IF THE brandingstrategies 12Thunderbirdstudents came upwith in a recentcompetition arecarried out, Icelandmay be inundatedwith Chinesetourists and Americanwomen may bewearing a lot moreEuropean-style bras.In January, twoteams of T-birdstudents shared thetop spot in the finalsof the 2004 Global-Brand competition,which took place inNew York City.The Thunderbirdcompetition had studentscreate brandingsolutions for halfa dozen companies.“I can’t imagine abetter test of theirskills, their analyticalthinking andtheir ability to communicateeffectivelythan to present theirbranding solutionsand be challenged infront of a group ofjudges who areworld-class brandprofessionals,” sayscompetition organizerDr. RichardEttenson, whoteaches InternationalBrand Managementat Thunderbird.“If a studentcan impress thesejudges, they will nodoubt impress anypotential employer.”One of thewinning teamspresented a strategyfor Leal, a Dallasbasedcompany thatimports luxury Europeanlingerie intothe U.S. market;the other presented astrategy for the Republicof Iceland todraw more Chinesetourists. The judgesscored them just ahalf point apart ona 100 point scale.Judges included:Sam Hill, presidentof Helios; Scott Lerman,president ofEnterprise I.G.; JoeDollens, presidentof GIO; James Conner,president of theJames Group; andthree Thunderbirdalumni: Carol Schuster’83, of Ogilvy &Mather; Kelly O’Dea’72, CEO of AllianceHPL Worldwide;and Martin Susz ’89,of Euro RSCGWorldwide.The two otherteams in the finalsdevised a brandrevitalization strategyfor Domino’sPizza in Taiwanand a brand strategyfor Emyco, one ofMexico’s largestshoe manufacturersand retailers.ThunderbirdPresident AngelCabrera congratulatedthe winners atthe Williams Clubin New York City.Zorana "Jane" Yawapongsiri '04, from Thailand, isdelighted to go into the world with an MBA in hand.HARRISON HURWITZAnotherclassgraduatesTHIRTY-FIVEcountries wererepresentedamong the 192 graduatesat the fallcommencementDec. 10 at theSundome Centerfor The PerformingArts, near theGlendale campus.Commencementspeaker RobertEckert, CEO ofMattel, Inc., challengedgraduates toraise the level ofethical standardsafter revelationshighlighted a spateof crooked CEOsfrom companieslike Enron, Health-South, Adelphia andMartha Stewart.“As you go towork, your top responsibilityshouldbe to build trust: toperform every dayat the highest standards,not just foryourself but for yourteam, for your supervisor,for the consumer,for the company’sshareholders,for the rest of us inbusiness, and forthose who havepassed before youand will succeed youat Thunderbird,”Eckert said. “It’sday one of the nextchapter of your life,and I’m putting mytrust in each of you.”The festivitiescontinued at a partyin Scottsdale, whichdrew more than400 people and featuredinternationallythemed hors d’oeuvresand desserts,a performance byBrazilian dancers,a steel drum musician,dancing andcelebrating.10 spring 2005

news & notesSusan Shiflett ’95 (left) and Lucy Close ’01 snack onxiaolongbao with local Shanghai residents in a cafe.Shanghaireunionright mixof socialevents &businessOCTOBER’SGlobalReunionin Shanghai was atruly global event:225 alumni from 27countries attendedthe four days of businessmeetings, socialevents and tours tothe mystical lake ofHangzhou and toZhouzhuang, theVenice of China.“It was rich incultural activities,and it was great tomeet other T-birdsfrom around theworld in a relaxed,social setting,” saysSusan Shiflett ’95.Dr. Angel Cabrera,in his first officialevent after assumingthe presidency,welcomed alumni ata cocktail receptionthat featured a liondance. Businessseminars focusedon doing business inChina, while thoseon the social tracktook advantage offull-day and half-daytours. Everyonecame together forevening banquetsand parties. Manyrevelers continuedwith festivities innearby nightclubsand bars.“Shanghai had theright combinationof events; it was aunique learningexperience with justthe right mix of socialand networkingopportunities,” saysMeredith Peabody’96, who attended asan alumna and laterbecame executivedirector of the ThunderbirdGlobal Network.“It had a timelyand informativebusiness component,shopping, nightlifeand culture—as wellas the usual sense ofcelebration when T-birds join together.”Potentialstudentsget a feelfor schoollife oncampusTHUNDERbird’sdoorsopened toprospective studentsthree times duringthe first trimester of2005, an expansionof a popular HospitalityWeekendprogram that beganjust two years ago.“They are verywell-received by thepeople who attend,”says Joe Miller,Going globaldirector of StudentServices. “It helpsour recruitmentefforts to give peoplea taste of the school.There is a magic onthis campus.”Potential studentswho have showninterest in Thunderbirdare invited tospend a weekendon campus, with allhousing and mealscovered by theSchool. During theirstay, candidates takecampus tours, findout more aboutadmissions requirementsand share alunch with Thunderbirdprofessors.The highlight is atwo-hour class on abusiness case mailedto prospects beforetheir visit.“They come prepared,so there is alot of interaction inthe class,” he says.“The idea is to givethem a taste of howwe teach at Thunderbird.”Approximatelytwo of every fiveprospects whoattend HospitalityWeekends becomeThunderbird students,Miller says.If you know apotential studentwho would benefitfrom visiting theGlendale campus,email Joe Miller atmillerj@t-bird.edu.PROPELLED BYnearly $25 billionin foreigndirect investment andan increase in the numberof secure Internetservers, Ireland ranksas the most global nationon earth, accordingto the 2004 A.T.Kearney/Foreign PolicyGlobalization Index.Countries are judgedon four criteria: economicintegration,technological connectivity,personal contact(international traveland telephone traffic)and political engagements(membershipsin international organizationsand U.N. contributions).Western Europeclaimed six of thetop 10 spots for globallyintegrated countries.thunderbird magazine 11

news & notesSchool tolaunchclasses inprivateequityThunderbird’sPrivate EquityConferenceeyes trulyglobal reachof industryNO CORNERof the earthwent untouchedat the Globalizationin PrivateEquity conferencehosted by Thunderbirdin September.While mostprivate equity conferencesfocus onspecific geographicareas or businesssectors, the ThunderbirdPrivateEquity Conferencewas wide ranging,featuring panelistsfrom Europe, Asia,Latin America andNorth America.“Private equityis a growth industry,a new vertical forThunderbird toembrace,” saysPresident Dr. AngelCabrera. “At somepoint, private equitywill touch mostprofessionals duringtheir career, so it onlymakes sense thatThunderbird shouldplay a role in it.”The PE industryhas become a majorforce in the past 20years. From 1998 to2003, more than $660billion was investedglobally by privateequity firms, muchof it in emergingmarkets.The event drewnearly 250 attendeesand featured morethan 20 speakers,including MichaelBleyzer, CEO ofSigmaBleyzerGroup; Dr. KurtGeiger, head of FinancialInstitutionsand Private Equityfor the EuropeanBank for ReconstructionandDevelopment; JavierThunderbirds in close formationFour alumni were recognized at the Thunderbird Alumni Weekend inNovember for their outstanding contributions to the Thunderbird AlumniAssociation. From left, Charu Modi Bhartia ’97 received the Rising Staraward, William Burrus ’72 received the Career Achievement award, J.Kenneth Seward ’57 received the Volunteer of the Year award, and Carl Bach’74 received the Jonas Mayer Award.As a result of Thunderbird’s international reach, attendees saw how globalthe private equity industry is and how well it plays to the School’s strengths.Echarri, directorgeneral of the EuropeanVenture CapitalAssociation; andDan Primack, aneditor at ThomsonVenture Economicsfrom New York.“This conferencehad a very congenialand functionalatmosphere,” saysJohn Cook ’79,Thunderbird GlobalCouncil memberand head of theconference steeringcommittee. “By tappinginto our vastnetwork of relationshipsamong alumniand industry practitionersfrom aroundthe world, attendeessaw how global theindustry is and howwell the T-birdmindset matchesthat of private equityprofessionals.”Conference topicsincluded the industry’sstructure andprofile, the roleof private equityin transitioneconomies, emergingtrends in China,sustainability andclean-tech investments,institutionalmoney flows, socialinvesting, opportunitiesin centraland eastern Europe,power and infrastructureprojectsin Latin America,legal tricks and trapsin Mexico, and midmarketbuyouts inthe United States.“Thunderbird isideally positioned tobe the preeminentlearning institutionin global privateequity,” Cook says.Starting in fall2005, the School willoffer private equityadvanced courseworkfor full-timeMBA students,programs for workingexecutives, anda chair of internationalprivate equity.For more informationon private equitycoursework, go tothunderbird.edu.12 spring 2005

Winners’ideas areheaded toglobalmarketplaceGlobalInnovationChallengeattracts 251universities toThunderbirdcompetitionCHECK into aHilton Hotelin the nextfew years and youmight find a universaldocking stationfor your laptop or aselection of educationalDVDs waitingin your room.You can thank theMBA candidateswho participated inthe 2004 Global InnovationChallengefor those amenities.On Nov. 20, afive-man team fromSpain’s Instituto deEmpresa beat out250 other teamsfrom around theworld to win therapidly growingevent, which washeld on Thunderbird’sGlendale campus.The winningteam took home$20,000, but the titlesponsors—HiltonHotels and Valvoline—tookawayinvaluable concepts.“Ideas are priceless,”says HiltonHotels SeniorVice President JeffGlobal Innovation Challenge organizers ensure thatcorporate sponsors find practicable solutions.Diskin, who alsoserved as a judge.“Almost every oneof the ideas had akernel that will beexpressed to ourguests. They had alot of good insights,a lot of good ideas. Itwas good to get thatbroader perspective.”The universaldocking station, amulti-purpose identificationcard honoredby all Hiltonpartners and a libraryof on-demandlearning DVDs—yoga and stretchingexercises or foreignlanguage lessons—were all ideas createdby teams in thecompetition thathave a good chanceof showing up in ahotel room, he says.“The whole purposeof this year’scompetition was tomake sure the sponsorsfound valuableideas,” says Anil Rathi’02, co-founder ofthe InnovationChallenge (alongwith fellow T-birdalum Robert Lipton’03) and vice presidentof business developmentfor IdeaCrossing, whichorganized the event.At last year’sevent, finalists had12 hours to craft theirfinal-round innovations,but this yearnews & notesWine with a bitethey had weeks tomull over a solution.Teams did muchmore thorough marketresearch, createdricher presentationsand some built prototypes,Rathi says.Sponsors are alreadylined up fornext year’s ThunderbirdInnovationChallenge, he said,including Hiltonand U.S. Postal Service,a new sponsor.The 2004 InnovationChallenge drewnearly twice thenumber of teams—251—than in 2003, agrowth rate expectedto continue.The VanderbiltUniversity teamfinished in secondplace, while MichiganState University(Broad) came inthird. The otherfinal round competitorswere: Universityof Arizona(Eller), BrighamYoung University(Marriott), EmoryUniversity, StanfordGraduate School ofBusiness, VanderbiltUniversity, CaseWestern ReserveUniversity, IndianaUniversity (Kelley)and IESE Spain.Thunderbird placedtwo teams in thetop 50, but neithermade it into thefinal round.WHITE WINES are all you’ll find amongthe offerings of Great White Wines(greatwhitewines.com), an importer ofboutique wines started by Melanie Marks ’97.She sets aside 10 percent of her profits towardthe conservation of all sharks, in particular theendangered Great White Shark.“Quite frankly, red wines would present thewrong image of the shark,” she says.Marks started the company after diving withGreat Whites in 2002 and becoming enamoredwith the misunderstood fish. The first wines—a chardonnay, chenin blanc and sauvignonblanc—were produced from the 2004 harvestfrom three different vineyards on the WesternCape of South Africa. Marks already is sellingher product to 15 stores and 10 restaurants inCalifornia, and she has two national distributors.thunderbird magazine 13

news & notesThunderbird President Angel Cabrera (right) joined some of the School’searliest graduates for a breakfast during Alumni Weekend on the Glendalecampus. Pictured (from left to right): Dr. William Slemons ’48, Jorge Carrera’51, David Wist ’54, Shelton Marlow ’51, Bob Moyer ’48, John Craft ’48, LloydClark ’49, Ernie Garfield ’52 and Ken Nelson ’54.Pioneergrads likeSchool’sgrowingdiversityT-birds turnout in largenumbers for2004 AlumniWeekendMORE THAN200 alumnifrom 10nations and numerousgraduating classesgathered Nov. 5-6at the Glendalecampus for the 2004Thunderbird AlumniWeekend.The strongestalumni representationswere from thecelebration years of1954 (50th anniversary),1979 (25th)and 1994 (10th).There were evenfolks from 1948, thefirst graduating year.“The event exceededour expectations,”says LindaJensen, assistantdirector of AlumniPrograms and Services.“People reallyenjoyed themselvesand liked seeingall the changes thathave occurred on thecampus.”Alumni arrivedfrom Austria, Brazil,England, France,Germany, India,Mexico, Netherlandsand Thailand,as well as the UnitedStates.Ron Burkard ’63,who lives in Oklahoma,was surprisedby the diversity ofthe current studentpopulation. “Theclass of 1963, about150 people, was overwhelminglyCaucasianAmericanmales in their late20s,” he says. “Therewere only a fewwomen and probablyfewer than 10non-U.S. students.It is impressive tosee the significantdiversity now at theSchool in both genderand nationality.”Ken Nelson ’54 enjoyedthe Golden PioneerBreakfast withPresident AngelCabrera. “It wasrelaxed and casual,”says Nelson, wholives in Phoenix andis often on campusas part of his workwith the PhoenixAlumni group. “Igot to know a littlemore about him andhis vision for Thunderbird’sfuture.”The weekend’smost popular eventswere the Meet andGreet evening in theThunderbird Pubon Friday and AsiaNight on Saturday.Students’internshipin Mexicoa successAS PART OFthe 2004GuadalajaraSummer Program, acandy maker and atequila distiller wereamong the 17 Mexicancompanies thatturned ThunderbirdMBA candidates intopart-time employees.“Corporate Partnerswas designed togive students handsonexperience withcompanies in Mexico,”says PriscillaWisner, assistantprofessor of GlobalBusiness and codirectorof the program.“Companiesliked it because theygot exposed to brightand creative MBAstudents, often forthe first time.”Thirty-three MBAcandidates enrolledin the program, offeredfor the firsttime as part of the10-week GuadalajaraSummer Program,which has beenoperating for morethan 30 years. Facultyinclude Thunderbirdprofessors andadjunct professorsfrom the UniversidadAutonoma deGuadalajara.The CorporatePartners programrequires students towork at least fivehours a week.Students preparedeverything from amarketing strategyfor the tequiladistiller wanting toopen markets in theUnited States to afeasibility studyfor the candy makerthat wanted toextend credit toemployees so theycould purchase personalappliances.“I learned that establishingtrust withthe general manageris a lot different thanwith the lowertieredemployees,”says Sean Daley ’05,who, with Owen LaFarve ’05, developeda chain of commandinfrastructure forEMEX, one of Mexico’slargest mangoexporters. “It wasparticularly importantto let the managerknow that wewere there to helpher, not because shelacked the abilitybut rather time andresources. After that,she treated us likefamily and communicationwas easy.”All of the companiesparticipating inthe 2004 CorporatePartners programasked to be includednext year, Wisnersays. “It’s a testamentto its success.”14 spring 2005

global campusPassingthe test oftime withhonorsThunderbirdRussia CBSDcelebrates 10years of dedicatedworkand creativityWHEN THEfirst champagnebottlewas uncorkedFeb. 19 to celebratea decade of operationfor the Centerfor Business SkillsDevelopment(CBSD), it was alsoa toast to a businesssurvival story that iscase-study worthy.In 1993, telecommunicationsgiantUS West and theU.S. Agency forInternational Developmentcombinedforces to teachWestern businessprinciples in Russia.But goodwill andgrants were notenough. After 20months and a flurryof promising expansions,the CBSDlost the support ofits founding organizations.Though sixof its seven facilitiesclosed, some CBSDstaff kept working.Three key playersin the program—Dennis Hopple,Kevin Smith andAnnemarie Wollam—got together andin 24 hours haddrafted a proposal toThe team behind the 10th anniversary celebration for Thunderbird CBSDincludes Julia Aleshkevich, consultant, Dennis Hopple, president of CBSD, AllaGrochenkova, event organizer, and Yulia Meshcheryakova, marketing manager.save CBSD. Theyquickly turned toThunderbird for aid.Since then, theCBSD has grownfrom its small officeon Moscow’s IsmailovoIsland (thechildhood home ofPeter I) into one ofthe most respectedbusiness educationcenters in the country.Each year, morethan 8,000 students,mainly managersfrom companiesthroughout Russia,Kazakhstan andUkraine, comethrough the doors toparticipate in one ofmany programs. In2002, the AmericanChamber of CommerceRussia namedit the “Small Businessof the Year.”“Our managementdevelopmentprograms are sosuccessful because ofthe unique positionsthey have,” saysHopple, director ofCBSD and vicepresident of ThunderbirdRussia. “Noother program inRussia can compareto the Looking GlassLeadership Program.The reputation ofour project developmentand executivedevelopment coursesis unmatched.”The LookingGlass Program, oneof Thunderbird Russia’smost successful,is a four-day intensiveprogram formanagers that honesparticipants’ strategicthinking andability to recognizeopportunities. Theprogram is deliveredby U.S.-based consultantsfrom FGIInternational.Other specializedCBSD programsinclude the BeckerCPA review, Societyof HumanResource Managementprograms,and World at Workcertification programsin compensationand benefits.The CBSD alsocreates individualizedcorporate programsthat havedrawn the attentionand patronage ofsuch mega-companiesas Coca-Cola,General Motors,Caterpillar, Motorolaand Tefal.Even though theCBSD has come along way since thoseearly days, Hopplesays there still aremany miles to goon the road to trueglobal development.As part of thatdream, Hopple says,the CBSD plans tohelp meet the presentrequirements offormer Eastern Bloccountries by extendingits courses tohelp companymanagers and industrialleaders in thoseemerging markets.— Carrie Miner“Our programsaresuccessfulbecause ofthe uniquepositionsthey have.No otherprogram inRussia cancompare tothe LookingGlass LeadershipProgram.Thereputationof ourcoursesis unmatched.”thunderbird magazine 15

