Stanford Business School Alumni Association

Speaker Forum: Credit Card Pioneer Fairbank Recalls the Early Days

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:10:55 GMT

As founder of Capital One Financial Corp., Richard Fairbank revolutionized the credit card industry with teaser rates and zero-balance transfers. But in the beginning he recalls, he had "no money, no experience, and no ideas."

October 2009

STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS —As an MBA student at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Richard D. Fairbank, MBA '81, like many of his peers, knew he wanted to start a company. "But I had no money, no experience, and no ideas," Fairbank recalled.

Several years later inspiration struck in the form of a consulting assignment with a bank. With new technology emerging, and the knowledge that the credit card industry was ripe for change, Fairbank started what is now Capital One Financial Corp. He made a return trip to his alma mater Oct. 16 to speak before a capacity crowd as part of the View from the Top speaker series.

As chairman and chief executive officer of Capital One, Fairbank sits atop a financial services conglomerate that, back in the early 1990s, revolutionized the credit card industry. With innovations such as teaser rates and zero-balance transfers, he helped transform credit cards. Two years ago Cap One moved into retail banking.

The McLean, Va., company is No. 130 on the Fortune 500 list of top corporations and the nation's 10th-largest bank. It has $106.8 billion in deposits, 45 million customer accounts, and 25,800 employees. Its commercials featuring the tagline "What’s in your wallet?" are immediately recognizable.

Fairbank, 58, offered students some thoughts about business and careers. Among them is that Capital One is a people-centric company, and he'll go to great lengths to find the best ones.

"I chased our CFO for 10 years," he said. "I tell people I'm stalking them, and you’re on my short list." Companies that spend 2% of their time recruiting and 75% of their time managing their recruiting mistakes don't have the right people, he said.

And, he said he totally believes in the "people model" of a corporation. "It’s not about you; it's about them," he said of his leadership style. "So many spend so much energy showing how good you are, but it's not about you. Worrying about yourself is a bankrupt leadership model."

He also urged students not to worry about failure. He said he initially asked banking companies such as Wells Fargo and Citibank to invest in Capital One. Although they refused, he gained valuable insight into the industry.

"It’s not failure; it's feedback," he said. "Great forward progress comes from setback. Try to harness that energy, and turn it into something that otherwise might not be possible."

Finally, Fairbank urged students to "dream instead of chasing the next step in a career." He advised them to spend less time managing their resume and more time investigating opportunities as they come along. After business school he didn't set out to become a consultant, but a consulting job exposed him to a variety of industries where he learned about structure, process, and management.

"The only way I got to run a very large public company was by not seeking to do it," he said. "I see so many people losing sight that this is not life or death. Don't sell your soul but do the best you can."

Fairbank also received his BA from Stanford, class of 1972. He is part owner of the Washington Capitals hockey team.

— Joyce Routson

Research: Is "Thinking" or "Feeling" More Persuasive?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:10:16 GMT

Identical messages can have different impacts depending on whether they are couched as "I think" or "I feel," says Stanford Graduate School of Business Marketing Professor Zakary Tormala.

October 2009

STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS —Suppose someone says, "I think it’s the right thing to do." Or "I feel it’s the right thing to do." It’s the same thing, right?

Well, not exactly. Ask Zakary L. Tormala, a Stanford Graduate School of Business associate professor of marketing, who has found that substantively identical messages can have a different persuasive impact depending on whether they are couched in terms of their source's thoughts or feelings.

"Even without changing your actual arguments, you can make subtle framing changes by saying 'I think' or 'I feel’ to make your message more persuasive," said Tormala, who studied volunteers with Nicole D. Mayer of the University of Illinois at Chicago. "We find that people who are emotionally oriented respond more favorably to messages that begin with 'I feel,' whereas cognitively oriented or thinking-oriented individuals respond more favorably to messages that begin with 'I think,' even when everything else that follows is exactly the same."

In one study, after determining whether participants tend to rely more on their emotions or thoughts in making decisions, each person received a message with several arguments in favor of blood donation. These arguments were identical except that they were framed in terms of the source's thoughts or feelings.

