Lawrence Scholars in Business

Category: Lawrence Scholars in Business

Non-Trivial Career Services and LSB Message

Following what will undoubtedly be a busy Trivia Weekend, we turn our attention to Career Services and some of the upcoming opportunities for you to consider Life After Lawrence Now.  Starting Wednesday, January 28, and running through the weekend, a number of alumni and friends will be on campus to help you think about your career.  You can see who is going to be here and when by looking at the upcoming events calendar.   Send an email to Career Services if you’d like to reserve a time to meet for a general career chat  (careerservices@lawrence.edu ).

Go to the Career Services website or go drop in for more information.  Check out some of the events after the break:

Continue reading Non-Trivial Career Services and LSB Message

Learn about financial services from Lawrentians

The next Lawrence Scholars in Business event is coming up this Saturday, February 1st. The topic is financial services, and the panelists will be

  • U.S. Bank – Michelle Bauer ‘87
  • Morgan Stanley – Michael Martino ‘80
  • Kepos Capital, L.P. – Andrew Miller ‘96
  • Heartland Advisors – Dave Ribbens ‘83

This is a great opportunity to interact with alumni who know a lot about the financial services industry from experience, and who are  coming to campus to share that knowledge and insight with you. Whether you are interested in financial services or just not sure what those careers exactly involve, take advantage of the opportunity to learn more from Lawrentians.

Lawrence Scholars Saturday

This weekend marks another big weekend for the Lawrence Scholars programs, including a visit from alums Hugh McLean, Jamie Reeve, and Mark Spertel for the Lawrence Scholars in Business program.  Our guests will talk about commercial banking and private wealth management.  I’ll try to get their bios up later today.

These events are excellent opportunities for you to get a glimpse at opportunities out in the real world, and to mix with professionals who actually want and have time to mix with you!

A Third Industrial Revolution: Innovation in Manufacturing

The April 21, 2012 issue of The Economist features a special report on the revival of manufacturing in the so-called developed world.  But this won’t be my father’s or even your father’s world of manufacturing.  As with many areas of our economy, it will require skilled workers who know how to manipulate contemporary machines such as three dimensional printers to create new products and meet existent and new consumer needs.  Traditional laborers with tools such as those portrayed above won’t be featured.  Nor will outsourcing to countries with cheaper labor, the pattern over the past 20 years, be prominent.  The rewards will go to those who can innovate and use their entrepreneurial skills to best meet people’s needs.  I encourage you to read (or listen to) the entire report (accessible here ), sign up for courses in our Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program (posted here), or enroll in the ACM Chicago program on Business, Entrepreneurship and Society.

This transformation of manufacturing is well underway but opportunities abound as those of you who went on this year’s LSB Chicago trip saw and heard (thank you Professor Galambos).  As the Special report concludes:

Millions of small and medium-sized firms will benefit from new materials, cheaper robots, smarter software, and an abundance of online services and 3D printers.

 

Life in 2100

Those of you who visited Deloitte on the LSB Chicago trip heard Jonathan Bauer’s ringing endorsement of a book (“it’s great… based on the first five pages”).

The book is Physics of the Future, by Michio Kaku. If the New York Times review is to be believed, the book’s strength lies not in its style, but in the breadth of the information its author summarizes.

Mr. Bauer treated us to an hour of entertaining, informative, and memorable comments on the transition from Lawrence to a job, on the consulting world, and the life of a consultant.

Entrepreneurship in Chicago

Thirty of us returned last night from another very successful Lawrence Scholars in Business trip to Chicago. Most of yesterday was “entrepreneurship day.” Before lunch, we went to ICNC, an incubator hosting over a hundred start-ups. We got to visit two of them, Souldier and Element Bars. The latter was a winner on Shark Tank! Our gracious hosts at ICNC were Steve DeBretto and Tom Cassell. Tom teaches the Entrepreneurship Practicum at the ACM Chicago Entrepreneurship program. The deadline for Fall 2012 has been extended, so it’s not too late to think about making this part of your next year. If you liked the two-day immersion experience we got in Chicago, you’ll love the term-long immersion experience you’ll get in the ACM program. Consider taking advantage of this great opportunity. The ICNC is not just a space to practice whatever your craft is, but it is also a community of entrepreneurs, with a strong support network.

After lunch at the Berghoff, we went to the Merchandise Mart to visit the just-launched hot new tech-incubator 1871. If your start-up might need a truck to pull up to your space, ICNC is where you’d want to be. But if you are a software start-up, you’d want to be at 1871, the intersection where the explosion of ideas takes place. Dozens of start-ups, six venture capital firms, four universities, many prestigious sponsors, and a number of mentors come together in a space designed beautifully for creativity.