global campusBrazil anexcellentoption forExecutiveEducationTHUNDERbirdis lookingfor a new partnerfor its executiveMBA program inBrazil.For three years,the School partneredwith the AmericanChamber of Commercein offering a21-month executiveMBA program.But in January 2004,Thunderbird endedthe program, a victimof the economicdownturn in whichthe country has beenmired for four years.“Our intentionswere great, but thetiming was againstus,” says Tom Henderson,a director ofExecutive Education.“Just as wewere gainingmomentum in themarket, the huge devaluationtripled thecost of the programovernight.” While itoperated, about 25MBA candidatesgraduated each year.The last group leftin January 2004.With a populationof 170 million people,the largest economyin Latin Americaand commercialexpansion into globalmarkets, Braziloffers an ideal environmentfor Thunderbird,Hendersonsays. A high qualityinternational executiveMBA program,the kind that Thunderbirdprovides, isan attractive offeringin the Brazilianmarket. The bestNew students at Archamps showed off rare talentfor team building, if not for igloo construction.MBA students from the Prague campus compete in a fajita-making contest atThunderbird Glendale. “But what’s a fajita?” wonders one puzzled team.partner would be atop-tier businessschool with an existinginfrastructure.“We want to dosomething in Brazil,but we want to findthe right fit,” he says,“not just jump at thefirst opportunity. Wehave to find the rightform of partnershipto support our longerterm goals in the region.These types ofopportunities don’tcome up everyday.We want to do somethingthat works outfor the long term.”Igloos they were notTO A PRACTICED Eskimo, they werenowhere close to the real thing, but to thenew students on the Archamps campus,they were towering symbols of teamwork.In January, more than 20 students squaredoff in an igloo-building contest near the skiresort of Las Clusas, about an hour fromThunderbird’s Archamps campus just outsideGeneva, France. The half-day exercise, held infreezing temperatures, helped foster teamworkand bond the students together, says JulieCook, senior director for Executive Education inEurope. It certainly wasn’t about craftsmanship.“They made an admirable effort, but theigloos were not very good,” Cook says. “Onegroup made a great snow hole, but that was notthe objective. The igloos would not have beenrecognizable as real igloos to an actual Eskimo.”A test insizzlingteamworkFAJITAS WEREthe task andeating themthe reward for 23MBA candidatesfrom the Praguecampus, who werein Glendale in Januaryfor one of the 10modules that makeup their program.The three teams—given the sameingredients andlimited time to whiptogether a feast ofSouthwestern fajitas—werejudged onteamwork, presentationand salesmanship.Teams withAmericans familiarwith the dish had adistinct advantage,but so, too, did theteam that bribed thejudges with a bottleof Russian Moskovskayavodka.16 spring 2005

global campusTeachingchange incorporateculturesThunderbird& McKinseyEurope offerunique 3-dayprogram inArchampsTHAWING Acompany thatis frozen inplace requires understandingthe barriersto change and howto transform themindset and behaviorsof entrenchedemployees.Those tenantsof successful changewere part of thecurriculum of thefirst three-dayprogram betweenThunderbird Europeand McKinsey &Company. The program,“ReinventingCorporate Culture:The Key to DrivingSuccessful TransformationInitiatives,”was held Nov. 15-17at Thunderbird’sArchamps campus,just outside Geneva.“The seniority,national and culturaldiversity all combinedto give us amagical mix,” saysRory Simpson, headof ThunderbirdEurope and vicepresident for ExecutiveEducation.“We also were veryfortunate to assemblea group that wasso eager to engagewith each other.”Twenty-six people,representing19 companies and16 nationalities,traveled from 10countries to be partof the program. Accordingto Simpson,attendees included aParticipants from 16 nations talk strategies for averting stasis in corporate culture.representative fromthe Saudi ArabianRoyal High Commissionon Tourism,a team working toimprove the perceptionof industry inSouth Africa and arepresentative of theAga Khan Foundation,a philanthropicnon-governmentalagency.Through workshops,the programexamined howcorporate cultureimpedes change andhow to implementstrategies to overcomestasis. Amongthe topics: the needfor developing astrategy based ontarget market, thesystems and proceduresof change, andthe soft levers thatcan be used toembed change.“Doing this in theThunderbird environmentallowedparticipants to lettheir hair downand work in a morerelaxed, collegialenvironment,” saysMatt Cooper, aprogram participantand founder ofThEM, a Switzerland-basedconsultingfirm that specializesin energizingmoribund corporatestaffs. “Such an environmentpromoteslearning better thana corporate setting.The mix of backgroundsin the roomonly reinforced themessage that thetopic is people-related,not cultural orlanguage specific.”A second Thunderbird-Europe/McKinsey & Companyprogram isscheduled for Julythis year.The program brought the combined resources of Thunderbird Europe and McKinsey & Company to the Archamps campus.thunderbird magazine 17

ISBRANDAMERICABROKEN?U.S. foreign policy can affect sales ofAmerican companies abroad, andit mayhave already. What can be done now?By I.J. Schecter and D.J. BurroughIllustration by Robert CaseTIMES SEEM SOMEWHAT BETTER FORAmerica on the global stage these days. Thenation has patched up some of the strained relationshipsit had with key allies, displayed humanitariangoodwill in the wake of the IndianOcean tsunami and, most dramatically, garneredconsiderable credit for a swing towardsfreedom and democracy in the Middle East to help assuage complaintsfrom around the world in the wake of the Iraq invasion.What began as President George W. Bush’s secondary motive forinvading Iraq has evolved into a swelling pro-democracy trend, startingwith January’s successful elections in Iraq, continuing with stabilityin Afghanistan, street protests in Lebanon calling for Syria toend its occupation, the orderly and civil elections for a new leader ofthe PLO, local elections in Saudi Arabia, and Egyptian PresidentHosni Mubarak’s decision to allow some opposition candidates to runin the next presidential election.Just months ago, the picture was much bleaker. America’s image,Brand America, had lost much of its luster throughout the world inthunderbird magazine 19

“We, thequintessentialworldnation, areperceivedto haveturned ourbacks onthe rest ofthe world.”recent years. It was measured in the torrent ofvitriolic editorials in foreign papers denouncingthe United States, in the steady stream ofstreet protests by angry students and indownbeat poll after downbeat poll.There are signs that the tarnishing of BrandAmerica spilled over onto American productsand companies, smearing them with an unflatteringpatina. The halo effect that Americanproducts and companies had been used togetting from association with a “cool” and“free” America has been damaged, and insome circumstances it has been replaced withnegative kickback. For some companies andproducts, being labelled “Made in the U.S.A.”can now be a marketing liability in internationalmarkets. There are signs that the erosionof Brand America has made it moredifficult for U.S. multinationals to holdtheir own, let alone expand, in the globalmarketplace.But President Bush has made some positivemoves early in his second term to correctthe problem, perhaps partly in response toconcern from important global business constituencieswithin his own party. First, henamed Condoleezza Rice, his most importantconfidant, as secretary of state, the chiefinstrument of his new diplomacy, and sheimmediately visited more foreign peers inmajor markets than any previous secretary ofstate in that same period of time. He alsonamed his pivotal communications czar andclose friend, Karen Hughes, as assistant secretaryof state for public diplomacy, a positionthat gives her the task of ensuring astrong and positive international recognitionof Brand America.In March, Bush made a bridge-buildingtrip to Europe, not to meet with his moststaunch ally during the Iraq war, Tony Blair,but to break bread with French PresidentJacques Chirac and German Chancellor GerhardSchroeder, two of his biggest critics inhis rush to oust Saddam Hussein. Both happilyposed with him following their successfuldiscussions and made friendly commentsabout working together.As the U.S. administration looks out at theworld, it appears to be taking stock of thecomplexity of issues around the globe and ofthe potential long-term danger in pursuingthe go-it-alone policies it adhered to duringBush’s first term. Even if it had success insome spheres, unforeseen negative fallout inothers needs fixing. The signs are that the administrationis moving in the right direction,but will those efforts be enough to restore areputation that has been significantly dam-aged in the eyes of millions around theworld? Even more grave, has the tarnishingof Brand America endangered the nation’sdominant position in the global marketplace?A tarnished imageWHILE SOME world leadersseem ready to embracea kinder and gentler U.S.government, many oftheir citizens aren’t sosure they want to hug America back. Thosepeople, who may once have regarded Americaas a well-meaning bull in a china shop,now see it as a schoolyard bully who refusesto listen to its friends and indiscriminatelythrows its weight around.A poll taken at the end of 2004 by the AssociatedPress found that just over half of thepeople in France and Germany said theyviewed Americans unfavorably, and nearlyhalf in Spain felt the same way. Even in England,the United States’ only steadfast ally inits war in Iraq, a banner headline in London’sDaily Mirror following the November reelectionof President George Bush reflected adiminished attitude of the English: “Howcan 59,054,087 people be so DUMB?”“The fundamental problem with America’simage in the world today has been theperception, right or wrong, that we have chosena unilateral, ‘go-it-alone’ path of action,that we disregard the opinion of other peoples,that we disrespect international institutions,”says Keith Reinhard, chairman of themarketing services for DDB Worldwide andfounder of Business for Diplomatic Action, aprivate group that aims to improve the UnitedStates’ image. “We, the quintessentialworld nation, are perceived to have turnedour backs on the rest of the world.”While Germany’s Schroeder was happy towelcome Bush in March, his countrymenweren’t so open-armed. Plans for a townhallmeeting in Mainz were cancelled when theGerman government couldn’t guaranteefriendly questions.A 2004 survey by Research Internationalfound that 80 percent of the residents in 10Latin American countries agree that “Americansonly care about themselves” and thatjust 13 percent believe Americans “respectother cultures.” Meanwhile, majorities inBosnia, Korea, Russia and Norway believethat U.S. foreign policy has a negative effecton their countries, according to a Gallup Internationalsurvey in 2002.Dealings with Spain have become particularlyfrosty since it pulled its troops out of20 spring 2005

Iraq. Italian citizens became even more enragedwith the United States in March, whenU.S. troops in Iraq killed an Italian intelligenceagent and wounded an Italian journalistwho had just been freed from insurgents.In Bulgaria, citizen opposition to the Iraq warboiled over after U.S. troops killed a Bulgariansoldier in a friendly fire incident. Whetheror not to withdraw its troops has become acentral issue in the run-up to June elections.Even Switzerland and Canada, countrieswhose feathers seldom get ruffled over anything,have taken exception to U.S. dealings,the former cutting back appreciably on importsand exports, the latter threatening todouble tariffs in response to what Canadaclaims are unscrupulous trading practices.Evidence indicating that Brand America isdamaged has been building for several years,but there also are signs that brand erosion hasbegun to impact U.S. multinationals who selltheir products around the world, an evenmore ominous development that could signalthe beginning of the end for U.S. brand dominance.In Hamburg, a group of restaurants haverefused to sell Coca-Cola and Marlboros,both iconic American products, or acceptAmerican Express cards. In France, protestersmarched in 2004 to the local McDonald’sfranchise and toppled Ronald McDonald.Thirty-six thousand people from around theworld responded to a “Boycott Brand America”Web site put up in British Columbia.U.S. companies affectedIN DECEMBER, Global Market Insite,an independent Seattle polling group,surveyed 8,000 consumers in eightcountries and found that 20 percent ofEuropeans and Canadians said theiranger over United States’ foreign policy woulddeter them from buying American brands.“A profound trust gap exists for Americancorporations in Europe,” says Richard W.Edelman, president and chief executive officerof Edelman U.S.A., the largest independentpublic relations firm in the world, with 39offices worldwide. “It is brand players whoare particularly affected by this trend, whiletechnology companies seem to be immune,as they are perceived to be more global.”The recent performance of U.S. firms withthe most powerful global presence paints atroubling picture. A study by market researchleader NOP World showed that consumertrust ratings in 30 countries for such emblematicbehemoths as Coca-Cola, McDonald’s,Nike and Microsoft had each dipped betweenthree and six percent between 2003 and 2004.While it’s not unusual for consumers to sayone thing to a pollster and do the opposite atthe cash register, there are signs that all thisanimosity toward the United States and U.S.products has begun to influence not just whatconsumers say but what they do.“Americans show that they are people whoare afraid and distrustful of everything surroundingthem,” said a survey participantWorld: U.S. ForeignPolicy StinksS. AmericaN. AmericaEuropeMidEastAfricaW. AsiaAsia-Pacificnegative positive no effect don’t know/no opinionSource: 2003 Voice of the People Survey,Gallup International AssociationNearly half the worldbelieves U.S. foreignpolicy impacts negativelyon their nations,according to a 2003Gallup survey thatrepresents the opinionof more than 1 billionpeople. In fact, onlythree out of every 10people believe thatU.S. foreign policyhas a positive effecton their country. Themost critical publiccame from Switzerlandand Japan, bothwith a 68 percentnegative rating,while the most upbeatcame from Israel(68%), Afghanistan(74%) and Kosovo(88% positive).thunderbird magazine 21

“At heart,most peopleknowthere is adifferencebetweenAmericanfirms andthe Americangovernment…Wherethe valuepropositionstacks up,people willstill buyAmerican.”from Brazil, who was part of a 2003 study byResearch International. “Their products arealready not unique. The national debt is increasingeveryday. And all this has shakeneven their self-esteem, which was strong as arock. I think that today it must not be so comfortablebeing an American.”According to another study by NOPWorld, the total number of consumersworldwide who used major U.S. brands in arecent two-year span fell from 30 percent to27, while non-U.S. brands held their groundin the same period. And over the past year,sales of signature U.S. brands—McDonald’s,Coca-Cola, Marlboro, Wal-Mart, Disneyand Gap—have been weak or have fallen.In Germany, whose population was decidedlyopposed to the Iraq War (and who electedChancellor Schroeder on a platformagainst the war), Coca-Cola was down 16 percentduring the third quarter of 2004 comparedto the previous year. Meanwhile, Mc-Donald’s blamed falling sales there for wipingout what would have otherwise been a growthyear in Europe. Sales numbers for Altria (thenew name for Philip Morris Companies),maker of Marlboro cigarettes, were downnearly 25 percent in France and 18.7 percent inGermany in the third quarter of 2004 comparedto the previous year.“Foreigners have a love-hate affair withAmerican companies and products,” saysMichael Vanderkaden, current director of financefor a leading Canadian healthcare institutionand former consultant for a U.S.-based global strategy firm. He has observedthe issue from both sides. “To some, U.S.firms are a great alternative to staid domesticones, providing new technology, innovativeproducts and capital funding. To others,American cultural insensitivity and overridingarrogance displace those benefits.”The falling dollar may for now be maskingthe size of the problem, say experts, by inflatingrepatriated profits and lowering the costin foreign countries of U.S. brands.How important is the global marketplacefor U.S.-based companies? According to a recentsurvey by Interbrand, 64 of the mostvaluable 100 global brands belong to USbasedcompanies. An increasing number ofU.S.-based companies are relying on salesoutside North America for growth. Coca-Cola does a whopping 80 percent of its businessoutside the United States, and nearly 25percent of all U.S. multinational profits comefrom foreign subsidiaries.For decades, American brands have benefitedfrom an unconscious—and sometimesnot so unconscious—brand association withthe United States. When the dimensionsthat defined Brand America were “fashionable,”“modern,” “freedom,” “democracy,”“tolerance,” “compassion” and “equality,”U.S.-based companies flaunted their Americanheritage, riding the halo effect all the wayto the bank. Marlboro had its iconic cowboyriding across the open West. Coke had U.S.citizens teaching the world to sing in perfectEnglish harmony. And Ford pick-up trucksbecame synonymous with the United States’free-spirit culture.But now much of the world perceives theUnited States to be abandoning the principalsthat defined Brand America. Like a 100pound anchor tied to a canoe, a tarnishedBrand America may risk dragging U.S.brands down with it.U.S. products vs. policyBUT SOME corporate leaders saythat any alleged soiling of BrandAmerica has not translated into acorresponding hit on their foreignbusiness activities. Consumerssimply do not care where their new iPod orLevi jeans come from as long as the perceivedvalue is high.“At heart, most people know there is a differencebetween American firms and theAmerican government,” says professor TimLeunig of the London School of Economics.“Where the value proposition stacks up, peoplewill still buy American.”Globalization of the manufacturing processalso has eroded the idea that any product isproduced in one country. “Made in theU.S.A.” has less meaning when a product’smicrochips were manufactured in Singapore,the assembly was done in China, the packagingin London and the customer service callsare answered in India.Corporate America may not be ready to admitthat as Brand America goes, so goesAmerican products. But corporations are expressingconcern about the country’s image.Recently, a group of 150 of the most powerfuland successful advertising and marketingexperts in the United States came together toform Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA).The nonprofit group, headed by Keith Reinhard,aims to return some of the luster thathas been lost from Brand America. Amongits members are some of the biggest powerbrands in the United States, including Pepsiand McDonald’s.Polishing Brand America has been triedbefore. In 2001, the U.S. government attempt-22 spring 2005

ed to deal with its flagging image in the MiddleEast when it hired Charlotte Beers, formerhead of WPP ad agencies JWT andO&M, to head up a $15 million ad campaign.Most Middle East stations refused to air thespots, and it only garnered derision from theresidents in that region. The “Shared ValuesInitiative” was soon shuttered and is widelyconsidered to be an abysmal failure.Some question whether any commission—regardless of credentials or corporate pedigree—caninfluence America’s global imagewhen it has no control over the prime moverof that image: U.S. foreign policy. But BDA’sReinhard believes that U.S. multinationalshave a much greater influence over the imageof the United States around the world, that infact their brands come in contact with peoplemore than the government ever does. Considerthat both Coca-Cola and McDonald’sspend more money, approximately $1.2 billioneach annually, in selling their brands.“We believe we can start to regain respectand credibility for America with actions,projects and programs created, funded andimplemented not by the U.S. governmentbut by the U.S. business community, whichin many ways is more qualified than the governmentand—at this moment in history, wewould argue—is certainly a more crediblemessenger,” Reinhard says.Identify with local cultureSTRATEGIES THAT U.S. multinationalsshould adopt in the face of adeclining Brand America should befar more subtle than simply hidingtheir point of origin, say marketingand branding experts. The best response is toidentify better with the local markets, in partby hiring more local managers and adoptingpolicies that show cultural empathy.In 2004, Madison Avenue powerhouse Mc-Cann-Erickson advised its clients to playdown their U.S. connections. Instead, theyshould highlight their “strong local roots” ineach regional territory.Visa International has taken that tact andhas avoided the Brand America backlash, saycompany officials. Being seen as a local companyis promoted, in part, because global customersget their card from local institutions.“We’re helped because we’re seen as local,”says John Elkins, executive vice president forVisa International, U.S.A. “In Korea, theysay we’re as natural as rice.” To maintaintheir local identify, Visa does not use a globaladvertising agency but only local agenciesand local media buying, Elkins says.Some U.S. brands are so large or have beenestablished for so long on foreign soil thatgenerations of consumers no longer linkthem with the United States; they only knowThe less ugly AmericanMake friends in Tibet by sticking out your tongue, butavoid waving like an American or you’ll insult people.THAT’S JUST ONE useful piece of advicein the “World Citizens Guide,” aunique travel book published byBusiness for Diplomatic Action (BDA) andSouthern Methodist University. BDA distributedmore than 200,000 of these bookletson more than 800 college campuses acrossthe United States in the hopes of makingyoung travelers better global citizens.“This may seem a small step towardwinning back friends for America, but whobetter than our young people to be ambassadorsof what’s good about America, andin the process learning to be good andsensitive citizens of the world by adoptingattitudes and behaviors that will stay withthem for a lifetime,” says Keith Reinhard,BDA president and chairman of DDBWorldwide. “U.S. college students are aready-made diplomatic corps tohelp change perceptions overseas.”In 2003, approximately167,000 U.S. college studentsstudied abroad, and hundreds ofthousands more visited foreigncountries.No advice on where to stay orwhat to see in this guide. Rather,it offers suggestions like, “Smile.Genuinely. It’s a universal equalizer.”Or: “Assume resentment as adefault and play down your wealth, powerand status.” Or: “In Japan, it is consideredrude to look at a person directly in the eyefor more than a few seconds.”Much of the content for the book camefrom foreign nationals working in 130DDB offices worldwide.thunderbird magazine 23