For instance, one message, entitled "My Feelings About Blood Donation," started with, "I feel that donating blood is one of the most important contributions I can make to society." It went on to include several more arguments framed in terms of the source's feelings — for example, "I feel that blood donation is the most fantastic thing I can do with 30 minutes of my free time."

In a different condition, the message was entitled "My Thoughts About Blood Donation," and opened with, "I think donating blood is one of the most important contributions I can make to society," and went on to frame the exact same arguments in terms of the source's thoughts — "I think blood donation is the most fantastic thing I can do with 30 minutes of my free time."

Aside from the use of the word "feel" or "think" throughout the message, the content of the arguments was identical, yet those more emotionally oriented were more impressed with (and persuaded by) the "feel" arguments, while those more cognitively oriented liked the "think" arguments better. These are group results, of course; no subject read both the "think" and "feel" arguments.

Tormala and Mayer also found differences between the sexes. "Generally speaking, women tend to self-identify as being more emotionally attuned than do men, and this plays out in persuasion," said Tormala. "In one study, we found that women were more persuaded by an ad for a new movie when it quoted reviews beginning with 'I feel.' Men, however, were more persuaded by the same basic ad when it quoted reviews beginning with 'I think.'" Tormala warned against interpreting these findings as having anything to do with intelligence or intellect. "Our studies simply show that people have different preferences for persuasive arguments that appear to reflect their source's thoughts or feelings."

Ultimately, these "think versus feel framing effects," as Tormala calls them, could be applied to promote different brands or products more effectively. IBM, for example, has long had a slogan of "Think," so consumers might have mostly cognitive or rational associations with the brand. On the other hand, Tormala said, Apple computer ads tend to emphasize creativity, trying to make a more emotional connection with consumers. "Although we didn't test this specific hypothesis, our findings suggest that think and feel messages might be differentially effective in promoting these two brands."

— Dave Murphy

Research: Just Hearing About a Stock Bubble Won't Keep Investors Out of Trouble

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:09:38 GMT

August 2009

STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS—Investors who lived through the dot-com bubble are unlikely to forget it. But although the still-raw details of that era have been documented in countless publications—and are likely to be ensconced in MBA textbooks for decades to come—those who didn't experience it will probably not learn from history.

That's because intellectual knowledge of the risks of over-hyped and overvalued stocks doesn't seem to do investors much good when it comes to avoiding future speculative disasters. Instead, first-hand experience of a bubble appears to be necessary to make investors wary of returns that seem too good to be true.

"After a crash, people are quite aware of the potential dangers and adjust their investing behavior accordingly. But after 20 years or so, that memory is erased, and you again have the conditions that make another bubble possible," says Stefan Nagel, an associate professor of finance at the GSB who, with coauthor Robin Greenwood, an assistant professor of finance at Harvard Business School, has written a paper titled "Inexperienced Investors and Bubbles."

Nagel was interested in how investors formed expectations for the future, as well as in market conditions that lead to market bubbles. "In this study, we were trying to connect those two things," he says.

Although there have been some theoretical studies and laboratory experiments examining these topics, "there is a big gap between these experiments in artificial laboratory settings and the empirical research we performed," says Nagel, who teaches the core finance class to MBAs, as well as a course in empirical finance in the PhD program.

In the study, Greenwood and Nagel examined the portfolio decisions of experienced and inexperienced mutual fund managers during the technology bubble of the late 1990s. They used data from Morningstar, a provider of mutual funds research and ratings that maintains a database of funds and profiles of their managers.

By categorizing fund managers by age, Greenwood and Nagel found that at the start of the bubble in 1997 younger managers bet on technology stocks at rates that actually trailed those of older managers. But leading up to the bubbles' peak in March 2000, younger managers dramatically increased their holdings of such stocks.

"The funds by younger managers took aggressive positions in technology stocks—much more than those by older managers," says Nagel. Particularly after quarters when technology stocks had done well, younger managers shifted their holdings further into technology stocks. "Young managers chased the trend, but older managers did not," Nagel says.

And as the bubble developed further, new money was flowing into the funds run by the younger managers. This seemed to be driven by the fact that investors tend to "chase" funds that have been performing well. "At the beginning of the bubble, younger managers tended to perform better than older ones, thus attracting more investors to their funds and perpetuating the cycle," says Nagel. The result was that although younger managers started out in 1997 with relatively small funds, the amount of money they controlled had quadrupled by March 2000 when the bubble finally burst.