Don’t miss that famous Chicago trip

The LSB program sponsors an educational trip to Chicago every year.  The purpose of the trip is to provide students an “immersion experience” in one of the country’s financial and entrepreneurial hubs.  The trip will take place during reading period, on May 3rd and 4th.  We will leave at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 3, and return in the evening on Friday.

We will have a full schedule, visiting the following organizations: Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Madison Dearborn Partners, The Northern Trust Company, Deloitte, LBC Credit Partners, Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago, Ennis Knupp + Associates, and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center.

The costs of the trip are covered by the LSB program. The trip is open to all students. This trip is a great opportunity to learn about the business world up-close, in a way that you couldn’t do on your own. If you would like to join, register through LUworks.  Deadline to register and pay $20 refundable deposit is April 25.

Lawrence Scholars in Law / Business Event

This Wednesday, Basil Vasiliou (1972 alum) will be on campus to talk about the potential benefits of a masters in business administration (MBA) and a law degree.  The Lawrence Scholars in Law and Lawrence Scholars in Business programs are co-hosting the event.  Mr. Vasiliou’s talk will be at 5:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Cinema, and is followed by an informal dinner with students in Andrew Commons, Parish/Perille rooms.

After graduating from Lawrence, Mr. Vasiliou picked up an MBA from the University of Chicago and a law degree from Fordham, and he has worked in the financial sector, including serving as chairman and CEO of Vasiliou & Co. since 1986.

You might consider bookmarking this page to keep abreast of the Lawrence Scholars events.

A Lot More Light

This Saturday, October 29 is a maelstrom of opportunities for those of you looking to eventually enter the working world as Lawrence launches its 2011 More Light! Career Conference.  There are many, many alumni coming back to give some pep talks on leadership, taking initiative, career paths into various vocations, and what you students can do to prepare for Life After Lawrence NOW.

The particulars are quite remarkable:

Leadership in Life After Lawrence – Stansbury Theater 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. with the following distinguished alumni:

  • ABC News “Nightline,” Co-Anchor, Terry Moran ‘82
  • Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Division President, Joanne Bauer ’77
  • Emmy Award-Winning Filmmaker, Catherine Tatge ‘72
  • Former U.S. Ambassador to India, David Mulford ‘59
  • Business Executive, Author and Professor, Harry Jansen Kraemer ‘77

Lawrence Scholars Secrets to Success panel discussions in:

  • Business…..10:30 – 11:45 a.m.    Steitz Hall, Room 102
  • International Careers…..10:30 – 11:45 a.m.    Steitz Hall, Room 202
  • Law…..1:00 – 2:15 p.m. Steitz Hall, Room 102
  • Athletics…..1:00 – 2:15 p.m.   Steitz Hall, Room 202
  • Arts & Entertainment…..2:30 – 3:45 p.m.   Steitz Hall, Room 102
  • Medicine…..2:30 – 3:45 p.m.  Steitz Hall, Room 202

You can also attend a Networking Lunch at Andrew Commons at 12:00 noon, giving you an opportunity to lunch with alumni.

Finally, there is the Japan’s Ministry of Education’s Japan English Teaching (J.E.T.) Info Session – Career Center 4:15  – 5:00 p.m., where Michael Van Krey ’94, Japanese teacher with Evanston Township High School and former JET teacher will discuss the application process as well as his experiences with the J.E.T. program.  Michael will be joined by Joette Bump, President  – JET Alumni Association, Wisconsin Subchapter.

Where are Oil Prices Headed?

Saturday marked another wowza LSB event, with our star-studded panel presenting some great information on the “buy side” of the market.  Dean DuMonthier ’88 gave a riveting characterization of the oil market, and seemed very bullish indeed.   Interestingly, the discussion centered around a $125 price for oil, whereas there seems to be a leak in the bottom of the barrel with prices falling back to $100 this past week.

One of the key areas of interest is the ratio of oil to natural gas prices relative to the British Thermal Unit (BTU) equivalent of about 8.  That is, where the price of oil has about eight times the energy content of a unit of natural gas, and therefore the price of oil should trade at around eight times the price of natural gas (I’ve also seen this ratio at 6).  Why is that?  Because oil and natural gas are imperfect substitutes, there is money on the table on both the supply and demand side if there is an imbalance.