“TheUnitedStates is ina positionthat eventhe ancientempires ofGreece,Rome andEgypt havenever experienced:asinglecountrywieldingenormouspower duesolely to itseconomy...When youhave thatpower, youneed toshow extrasensitivity.”that they’ve grown up eating Kellogg’s CornFlakes and drinking Coca-Cola.In spite of its problems in Germany, and ahistory of selling itself alongside BrandAmerica, Coca-Cola has more recently donea better job of aligning itself with the localculture, say marketing experts. A survey ofconsumers in China, India, Korea, Indonesiaand the Philippines by Leo Burnett foundthat 49 percent of the respondents viewedCoca-Cola as a global brand, while only 31percent saw it as a U.S. brand. Fifteen percenteven thought the brand was local.A solid lesson can be learned from a companythat has slipped seamlessly into foreignmarkets despite the word “American” makingup half of its name, says Dr. Richard Ettenson,associate professor and area coordinatorof marketing at Thunderbird. “Livingnear the Geneva border during G8 meetings,I found it enlightening to observe the patternof various protests. Who are the protesters alwaystargeting? McDonald’s. Yet they marchright by the American Express office. AmExisn’t perceived as an interloper like McDonald’sbecause it provides excellent value andavoids making waves with local traditions.”Adapting the imageTHE PERENNIAL targets havelocalized in various ways,however. McDonald’s hasadapted its menu, even addingKosher and Halal versions ofthe chain in countries like Israel, Argentinaand Malaysia. Nike has won over the worldby developing localizing strategies, campaignsand messages. In Europe and Asia, thesports apparel giant concentrates on soccer,using famous stars from well-known teamslike Real Madrid. In Australia, Nike created acampaign around Cathy Freeman, the country’smost famous Aboriginal athletics star.The best run U.S. multinational corporationsstarted to deal with the declining BrandAmerica years ago, say Harvard BusinessSchool faculty members John A. Quelch,senior associate dean, International Development,and Lincoln Filene, professor of BusinessAdministration. They hired more localexecutives and put more resources toward localcommunity relations, Quelch says.“In my opinion these multinationals inoculatedthemselves from what would havetaken place if they had not gone down the localadaptation route,” he says.U.S.-based multinational corporationsneed to have an even sharper awareness of thecultures they are selling in and how BrandAmerica is perceived there, say marketingexperts. U.S. companies need to appreciatethe growing sensitivity of consumers in localmarkets to all things American. Fail to dothat, say experts, and it could translate intoangry consumers who read cultural slightsinto every piece of adverting.“The United States is in a position thateven the ancient empires of Greece, Romeand Egypt have never experienced: a singlecountry wielding enormous power due solelyto its economy,” says Tony van der Hoek ’89,director of strategy and business solutions forCoca-Cola’s global Wal-Mart account team.“When you have that power, you need toshow extra sensitivity. Businesses need to tieinto the fabric of the countries in which theyoperate. They need to develop a local presenceby identifying with local sensibilities.”Although it’s done very well in localizingits message, Nike Inc. recently tripped overits own fashionable feet in China with a campaignfeaturing National Basketball Associationstar Lebron James. The ads featuredJames going up against and beating a kung fumaster and other Chinese cultural icons in avideo-game style battle. Nike’s intendedmessage was lost on a population sensitive toAmerican aggression.BDA’s Reinhard believes that U.S. multinationalsshould poll their own internationalworkforces to see whether their companiesare exacerbating the decline of Brand Americaor doing something to reduce the problem.“Once CEOs hear from their own people,we believe they’ll become more engaged inthe issue,” he says.While American multinationals can domuch to control their own image in the globalmarketplace and have considerable impacton how Brand America is perceived, thebiggest player in creating an American imageoverseas is the United States government.If democracy, peace and economies arewell established in Afghanistan and Iraq in afew years, if an independent Palestine and Israelare living in peaceful co-existence, if theUnited States can back up its stance as theworld’s moral arbiter with less rhetoric andmore policy changes, and if it can listen to itsallies and avoid taking unpopular unilateralactions, then Brand America can once againbecome the shining beacon it once was.But that’s a lot of ifs.How is Brand America perceived where you arein the world? What can multinationals do to keepfrom being dragged down with the image? Go tothunderbird.edu and join our Brand America discussiongroup.24 spring 2005

ON THEROAD TOTRANSFOIn less than a year as president,Dr. Angel Cabrera has introducedimportant changes that are movingThunderbird in new directionsBy D.J. Burrough

RMATIONFRONT & CENTERPresident Cabreraexplains key programchanges, including theGlobal MBA On-Demandprogram, to the Schoolstaff. He also coveredthe same topics withstudents, faculty andalumni.DR. ANGEL CABRERA COULD BE MISTAKENfor one of Thunderbird’s MBA candidates, andless for his youthful appearance than the timehe spends with them. It is as common to findthe 37-year-old president in the commons sharinga slice of pepperoni pizza and a freneticback-and-forth conversation with students asto find him behind his paper-strewn desk. When the search committeepicked Cabrera from among the pool of potential candidates, theysaw him as a hard-charging achiever and transformative leader. In hisfirst nine months on the job, he has done nothing to belie that image.Cabrera’s ubiquitous presence around campus is a reflection of hisengaging approach as Thunderbird’s leader. If students have foundthunderbird magazine 27

A GLOBAL VOICEWith a new brand inhand—Truly Global—themarketing departmentis advertising inprominent businessnewspapers and magazinesaround the world.him engaging, faculty, staff and board membershave been impressed with his energyand his ability to quickly grasp issues.“The speed with which Angel has gained ahandle on things is impressive,” says CraigWatson, a Thunderbird board of trustee.“He’s also formed a very positive bond withthe staff, which is critical in getting thingsdone. And I understand his relations with thefaculty are similarly strong.”“Even before his first board meeting,” saysMaribeth Rahe, a trustee who also served onthe search committee, “he was well versed inthe issues facing Thunderbird. He has exceededmy expectations. We’re lucky to havesomeone who is high-energy, hard-workingand collegial... who knows what it takes.”Before taking up the presidency in September2004, Dr. Cabrera had studied the strategicbusiness plan prepared under his predecessor,Dr. Roy Herberger. “It is a good plan,”Cabrera says. “A lot of thought went into thatplan, and a lot of people and stakeholders participatedin building it. The plan respondsvery well to the challenges and opportunitieswe face. Before we let it collect dust on theshelf, we need to gear up and implement it.”The thrust of the plan is to better brand theSchool as the world leader in internationalmanagement, to reposition the full-timeMBA program among the best in the world,to diversify the portfolio of programs offeredand to increase our reach to other world markets.The first steps in carrying that out includestreamlining the application process,tightening the entry requirements, increasingthe selectivity of students, defining thebrand, improving marketing and communications,developing new programs for newmarkets, and creating a new structure to betterserve the 35,000 alumni.Truly GlobalFOR YEARS, Thunderbird developedbrand awareness with a smallamount of advertising and publicrelations, relying instead on informalword-of-mouth efforts ofalumni. However, with more businessschools encroaching into Thunderbird’s coreinternational business expertise, and withfewer people applying to business schools, especiallyinternational students following the9/11 terrorist attack, it became clear, Cabrerasays, that the School’s existing minimalistmarketing strategy was no longer functional.“As mainstream business schools take oninternational specialties, we need to better articulatewhat makes Thunderbird so unique,”he says. The first step to improving the marketingeffort was to better define the brand,says Ken Lambert ’77, vice president andchief marketing officer, “to find out justwhat exactly the ‘Thunderbird Mystique’ isall about.” Lambert was hired shortly beforeCabrera was named president.In June 2004, Lambert organized a brandingexercise that included students, alumni,recruiters, faculty and staff. From the feedbackof those participants and quantitativeanalysis gathered over the years, the new conceptof “Truly Global” emerged as the corebrand concept.“It is intended as a positioning statement,but just like other great lines—Nike’s ‘Just DoIt’ or Coke’s ‘The Real Thing’—it morphedinto our marketing tag line,” Lambert says.“The essence of Truly Global means that thestakeholders in Thunderbird have a greaterpotential for success in their careers and, indeed,in their lives than do people attendingany other higher education alternatives whenit comes to global opportunities.”On its own, “Truly Global” differentiatesThunderbird from other programs that claimto offer international management. But thepositioning statement “becomes a very powerfulmessage with extraordinary saliency”when it’s paired with the pillars that supportthe concept, he says.The five pillars, which came out of thesame branding exercise, define not only thestrengths of Thunderbird but also the peoplewho graduate from the program.28 spring 2005

TAKING A BREAK President Cabrera already is leading Thunderbird in new, creative and dynamic directions.BRAD REEDThe five pillars, or concepts, upon whichThunderbird stands include Global ThoughtLeadership, Enterprising Spirit, Culture-Business Fusion, Borderless Communityand Global Citizenship.After completing the brand-defining exercise,an integrated marketing campaign led toa reorganization of the marketing staff withseasoned professionals; an increase in the advertisingbudget; a redesign of the alumnimagazine and Web site; creating print andInternet advertising campaigns; and introducinga program of lead generation, usingthe Internet, enhanced marketing, sales toursand direct marketing. In addition, an expandedcorporate communications program alreadyhas led to incremental coverage in someof the world’s most influential business publications,including the Financial Times, TheWall Street Journal and The New York Times.In addition, Thunderbird has placed advertisingin a number of international publications,including The Economist and Business-Week. Internet ads have appeared on sites forU.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek andothers. Radio spots are running in variousmarkets around the world, and a televisionspot is being created for the Asia market.The external Web site is undergoing acomplete redesign with new navigation tobetter reflect the dynamic nature of theSchool and more deeply engage visitors. It isexpected to debut in the fall, Lambert says.At the start of 2005, Thunderbird embarkedon a series of information toursthroughout the world, which attracted hundredsof prospective students in Europe, Asiaand the United States. Early signs indicatethat the marketing push has worked; studentlead generation is up 70 percent over last year.“There is a buzz in the Thunderbird communityaround ‘Truly Global’ and the fivepillars,” says Lambert. “It has been embraced.That’s an amazing sign so soon in the game.”Global NetworkREENGINEERING OF the ThunderbirdAlumni Association beganmore than two years agowith a study titled, “ThunderbirdAlumni Association of theFuture.” It included research of personal andprofessional life management processes andbenchmarked Thunderbird alumni againsttop university and professional associations.It also included focus groups and surveys ofT-bird alumni. From the research came aconcept paper for changes to the association,for which the Thunderbird Board of Trusteesapproved funding in November.“It’s less a change in structure than achange in roles and responsibilities,” saysMeredith Peabody ’96, who conducted muchof the research and helped draft the conceptpaper, and who later accepted Cabrera’s invitationto become the executive director of the“Theessence oftruly globalmeans thatthe stakeholdersinThunderbirdhavea greaterpotentialfor successin theircareersand,indeed, intheir liveswhen itcomes toglobalopportunities.”thunderbird magazine 29

“It’s analumniorganizationthatis beingcreated byalumni foralumni.The ThunderbirdGlobalNetworkis aboutfosteringalumniengagement…”new association. “It’s an alumni organizationthat is being created by alumni for alumni.It’s about fostering alumni engagement withthe alumni network and with the School.”The research and surveys revealed that theorganizational structure of the associationwas confusing to alumni and, thus, not effectiveenough. There also was a lack of clarityabout roles and responsibilities for the alumnichapters and councils. “The alumni officehad experimented with many structures andhad reached a point where alumni in generaldid not understand the alumni volunteerstructure,” Peabody says.The TAA and Alumni Relations Office alsotended to implement programs and servicesthat were responsive to the short-term demandsof the School or alumni, but were notthe best for long-term strategic planning.To address those issues, the Global Board isbeing restructured to include two membersfrom each Regional Council, 10 at-largemembers representing a diversity of geography,degrees, age and industry, and 10 membersfrom the largest chapters. The changemeans chapters will be better-represented.During the next year, alumni should alsoexpect to see changes in the look and feel ofMy Thunderbird (MTB). “We are going toredesign the Web site,” says Peabody, “andmake it more intuitive, relevant and easy toaccess and navigate.” Plans call for a reintroductionof MTB, along with a program to encouragealumni to use it often.The network will do more to support networkingevents among chapters, such as providingtop-level speakers and hiring a managerof Chapter Affairs and Volunteer Leadership,Peabody says. Alumni also should expectto see more career programs and services,among them a list of T-birds who are eitherin the professional coaching or executivesearch fields. The network also will assistalumni on posting their résumés on MTB.“If we get it right, people will choose to remainactive for the rest of their lives,” Cabrerasays. “We want to create a network thathas value for each and every person. Thereare very few organizations that have thereach that we have.”Global MBA On-DemandON SEPTEMBER 10, Thunderbirdwill welcome its first cohortof students in the GlobalMBA On-Demand program,a 21-month program that is ablend of interactive, collaborative learningvia the Internet and face-to-face intensiveseminars on Thunderbird campuses in Glendale,Archamps and Beijing.“This is unlike anything Thunderbird hasdone in the past,” Cabrera says. “The fastestgrowing segment of the MBA market is indistance learning, and now the technologyhas advanced to the point where we feel wecan offer a quality experience. Thunderbird’sgoal is to extend our reach around the world,ALUMNI LEADERMeredith Peabody ’96,executive director of theThunderbird GlobalNetwork, is implementingchanges in its rolesand responsibilities.BRAD REED30 spring 2005

and that can only be achieved if we take thelead in utilizing the new technologies in intelligentways.”The Global MBA On-Demand programwill be based on some of the same content,curriculum and professors as the on-campusdegree. The program is designed for workingprofessionals worldwide. Coursework andinteraction between the faculty and students,and among student peers, will be conductedusing an exclusive MTB intranet portal andother new technologies, like Tegrity streamingvideos and e-learning modules.“There is a market out there of individualswho want to earn an MBA but don’t want totake a financial hit by leaving their jobs andrelocating,” says Bert Valencia, director of theGlobal MBA On-Demand program. “It’svery difficult to devote all your time to study.”On-Demand is modeled on the successfulGlobal MBA for Latin America managersprogram, of which Valencia is director. Theprogram has brought distance learning tonearly 600 Thunderbird MBA students sinceit’s inception in 1998. Even though those studentsspend only a brief time together oncampus, Valencia says, the experience hasbeen that they bond tightly as a group and asThunderbirds.“They are some of the most intense alumniI’ve ever met,” he says. “When they comehere, they connect with each other veryquickly, and they cherish the time spent oncampus. I believe we will give the On-Demandstudents that same experience andthey will root very quickly to the School.”On-Demand students will have real-timeinteraction with their peers and professors almostdaily, Valencia says. They may work ona case in a study group with six other studentsor will work one-on-one with a professoron a negotiation exercise or, just like oncampus, receive a case study to analyze andsolve, he says.“Students will sign on in the morning,wherever they are, and have continued interfacesthroughout the day,” he says. “The waythey will be working is just how multinationalcorporations are working today, where peoplefrom, say, finance and marketing work onprojects as virtual teams and only meet onceor twice a year.”The selection process for students will bethe same as it is for students in the full-time,on-campus degree program. Furthermore, torecreate the cultural mix that occurs on campus,the On-Demand program will pair studentsof different cultures in work groups.The time students spend on ThunderbirdTHE MAN ON DEMAND Administrator Bert Valencia has taken on theleadership of the Global On-Demand MBA program, which begins in September.campuses—a total of four modules of 10 intensivedays each—will comprise more thana quarter of the course work, Valencia says.On-Demand students will have a unique opportunityto blend their business trainingwith an invaluable global experience, learningin three continents and working with colleaguesfrom around the world, he says.With the On-Demand program, Valenciasays, Thunderbird is joining the growingranks of business schools that are offeringdistance learning, including Duke, Purdue,Insead, IMD and Instituto de Empresa,Cabrera’s former school.In the brief time he’s been president, Cabrerahas created a vibrancy about Thunderbirdamong the students, staff, faculty, boardmembers, Phoenix leadership and alumni.Much of what has fueled the increased interesthas been the early initiatives he’s set forth,but it’s also being flamed by Cabrera’s personalityand the knowledge that he’s leadingThunderbird on a journey whose conclusionis uncertain but is sure to have some very interestingsights to see along the way.“We need to make some changes,” he says.“Some of them will be mistakes, but most ofthem will be great successes. There is noquestion we need to act, that we need to makedecisions. The industry is changing so rapidly,and we need to change with it if we are tocontrol our destiny.”“Thunderbird’sgoalis to extendour reacharound theworld, andthat canonly beachieved ifwe take thelead inutilizing thenew technologiesinintelligentways.”BRAD REEDthunderbird magazine 31

A NATIONBORN INORANGEALL PHOTOS: MICHAEL BLEYZERThunderbird Global Council memberMichael Bleyzer was in Kyiv, Ukraine,in November and witnessed, andhere reports on, the beginningof the Orange Protest andthe birth of a true democracy

NOVEMBER 23 LED BY OPPOSItionpresidential candidate ViktorYushchenko, as many as 1 million peoplemarch on parliament, turning thenarrow brick streets into a sea of orangeflags and ribbons. The protestsprings up as a result of the outcome of the second round ofthe presidential elections, held November 21, which declaredthe Russian-speaking Prime Minister Victor Yanukovichthe narrow winner. Exit polls indicate widespread fraud,and international observers call the election results tainted.A SEA OF ORANGEThe peaceful revolutionariesof Kyiv floodIndependence Squareto listen to MykolaTomenko, a centralfigure in the OrangeRevolution. Tomenko isnow Vice Prime Ministerof Ukraine for HumanitarianPolicy, the resultof his support for ViktorYushchenko.We are in the middle of the Orange Revolutionin Kyiv. It is an incredible experience tobe here. We have been spending a lot of timeon the streets and on the main square, MaidanNezalezhnosti, Independence Square. Nonews footage can do justice to the feeling ofbeing surrounded by a million people. It isamazing how incredible this crowd is. Thinkof an unhappy crowd—cheated by politicians,betrayed by the system—and you expect angry,agitated people. Think again! This is thehappiest, friendliest, most incredibly lovingand supportive group I have encountered, andthere are a million of them! People smile,sing, laugh and offer help and support to eachother. There are no police in sight. Imaginethat! There are not even any reports of crime in this huge metropolitanarea. Everyone is a friend, everyone is a neighbor, everyone is abrother. We are in the middle of a miracle. The people of this countrycame out on the streets to say, “We have had enough! Enough of criminalsrunning the country, enough of corruption, enough of lawlessness.We want to be free, we want to be clean and civilized, we wantto be a part of Europe and the World.”NOVEMBER 24 Tens of thousands of Orange Protesters vow to staycamped in Independence Square until reports of election fraud are examined.It is cold out here. Most nights the temperature goes well belowfreezing. But the tent city that has gone up in the middle of Kyiv, nowwith thousands of tents, is very warm. There are mountains of warmclothes everywhere on Khreshchatyk, the main street of the city, donatedby Kyivites. Food, hot coffee and hot tea are abundant and freeeverywhere. But you do not see any alcohol. This is the most soberone million Ukrainians you will ever meet. The crowd is completelyself-organizing and is improving its collective behavior continuously.Every new day brings better organization, improved conditions andcommunications, and good behavior. Where are the sociologists? Weare living one of the finest examples of crowd behavior in history.NOVEMBER 25 Despite freezing temperatures and worsening living conditions,protesters remain in Independence Square, saying they’ll only leavewhen a new presidential election is held and Yanukovich agrees to step down.thunderbird magazine 33

EXPECTANT CROWDPeople jam MaidanSquare at the heart ofKyiv, while Ukraine’s blueand yellow flagsintermingle with theorange flags of change.