After the bubble ended, younger managers experienced "outflows"—investors taking money out of their funds—but, interestingly, not more so than comparable funds run by older managers, despite the worse overall performance by younger fund managers. "During the upturn, there were substantially more inflows for younger rather than older managers," says Nagel. "But after the crash, younger managers didn't necessarily experience more outflows. Thus for mutual companies, the failed dot-com investments of younger managers turned out to be not that costly," says Nagel. "For those investors who piled into young managers' funds before the peak of the bubble, the picture looks different, of course."

The findings of the study point to a difference in beliefs of younger and older fund managers. "It seems that older managers were more skeptical about how well these technology stocks would do in the future," Nagel says. That might surprise economists who, in theory, believe there should be no difference whether a fund manager has first-hand experience or not. Knowledge is what matters, regardless of how it has been acquired. "And after all, even if you're a younger manager, you should still have learned about past bubbles and what happened in the stock market over the past 100 years. In fact, MBA programs teach this," Nagel says. "But it turns out that on-the-job experience is what counts."

Nagel currently has another related project in progress with Ulrike Malmendier, an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley. They are analyzing the actions of individual investors, examining how their investments in stock versus other assets correlates with their personal experience. The researchers see evidence that personal experience dramatically impacts investment decisions. "If someone lived through the Great Depression, or was young in the 1970s or 1980s when stock market performance was very poor, and experienced lousy returns, he or she is much less likely to put money in stocks," says Nagel. "Almost inevitably, they choose other assets to invest in."

The implications of the study are a bit ominous. "Go out 20 or 30 years from now, and it's possible we'll see another bubble," Nagel says. Is there a moral here? Always invest in funds with older managers? Not necessarily. "After all, if you had ridden the tech boom for the short run only, you would have done very well," Nagel says. Over the long term, of course, it would have paid off to have gone with an experienced manager. "So it's very difficult to generalize," he says.

—Alice LaPlante

Related Information

"Hedge Funds and the Technology Bubble," Markus K. Brunnermeier and Stefan Nagel, Journal of Finance, 2004.

GSB News - Economics Prize for John Van Reenen

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:57:45 GMT

October 2009

STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS —John Van Reenen, director of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics and a visiting professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, is the 2009 recipient of the Yrjö Jahnsson Award in Economics.

The award recognizes a young European economist who has made a major contribution in theoretical and applied economics. It has been equated with the John Bates Clark prize given by the American Economic Association, which recognizes the early work of similarly successful young economists who may go on to receive a Nobel Prize.

"John Van Reenen has made several contributions to the empirical analysis of labor markets, competition policy, and industrial economics, especially in areas relating to productivity growth, management practices, R&D, intellectual property, and investment decisions. He has also done pioneering work on the organizational structure of the firm and its relation to innovation, contributing both with empirical evidence and measurement tools," the European Economic Association said in announcing the prize.

He shares this year's prize with Fabrizio Zilibotti of the Institute for Empirical Research in Economics, University of Zurich.

Van Reenen is scheduled to teach at the Stanford Business School during winter quarter and is a regular visiting professor at the School.

GSB News - Montgomery Named INFORMS Fellow

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:43:20 GMT

October 2009

STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS —David B. Montgomery has been named a fellow of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). The Kresge Professor of Marketing Emeritus, Montgomery was cited for "research contributions to marketing science, marketing strategy, and global marketing and management."

He was one of 11 new INFORMS fellows honored at a celebration in San Diego in October. Montgomery is the fifth member of the Business School faculty be named a fellow of the prestigious organization. Others are: Hau Lee, J. Michael Harrison, Evan Porteus, and Lawrence Wein.
INFORMS recognizes "outstanding contributions, achievements, and services that have advanced the profession of operations research and the management sciences." Also honored as a fellow was Margaret Brandeau of Stanford University’s Department of Management Sciences and Engineering.

Montgomery is dean emeritus and consultant/visiting professor of marketing and management at Singapore Management University. He has published over 100 articles and 10 books.

