Profiles in Leadership - UW-Milwaukee

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Executive MBA Fiserv’s Yabuki on Differentiating Yourself as a Leader Jeffery W. Yabuki “ Truly great leadership is a combination of tangible skills that blend in a way that is really differentiating,” Jeffery W. Yabuki, President & CEO of Fiserv, Inc., told the Executive MBA Class of 2007 at their graduation ceremony. Fiserv, a publicly traded Fortune 500 company, is a market share leader of information technology systems and services to the fi nancial and insurance industries. The company reported $4.5 billion in 2006 revenues, with 23,000 employees serving more than 17,000 clients worldwide. Yabuki noted that Fiserv has consistently grown revenue and earnings at a doubledigit clip. “I am particularly proud that we are one of only a handful of companies in 10 OUTLOOK the S&P 500 which have grown revenue and earnings for at least 15 straight years,” he said. “And I think there is a direct correlation to the company’s leadership, because leadership is often about consistency and stability.” He challenged graduates to consider three simple but potent questions that could “change your trajectory as business leaders.” What do you want to do? This is not necessarily a job title, Yabuki said, but a defi nition of where your passion lies, how you want to make an impact. Don’t just think about it, he said, but put it down in black and white. “Writing it down not only changes it from a wish to a goal. It holds you accountable.” What is the essence of your personal brand? Learn to view yourself not just as a person, but as a brand, he suggested. All of your actions contribute to how your brand is perceived. In the business world, we place great importance on managing brands, he said. It shouldn’t be any different with your personal brand. What do you want to be famous for? Everyone gets remembered for something. Tyco’s Dennis Kozlowski, Enron’s Kenneth Lay — even former president Bill Clinton — made poor short-term decisions rather than look ahead to manage their legacies. So, in all that you do, he urged, think about the impact your actions and decisions will have on your legacy. Jeff Yabuki joined Fiserv in December 2005 after more than six years at H&R Block, Inc., where he rose to the position of executive vice president and chief operating offi cer, after joining the company as president of International Operations in 1999. Prior to H&R Block, Jeff spent 12 years with American Express, most recently as president and chief executive offi cer of American Express Tax and Business Services. He serves on the Lubar School’s Business Advisory Council. UWM’s Executive MBA Program is one of the longest-running and most successful programs of its kind in the nation. Established in 1974, the program boasts more than 850 graduates from over 400 businesses, providing skilled managers with a unique academic and peer learning experience in an accelerated format and preparing them for positions of executive leadership.
Entrepreneurship NEW VENTURE BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION Launched What does it take to transform a business idea into reality? To go from concept to commercialization? That is what UWM students and recent alumni will have the opportunity to experience in the inaugural NEW VENTURE BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION, sponsored by the Lubar School of Business and made possible by private support from La Macchia Enterprises, the parent company of Mark Travel and Trisept Solutions. The NEW VENTURE BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION was launched this fall to foster entrepreneurial spirit among UWM students and alumni, promote practical business skills, and encourage the creation of new, for-profi t ventures. “It’s another way that we’re helping students translate entrepreneurship theory and knowledge into practicable action,” said Dean V. Kanti Prasad, who also serves as Bostrom Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. A key step to translating a great idea into a profi table business is the creation of a solid business plan. Good business plans address the variables surrounding the many decisions entrepreneurs must make in developing and launching their businesses. The competition’s structure — with successive phases of plan development — will help entrants fi ne-tune their ideas and polish their presentations. Entrants will also have the opportunity to attend workshops on writing a business plan, forming a company, and commercializing an idea. The workshops are presented by Bostrom Entrepreneurs-in-Residence James Hunter and John Komives, who also play key roles in the implementation of the competition. In addition, the NEW VENTURE BUSI NESS PLAN COMPETITION offers signifi cant cash prizes totaling $12,000 that can be used to further the successful commercialization of the winners’ ideas. There is no better way to fi nd out how the process of creating a business plan and presenting it to potential investors works, according to Komives. “The academic payoff of authoring and presenting a business plan can be quite astounding,” he said. “Students who accomplish this task will gain a newfound respect for analyzing reality and then putting a structure in place where none had existed before.” More information on the competition can be found at www.newventure.uwm.edu. “ We are happy to contribute to nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit and skills of UWM students, who are so vital to the economic future of our region. ” William E. La Macchia, Chairman, La Macchia Enterprises FALL 2007 11
Page 1 and 2: Outlook The Lubar School’s magazi
Page 3 and 4: In This Issue Outlook FALL 2007 2 M
Page 5 and 6: Honors Hans G. Storr Recognized wit
Page 7 and 8: A beautiful Milwaukee spring evenin
Page 9 and 10: Cover Story Profi les in Leadership
Page 11: Bradley Distinguished Lecture Serie
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