It is clear to any observer that this crowdwill win. There’s no way to stop it without amassive blood bath, which cannot happen inEurope in this new century, with all theworld’s TV cameras turned on Ukraine.Over the last five days, the opposition hasbeen winning continuous victories. Thecrowds are growing bigger, and demonstrationsare all over the country. Famous athletes,actors, artists and high ranking militaryand police officers are joining the opposition.When Ruslana, the most famous Ukrainiansinger and the 2004 Eurovision contest winner,and Vladimir Klitchko, the heavyweightchampion, joined Victor Yushchenko on thepodium three days ago, the crowd went wild.The following day brought Lech Walesa, seniorofficers of SBU (formerly the KGB) andthe police and several formerly neutral “oligarchs”to the podium.NOVEMBER 27 The Ukrainian SupremeCourt declares the presidential election null until itconsiders the claims that the vote was rigged.The media are free once again in Ukraine.Until now, only one channel was coveringthe events from Maiden Nezalezhnosti 24hours a day. Our Volia Cable also was deliveringits signal to some 1.5 million viewers inKyiv despite the pressure, including 10 daysin July when some of our managers went tojail. All the other channels have been ignoringthe people on the streets and insteadshowing cartoons, music concerts and traveldestinations. Most TV journalists hadbeen fired or had gone on strike because theyrefused to continue broadcasting lies, so almostall stations had ceased operations. Forthree days, most of Ukraine had no TVnews, for there was no staff left to producethe news.Last night it all changed. The owners of themajor channels gave in to the demands oftheir journalists and allowed honest news reportingfor the first time in the history of independentUkraine. Some ran their eveningnews broadcast with a group shot of all journalistsstanding together, with one of themreading a statement in which they swore toreport honest news only. It was an unbelievableand inspiring sight. And then the miraclehappened: They showed a direct feed of amillion proud Ukrainians on Maidan Nezalezhnostiin Kyiv to the whole country. Ifthere was a defining moment in the birth ofthis nation, that was it!NOVEMBER 28 In a day of tension and loudprotests both on the street and in parliament cham-bers, the democratically-elected body declares theelection results invalid. Three days later, the parliamentvotes to fire the entire presidential staff.Today was another exciting day with theextraordinary session of the Ukrainian Rada,or parliament. It started four hours ago and isbeing shown live on television all over thecountry. We are all glued to our televisionscreens. The Rada already voted to considerthe runoff elections invalid, and it expressedno-confidence in the Central Election Committee,along with other important actions.They are still debating, but they are progressingwell. Things are looking up! The OrangeRevolution continues!DECEMBER 23 The Ukrainian SupremeCourt invalidates the presidential election resultsand orders a new electionto be held Dec. 26.DECEMBER 26Election results showthat Viktor Yushchenkohas won with 52 percentof the vote to just44 percent for VictorYanukovich.JANUARY 23 Yushchenkois sworn in aspresident. Inaugurationballs are held throughKyiv.Blazing a trailMICHAEL BLEYZER is the founder of SigmaBleyzer, a multinational fundmanager with a focus on Southeast Europe. The company provides investmentbanking, research, and economic development consultingto both companies and governments. The 100+ person firm, based in Houston,Texas, has created a model for investing in former Soviet-bloc countries. .SigmaBleyzer offers clients a family of Ukrainian Growth Funds. The firmlooks for newly privatized companies, startups and strong turnaround candidatesthat are undervalued and have high growth potential. The company hascontrolling interest in several companies across a spectrum of industries, includingtechnology, energy, manufacturing, food and consumer products.Born in Kharkiv, Ukraine in 1951, Bleyzer was raised and educated in the SovietUnion, graduating from the Kharkov Institute of Radioelectronics with aMaster of Science in digital electronics and quantum physics. His career tookhim to Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, before coming to theUnited States in 1978, where he became a U.S. citizen. Bleyzer then embarkedon a career in finance and management.When the USSR dissolved in the early 1990s, Bleyzer responded quickly tothe opportunities presented, utilizing his business experience to invest strategicallyin the emerging region.thunderbird magazine 35

Now what?The Orange “revolutionaries” are in charge,but will they lead with transparency andhonesty, and bring stability to the country?JOYFUL TIMESAuthor Michael Bleyzer(right) shares the funwith new street friends.IWROTE THESE DIARY ENTRIESin the last days of November 2004 atthe height of the Orange Revolutionin Kyiv. It was the most excitingtime of my life. I did not know whatthe final outcome would be, or if violencewould erupt despite the optimism,or how power would be transferred ifthe revolution did succeed. But I knew that Iwas witnessing one of the most incredibleevents of recent years.Now, many months later, we know thatthe Orange Revolution was a resounding success,greater than even the most optimisticexpectations in November. The long termconsequences for Ukraine and the world nowdepends on what theOrange revolutionariesdo with theirnew power. Manychallenges lie ahead,not least of which isthe difficult legacy of10 years of slow andpainful transition toa market economy.The “revolutionaries”are in chargeof all government institutionsand agencies.It is amazing torealize that the revolutionwas accomplishedwithout anyviolence nor a singleshot fired. Thelargest peaceful revolution in history had aquick and victorious end, with power transferringto the Orange team with little resistance.It took less than three months in all.The Orange Revolution was exciting andfull of energy and color despite the cold, drearydays of Ukraine’s winter. Even a revolutionstaged by MTV would not have seemedhipper, happier, nor more photogenic. Thechants razom nas bahato, nas ne podolaty (togetherwe are many, we cannot be defeated)and svobodu ne spynyty (freedom can’t bestopped) should be taught in every school.These incredibly powerful chants wereturned into inspiring songs by bands duringthe revolution.The three months of the Orange Revolutionwas the great awakening of the Ukrainiannation and an incredible cleansing of itscivil society. A democratic nation was born.The new rulers were anointed by the street,and Ukrainians are better off now becausethey can always remember nas bahato, nas nepodolaty! What happened was even better forUkraine than if Yushchenko were simplyelected cleanly and transparently in the firstround. People came out in the streets andsaid, “We do not want these guys any longer.We want those guys!” And they got them!What can be more democratic?The Ukrainian people and the world expecta lot from the new government: Simplicity.Transparency. Predictability. As aninvestor, I want simple and effective solutionsthat can be explained to the Ukrainianpeople. I want frequent and open communicationsbetween the new government and thepeople. The government needs to listenclosely to what the people say. And I want astable and predictable business and legal environmentwhere local and foreign investorsfeel secure deploying new capital withoutsurprises and sudden shifts.The government needs to take care of thebulging budget deficit left by the previousgovernment’s efforts to get re-elected at anycost, the overgrown and unruly governmentbureaucracy that needs reform; strengtheningthe rule of law, deregulating businesses tofurther liberalize the economy, promoting internationallya strong image for the nation toattract foreign direct investment that willhelp sustain and accelerate economic growth.Yes, there are challenges ahead, but there isalso a new government with lots of young,dedicated, energetic and patriotic people. Iam optimistic about the future in Ukraine.The Orange Revolution was a beautiful andheroic movement. It will not go to waste.Ukraine will succeed!36 spring 2005

PLAYINGTHEFIELDThe man behind the biggest deal inU.S. sports history has become thego-to guy for super-rich team ownersBy David SweetCHRIS CASABURISTILL TRUE TOHIS ROOTSDespite his enormoussuccess, Sal Galatiotoseems like just anotherguy from Brooklyn. Hisfavorite actor is RobertDeNiro; among hisfavorite movies is “TheGodfather” trilogy.HE LOVES SPORTING EVENTSmore than anything else. Sowhy did Sal Galatioto ’77 turndown invitations to the NBAAll-Star Game, NHL All-StarGame and the Super Bowl last year, along withany number of other games that most sportingenthusiasts would give their right arm to attend?Simple. Business conflicts.Before feeling sad for Galatioto, consider what the Brooklyn-raised52-year-old does for a living. He deals with the likes of WashingtonRedskins owner Daniel Snyder, New York Yankees owner GeorgeSteinbrenner, Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno and other toppower brokers in the world of sports.Galatioto is one of the leading financial advisors to the owners ofprofessional sports teams in the United States. He has advised and/orarranged the financing on dozens of professional sports franchisetransactions in the past decade, including Snyder’s $800 million purchaseof the Redskins, the biggest deal in American sports history, andthe $401 million sale of the Phoenix Suns, the largest in National BasketballAssociation history. He has become the go-to guy in a multithunderbirdmagazine 39

illion dollar business segment that barely existed20 years ago.In February, after more than four years asthe managing director of Lehman Brothers’Sports Advisory & Finance Group, Galatiotolaunched his own financial advisory firm,Galatioto Sports Partners. The firm, based inNew York City, will pursue financing for potentialowners and will arrange and underwriteeven the largest sports financing transactions.So how did a man who emigrated fromSicily as a child and never dreamed he’d beable even to meet a professional ballplayerend up such a significant player, so significantthat the entire New York Yankees squadautographed a jersey for him?“He’s very smart, but he doesn’t wear it onhis sleeve,” says New York Mets owner FredWilpon, who has worked with Galatioto on anumber of transactions, including buyingformer owner Nelson Doubleday’s share ofthe franchise. “He’s on top of what’s happening,”Wilpon says. “And he’s the most nontypicalinvestment banker you’ll find.”Bred in Brooklyn like Galatioto, Wilponoffered the borough’s highest compliment.“He’s one helluva guy.”Galatioto started tackling the most complexfinancial issues—leveraged finance, specializedinsurance lending—first at WestpacBanking Corp. and then at SG Cowen. Bythe mid-1990s, he began searching for anoverlooked industry segment. Not only didsports qualify, but it was uniquely attractive.“It’s sexy, unlike mining and minerals,”Galatioto says.In the zoneTODAY, THOUGH Galatiotorubs shoulders with majorsports stars and billionaire owners,he still seems true to hisBrooklyn roots. His favorite actor?Robert DeNiro. Favorite movie? “TheGodfather” trilogy. Most sentences startwith the word, “Look,” like a finger pushedinto your chest.“Look,” he says, explaining why teamowners and executives choose to deal withhim over his competitors, “it comes down tothis: I’ll walk away from a fee. And 90 percentof what we make is a success fee. Even if itcosts me $4 million in fees, I’ll speak up if it’sa bad deal for them, unlike all too many peoplein this business who chase the fee.”Take the time two years ago when the WaltDisney Company hired Galatioto to helpthem unload the Anaheim Angels baseballteam (now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim).He knew that Arte Moreno, a Phoenixexecutive who made hundreds of millionsof dollars in the billboard advertisingbusiness, was itching to own a competitiveteam in the West. Galatioto called Moreno,flew west to meet with him, and the deal wasNet worthThe value of professionalsports teams hasbeen rising exponentiallyover the past 20 years.European football teamsReal Madrid and ManchesterUnited, as wellas the Washington Redskinsand Dallas Cowboys,are worth about$1 billion.The purchase pricefor basketball teams,shown here in millions,has been driven inpart by revenuegeneratingarenasand the potentialfor the league toexpand globally.2004 $401Phoenix Suns2002 $360Boston Celtics2004 $300Charlotte Bobcats* New Jersey Nets2001 $200Seattle SuperSonics1998 $158Sacramento Kings1995 $125Memphis Grizzlies*Toronto Raptors*1993 $75San Antonio Spurs1988 $32.5Miami Heat,* Orlando Magic*Minnesota Timberwolves*New Orleans Hornets*1985 $18.5Milwaukee Bucks1983 $10.5IndianaPacers* Expansion team, fee set by league.40 spring 2005

CHRIS CASABURIGalatioto's office is festooned with mementos of some of the major transactions he's brokered.done. Disney shed a financial burden, Morenogot his dream, and Major League Baseballwelcomed its first Hispanic owner.In the most expensive transaction in UnitedStates sports history, Galatioto representedRedskins owner Daniel Snyder. He agreesthat Snyder bought the team at a high valuation,given the prices paid up to that point,but today, just five years later, he is convincedthe team is worth more than $1 billion becauseof Snyder’s marketing savvy and hisability to lure high-profile talent to the team.When New York Mets owners FredWilpon and Nelson Doubleday were publiclyat each other’s throats over how to managethe team, Galatioto stepped in and bothnegotiated and financed the deal that gaveWilpon full control of the team. Galatioto alsorepresented Bob Johnson when he tookover the expansion Charlotte Bobcats of theNational Basketball Association, becomingthe first African-American owner of anAmerican professional sports franchise.Though Galatioto cannot reveal specificdetails of the deals he’s played a part in, he didsay that each one is unique. “Some buyerslook closely at economics. Some want an assetthat’s fun to have. Some use their teams asmarketing vehicles, letting their best clientsmeet the players,” he says.Negotiating in the niche industry of sportsfranchises—where typically fewer than adozen transactions a year take place—is notlike typical investment banking deals, Galatiotosays. “The difference here is we’re dealingwith the principals,” he says. “They’re allprivate transactions, not public companies.There’s less bureaucracy. You don’t haveshareholders to worry about. I prefer this athousand times more.”Though hashing out the economics ofsports deals can be more difficult than a standardinvestment banking transaction, Galatiotosays, it’s a more interesting product, especiallysince he’s negotiating with some ofthe wealthiest people in the United States.Still, regardless of their wealth, financing isalmost always needed in sports deals. Galatioto’sSports Partners sets up financing, hesays, and also provides direct financing.Though he’s proud to bring new owners intothe sports world, Galatioto knows there arepitfalls to owning a sports team, especiallymaking money year to year. “There aremany other investments that give you a bettershort-term profit,” he says. “You get a lotof pressure to spend money. The communityonly wants a winning team and doesn’t careif you make a profit or loss. This is a businesswhere every move you make is scrutinizedby the press. There’s extreme visibility.”Galatioto, who has turned down deals withJapanese baseball franchises because theywere too small, just $30 million or so, is inch-“Look, itcomes downto this: I’llwalk awayfrom a fee.And 90percent ofwhat wemake is asuccess fee.Even if itcosts me$4 millionin fees, I’llspeak up ifit’s a baddeal forthem, unlikeall too manypeople inthe businesswho chasethe fee.”thunderbird magazine 41

First teaming his way into the European market. He recentlyhelped finance Wembley Stadium andhas spoken with a number of European soccerclubs about possible deals. But any majormove to the continent is still a few yearsaway. “The problem is that we’re a smallgroup, and there are quality-control issues.One bad deal and we’d lose our reputation,”he says. “There are different league structuresin Europe and different legal structures.You have to go slow there.”Sports asideFOR SOMEONE whose life is so intertwinedwith sports, Galatioto’soffice walls are surprisingly free ofautographed photographs, sportsmemorabilia and the sports pagesof newspapers touting big transactions (exceptfor a photograph of Galatioto and GeorgeSteinbrenner standing side by side). Instead,the walls of his midtown Manhattan officedisplay nearly 100 Lucite tombstones, ubiquitousin most investment bankers’ offices, testimonyto as many successful deals for clients.One transcription, for instance, reads: “TheWalt Disney Company has sold the AnaheimAngels to Moreno Baseball, L.P. andMoreno Family Baseball, L.P. The undersigned[Lehman Brothers] acted as financialadvisor to The Walt Disney Company in thistransaction.”It’s not that Galatioto isn’t a fan of sportsmemorabilia. He cherishes the Yankee jerseysigned by team players and another signedsolely by Derek Jeter, the star shortstop forthe New York Yankees. But on the fatefulmorning of Sept. 11, 2001, Galatioto’s office satSal Galatioto ’77 wasn’t the only Thunderbird involved in the$401 million sale of the Phoenix Suns in April 2004.Two Thunderbirds, Sam Garvin ’88 and Francis Najafi ’77, were partof the investment group that made the record-setting purchase of theteam. Garvin is the second largest investor, behind Robert Sarver, abanking and real estate investor who is the group’s managing partner.The Phoenix Suns commanded such a high price—despite one ofthe worst records in the National Basketball League—because ofArizona’s huge population growth and the likelihood of Phoenixresidents to attend sporting events, Galatioto says. “What sold thatfranchise was the city of Phoenix and Jerry Colangelo,” he says.If you look closely during games, you can find Garvin and Najafifilling courtside seats.across from the World Trade Center andeverything was lost: a signed Phoenix Coyotesjersey, an autographed photo of hockeygreat Mario Lemieux holding the StanleyCup and baseballs signed by Don Mattingly,Sandy Koufax and Yogi Berra.One month later, Galatioto experiencedhis greatest moment in sports before the thirdgame of the World Series in which the Yankeesplayed the Arizona Diamondbacks.“President Bush strolled out of the dugout,baseball in hand. He stood on the mound,with all that security around, and he threw astrike,” Galatioto says. “I’ll never forget it.”It’s appropriate that Galatioto’s favoritesports moment is drenched in history. AWorld War I and World War II buff, he alsospends time reading about constitutional law.Not all his pastimes involve quiet study,however. Although living in Long Islandmakes it hard to satisfy his passion for huntingand shooting, he does find time to occasionallyvisit a nearby shooting range. “I’m aWesterner trapped in the East,” he says.Galatioto also has found joy in teaching. AtColumbia University’s graduate businessschool, he leads a class of 68 students in theups and downs of sports business.Because of his standing in the industry,Galatioto is able to attract some of sportsmost influential businessmen to the class, includingYankees President Randy Levine andthen-sports agent and now Arizona Diamondbacksowner Jeff Morad.“He has put together a great group of academicsand people from the real world,” saysRon Douglas of the Rothschild Bank, whowon a lottery to get into the popular course.“He shared his own experiences and his expertise.He was always personable.”Since Galatioto travels on average threedays a week for work, getting a call from himin January while he sits in his New York officeis a surprise.“I was stuck in the Midwest,” says Galatioto.“My plane was seven hours late. Today’sbeen a mess. I never get to go to theMidwest in the summer and Florida in thewinter. It’s always the other way around.”Although there was a ticket waiting forhim, Galatioto did not make the trip to Jacksonvillefor Super Bowl XXXIX, settingaside his love of the game over the need to appearimpartial to current and future clients.For Galatioto, the frustrations that are part ofhis job—long hours, long miles, airportfood—are nothing but the price of admissioninto a game he was made for. “I have thegreatest job in the world,” he says.42 spring 2005

faculty focusVideo Generation20-somethings are succeeding in the workplace usingskills honed by countless hours of video game playingEXPECT THE unexpected to belurking around the corner. Thatguy above you is trying to hold youdown. If you fail, hit the reset buttonand start over. Such are someof the lessons learned by 20-somethingsfrom playing countless hours of video gameslike “Asteroids,” “Doom” and “RainbowSix,” according to a new book by Thunderbirdadjunct professor Dr. John C. Beck.Got Game: How a New Generation ofGamers is Reshaping Business Forever isbased on a study of 2,000 young professionals.According to the book, young people areapplying the principles learned from videogame-playing to their lives. “They know thegaming world expects them to succeed, sothey learn to expect success from themselves,”Beck says. “They are self-confident,highly motivated and teamwork-oriented.”Young gamers learn teamwork when theygather to play, Beck says, and when playingas a team against the computer or otherteams. During a game, they pass the controllerfrom player to player or into thehands of the player who is most skilled atplaying that section.It was during the Internet boom of themid ’90s, when investors clamored to investin almost any dot-com, that the gamer generationbegan applying video game rules.“The new rules were just the old rulesgamers have always played by,” Beck says.“Go as fast as you can, from venture capitalgroup to venture capital group, picking upthe bags of money.” Video game principalsserved the gamer generation just as wellwhen the dot-com boom went bust. “Thisevent follows the rules of every game they’veever played,” Beck says. “When you lose,you push the reset button and start over.”Born after 1970 and comprising a largerpercentage of the United States populationthan baby boomers, the number of activegamers in the United States is expected toreach 126 million by 2008. Gaming is growingeven faster in other countries. Duringthe past five years, annual video game salesgrew by 56 percent in China and 49 percentin India.Dr. Robert E. Widing IINew matejoins T-birdAFTER a searchof more thana year, Thunderbirdhas filled akey faculty positionwith a candidatefrom down under.In March, Dr. RobertE. Widing IIbecame senior vicepresident of AcademicPrograms, movingto Arizona fromMelbourne, Australia,where he wasthe chair of Marketingat the Universityof Melbourne.Widing’s mandateis ensuring that “allof our programs deliveron three key dimensions:learningoutcomes, studentsatisfaction, and financialsoundness,”says ThunderbirdPresident Dr. AngelCabrera.Formerly, Widingwas associate deanof Graduate Studiesat the University ofMelbourne, wherehe led the creationand growth of 13master’s degrees andgrew enrollmentfrom 131 to 628,while entry requirementsbecame morestringent.Read more aboutDr. Robert Widing atThunderbird.edu.44 spring 2005