He received the 2002 Mahajan Award for career contributions to marketing strategy from the American Marketing Association and his paper on First Mover Advantages received the 1996 best paper award from the Strategic Management Society.

GSB News: Five Tenure-Track Professors Added to Business Faculty

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:42:27 GMT

October 2009

STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS —With recessionary pressures on budgets, the Business School hired fewer new faculty members than in recent years but was able to recruit three experienced professors and two who recently completed their doctorates. Their research and teaching address many contemporary issues.

Charles I. Jones, the STANCO 25 Professor of Economics, is a macroeconomist noted for his work on long-run economic growth. He has examined sources of growth in incomes over time and the reasons underlying the enormous differences in standards of living across countries.

Charles M. C. Lee, the Joseph McDonald Professor of Accounting, is an expert on the workings of markets who has been an accountant, a visiting economist at the New York Stock Exchange, and a managing director at Barclays Global Investors, as well as a professor in the business schools at Cornell and Michigan.

Steven Callander, associate professor of political economy, studies the behavior of voters and candidates in elections as well as the design of electoral systems. He focuses on understanding how uncertainty and learning affects political outcomes in a variety of institutional settings. His research has appeared in leading journals of economics and political science. He earned his doctorate at Caltech and previously taught at the Kellogg School of Management.

Two more newcomers are John-Paul Ferguson, assistant professor of organizational behavior, and Ali Yurukoglu, assistant professor of economics.

Ferguson’s recent research dissertation work at MIT was honored as the best graduate work in two categories by the American Sociological Association. He studies the effects of hostile environments on new organizations. His research on trade-union formation, for example, shows how greater company opposition to unions has encouraged employees to favor diversified rather than specialized unions.

Yurukoglu, whose PhD is from New York University’s Stern School of Business, applies statistics and game theory to the study of regulatory policy and imperfect competition in the media and telecommunications industries. Recently he worked on a topic of strong interest among consumers – a la carte pricing regulations in cable television, and negotiations and mergers between cable channels and cable distributors.

Jones, who is also a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, is the author of two macroeconomic textbooks as well as numerous research papers. He has used his expertise in macroeconomic methods to study the economic causes behind the rise in health spending and longevity. He began his teaching career in Stanford’s Department of Economics in 1993 and comes to the Business School from the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley.

Lee, who spent last year at the Business School as a visiting faculty member, has a long resume that includes biblical studies and work as a KPMG accountant. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and also serves as cochair of the accounting department at Guanghua School of Management at Peking University.

Broadly speaking, he is interested in the effect of human cognitive constraints on market participants, as well as the dynamic process by which markets incorporate information into prices. Besides his numerous honors for research, he has received many for effective teaching, and lectures on that topic to faculty in his field.

Nov 11 - Zurich - 7th Annual Martini and Goose Dinner

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:19:23 GMT

Upcoming Alumni Event

Wednesday, November 11
7th Annual Martini and Goose Dinner

6:30 pm – Cocktails
7:00 pm – Dinner

Restaurant Eder's Eichmuhle
Neuguetstrasse 933
8820 Wadenswil
Zürich

Event Details

The Stanford Club of Switzerland and the Switzerland GSB Alumni Chapter invites alumni attend the 7th Annual Martini and Goose Dinner. This will be an evening to remember, so make sure not to miss your opportunity to re-connect with fellow Stanford alumni and to enjoy a delicious dinner. The meal starts at 7:00 pm sharp—the goose cannot wait in the oven!

Cost/Event Registration

CHF 120.00 per person, CHF 60.00 for all alumni aged 35 or younger. Cost covers dinner but not drinks.

You can register on the Stanford Club of Switzerland website or download the registration form below and return it to the mailing address provided on the form. Register by October 24.

Registration Form

Questions?

Contact Barbara V. Stuber, Sloan '89.

Nov 10 - Sydney - India-Australia Virtual Trade Mission

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:11:14 GMT

Upcoming Alumni Event

Tuesday, November 10
India-Australia Virtual Trade Mission

5:30 – 8:30 pm

Telstra Experience Centre
400 George Street
Sydney

Event Details

Stanford GSB alumni are invited to attend the inaugural India-Australia Virtual Trade Mission, sponsored by the Stanford Australia Association and the NSW Department of State & Regional Development.