With natural gas prices just under $5 and oil prices north of $100, that ratio is better than 20 rather than 8.  So, the question is, is that an anomaly that market forces will correct — that is, with rising natural gas prices and/or falling oil prices?  Or, is this a paradigm shift?  I sat in a group with Guy Scott ’88, and he gave us compelling cases on both sides (despite what Timothy Siegel at Forbes seems to think).

For another complementary perspective, check out James Hamilton’s discussion at Econbrowser.

Now, for those of you who are Discovering Kirzner, you might ask yourselves, which is more important to these guys — the price theory fundamentals, or some element of “discovery” and arbitrage?

For those of you not Discovering Kirzner, I hope the panel impressed upon you the ubiquity of a relatively straightforward applications of competitive markets a la Landsburg Chapter 7.

If any of the panelists happen to be reading this, thanks for coming.  It is really great to have you back on campus.  And it is great to see you bring your professionalism to our co-cirricular events.  We hope to see you again soon.

LSB Chicago trip, 2011

It’s the third time, and that makes it a tradition: reading period in Spring term means that it’s time for the Lawrence Scholars in Business Chicago trip. Open to all Lawrence students, the trip is sponsored by the LSB program, and made possible by the generosity of Lawrence alumni who open up their board rooms for our students. For two days, 33 Lawrence students got an immersion experience in Chicago’s bustling world of business and finance.

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Natalie Garber ’97, Daniel Kolev ’98, and Michael O’Connell ’81 reassured us that a liberal arts education is the perfect foundation for much of what they do at the CME. O’Connell, a Managing Director with broad previous experience in the financial industry, was a biology major at Lawrence, and advised students to take the hard courses and do well in them in order to show both ambition and ability to potential employers. (Not to mention that doing well hard courses has the added benefit of learning a lot.) We had a chance to look at the trading pits, too, to hear the yelling, and to learn the basics of the zany hand-signal language that traders use.

On the 46th floor of Three First National Plaza, Harry M. Jansen Kraemer ’77 welcomed us to Madison Dearborn Partners with lunch

and a (connected and convex) table big enough for 35 people. With an amazing view of Lake Michigan and downtown as a backdrop, we had a fascinating, captivating, interesting dialogue with Harry Kraemer. He reminded us that he has very few answers, but many opinions, and then shared many of those opinions with us. On careers: divide a sheet into three columns, write things you enjoy doing in the first, things you would rather avoid in the second, and in the third column, write down occupations that maximize what’s in the first column while minimizing what’s in the second. If this seems simple, that’s because it’s meant to be: Kraemer prefers to make things simple, whenever that’s possible. That is a rare gift, and one we appreciated very much as we listened to him explain, in simple terms, what private equity firms do, how they do it, and what the interesting issues surrounding those activities are. Though Kraemer’s charisma cannot be conveyed in a book, many of his opinions can, and you can read about them here. Kraemer generously presented to every one of us a signed copy of his book.

Continue reading LSB Chicago trip, 2011

Real markets, really interesting panel

On the heels of a fascinating Chicago trip, we have the Investments Summit coming to Lawrence on Saturday, 4:00—6:00, in the Hurvis room. Click the poster for more details. Our panelists bring a variety of backgrounds and experiences:

Charles Saunders ’84, Partner and Senior Portfolio Manager, NorthRoad Capital Management; Dean DuMonthier ’88, Portfolio Manager, Copia Capital; Guy Scott ’88, Co-Portfolio Manager and Executive Vice President, Janus International Equity Fund; Hugh Denison ’68, Portfolio Manager, Heartland Advisors; Markus Specks ’06, Hedge Fund Analyst, Varde Partners, Inc.

In addition to some of the basics of the investment trade, there will be a special focus on high energy prices. How do rising energy prices affect portfolio construction? Which companies suffer or benefit from rising energy prices? This is a great opportunity to learn about issues that are of great interest today, from the perspectives of people who are participating in the markets and who see the most recent developments up-close. See you there!

LSB Entrepreneurial Ventures Summit

The stream of extraordinarily useful and interesting alumni presentations continues this Saturday with the LSB Entrepreneurial Ventures Summit, to be held from 1pm to 3pm in the Hurvis Room in WCC. Our very special guests will be Susan Palm ’80, Pete Shuster ’81, and Greg Linnemanstons ’80. Click the poster on the left for more information. Come to learn about the fascinating work that three distinguished alumni have done, and maybe even win the prize! Join our guests for lunch at 12:00 in the Parrish-Perille room in Andrew Commons.