The CompetitiveAdvantageBy Christine Uber Grossefaculty writingsDO PROFICIENCYin foreign languagesandunderstandingof different culturesoffer anedge in the globaleconomy? Or is English enoughfor doing international businesstoday? In a world in whichmany believe that English isthe language of internationalbusiness, what advantages haveexecutives gained by knowingforeign languages?A survey on the competitive advantage offoreign language and cultural competence of581 graduates of Thunderbird, The GarvinSchool of International Management foundthat those MBAs feel that these skills havebeen a great benefit in their careers.Eight-two percent of the respondents saidthey gained a competitive advantage in businessfrom their foreign language skills. Andeven more, 89 percent, said they received anedge from their knowledge of other cultures.Although competitive advantage is difficultto quantify, many Thunderbird alumnidefined in specific terms the edge thatforeign languages and cultures have giventhem in their careers.The alumni who participated in the studyall graduated from Thunderbird between1970 and 2002 with a Master’s in BusinessAdministration & International Management.For nearly 50 years, all students atThunderbird have been required to take aminimum of four semesters of foreign languageor demonstrate equivalent proficiency.In the business world, competitive advantagerefers to the edge that a company orindividual has over competitors. It might bein lower costs, higher quality, better serviceor faster distribution. In terms of languageand cultural knowledge, competitive advantagerefers to the perceived and real benefitsthat set apart people who possess them.What experiences, opportunities, rewards,recognition and personal satisfaction cometo people as a result of their foreign languageproficiency and cultural understanding?Researchers asked the Thunderbird graduateswhat languages they spoke and howthey acquired their foreign language skillsand cultural competence. Many graduatesare multilingual, with 38 percent speakingone foreign language, 31 percent speakingtwo foreign languages, 18 percent speakingthree, 9 percent speaking four, and 3 percentspeaking five or more foreign languages.The most popular foreign languages ofThunderbird alumni are: Spanish (50%),French (37%), German (25%), Portuguese(11%), Japanese (11%), Chinese (9%),Russian (2%), and Arabic (1%).The most valuable source for learning aforeign language, for those surveyed, wasliving abroad, according to more than 70percent of the respondents. They also citedschool or classroom settings, Thunderbird,travel and friends and family as othersources of language learning.The large majority of those surveyed(82%) responded that foreign language skillsand cultural knowledge gave them a competitiveadvantage in the workplace. More thanhalf of them (53%) claimed a significant advantagefrom their language skills. Another28% believed they gained some competitiveedge, whereas 18% said they received none.These figures give strong evidence of thevalue of foreign languages and culturalcompetence in the workplace. In theircomments, the alumni gave examples ofhow foreign languages and cultural knowledgehad benefited them and their careers:“Language skills and the ability to adjustto multiple cultures raise the level of effectivenesssignificantly. It becomes much easierto ‘get things done’ and lowers the stressChristine UberGrosseDr. Christine UberGrosse has been aprofessor of ModernLanguages at Thunderbirdsince 1994. Shereceived her Ph.D. inRomance Languagesfrom the University ofNorth Carolina at ChapelHill. The full articleoriginally ran in TheModern LanguageJournal, 88,iii (2004).thunderbird magazine 45

faculty writings“There isso much ofthe world’sbeauty thatI wouldmiss withoutevenknowing it,had I notstudied languagefroman earlyage. It literallyopenedup entirenew worldsfor me.”level associated with being an expat tomanageable proportions.”“Language and cultural skills are mandatoryfor local acceptance and setting oneapart in a foreign setting. Those that donot make an attempt to learn the [local]language are looked down upon not onlyby the locals but also by the expatriatecommunity which has taken the time tolearn the language and, with it, the culture.”Data analysis suggested that the better analumnus knew a foreign language, the morelikely it was to be helpful at work. A largepercentage (64%) of the respondents selfreporteda high level of proficiency inthese languages. One fourth of them selfdescribedtheir language competence as likea native, while 40 percent rated themselvesas fluent in most business and social situations.More than one-fourth communicatefairly well in the second language.The great majority of respondents (89%)received a significant or some competitiveadvantage at work from their cultural competence.Almost half (48%) of them gaineda significant competitive edge, whereas 41percent of them acknowledged receivingsome competitive advantage. Only 11 percentof the participants derived no competitiveadvantage from cultural understanding.One male respondent commented:“Cultural understanding, and the enhancedcultural understanding that language studiesprovide, is vital to success in the internationalbusiness community.”Thunderbird alumni reported that companiesrewarded their foreign language skillsand cultural knowledge in a variety of ways.The most popular acknowledgements: travelopportunities (41%), overseas assignments(33%), written or oral recognition (30%),promotion (18%), and raise (14%). Thepercentage as well as order of most popularacknowledgements were nearly identicalfor cultural knowledge.Although the study focused on professionalcompetitive advantage, for many alumnithe personal advantages mattered as much,if not more:“Learning foreign languages is a labor oflove, and what they can return to someone istruly priceless.”“While I value this knowledge in mybusiness life, I feel that the study of languagehas added an incredible richness to all facetsof my life. There is so much of the world’sbeauty that I would miss without evenknowing it, had I not studied language froman early age. It literally opened up entirenew worlds for me.”“Knowing another language is equal togaining another soul in the richness anddepth it adds to my life.”Of those alumni who said they used theirforeign language skills at work, the mostcitedareas of use are: conversation (81%),meetings (62%), e-mail (59%), presentations(52%), negotiations (47%), and reports (37%).The ways that cultural knowledge helpsalumni at work are: to feel comfortable withpeople and cultures (86%), to understandthe business environment (77%), and togain respect and credibility (65%).Respondents were more likely to use theircultural knowledge at work—daily (44%),frequently (26%), occasionally (17%),seldom (8%) and never (4%)—more oftenthan their foreign language skills—daily(38%), frequently (13%), occasionally (15%),seldom (21%) and never (13%).Despite the career advantage most alumnisaid they receive by having language skillsand cultural knowledge, a number of thempointed out that U.S.-based companies seemto have a blind spot when it comes to seeingthe advantage of having employees withlanguage skills and cultural knowledge:“Many managers give lip service towanting to understand other cultures,because that is the thing to say, but that isnot a true interest.”“I have found that, unfortunately, U.S.companies would prefer to send a non-foreignlanguage-speaking, non-cross-culturallytrained employee who was perceived aseither knowing the business or who waspolitically connected within the company,than send someone trained for an internationalposition. I have watched this takeplace again and again with my clients.Then they would wonder why they didnot get the results they expected.”Given the tightness of the job marketand the state of the global economy, thecompetitive advantage of foreign languagesand cultural knowledge could help MBAstudents and others in their careers. Moregraduate and undergraduate businessprograms should consider adding foreignlanguage and cultural studies to thecurriculum, in addition to sendingstudents abroad for study or internships.46 spring 2005

million, was a very attractive market.Moreover, Brazil was a member of MercadoComun do Sul (Mercosul), which wouldallow Dell to export to other countries inthe customs union—Argentina, Uruguay,Paraguay, Chile and Bolivia—at zero tariffs.Like Dell, Ford also had negotiated a generousincentives package with the previousgovernor for a proposed plant in Rio Grandedo Sul. After Governor Dutra took office,executives at Ford attempted to renegotiatethe deal with him, but to no avail. SinceFord had not yet begun construction on themanufacturing plant, it began to consideralternative locations within Brazil.The state of Bahia emerged quickly as aviable alternative. The state governmentthere, determined to win Ford’s investmentfor this state in the impoverished northeastpart of Brazil, offered incentives identical tothose the Britto administration had promised.Another plus was that Bahia was partof a federal government program that gavespecial incentives to automobile manufacturerslocating their plants in Brazil’s poorernortheastern region.A strong point in Bahia’s favor was thatAntonio Carlos Magalhães (ACM), thenpresidentof Brazil’s Senate and one of themost influential politicians in Brazil at thetime, was from the state. With his enormousclout, ACM was able to push throughthe Congress a modification of the legislationon incentives for manufacturingautomobiles in the northeast, so that Fordcould still take advantage of it, even thoughthe deadline for additional companies todo this had passed.The federal government also approvedadditional incentives in order to make up forthe extra costs Ford would face by putting itsplant in Bahia rather than the more convenientlylocated Rio Grande do Sul. Brazil’snational development bank, Banco Nacionalde Desenvolvimento Económico e Social(BNDES), provided a low interest loan ofover USD $300 million to Ford after it anfacultywritingsDell Computer’sBrazilian danceBy Roy C. NelsonEXECUTIVES ATDell ComputerCorporation faced asetback in January1999. They had alreadychosen a sitein the state of RioGrande do Sul, Brazil, as thelocation for Dell’s first manufacturingplant in Latin America.Rio Grande do Sul’s Governor,Antonio Britto (1995-99), hadpromised the company generousincentives to lure Dell’s $108million investment in the plant.Yet to the Dell executives’ chagrin, Brittolost his bid for re-election. The new governor,Olivio Dutra (1999-2003) of Brazil’ssocialist Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT),or Workers’ Party, took office Jan. 1, 1999,and was vehemently opposed to grantingincentives to large foreign transnationalcorporations (TNCs). It appeared likely thathe would rescind Dell’s agreement with theprior government.Fortunately, Dell’s executives in Brazilfound a way to turn what could have beenan unfortunate situation into a positive outcomefor both Dell and Rio Grande do Sul.Dell’s experience in this case offers lessonsfor international managers as well as forgovernments seeking to attract foreigndirect investment (FDI) to advance theirown economic development. In order tounderstand how both Dell and the statemanaged to achieve this positive outcome,some additional background is useful.Brazil was a logical place for a Dell manufacturingplant. In the late 1990s, sales ofpersonal computers were growing faster inLatin America than anywhere else in theworld. Brazil, the largest Latin Americancountry with a population of more than 170Roy C. NelsonIn 1993, Roy C. Nelsoncame to Thunderbird asa visiting assistantprofessor and two yearslater joined the staff asan assistant professorteaching internationalstudies. In 2000, he wasnamed an associateprofessor and academicdirector for Thunderbird’sExecutive MBAProgram in Sao Paulo,Brazil. He received hisPh.D. and MA fromCornell University,another MA from YaleUniversity and his BAfrom Stanford University.thunderbird magazine 47

faculty writingsDellachievedthis positiveoutcomebecauseits localexecutivesknew Brazilwell… theywere ableto find acreativeway aroundthe problemthatallowed allto benefit.nounced it was moving to Bahia. This wasfar more than BNDES had planned to givefor Ford’s investment in Rio Grande do Sul.Too late, Dutra realized that Ford was nowlikely to pull out of Rio Grande do Sul andgo to Bahia instead. Aware of the negativepolitical consequences that could ensue,he attempted to negotiate with the Fordexecutives. But Ford had already decidedto withdraw from Rio Grande do Sul. Thecompany soon signed a contract with theBahian state government.Ford’s departure was a political disaster forDutra. Residents of Guaíba, the town wherethe plant was to have been located, wereespecially upset and marched in protest,carrying signs critical of the governor. Editorialsand articles in the press attacked Dutra.Naturally, Dutra’s political opponents emphasizedrepeatedly the negative impact theloss of jobs would have on the state.Not wanting to lose another major TNCinvestment, Dutra took a different approachwhen Dell executives approached him torenegotiate their incentives package. Brittohad promised Dell very generous incentivesin order to attract its proposed USD $108million plant: a 75 percent reduction in thestate value-added tax for 12 years, plus aUSD $17 million loan, to be paid back over 10years, with a five-year grace period. Yet now,facing the loss of these incentives, Dell considereddoing what Ford had done and locateits plant elsewhere. Other states were readyand willing to receive Dell’s investment,and on highly favorable terms. One possiblestate was Minas Gerais, which Dell hadlooked at earlier. The state met Dell’s basicselection criteria and was ready to offer anincentive package similar to what the companyhad received in Rio Grande do Sul.And there didn’t seem to be the same levelof partisan differences, at least in regard toattracting foreign direct investment.However, in spite of their alternativeoptions and Ford’s failed attempts to renegotiatewith Dutra, local Brazilian executivesworking for Dell decided to approach thegovernor again.Dell’s Director of Corporate Affairs inBrazil, Fernando Loureiro, devised a facesavingstrategy for the governor to let Dellkeep its incentives. When Loureiro and histeam met with the governor, they explainedthat Dell was not a typical TNC. Personalcomputers (PCs), the products Dellproduced, were highly beneficial to society.By using PCs, people could obtain access tothe Internet. The Internet provided peopleof all social strata with access to information.Thus, Dell’s products would actuallyhelp to create a more egalitarian social structure.For this reason, Dell’s goals and thoseof the governor from the PT were actuallyclosely aligned! While it might make sensenot to offer incentives to companies such asFord, Loureiro explained, Dell was different.Dutra certainly did not want to loseanother major investment. He had experiencedthe ire of the Rio Grande do Sul populationfirsthand after Ford decided to locateits plant in Bahia. Thus, political calculationsmay have influenced his actions at thispoint. But whether persuaded by Loureiro’sreasoning, motivated purely by political factors,or a mixture of both, Dutra decided tolet Dell keep all of the original incentivesthey had been offered, along with a fewadditional minor conditions, such as Delldonating some computers to poor areas. Dellstayed. And in many of his public speechesthereafter, Dutra used Dell as an example ofthe sort of company his government wouldlike to attract to Rio Grande do Sul.Dell achieved a positive outcome becauseits local executives knew Brazil well and understoodthe needs and concerns of the manwith whom they were negotiating. Thus,they were able to find a creative way aroundthe problem that allowed all to benefit.For its part, despite its new approach, theDutra government still had difficulty luringinvestment to the state in the years thatfollowed Ford’s departure. Few TNCs werewilling to invest in a state whose governorseemed, at the very least, to have an ambivalentattitude toward FDI, and one that couldso quickly change the rules regardingforeign investment.This may help explain why Dutra losteven the internal primary election to run asthe PT candidate for governor in 2002 andwhy the candidate finally selected to representthe PT in that election lost to a politicianfrom the more moderate Partido doMovimento Democrático Brasileiro(PMDB). More important, however, RioGrande do Sul’s experience further underscoresthe benefits—both political andeconomic—that FDI can provide, and whymost governments are so eager to attract investmentslike Dell’s manufacturing plant.48 spring 2005

2004 Thunderbird Globalization in Private Equity ConferenceWith Special Thanks To The Following Sponsors, Participants AndIndividuals for Their Contributions To A Successful Event!EVENT SPONSORPANEL SPONSORSMEDIA SPONSORPARTICIPANTSLincolnshireSTATE OF ARIZONA LAW OFFICESTHUNDERBIRD, THE GARVIN SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENTSTEERING COMMITTEEJohn Cook, Jeff Shippy, Akhil Kishore, Regula Schegg, Josh Dunivant, Keith Cooksey, Peter Lundy

