Archived

Understanding your customers can’t be delegated by Tom Schryver ’93, MBA ’02 A few years ago, I invested in a promising startup run by an energetic, young entrepreneur — let’s call her Ellen. Recently, she reached out to let me know that she and her cofounder realized that they were barking up the wrong tree. […]

Robert Frisch, MBA ’13, Firelight Camps by Dick Anderson If your ideal camping companion is Gwyneth Paltrow — not Bear Grylls — then Firelight Camps may be your ecotourism destination. Located on the grounds of Ithaca’s La Tourelle Resort and Spa, the elevated campground caters to an upscale clientele who are eager to commune with […]

Bringing a “Benevolent Competitiveness” to Family Business When Superstorm Sandy hit the Gellert Global Group’s Elizabeth, N.J., warehouse, offices, and shipping facility in October 2012, it left behind eight feet of standing water and over $15 million in damage. Chairman and CEO George Gellert was in Paris at a food show when the storm made […]

Rebecca Robinson ’07, MBA ’15 You want to book a romantic getaway in a five-star hotel in the Caribbean. After logging onto a hotel booking website, you enter the number of travelers, and suddenly photos of couples sipping wine at a candlelit dinner, enjoying a massage in a spa, or sunbathing on a white sand […]

Kelly Ward, MBA ’98 Kelly Ward grew up in rural Cayuga County, N.Y., yearning for the excitement of joining the Army. But after graduating from West Point and serving in Germany and in Kuwait during Desert Storm, his military career took an unexpected turn away from the battlefield. While serving as a company commander at […]

Kimberly Jones Gilliam ’98 (CALS), MBA ’02, Frolick Dogs by Dick Anderson When the couple met in 2006, Kimberly Jones was director of membership and sales operations with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Kevin Gilliam was a trainer at the Olde Towne School for Dogs in Alexandria, Va. Kim and Kevin got married in […]

Hitesh Anadkat, MBA ’84 If you lived in Malawi in the 1980s and wanted to open a checking account or apply for a loan, there were two banks you could choose from in the southeast African country. Both were controlled by the government, which prohibited any new banks from opening. At the time, Hitesh Anadkat, […]

by Tommy Wong, Cornell Executive MBA Americas 2016 I chose Johnson because of our program’s world-class faculty, recognition, and excellence. I continue to be quite impressed by the collaborative team-based format, focus on technology, and preparation for post-graduate success on a global scale. Just as critical, Johnson offers an EMBA program that is well-suited for […]

by Syed Hussain, Cornell Executive MBA Americas 2017 Johnson is a prestigious name among Ivy League schools, and I am proud to have it on my credentials. This program has great flexibility in scheduling your classes while you continue to work without any interruption. Secondly, leadership always blooms from excellent teamwork, and this program is […]