LSB Marketing and Advertising Summit

Advertising, Branding, and Marketing Summit 2011
Saturday, April 9, 1:30pm
Warch Center Cinema

Industry leaders from Chicago, New York, San Francisco and elsewhere will be on campus to give students a rare glimpse inside a field that’s creative, dynamic, fast-changing and brimming with opportunities for liberal arts graduates.

> Learn how Lawrence graduates used their college education to land rewarding jobs and climb the ladder.

>  See actual campaigns on the big screen including:

  • Apple
  • AXA Art Insurance
  • Blue Moon
  • Chrysler
  • Dos Equis
  • M&M Pretzels
  • The National Gallery (London)
  • Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup
  • Seasons 52
  • Snickers

> Participate in a hands-on session that solves a creative challenge steeped in a real-world advertising situation.

> Join the panelists for dinner in the Parrish and Perille rooms in Andrew Commons at 6:00pm.

> Ask Lawrence alumni your questions, gain from their real-world experience.

> Enjoy a free Snickers

Who Should Attend: Humanities majors, especially Anthropology, Art, Economics, English, Ethnic and Gender Studies, Film Studies, History, Languages, Linguistics, Government, Philosophy, Psychology, Music, Theatre

Click the poster for more information!

Lawrence Scholars in Business Lame-a-rick

The LSB program burst on this year’s scene in the form of the Alternative Investments Summit on Sunday. (Here is the announcement.) I saw many new faces, which is great: students discovering the program. I know that students always learn a lot from these events. (Proof by Introspection: I myself always learn a lot from these events. Therefore, so do students. Q.E.D.) I enjoyed hearing from Messrs. Spaeth, Allweiss and Perille, who said that Private Equity people simply have more fun. Anyway, my quick summary:

Your liberal learning has gravity,
Match it with years in an industry,
Get credit training
(It isn’t too draining)
You’re ready to try private equity.

The case studies always add an element to this event that infuses it with that real-life excitement that I wish more of my classes had. As often in the past, Mr. Perille put his money where his mouth was, and offered up a small percentage of the proceeds of his latest deal for the best team in the room. After over an hour of reading and vibrant discussion, each team had to take the stage in turns. The winning team: Aimen, Minh, Ranga, Regina, Vishvesh. They showed us quick and smart analysis, presented cogently. The judges, Sandy and Kirk Ryan ’83 were visibly impressed. Their classmate, Jonathan Bauer ’83 is leading the next Summit, on Management Consulting–coming up on January 15th. That one’s always a riot, featuring–again–some hands-on case study work. No $100 prize in the past, though. That does give you a hint about one difference between consulting and private equity.

First LSB event of the year!

The LSB season opens this year with the Alternative Investments and hedge funds event, this coming Sunday. Bob Perille himself is leading this one, and it’s promising to live up to the high standards we have come to expect from him and his colleagues. This year’s event will be different from last year’s, however, so come even if you attended last year. Jason Spaeth is skype-ing in, participating as an LSB panelist for the first time, and he is going to be introducing the industry. Another good reason to come is the actual, real-life, taken-from-the-trenches (or tranches?) offering memoranda that Mr. Perille always brings. You get to work on those in teams, and, in the past, Mr. Perille has offered a prize of $100 for the team with the best presentation on their “mini case study.” So don’t miss your chance to learn something interesting about the world you live in–whether you want to become a private equity whiz or not.

That’s Entertainment

AC10-119 LSB Entertainment Industry Summit Poster
Click to Enlarge

For those of you grousing about looking for the whens and wheres of the Lawrence Scholars in Business Entertainment Summit, you’ve come to the right place. It is today at 4 p.m. in the Hurvis Room of the Warch Campus Center. Dinner to follow at 6, space permitting.

This is the final LSB event of the year, and should appeal to folks of all stripes, from the economics majors to the Conservatory and Arts students.

Click the poster for the full report.

Star-power at Lawrence this Saturday

AC10-119 LSB Entertainment Industry Summit Poster
Click to Enlarge

This Saturday the Lawrence Scholars in Business program will have its final event of the year: the Entertainment Summit. This event should be of interest not only to economics and other majors who are interested in the business of show-biz, but also to Conservatory and Arts students interested in getting into the entertainment world.

Five Lawrentians who know that world very well will be here to tell us about it: Alan Berger, Emeline Davis, Lee Shallat Chemel, Liz Cole, and Campbell Scott. Take a moment to click on those links, and marvel at the star-power arriving to campus on Saturday. Campbell Scott will be showing his new mockumentary, Company Retreat, at 7:15 pm on Friday, May 21st, in the Warch Cinema.

Please sign up in the Career Center, or by email at careercenter@lawrence.edu.