YOURSUCCESSIS OURBUSINESSSince its inception nine years ago, THUNDERBIRD CORPORATECONSULTING GROUP (TCCG) has grown to become a highly-respectedand sought-after global consulting firm. Why? ... by delivering comprehensive solutions andtremendous value.Working both for and in cooperation with Thunderbird alumni, TCCG services offer afresh, global perspective and reach at a tremendous value. TCCG is:● Established 140 projects have been completed for clients ranging from smallentrepreneurial venture firms to Fortune 500 companies.● Qualified Contemporary academic theory is combined with real-world experience indeveloping business solutions.● Seasoned Projects are led by professional consultants and overseen by PhDs withmany years of real-world experience at senior levels of management.● Global Assignments have spanned five continents and a variety of industry andgovernment organizations.At TCCG, your success is our business. Find out why clients like Johnson & Johnson,Masco-Behr, Microsoft, Coca-Cola and EDS choose TCCG to helpmake their businesses a success.www.t-bird.edu/tccgT-bird Tuesday at 8,038 ft.Alumni Relations introduces theThunderbird Alumni Travel ProgramCustomized trips for T-birds and guestsUpcoming Trips2005-2006Inca Trail to Machu PicchuSeptember 2-11, 2005Trips operated bySerengeti Safari & Exotic ZanzibarJanuary 20-29, 2006+ optional Kilimanjaro climbVisit the Alumni Travel webpage at www.thunderbird.edu/alumnitravel for details

chapter newsVintage T-birdsWHEN A GROUP of Thunderbirdsgathered in earlyFebruary at the Asian ArtMuseum of San Francisco,the wine and cheese weren’tthe only things at the event that had grownbetter with age. As part of the 40+ Initiative,the get-together continued a string ofbusiness and social meetings for T-birdgraduates who are 40 or more years old.“The objective of the 40+ Initiative is toreengage alumni with the Thunderbirdnetwork locally and globally and therebyimprove the value of the Thunderbird networkworldwide for alumni of all ages,” saysJulianne O’Dwyer ’99, the 40+ Initiativeglobal coordinator and a member of theTAA North America Council (julianneodwyer@hotmail.com). “The 40+ alumni reallyappreciate the opportunity to network withpeers who are close to their age and whoshare their professional status.”Since the effort began a year and half ago,other alumni chapters have formed 40+ Initiatives,including Chicago, Dallas, Denver,Hilton Head, Los Angeles, Miami, NewYork City, Paris, Phoenix and San Diego.So far, events around the country haveincluded a seminar on the Latin Americabusiness climate in Dallas, a gathering atthe Museum of Science in Miami and aChinese New Year’s celebration inSan Francisco. The Paris group met fordinner following a visit to a technologyshowcase“T-bird Tuesdays are enjoyable, but the40+ Initiative offers an additional gatheringplace with professional and social eventsgeared to our interests,” says PatriciaTrosclair ’90, San Francisco chapter leaderand 40+ coordinator.Enjoying an evening atthe Asian Art Museumfor the San Francisco40+ Initiative are groupmembers Russell Walter’80, Chris Casselmann’83, chapter presidentand 40+ Initiativecoordinator PattyTrosclair ’90, Jeff Nigh’77 and Anne WebsterHayden ’69.New YorkAcclaimed fashiondesigner NormaKamali, who becamefamous withher “Sleeping Bag”coats and her stunningswimwear,spoke to a group ofNew York chapterT-birds at theWilliams Club inMarch. She mesmerizedthe crowdwith details abouther 40-year career,her retail storeoperations, andher insights intothe latest trends ininterior design andhigh fashion.Kamali set thefashion worldabuzz lately withher new line ofpackable, multi-useclothing and hermove into thewellness and beautycategory.ChicagoThree membersof the ThunderbirdGlobal Councilwere the featuredspeakers on Feb. 22at the first professionaldevelopmentevent hosted by theChicago chapter.The panel was madeup of Dr. James A.McClung, formersenior vice presidentof FMC Corporation;Noe Kenig,former chairman ofMotorola International;and MilesGreer ’75, formervice president of theSara Lee Corporation.NorthCarolinaIn November,more than 50Thunderbirds fromthroughout the Carolinasgathered for aBrazilian-themedthunderbird magazine 51

chapter newsparty at the familyhome of TeresaJohnson ’99 overlookingthe woodsin Chapel Hill NC.Alumni came fromas far away asCharlotte, morethan 140 miles southof Chapel Hill.The event featureda churrasceria-styledinner and freeflowingCaipirinhas,a concoction of lime,sugar and cachacathat is the officialdrink of Brazil.“We had everyside dish imaginable,in true Brazilianstyle,” said FredrikCarlegren ’01, a formerchapter leader.“Teresa’s fathereven borrowed allthe grilling utensilsfrom a local Brazilianrestaurant justfor the occasion.Everyone had agreat time, regardlessof the year theygraduated or thetype of work they’redoing. Thunderbirdsjust knowhow to have fun,especially when youthrow in those greatCaipirinhas.”TexasLeaders fromalumni chapters inTexas met for twodays in early Marchto share ideas andbest practices onimproving andincreasing alumniparticipation in achapter. The conclave,organized byPeter Petrik ’00,the Dallas-Ft.Worth chapterleader, was attendedby Matt Romero’99, Jaideep Potnis’99, Greg Fitzgerald’96, Scotty McNutt’88 and KathrynNewth ’94. Someof the shared ideasthat were generatedincluded the creationof a mentorshipprogram withthe 40+ Initiativegroup, providinglinks to the Websites of other Texaschapters on MTB,and partneringRiding for a friendand fellow alumnusON A CHILLY MORNING last September, a group ofThunderbirds gathered for a 100-mile bike ride tocelebrate the life of Bob Miller ’82, who succumbedto brain cancer in April after a valiant two-and-halfyearbattle. The Bob Miller Memorial Bike Ride waspart of the North Shore Century 2004 Ride, which was held inElburn, Illinois, where Miller lived with his wife, Judy, and theirchildren, Rebecca and Brad. Brad, a sophomore in high school,rode his father’s bike in the event. More than 15 Thunderbirdsjoined the family members and other friends.Jim Guthrie ’82, who flew in from Denver for the bike ride,says that Miller kept the positive attitude he was always knownfor through eight operations and countless cancer treatments.“He was just such a positive guy,” Guthrie says, “and an avid bicyclist.He was never down, just always upbeat, great to bearound and very friendly.”The Thunderbirds who gathered for the ride set a goal of$25,000 toward college expenses for both children.Donations to the Bob Miller Memorial Bike Ride can be sentto Nat Yang ’82, c/o Bob Miller Memorial Bike Ride Fundraiser,Apt. 4A, 5 Peter Cooper Road, New York, NY 10010.with another Texaschapter that is at asimilar stage ofdevelopment.“It was an excellentway to leverageeach other’s experiences,enhance theTexas spirit andstrengthen theThunderbird network,”says Petrik.The leaders nowplan to hold similarmeetings twice ayear in Texaschapter cities.SeattleMore than 60people attended aNovember panelpresentation onthe latest trends inoffshore outsourcing,hosted by theWashington Statechapter and theWorld Trade Clubof Seattle. The eventis the first of manysuch jointly sponsoredseminarsfor Seattle arearesidents. Eventorganizers includedKen Tousley ’03 andMatt Couch ’02,along with supportfrom chapter leadersAmy Lyndon ’88and Jules Miller ’88.OrangeCountyMore than$100,000 in prizes arebeing offered at thethird annual OrangeCounty Golf Tournament,to be heldMay 6 at the TustinRanch Golf Club inTustin, Calif. Thegoal of the event isto raise at least$50,000 to establishan endowed scholarshipfund to aiddeserving studentsof the School.Sponsorships forthe event run from$10,000 for title sponsorship,$750 for thebeverage cart, $500for the closest to thepin contest, and $150for the tee and greensigns.For their $200entry fee, playersreceive a gift bag fullof golfing goodies,lunch, dinner,awards and thechance to win itemsthat include a $45,000vehicle, $25,000 incash, full tuition fora Thunderbirddegree program,Goodyear tires forlife and a ride in theGoodyear blimp.SouthFloridaMore than 220T-birds rangingfrom the class of1966 to 2004 cametogether for thechapter’s annualholiday party Dec. 4in Miami Beach.The Latin-themedevent featured a liveflamenco dancer,regional dishes fromaround the world—including a traditionalroast sucklingpig, “lechon asado”—anda barloaded with drinksfrom sponsor Bacardi.The lively eventwas hosted by DanPartel ’67.52 spring 2005

chapter newsAzerbaijanOnce a major stopoveron the GreatSilk Route, Azerbaijannow has becomea meeting place forThunderbirds. InMarch, in one of thefirst events of itskind in this country,five alumni came togetherfor a FirstTuesday to share storiesold and new. Thegroup was made upof Mark Pommerville’89, BenRyan ’95, CatherineTrebes ’94, andchapter leaders JulieHamlin ’93 and PaulHamlin ’92, who hasoffered up an inducementto get otheralumni to visit Azerbaijan.“Be the firstT-bird to show upwith a six pack ofbeer and win afabulous prize,” saysHamlin, who can bereached at Lermontov3, Apt. 26, Baku3700, Azerbaijan.SwedenT-birds donnedtuxedos and formalgowns for the firstannual SwedishMBA AlumniNetwork Black TieDinner, held Feb. 18at the Cavalry ofStockholm. SevenT-birds attendedthe event: Katja andPatrik Salen ’00,Rolf Alexander ’99,George and Liliana(Galvis-Pineda)Rizpulos ’99, andDonya and HenrikEkstrand ’85.In all, 70 MBAsfrom eight differentprograms gatheredfor the event. Theevening included apiano inspiration,a magician, a threecoursedinner, anopera performanceand dancing.“The idea is tomake this an annualevent and, consideringthe high spiritsthroughout theevening, I believethere will be substantialreasons toplan another eventfor next year,” saysPatrik Salen ’00,who was one ofthree co-hosts forthe evening.The black-tieaffair was the firstpurely social eventthe MBA graduatenetwork has orchestratedsince thegroup was formedin 2002.Pole positionDetroit sets scorchingpace for fundraisingMOTOR CITY MAY BE Detroit’sofficial nickname, but forThunderbird it’s rapidlygaining a new moniker:fundraising city. The localalumni chapter surpassed all otherchapters in finding ways to connect andengage with alumni and encouragephilanthropic support.During its 2003-04 fundraising campaign, the Detroit chapter increased thenumber of alumni donors by 39 percent over the prior year. The chapter also got thealumni to give more, up from $7,000 in 2003 to $35,000 last year.“None of us gave $60 million but we gave what we could, and we proved that wecan have an impact,” says Gail Kozeliski ’93, who spearheaded the campaign alongwith Detroit chapter co-leader Heath Norton ’03. “Alumni want to feel that Thunderbirdis a good investment, and that’s not a hard case to make. Undesignated donations,like the one Detroit made to the School, mean more student scholarships, resulting inbetter graduates and greater prestige for the Thunderbird brand, she says.“A lot of people graduate from Thunderbird, but not all give back,” says Russ Phaneuf,director of Annual Giving and Advancement Communications. “If all our 35,000alumni would realize that if they all gave just a little, it would really add up and makea difference. That critical mass of giving is something we’ve missed for a long time.”The chapter has set a new fundraising goal for 2005: to fully endow the Francisand Louise Gifford Scholarship Fund, which would require another $35,000 to reachpermanency. The Giffords spent 30 years working for the School. Louise began herThunderbird career as a secretary and worked her way up to director of Financial Aid.Francis worked in Housekeeping and Central Supply.“If they continue their current momentum, they’ll do it easily,” Phaneuf says.More than two dozenT-birds, including (fromleft) Carol Mayer ’98,Ramelle Gilliland ’98 andAdiel Avelar ’04, cametogether in January forthe 2005 North AmericaInternational Auto Show.The reception, held atthe Detroit RacquetClub, was a fund-raisingevent for the Francisand Louise GiffordScholarship Fund.thunderbird magazine 53

classComings & goingsAll your personal news that’s fit to print...THERE IS MORE to life than just what happensbetween the office walls, and Class Notes reflects thatin its pages. Tell us if you get married, have kids, run theBoston Marathon, scale a peak in the Himalayas or plana flight around the world. Have you been selected for theschool board, Bush’s cabinet or People’s Sexiest People edition? Orare you volunteering your time to make the world a better place?Tell us all about it, please. And, of course, we want to hear aboutthose T-birds who have passed on so we can honor their memories.Send your information to alumni@thunderbird.edu1945-1955Alfred Jankus ’47 stopped counting at 68 thenumber of countries he had visited as an internationalmanagement and marketing consultant.He is now retired in the United States at 81...Donald G. Groves ’49 of Sun City West AZpassed away January 5, 2004. Groves served inthe U.S. Navy in WWII and the Korean War…James A. Bridgeman ’52, a longtime St. Thomasresident and businessman, died December 25,2004, at his home on Hypoluxo Island in LantanaFL… Boye Lafayette De Mente ’53 has createdmemoireditions.com, which records life eventsto be shared with a memoir writer’s family. DeMente has written more than 50 books and livesin Phoenix … Ed Campeau ’53 lives in Granville,Ohio. His email address is ecampeau@aol.com...Sam Neblett ’53 lives at Epworth Village, Apt.529, 3500 W. 16th Ave., Hialeah FL 33012. He wouldlove to hear from classmates and friends…Paul F. Anderson ’55 passed away on July 18,2004… Carroll “Rick” Rickard ’56 was featuredin the November issue of 101 North, the magazineof North Scottsdale. Retired from Citicorp andContinental Bank, Richard maintains the MayoClinic nature trail on a volunteer basis…1960-1969Juan Santos ’62 has been named secretaryof the Department of Trade and Industry for thePhilippines. He was the former president ofNestlé Philippines Inc… Clarence (Chuck) Yahn’62 has formed Strategic Options Inc., a corporationthat helps Japanese, European and Americancompanies establish manufacturing operations inMexico… Alan Tiffany Murray ’62 passed awayApril 5, 2004, in Tucson AZ… Allen J. “Duke”Libby ’63 recently wrote “Uniform Romeo,” afictional account of a goofball U.S. Navy ship’s1959 mission to the Caribbean and Brazil. Thebook can be found on authorhouse.com… CharlieLagergren ’64, who retired from Federal Mogulafter living in every Latin American country butthree, writes: “Who would have known when Iarrived at Thunderbird speaking a few words ofSpanish that I would spend weeks communicatingwithout speaking English. Thunderbird providedme with great jobs, wonderful friends and incredibleexperiences…” Horst Busse ’67 president ofMartin Windsor & Associates Inc., a business-tobusinesscommunications firm, has been electedpresident of the Michigan Chapter of the GermanAmerican Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-54 spring 2005

noteswest… George Grimmett ’68 currently lives inLake Placid FL… William C. Demmin ’68 hasbeen named senior bank strategist for BancIntelligence.com.In his new position, Demmin willopen the company’s first office on the west coast…Richard A. Koehler ’69 is program director/lecturer for the Baltic Sea Management Academyin International Business Relations at GotlandUniversity in Visby, Sweden. He continues tomaintain a consulting company, IKR Corporation,for international business development projects…William Dodge ’69 recently completed the 2004NYC Marathon in a pledge run to support hisdaughter, who suffers from schizophrenia. Heis the editor of his daughter’s book (www.sugarstory.com)about her battle with mental illness…William Anderson ’69 retired from Hallmark in2000 after 32 years of service. He worked in thePhilippines, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan,Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia,India, Laos, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bruneibuilding Hallmark’s businesses. In 2001, he startedAnderson International LLC, which operates outof Honolulu HI and services such clients asCrayola and Hallmark.1970-1974David Kaveny ’70 became a father for the thirdtime in September 2004 when daughter Corinnewas born in Singapore, where the family resides...Larry McCarver ’70 has returned to Taco Inc. asdirector of International Business Development.Based in Cranston RI, Taco is one of the largestproducers of pumps and other hydronic equipmentfor heating and cooling… George Hiller ’72 isworking on a new international trade program inSouthwest Virginia via a grant from the U.S. Dept.of Education. He is a member of the ThunderbirdGlobal Council and resides in Richmond VA…Don Carson ’72, a board member and former CFOof the Atlanta Symphony Choris, has helped raisefunding for a state-of-the-art symphony center,which is now being built... Alberto Almirall ’72 hasbeen appointed marketing and commercial directorfor the South American Football Confederation,the governing body of soccer in South America.He lives in Asuncion, Paraguay, with his wifeBetty… Ed Auble ’72 was the recipient of the 2004Lafayette College Alumni Association ServiceAward for long-term volunteerism and leadership.The college is located in Easton PA… Bryan P. Fay’74 has joined First Tennessee Bank in NashvilleTN as senior vice president and manager of thePersonal Trust Division… Norman Huddle ’74passed away in August 2004 in Mt. Vernon IL…Maribeth Rahe ’74 is president and CEO of FortWashington Investment Advisors. She lives inCincinnati.1975-1979Roger Hunt ’75 ran for the Nampa ID schoolboard. He is a salesman for Graybar Electric inBoise ID… J. Jorge Verduzco ’75 has been nominatedby Junior Achievement for the 2004 LaredoBusiness Hall of Fame in Texas. He is executivevice president, director of sales and marketing forInternational Bank of Commerce-Laredo… DennisM. Farren ’75 passed away of kidney cancer in January2004 in Santa Cruz CA… Philippe J. Deymes’75 has relocated to Le Mans, France, and has beenpromoted to director of new projects for theSchweitzer-Mauduit International group, a specialtypaper company spun off from Kimberly-Clark.He welcomes all T-bird motor racing fans to theannual 24-hour endurance race… Andres Voto-Bernales ’75 passed away from a brain edema inJuly 2004. He was a distinguished marketingconsultant for several well-known internationalcompanies and one of the pioneering marketers tointroduce marketing philosophy in Peru… DavidBarrett ’76 owns and operates Audio Acrobat, anaudio streaming application used by authors,musicians, educators, media specialists, speakersand trainers… W. Britt Cobb ’76, commissioner ofagriculture for North Carolina, was grand marshalof the state’s Watermelon Festival Parade. Cobbserves on the executive committee of the SouthernUnited States Trade Commission… CharlesJohnpeter is North Central Region director forMitsubishi Motors North America… SiegfriedMike Kiegerl ’77 won the Republican primaryfor District 43 in the Kansas House of Representatives.A resident of Olathe KS, he is a retiredbusinessman and an adjunct college instructor…Talk to usYou can let usknow aboutchanges in your lifeby e-mailing us atalumni@t-bird.edu.Don’t forget toupdate yourpersonal profile onMy Thunderbird(MTB). Log on atmy.t-bird.edu, clickon the personalizebutton, then clickon the edit buttonsfor each categoryyou want to change.We’ll publish yournews in the nextissue of themagazine.thunderbird magazine 55

class notesPeter Smith ’77 passed away September 2004 inPhoenix after a long battle with multiple sclerosis.Services were held in Morris Plains NJ,where he grew up. He spent his entire career atAllied Signal Corp. in the Specialty ChemicalsDivision until his illness caused him to go ondisability in 1995… Gary L. Towell ’77 died inFebruary 2004 in Medford NJ. He worked in therailroad industry for the past 25 years… MaryKolehmainen Lambert ’77 passed away peacefullyin February 2005 at her home in Glendale AZ.Services were held in Park City Utah, wheremany family and friends attended. The familyhas established the Mary Kolehmainen LambertScholarship at Thunderbird. Donations can begiven through the Thunderbird Annual Fund,specifying the Mary Kolehmainen LambertScholarship. Information can be retrieved atwww.thunderbird.edu/annualfund and questionscan be directed to mygift@t-bird.edu... PatriciaK. Savage ’78 passed away in April 2004…Frances A. Sevilla-Sacasa ’78 was featured in theApril issue of Hispanic Business magazine as oneof its “Top 5 Elite Women” of 2004. She is thepresident, Latin America and Europe, of CitigroupPrivate Bank. She lives in Miami FL with herhusband and three children… Jeb S. Syler ’78has been promoted and transferred to run theCosta Rica operation for Stark Truss, one ofthe largest wood building component manufacturersin the world… Lloyd Reeder ’78 has beenpromoted to senior vice president of marketing forShe leftthe lifeshe hadwanted tofind thelife sheneededFIVE YEARSafter graduatingfrom Thunderbird,RebeccaGolden ’89 hadeverything she everwanted. She hadadvanced quickly atHouston-basedSchlumberger Ltd.,an oil servicescompany, to becomeat 30 thecompany’s firstfemale controller.She had travelledthe world and wasresponsible formore than $50million in revenue.She had a beautifulhouse, a six-figuresalary and acomfortable life.But in 1995, shewalked away from itall.“I preferrred tospend my life doingsomething moremeaningful, to meanyway, than playingthe corporategame,” she says.“How many luxuryhotels, new dishesand bottles of champagnecan one girlhave? I wanted to becloser to thosesuffering, to assist insome small way. Idid not want to lookback on my life at80 and think, ‘Wow,I made a lot ofmoney for myself.’”By the end of thatyear, Golden wasworking as a financialand administrativecoordinator forDoctors WithoutBorders/MedecinsSans Frontiéres andliving in a remotepart of Angola in ahouse withoutrunning water orairconditioning.The electricity andtelephones workedonly from time totime. Her pay wasless than a tenth ofwhat it had been.REBECCA GOLDEN ’89 has been working as anadministrator for Doctors Without Borders since 1995.“It was one of themost liberatingthings I have everdone in my life,”she says. “I workedfor a year to pay offall my bills and paremy possessions.After that, they nolonger owned me,and I was as free asa bird.”In Angola, Goldensaw landminevictims carried fordays to reach ahospital, wheremost often the only“treatment” wasamputation. Shehelped with aprogram to fightsleeping sickness,a tropical diseasethat still claimsmore than 40,000Africans a year. Thetreatment is a formof arsenic, and isextremely painful.“To see a boy of8 or 10 taking hisinjections of‘poison’ so coura-geously was deeplymoving,” Goldensays. “I rememberhe lay on the flooras there were nobeds in the hospitaland quietly turnedhis head, curled histoes and took the‘poison.’ If youcompare such starkrealities to anAmerican grocerystore or Toys-R-Us,you think you mustcontinue your work,no matter how itchanges or affectsyou.”In spite of thedangers inherent inher work in dangerousplaces, Goldenhas continuallyasked to be postedto field positions.Last summer, shedeparted for yetanother mission,this time in northernNigeria.“Life is too shortto be spent wishingor, worse, findingexcuses,” she says.“I believe that if youreally want something,you can makeit happen.”56 spring 2005

