DIvIDEnD - Stephen M. Ross School of Business - University of ...

Worldwide club day Broadens Scope, creates connections
Since the Ross School launched its first
Worldwide Club Day (WCD) in September
2006, alumni clubs in 38 cities and 14 countries
have hosted events from Boston to Beijing.
In 2009 a record 29 clubs welcomed students,
faculty, and alumni to simultaneous Ross
events around the globe. Many clubs also
actively promoted their events to prospective
Ross students this year, as a way to introduce
the school’s programs.
The expanding mission of WCD signals the
increasing role Ross clubs play in connecting
members with the school and building the
Ross brand. And because WCD now happens
during Ross Professional Development Week,
students traveling home during that time are
encouraged to attend their local club’s event.
The result is a growing synergy between past,
present, and future Ross students that allows
each to learn from the other.
“Worldwide Club Day originated as an event
in which alumni around the globe were encouraged
to come together at the same time,” says
David Emery-Peck, MBA ’09, director of
annual giving and alumni relations. “It has
evolved into the marquee fall event, with
faculty traveling to many cities to present
research and updates about the school.”
H New Delhi
From left: Bharat Patel, mBa ’69, professor m.S.
krishnan, and Sanjay mirchandani, mBa ’89.
Mirchandani accepted the Ross School’s inaugural
International Club of the Year Award on behalf of the
University of Michigan India Alumni Association.
Members met in New Delhi for the WCD panel discussion
“Our Green Future.” In addition to Krishnan, Ross
faculty in attendance included C.k. Prahalad, the Paul
and Ruth McCracken Distinguished University Professor
of Strategy; and kathleen Sutcliffe, associate dean for
faculty development and research and the Gilbert and
Ruth Whitaker Professor of Business Administration.
Krishnan is chair and professor of business information
technology and a Michael R. and Mary Kay Hallman Fellow.
The evolution of the event’s purpose also
reflects the school’s holistic attitude in connecting
all members of the Ross community.
“It’s a truly great energy,” Emery-Peck says.
The Ross Alumni Club of Beijing attracted
more than 30 prospective students to its WCD
event. Co-president John lim, BBA ’94,
says their presence enriched the experience for
alumni and showcased Ross in a unique way.
“The guests were able to see the strength and
cohesiveness of the Michigan community
as we exchanged cutting-edge business
insights,” he says.
For its WCD event, the Ross Alumni
Club of Los Angeles hosted Sendil Ethiraj,
associate professor of strategy, to share his
research about managing human capital in
high-talent industries. The talk was especially
well-suited to the LA club because of the
city’s high concentration of creative industries.
Elizabeth Smith Brigham, MBA ’09, says
recent grads in attendance enjoyed hearing
from their core strategy professor, while potential
admits got a window into the Ross student
experience. “Having Sendil present illustrated
the degree of academic rigor and appreciation
for healthy debate cultivated at Ross,” she says.
Ethiraj reaped his own benefits by participating.
“Attending alumni events helps me understand
how students at different career stages reflect
on their Ross education,” he says.
Kim cameron, William Russell Kelly
Professor of Management and Organizations,
says he developed a greater appreciation for
the school’s global reach by visiting Shanghai
for WCD. “Great universities like Michigan
have great alumni networks, and Shanghai has
bright, energetic, and exemplary alumni leaders,”
he says. Welcoming Cameron to Shanghai
gave local alumni a real boost, says Kenneth
Fang, MBA ’07. “Having faculty like Professor
Cameron attend our event shows the school is
dedicated to keeping strong connections with
its alumni,” he says. “Plus, faculty are a great
attraction to build attendance. Worldwide Club
Day gets new alumni excited and older alumni
reinvigorated for the coming year.”
For faculty like finance professor Amy Dittmar,
engaging with alumni lends insight to her
relationship with students. “I met one woman
who graduated more than 30 years ago and
others who were recent grads meeting new
people for the first time,” she says. “It represents
how many ways and for how many years
the school has impacted students’ lives.”
—Amy Spooner
spring 2010 DIvIDEnD 49