class notesLSI Lighting Solutions Plus. Lloyd and his familylive in Plano TX… Larry Wolfe ’78 is Hanoi projectdirector for Health Volunteers Overseas. The projectpromotes the interests of people with disabilitiesin Vietnam, especially in health, education, employmentand barrier-free access to public places…Ken Jacuzzi ’79, a member of the family that startedJacuzzi spas, was featured in September’s PhoenixMagazine. Formerly CEO of Jacuzzi Europe, Jacuzzihas created five companies in the Phoenix area andis an advocate for people with disabilities.1980-1984C. Ross Croulet ’80 is the coordinator and headof the Microfinance Division, African DevelopmentBank, Tunis, Tunisia. He has been with thebank since March 2001… Nelli Long Calame ’80 celebratedher 24th anniversary with Intel in October.She recently completed a year-long assignment asIntel’s India HR director, based in Bangalore. Nelliis starting a similar assignment for Intel in Russiaand will be based in Moscow… Dan Hammang ’80was named chief financial officer for DriveCamVideo Systems, a leading company in knowledgebasedsystems that improve driving behavior, inJanuary 2005. He had formerly served as vicepresident for Sony Electronics Inc., and worked atApple Inc., the Singer Company and Arthur Andersen& Co… Paul Ryan ’80 was married toMonique Muther in July 2004. He and his wife residein Coronado CA… Christophe Bellinger ’80recently left the Multilateral Investment GuaranteeAgency World Bank in October 2004 to move toManila and work with the Asia DevelopmentBank… Joaquin Pericas ’80 is director of Foodservice/Retail Research at Coca-Cola in AtlantaGA. He has worked for the company for 10 years inHouston, Milan, Vienna and Atlanta. Married for24 years, he has three children… Alain Labat ’80was named president and CEO of VaST SystemsTechnology Corporation, a division ofTMCmet.com. Formerly CEO of TeraSystems, hebrings 20 years of industry experience to his newposition… Jeremy Nash ’80 recently contributed achapter on the vital link between engagement andhigh performance in “Workplace Community:Motivation.” Nash is an executive coach andspeaker with the firm, Communication at Work, inWhite Plains NY…John Gould ’81 has been named financial advisorat McDonald Financial Group in Indiana… RuudSteenhuisen ’81 has been promoted to CEO ofHoliday on Ice Productions, a touring ice show…Cliff Samuelsen ’81 recently married Ellen LouiseCarney. He is the Global Manager for ARI, an internationalautomotive fleet leasing company thatprovides cars and trucks for corporations in 87countries… Paul Banas ’82 and his wife, JasmineKim, had a second child. Banas is currently takingoff from internet marketing management to spendtime with his family… Robert Shatz ’82 formedand is the CFO of the International TradeDevelopment Center in Tucson AZ, whichaims to teach locals about global business…Andrew Karigan ’83 was profiled in the DailyPilot section of the Los Angeles Times in January.Andrew, a coastal estate specialist with PrudentialCalifornia Realty, was praised for a successful yearin real estate as well as a long sales career… KetanNavnitrai Parekh ’83 co-founded Love Humanity,a charitable organization for orphaned or displacedchildren in India…Trevor Shine ’84 is managing director of VirtualHealth Network Ltd., a company specializingin medicine information and pharmaceuticalmarketing within Britain’s national health service.He resides in Brookwood, England, with his wifeMelanie and two children… Joseph Brown ’84 diedin Cayce SC in July 2004… Peter Higuchi ’84 washired at airPharma, a pharmaceutical company thatfocuses on commercializing products for respiratorydisease, as vice president of corporate developmentin December 2004… Rob Lewis ’84 was promotedto sales manager, Asia-Pacific and LatinAmerica by PDQ Manufacturing Inc., a division ofDover Corporation in Green Bay WI, which producesautomatic vehicle wash equipment.1985-1989Tom Knowlton ’85 is managing partner atPhoenix-based Firebird Foods, which merged withProgressive Sales & Marketing in August 2004…Mark Webster ’85 has been living since 1999, inJakarta, Indonesia, where he works for InternationalFlavors & Fragrances Inc. He and his wifehad a third daughter in June 2004… Merrie Martinson’85 joined Scudder/Deutschebank as seniorregional vice president in 2002, marketing investmentstrategies. She was the keynote speaker lastyear for the CIMA organization in New YorkCity, where she resides… Sandy Sandler ’85was recently featured in both the Las Vegas Sunand Las Vegas Business Press as the inventor of theBowdabra, a device that helps in the making andtying of decorative bows… Michael Zak ’85 spokeat the annual Reagan dinner in September 2004in Virginia. He is the author of “Back to Basicsfor the Republican Party” and is a policy analystfor the House Republican Party Committee.He resides in Washington D.C.Arnaldo Mendez ’86 had his home featuredin the May issue of Tucson Lifestyle magazine.He helped create the Sonoran Revival space, influencedby architect Josias Joesler… Ed Verbeeck ’86lost his wife Kristen, 38, after a five-year battleagainst breast cancer… Ken Cheuvront ’86 was inthe January/February edition of bizAZ magazineregarding his service in the state senate, his constructioncompany, Cheuvront Construction, andhis wine bar in downtown Phoenix, namedCheuvront Wine & Cheese… Bill Magers ’86 willrun for mayor of Sherman TX in the May 2005election. Magers had previously served as DishNetwork’s director of operations for the west coastof the U.S., and launched Quest Home Entertainment…Ed Verona ’87 and wife Patricia havereturned to Moscow, where he represents theCanadian mining company, Barrick GoldCorporation. They would welcome hearing fromfriends who might be passing through town.Chuck Bullard ’88 passed away September 16,2004, in Grand Junction CO… Carol Webster ’87just celebrated the one year anniversary of her internationalconsulting firm… Gigi (Gano) EkstromClass of 1979A generation haspassed since theclass of 1979 wastogether in oneplace, but nowthere’s a chancethey will be again.The class iscelebrating its25th reunion at the2005 ThunderbirdHomecoming,which will be heldon the Glendalecampus Nov. 4-6.Organizers ask thatthose from the 1978and 1979 classesupdate their MTBprofiles so they canbe notified. ContactScott Myers ’79 formore information:scottmyers@sbcglobal.net, or at210-240-0747.thunderbird magazine 57

class notesWhat everhappened to……that girl fromTaiwan who got youthrough DataAnalysis or thatguy from Brazilwho sounded justlike Frank Sinatrawhen he sang“My Way” onKaraoke Night inthe ThunderbirdPub?Track down thoselong-lost friendsfrom your bygoneThunderbird dayswith help fromAlumni Central, aone-stop shop forhelp with anythingalumni related.Reach them at:alumni@t-bird.eduphone 1-800-457-6957 (US only)or 602-978-7358.’88 is an independent educational consultant. Shehas recently written a fashion marketing textbook,published by McGraw-Hill in January 2004. Shelives in Dallas TX with her husband, Johan, andson… Laura Kozloski Hart ’88 was married in 2004and lives in Wellington FL with her husband, Jay.An associate professor in the College of Businessat Lynn University in Boca Raton, she manages aconsulting business that provides strategic planningand mergers and acquisition support to area businesses…Barbara Mason ’88 and Jamie Douglashad a son, Alexander Mason Douglas, born in June2004… Leslie Kiel Brown ’88 has been appointedbusiness development manager, Nevada Region,for North American Exchange Company, a divisionof Lennar Homes. She lives in Las Vegas NVwith her husband and five formerly stray animals.Jeffrey Ovian ’89 has been appointed managingdirector of Trans Hex Angola, which has mineddiamonds in Africa for nearly 40 years... RobertDennis ’89 is the senior manager-audit withDeloitte in Moscow. He, his wife and two childrenrelocated in June after spending nine years withPricewaterhouseCoopers in Paris and other countriesin the Commonwealth of Independent States.1990-1994Christopher Barreto ’90 joined V2 GfK, apharmaceutical marketing research firm, as a seniorconsultant. He previously held an executive directorposition with TVG… Bowen Banbury ’90 wasprofiled in his undergraduate alumni magazine,Occidental. Bowen is the founder, president andCEO of DocuVault, an information managementservice that ranked 36th among America’s fastestgrowingurban businesses on Inc.’s Inner City 100list… Marco Ziegler ’90 spoke at a Chicago CitywidePride event during a forum, titled “Being Outat the Top.” He is partner at Accenture, a globalmanagement consulting, technology services andoutsourcing company… Mike Rogers ’90has been appointed vice president of CorporateDevelopment for Cyberguard Corp., a publiccompany based in Ft. Lauderdale FL that providesnetwork security software for global merger andacquisition activity… Todd Baker ’90 recentlyjoined iAssessment, a technology company providingsolutions in K-12 education, as executive vicepresident of client solutions… J. Arthur Wicker ’90and his wife Christine Caillaud had a son, DavidHenry Francis, born November 2004 in Turin,Italy… Thomas Quinn ’90 recently joined RSMMcGladrey Inc., an accounting and managementconsulting firm, as director of Risk ManagementServices. He lives in Lake Oswego OR with hiswife, Heidi, and two children… Marysue K. Shore’90 has been working in the Bush administrationfor the past four years as senior advisor to thePresident and director of African Affairs at theOverseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).Elizabeth (Beth) Duncan ’91 recently joinedIllinois Institute of Technology, a four-year Ph.D.granting institution, as assistant director ofMarketing and Communications. Prior to this,she traveled the world working on a cross-culturalchildren’s book that is currently under review forpublication… James R. Love ’91 was appointeddirector of admissions at Mercyhurst College,North East Campus in Erie PA. He resides inMill Creek PA… Susan J. Hughes ’91 received the“Someone Special” award from United Way DaneCounty and Domestic Abuse Intervention Servicesin Wisconsin… Ellen Quiros ’91 has been namedinternational marketing manager for BrinkerInternational. She and her husband, Jorge, live inthe Dallas-Fort Worth area with their three children…Kyle Volluz ’91, who married Dr. ChithraArumughan in November 2004, is employed as assistantgeneral counsel to Goldman Sachs SpecialtyLending Group. The couple resides in Dallas TX…Eileen Walker ’92 has been hired by TucsonRealty and Trust Co. Walker is a specialist in themarketing of office, medical, biotech and researchfacilities… Cathy Balach ’92 is one of the foundersof Goldleaf Chocolatier and acting Chief Chocoholicof the San Francisco-based startup. Her newventure involves creating a retail, wholesale andonline presence for selling the product to consumersand corporate accounts… Pamela Unhoch’92 married Edward Michael Tomer in GreenwichCT. The couple spent their honeymoon in Bermudaand will return to their home in Cos Cob CT…Jennifer Stanton ’92 is engaged to ChristopherPignataro. She’s employed by Colgate-Palmolive inNew York City… Renee Lavecchia ’92 and SvenThorslund ’92 have lived in Washington D.C. sinceMay 2003. Renee is vice president, account directorat RTC, a Y&R Brands company. Sven is the salesand business development director for WorldwideAssistance, the U.S. office of the Paris-basedEurope Assistance Group… Julie Norquist ’92 iscurrently vice president of marketing for a customerservice software company. She is gettingmarried in April 2005 in France…Anwar El Ghonemy ’93 is vice president of JonesLang LaSalle, a commercial real estate investmentbanking firm in San Francisco. He lives with hiswife, Gigi, and twin daughters in Benicia CA…Vicki Austin ’93 started her own career-coachingbusiness, Choices Worldwide, in 1997, after leavingher job in marketing and communication in thehealthcare field. She and her husband live in Illinois,where she also teaches at Lewis University…Peter Grant Hodes ’93 started Bold PlanningSolutions, a company that focuses on the homelandsecurity emergency management industry, inNashville TN… Jeff Whitney ’93 married Romania-bornVirginia Tone in Bucharest in August2003. Whitney is a representative for five softwarefirms in the United States and Europe and isinvolved in the transportation and financialservices sectors… Maureen Lyon Flynn ’93 andDirck Lyon ’96 had a second child, a daughter. Theycurrently reside in Shanghai, where he is the directorof electronics for Johnson Controls AutomotiveGroup, and she is the director of order fulfillmentfor American Power Conversion… Robert C. StrainJr. ’93 and MiJung Lee Strain had a daughter,Kathryn. The family lives in Seoul, South Korea,where Robert works as Asia Pacific Regional logisticsmanager for General Motors… Umesh Kulkarni’93 is vice president of a transaction testing softwarecompany in Scottsdale AZ. He and his wiferecently had a baby boy… Christian Krugman ’9358 spring 2005

class notesmarried Krystie Korn in Phoenix AZ Thanksgivingweekend. He’s with Chubb Insurance inPhoenix…William F. Humphrey Jr. ’94 was named “Employeeof the Year” by ICE Inc. and OurVacationStore.com in Phoenix AZ, beating out more than700 employees in five countries… Michele LanningBrenner ’94 is the director of marketing at theScotts Company. She is married to Steve Brenner.They have one child and another due in June…Amy Koster De Macena ’94 and husband, NilsonDe Macena, had a son in September 2004. Theylive in Los Angeles… Kristina Wagner (Durkin) ’94,who was married in November 2004, is the associatedirector of admissions for the Eller MBA programat the University of Arizona. She is currentlypursuing her Ph.D.… Patrick Galvin ’94 and hiswife, Ellen, have moved to Portland OR. Theyare co-owners of Galvin Communications, a publicrelations firm. Patrick is giving seminars throughoutthe country this year on how to create buzzabout companies… Fernando Sandoval ’94 passedthe October 2004 U.S. Licensed Customs BrokerExam. He is applying for a license and plans to startoperations early 2005 at the Nogales AZ Port ofEntry… Deborah Murray ’94 has become deputydirector, Asia/Pacific Region for Family HealthInternational. She lives in Thailand with husband,Rod Livingston ’94, and two sons.1995-1999Heather Witt ’95 is a developer for The LittleGym International for British Columbia andAlberta, Canada. She has two children, and livesin Scottsdale AZ and Vancouver BC… Lori AnnPriday ’95 is engaged to Matthew Lyons. She’s asenior manager of Advanced Planning and Strategyat Nissan North American in Los Angeles… TravisChrist ’95 was promoted to vice president ofMarketing for America West Airlines in Phoenix.He was formerly president of America West Vacations… Lisa Von Bargen ’95 has relocated back toPhoenix and launched Beyond Implementation,Inc., a technology consulting firm… Tim Hunt ’95and wife, Stephanie, had their fourth child in Novemberin London. He works for Goldman Sachsand is head of European leveraged finance sales…Mike Brady ’95 recently joined Time Warner Cablein Herndon VA as director of business affairs…Andre Doumitt ’95 is with BAE Systems, an aerospacecompany formerly known as British Aerospace.In November 2004, he took responsibility forbusiness development for fixed and rotary wingsystems for 15 business units across California,Ohio, Indiana and New York, as well as forRochester and Plymouth in the UK and Edinburgh,Scotland… Connie Fu ’95 worked in corporatefinance for General Electric in the United Statesand Hong Kong after graduation. She is nowworking as finance manager for Espirit, a clothingcompany in New York. She lives in Great NeckNY with her husband and newborn son… AlfredGuerrero ’95 and his wife, Polly, had twin girlsin December, joining a 2-year-old sister. The familylives in Miami FL…Lysa Nicklas Kristensen ’96 has been promotedto vice president and portfolio manager at FirstMATTHEW HILGER ’96 now makes his living as aprofessional poker player, author and poker expert.It’s all inthe cards,or maybeit’s notFIGURING THEodds, knowingwhen to takecalculated risks andunderstanding yourcompetition’smotivations areessential skills forevery MBA graduate.But unlikemost T-bird alumni,Matthew Hilger ’96applies those skillsacross a pokertable, not the one inthe boardroom.Hilger makes hisliving as a professionalpoker player.In 2002, he won theNew Zealand PokerChampionships andlast year took home$80,000 by placing33rd, out of 2,500,in the World Seriesof Poker.“It’s a great life,and it’s a lot offun,” the 37-yearoldsays. “I’vefound a way tomake a living in anindustry I love.”Hilger has beenplaying poker mostof his life, but it wasduring his year atThunderbird thathe began visitingnearby casinos.“I was on a collegebudget, so Ihad no money tolose,” Hilger says.“But I was able tohold my own everytime I went.”After graduation,Hilger worked withChiquita Brands inCosta Rica, wherehe honed hisgambling talents.“At the time, Iplayed in tournamentsevery Sundayat the TexasHold’em clubs,” hesays. “The personwho ran the club“It’s a greatlife and it’s alot of fun. I’vefound a wayto make aliving in anindustry Ilove.”was one of the topplayers in theworld, and I wasplaying with someof the mostrespected TexasHold’em players.”When he transferredto Argentina,Hilger had successwith Internet gambling.He took atwo-year sabbaticalfrom Chiquita andmoved to NewZealand, where hemade his livelihoodplaying internetpoker and wrote hisbestselling book,“Internet TexasHold’em: WinningStrategies from anInternet Pro.”In 2003, Hilgerstarted up a TexasHold’em Web site.It receives morethan 100,000 visitorsa month. “I amdefinitely using myinternational skillsin this business,”Hilger says.thunderbird magazine 59

class notesAmerican Trust. She lives in Corona Del Mar CAwith her husband Mike Kristensen… Frederick(Rick) Rasmussen ’96 authored an article titled“The DNA of Loyalty” for Colloquy magazine, theindustry publication for loyalty marketing. He isgeneral manager of international partnerships forDelta Air Lines, and recently spoke at the annualLoyalty Marketing Industry Summit… AnniqueGilbert London ’96 and Dane London had adaughter in June 2004. Annique is the assistantvice president of Marketing Services at WellsFargo Home Mortgage in Minneapolis MN… AlanChelko ’96 and Sharon Machuga Chelko ’96 had ason, Maksym Luka (Max), in June 2004… Kevin M.Peck ’96 was promoted to principal of MarketingCorporation of America’s (MCofA) TechnologyPractice… Anders A. Suarez ’96 was appointed tothe board of directors with Amerityre Corporation,and will serve as the company’s CFO… Tim Sultan’96 ran for Congress in District 8 of Arizona, butlost to incumbent Jim Kolbe… Michael Pascoe ’95of San Francisco helped with Sultan’s campaign…Brian Bergholm ’96 recently celebrated his oneyearanniversary with GE Insurance Solutions.He manages fulfillment of the company’s marketresearch requirements via a staff of nine marketresearchers based in India. He and his family relocatedto Kansas City KS to join the Global Marketinggroup at the company… Meredith Peabody ’96was pictured in the January issue of Arizona Monthly.Peabody is one of 15 Arizona businesswomenwho are sharing their expertise with 15 Afghanwomen as part of Thunderbird’s Project Artemis.Nancy Cailleteau ’97 delivered the key addressin November 2004 in Chennai, India, for the JayaSchool of Business. The occasion was the installmentof the first international chapter of SigmaIota Epsilon, the American honor society formanagement studies and professionals… ErumAmin ’97 and Australian Wolfgang Stefan havemarried. The couple met while working at DresdnerBank in London… Dr. Chien Hung (Charlie)Chen ’97, assistant professor at Appalachian StateUniversity, has co-written a study on e-learningKEITH POWERS ’99 played a crucial role in getting SpaceShipOne into orbit, andis now floating in air with the joy of doing something he loves.The skyisn’t thelimit forhigh-flyingalumniFOR KEITHPowers ’99,it’s all aboutgravity. In October,as chief developmentofficer for theX PRIZE Foundation,Powers awarded$10 million toairplane designerBurt Rutan and Microsoftco-founderPaul Allen, of MojaveAerospace, forputting SpaceShip-One into orbit afterit beat out 27 otherteams vying to bethe first privatelyfunded spacecraftin orbit.Spurning otheroffers, Powersjoined the Foundationon a pro-bonobasis just twomonths before thehistoric flight andthen raised nearly$4 million insponsorships.“I wanted to beinvolved withsomething that haspurpose,” he says.“I wanted to doJIM CAMPBELLsomething biggerthan the nextmarketing plan.”Building on thesuccess of the XPRIZE, the Foundationkicked off a$25 million fundraisingcampaign inApril. The newfunding will be usedto award prizes fora host of othersignificant hurdles,some related tospace and others toearth-bound issues,like clean energy orwater purification.Powers was importantin attractingGoogle founderLarry Page onto theboard.“The idea is toapply the samemethodology toleverage a competitionthat challengespeople to comeup with solutions,”Powers says.The next will be inthe fall of 2006,when the X PRIZECUP will be held inNew Mexico. Thefive-day event —“NASCAR onsteroids,” Powersays—is expectedto attract hundredsof innovators tobuild spacecraftthat can go higherand faster, pushingthe envelope of airtravel. Based on theinterest shown inthe X PRIZE flight,Powers expectshundreds of thousandsto attend.“Right now, only530 people havegone to space, andthat’s not enough,”Powers says.“We’ve only begunto scratch the surfaceof possibilities.There’s no reasonwhy we shouldn’tbe in space. Weneed to push ourlimitations beyondwhat we know. Thetechnology is here.”60 spring 2005

class notesenvironments in the assimilation of informationtechnology skills. It was published in the Journal ofInformation Systems Education... Robb McGregor’97 has returned to New York from London,where he lived for more than three years whileworking for Bank of America Securities… LisaTotino ’97 has been promoted to director for NewBusiness Development at Custom Plastics Inc.She leads all business development and marketingefforts for its new product division, Handi SolutionsInc., which focuses on garage organizationand storage products… Brad Smith ’97 joined S3Investment Company as executive vice presidentafter the acquisition of TSPartner. Previously, hewas co-founder and chief operating officer of IPIntelligence, a consulting firm providing intellectualproperty services… Annabelle Abba Brownell’97 and Peter Brownell ’97 have two children.She is a marketing communications professionalin the Silicon Valley, and he is working on his ownbusiness… Anna Maria Moore ’97 has been livingin Washington D.C. since January 1999 and workingfor Equant as an IT training manager inNorthern Virginia. She enjoys meeting up withT-birds and staying in touch… Jerry Hanley ’97lives in San Diego and sells mobile video solutionsfor Qualcomm Inc. to Latin American and SoutheastAsian customers… Michele Manzek (Thomas)’97 married Cameron Thomas in San Juan Capistrano.The couple lives in Scottsdale AZ.Katherine Johnson ’98 was appointed foreignpolicy advisor and director of the U.S. CoastGuard’s international affairs staff. Johnson coordinatesinternational policy, participation, and operationswithin the Coast Guard and with other U.S.government agencies, foreign governments, andinternational organizations… James McGraw ’98was named director of the Axapta ERP practice forSCS Inc… Adriana Mikulla (Tschinkel) ’98 passedaway in August 2004. She had been living inGuadalajara, but died in San Francisco after abrief illness… Gabe Castaneda ’98 co-foundedCastaneda Williams Ltd., a marketing communicationsfirm. The business was highlighted in theJune 18 issue of the Twin Cities’ Business Journal.George Bradbury ’99 ran for District 4 Supervisorin Arizona, but lost to the incumbent. Heresides in Surprise AZ… Jarad Carleton ’99 waspromoted to consulting analyst at Frost & Sullivanin Palo Alto CA… Joseph Urso ’99 has been appointedlead planning manager for General Motors,Thailand… Erica Savka ’99 recently began workingas an international solutions marketing managerfor VeriFone Inc., responsible for launching verticalmarket strategies for all non-financial applicationsthat can run on VeriFone’s point of sale terminals.She is based in Miami FL… Michael Wissot’99 has been named vice president of LuntzResearch, a public affairs and corporate communicationsfirm. He also serves as an adjunct professorat Pepperdine University, teaching public speakingand rhetorical analysis. He lives in Pacific PalisadesCA with his wife, Alison… Garth Knudson ’99 issenior solutions marketing manager at SoftwareAG. He and his wife, Rachel, had their fifth child,a daughter… Daniel Gies ’99 was featured in theChicago Sun-Times in an article about his workfinancing local agricultural businesses in Afghanistanon behalf of Chicago’s ShoreBank in cooperationwith USAID… Christina Halbert ’99 marriedAriel Gamino in September 2004 in Michigan.They are planning another, bigger wedding thisyear in Mexico. The couple resides in Miami FL…Sangeeta Bajaj ’99 married Joseph LaForges inApril 2004. Fifteen T-bird alumni attended theevent… Mark Merifield ’99 and Carolina Montero’99 relocated from Miami FL to Nice, France,where he is manager of Global Service Design &Management at Amadeus. She is an account managerfor the internet marketing firm, Latin3. Theyhad a daughter in August 2003… Lisa Shackelford’99 married Eduardo Larenas in June 2004 in MiamiFL. She has been working for Caterpillar’s LatinAmerican division in Miami for five years… TamiPeter ’99 married Gregory Heintz in Roseland NJin July 2004. The couple resides in West New YorkNJ. She is the vice president of Structured CreditSales for SG Americas, the investment bankingarm of Societe Generale in New York.2000-2005Chris Donaldson ’00 is managing Motorolahandset launches to T-Mobile. He married Sarah(Lamoree) Donaldson in August 2003. The couplelives in Chicago IL… Brian Kenny ’00 will completethis year his executive doctorate of managementdegree at Case Western Reserve UniversityWeatherhead School of Management… JulieJensen ’00 was appointed as the new marketingand advertising sales director for NationalGeographic Channel and Adventure One (A1) inAustralia and New Zealand… Krista Peterson ’00has been assistant director of Global Business Center,University of Washington Business School,since April 2002. She is internationalizing theschool’s curriculum. Krista was married in October2003 to Brian Woodward… Brian Mefford ’00 wasnamed president and CEO of the Center for InformationTechnology Enterprise (CITE) in BowlingGreen KY. CITE is a research and consultingorganization that provides information technologystrategy and policy planning to institutions aroundthe world… Terry Wick ’00 passed away February11, 2004, in Canton OH… Jami Fry ’00 and JeremyWong ’96 have two boys and live in San Diego CA,where she is a strategic marketing manager forSyntricity Inc., and he is a senior systems analystfor Qualcomm. He is also founder and chiefmonkee of Speedmonkee Performance LLC.Muyi Louisa Li ’01 and husband, Long Yang,had a daughter, Emma, born in November 2004…Nishant Taneja ’01 is global marketing operationsmanager at McAfee, a leading security softwarecompany based in Silicon Valley CA… DavidAdams ’01 and his wife, Elizabeth, had a girl, JuliaVargas, in January 2005. The family lives in ChanhassenMN. He works in strategy and businessdevelopment in the entertainment group at BestBuy… Alison Leo Rana ’01 is still working forExxonMobil in Washington D.C. in internationalgovernment relations. She had lunch with Alice SuKidwell ’01 and Miki Sazon ’01 over Thanksgivingand had a great time catching up. Sazon lives inSingapore and is traveling the world, particularlythunderbird magazine 61

class notes“The NFLrepresentsthe heartand soul ofthis country.Being oneof very fewfemalesdoesn’tmatter.Resultsmatter.”Alumnascorespoints forleague’sfinancesWHEN youconstantlytake yourselfoutside yourcomfort zone,” saysKimberly Williams’92, “there’s nochallenge that’sinsurmountable.”That attitude hascarried Williams, atage 35, to seniorvice president offinance at theNational FootballLeague, making herthe highest-rankingwoman in the heavilymale industry.The route shetook to managingthe NFL budget wasKIMBERLY WILLIAMS ’92 is senior vice president offinance at the National Football League.as serpentine as aBarry Sanders run.Following her Thunderbirdgraduation,a job in London withGeneral Electricgave Williams theopportunity to dealwith complexities.The job involved notonly multiple currencies,culturesand languages, butalso differing practicesin businessand law.Later, Williamswas hired as CFO ofNBC West Coast,where she evaluatedthe viability ofnew televisionlaunches andweighed in on thedeal that led to thehit show “Friends.”When she wasfirst approachedabout the NFL job,Williams hesitantlyagreed to an interview.But she washooked the minutethe interviewerstold her that theNFL’s financialdepartment neededto play a moreprominent role inthe organization.“I have strongopinions about therole of finance, andI thought it mightbe fun to turn thatfunction around,”she says. “The bestpart is being anoperational partnerand contributing todecisions.”She now has apassion for the NFL,which “representsthe heart and soulof this country,” shesays. “Being one ofvery few femalesdoesn’t matter. Resultsmatter. That’sthe reason I lovethis organization.”around Asia. Kidwell works at the American RedCross in D.C…. Juan Garcia ’01 ran the New YorkCity marathon and finished in a time of 4:44…Deborah Shapos ’01 and Steve Andaloro ’01, alongwith one other partner, opened Aspire Markets infall 2004, the first gourmet grocery store for peopleon special diets in Scottsdale.Jason DeLecour ’02 died February 26, 2004 in asnow slide on a Utah mountainside… Ryan Bartell’02 is engaged to Jamie Hope Katz of Solon OH.He is a consulting evaluation analyst for HVSInternational in Miami FL. The couple plans aMay 2005 wedding… Cliff Fossum ’02 passed awayin April 2004. A memorial fund supporting theDolores Library District has been establishedwith the First National Bank of Cortez, Drawer A,Cortez CO 81321… Allison Kaiser ’02 is marketingmanager for ViroLogic, a biotech company based inSan Francisco… Mark Abromovitz ’02 was featuredin the February edition of the Phoenix BusinessJournal for a real estate project his company isdeveloping in downtown Phoenix. AbromovitzInvestment Properties develops, manages, andinvests in industrial, commercial, medical andhistoric properties in Phoenix, with an emphasis onredevelopment in the downtown corridor.Francisco Rivera Haro ’03 was named COOin one of the top home construction companies inMexico, which is building 5,000 houses per yearand has a two-digit growth rate… Carole Low ’03is senior account manager at Digital Impact, anonline direct marketing solutions company in SanMateo CA… Gene Shi ’03 was promoted to Asianmarketing manager for the Bay Area Region ofFirst American Title Company in October 2004…Bernardo Grossi Lobo Martins ’03 and Nicole ReneeAnnarino ’03 will be married in Belo Horizonte,Brazil in the fall of 2005. The two began datingthree years ago while working on a marketingproject at Thunderbird. The couple lives in Boston,where he works for Tyco International, and sheworks for TJX… Balaji Viswanath ’03 was interviewedon Manhattan News Network in January2004 about the tsunami relief and rehabilitationoperations in India. Balaji is the director ofmarketing and public relations for Vibha, a nonprofitorganization that supports child developmentactivities in India and the United States.Ismene Papayianis ’04 and Benjamin Wolf ’04have announced their engagement… AndrewDicello ’04 and Marcie Butty were married inApril 2005 in Phoenix AZ… Jeff Ostaszewski ’04is working at iRobot Corporation in BurlingtonMA. The company markets unmanned groundvehicles… Danilo Pelho ’04 died December 8, 2004,in a car accident near his hometown, Aracatuba, inSao Paulo state, Brazil. While a student, Pelho waspresident of the Brazil Club and helped organizeRegional Nights and Brazilian barbecues. In hismemory, his classmates and friends have establisheda scholarship and tree memorial. Donationscan be given, through the Thunderbird Annualfund, to the Danilo Pelho Memorial Scholarshipand Danilo Pelho Tree Memorial. Information:www.thunderbird. edu/annualfund; questions:mygift@t-bird. edu... Jennifer Slack ’04 ismanager for the Vanguard Group in Malvern PA.62 spring 2005

Share your experienceswith future T-birdsThunderbird Alumni Class of 2005, Sara Swain, US; George Alambo, Kenya; Supang Srichaovarat, Thailand.You’ve been there. You’ve done that.Share your T-bird experience.If you know someone with a global curiosity –someone who is ready to take the next step towarda global business career – refer him or her toThunderbird. Our varied program options aredesigned to meet a wide range of needs.Help expand Thunderbird’s ranks by becoming anhonorary member of our worldwide recruiting team.Visit www.my.t-bird.edu and click “Refer aFuture T-bird.” A Thunderbird recruiter willcontact you soon.Get involved!Thunderbird is looking for Alumni Ambassadors.Work hand-in-hand with Thunderbird’s recruitmentteam to help spread the word to prospective students.Serve as a representative at local events.Inform Thunderbird’s recruitment teamabout local alumni events open toprospective students.Coordinate conversations between prospectivestudents and alumni in the same globalregion or career.For more information contact: ambassadors@thunderbird.edu

forumLet’s put Russiaback on the mapBY DENNIS HOPPLEPresident, Thunderbird CBSD RussiaJUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, I intervieweda Thunderbird alumnafor a management job in Russia.Her first question: “Do people haveindividual freedom in Russia?”For me, it served as yet another reminderof the kind of press this country gets in theWest. Although the cold war has been overfor more than two decades, there still seemsto be frosty feelings between the formerSoviet Union and much of the Westernworld. Every time I return to the UnitedStates, I still have people who ask about themafia and the availability of basic goods.Russia seems to be getting the same coldshoulder from Thunderbird and manystudents. Not long ago, Thunderbird had athriving Russian language department andstrong student interest in Eastern Europe.But after Russia’s financial crisis of 1998,interest in Russian studies evaporated, as didstudents’ interest in seeking a job in Russia.It’s time for a revival.While much of the press about Russia’sloss of media freedom and backsliding towarddictatorship has some basis in fact,what unfortunately has been overshadowedis how business is booming.A Russian middle class has emerged,young professionals are buying cars andapartments at an amazing pace, businessesare growing at double- and triple-digit ratesand salaries are increasing nearly as quickly.Best of all, the expectation that the state canor will provide support is disappearing.Moscow has become a true world capital, asevery bit as vibrant as New York City orParis, with a plethora of quality shops,restaurants and hotels.It truly is an exciting time to be in thisrapidly changing market.However, this environment isn’t for everyone.Much is still being defined and developed,and President Vladimir Putin andthe government do not think through everydecision for the unintended consequences.Russians don’t want an America-styledemocracy, for it places too much responsibilityon the individual. Preferring a strongcentral leadership, they eventually will findtheir own hybrid form of democracy. Untilthen, the country will lurch forward.Working and thriving in any emergingmarket requires some acceptance of ambiguityand the understanding that significantchange takes generations, not a few years.This is where T-birds can have a true competitiveadvantage, but only if the Schooladdresses the language need and studentsput Russia on their job consideration lists.A Thunderbird graduate with a spirit ofadventure, Russian language skills and adesire to play a part in the transformation ofa country would be much in demand as thecountry embraces capitalism and the independencethat comes with business success.Russia certainly is not the only “land ofopportunity,” but Thunderbird and its studentshould look past the one-sided reportingand see that this emerging market offersexcitement, an accelerated career path andthe rare chance to ride a wave of change.Dennis HoppleEditor’s NoteThunderbird Forum isopen to members of theThunderbird communitywho have a vision or anidea to share. Write tothe editor with yourideas, and we willexplore with you itspotential as a column.64 spring 2005

Stay ahead of theissues and ideasimpacting globalbusiness today.Subscribe to theThunderbirdInternationalBusiness Review,a bi-monthlypublication featuringthe latest research,trends andopportunitiesfacing internationalbusiness executiveseach day.Through July 30th, Thunderbird Alumni receive a 75% discount off thecover rate for the upcoming year. Receive six issues for only $100.Subscribe today atwww.thunderbird.edu/tibror call 602-978-7659.

R E L A X . R E F L E C T . R E C O N N E C T .Thunderbird European Alumni ReunionJune 2–5, 2005 Geneva, SwitzerlandThursday, June 2Kick-off evening cocktail partyFriday, June 3Your choice of daily activities including guided tours and hiking trips.Dinner and dancing at the Domaine de PenthesContactsAntoine van Caloen ’87 (avc@global.t-bird.edu)Shelley Collum ’03 (smcollum@global.t-bird.edu)Web sitehttp://www.thunderbird.edu/alumni/prog_serv/events/reunion.htmSaturday, June 4More daily activities in the fantastic Geneva regionExceptional dinner and dance aboard a cruise boat on Lake GenevaSunday, June 5Au revoir brunchThunderbird CampusAlumni Relations15249 North 59th AvenueGlendale, Arizona USA 85306-6000 USANONPROFIT ORG.US POSTAGEP A I DMENDOTA, ILPERMIT #135ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED57 . 2 . 2005