This event will be a world's first, bringing together experienced executives and entrepreneurs to share their expertise on opportunities between India and Australia. Attend to hear how practitioners have built globally competitive businesses around the respective strengths of the two economies. We will discuss how to set up successful India-Australia business ventures, thoughts on opportunities in each country, and how alliances between Indian and Australian businesses can tackle international opportunities together.

Speakers include:

Neville Roach: Member of the Indian Prime Minister's Global Advisory Council of Overseas Indians
Dilip Rao: CEO of Paymate
Tony Ward: Founder and Chief Executive of TCS-FNS, acquired by Tata in 2005

Cost/Event Registration

This event is free but requires advance registration. Guests are welcome. Register online by November 8.

Questions?

Contact Mike Zimmerman, MBA '94.

Nov 10 - Bay Area - GSB Young Alumni FOAM

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:10:22 GMT

Upcoming Alumni Event

Tuesday, November 10
GSB Young Alumni FOAM

7:00 – 10:00 pm

Taverna Aventine
582 Washington Street
San Francisco, CA 94111

Event Details

GSB alumni from the classes of 2000 through 2009 are invited to a GSB young alumni FOAM in San Francisco. This quarterly tradition kicked off last year with great crowds at the Ambassador and Apartment 24, and this time we've moved the party to Taverna Aventine in the Financial District.

This is a great chance to reconnect with classmates, so come out and bring your friends to relive this great GSB tradition!

Look Who's Coming

Cost/Event Registration

This event is free but requires advance registration. There will be a cash bar. Guests are welcome. Register by November 8.

Note: GSB alumni must enter their own registrations and will use the GSB's event registration system. If you need an alumni username/password, use the "Register" link on bottom of the event registration log-in screen.

Questions?

Contact Jessica Christie in the GSB Alumni Office at +1-650-724-2709.

Nov 5 - GSB Campus - Women's Initiative Network (WIN) Fall Meeting

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:10:37 GMT

November 5
Fall WIN Meeting

8:30 am - 1:00 pm
Schwab Residential Center
Stanford Campus
Open to GSB WIN Members

Hear updates on WIN committee accomplishments and opportunities, a GSB faculty lecture, lunch, and have the opportunity to grow your personal network.

For those of you traveling to the Bay Area, the Schwab Residential Center may have some rooms available the night of November 4th. Their rates are reasonable for the area. Please contact: Danielle Witkin for lodging information.

Cost/Event Registration - Open to GSB WIN Members

Although there is no charge to attend this meeting, pre-registration is required by November 4, 2009.

Note: WIN members must enter their own registrations and will use the GSB's event registration system. If you need an alumni username/password, use the "Register" link on bottom of the event registration log-in screen.

Nov 5 - Chicago - MBA Alliance Happy Hour

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:09:32 GMT

Upcoming Alumni Event

Thursday, November 5
Chicago MBA Alliance Happy Hour

6:00 pm

District Bar
170 W. Ontario
Chicago, IL 60654

Event Details

GSB alumni are invited to attend a Chicago MBA Alliance Happy Hour, hosted by the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Kellogg School of Management. This is an excellent opportunity to network with fellow Stanford MBAs, as well as MBAs from other top business schools.

Cost/Event Registration

This event is free but requires advance registration. Guests are welcome. There will be a cash bar with $3 domestic draft beer and $5 Pearl brand vodka drinks.

Questions?

Contact Aaron Denman, Stanford MBA '09, at +1-317-797-8870.

Nov 4 - GSB Campus - Women's Leadership Forum

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:08:44 GMT

Wednesday, November 4
Women's Leadership Forum - "Men and Women as Allies at Work"

6:00-9:00pm
Schwab Residential Center
Stanford Campus
Open to all GSB Alumni and Students

Event Details

New groundbreaking research from Catalyst shows that men have a critical role to play in creating a level playing field at work. Yet too often men are an untapped resource. Many large companies are taking steps to actively engage men as allies to create meritocracy in the workplace.

Please join us for a discussion of the Catalyst research highlights and learn how these exciting new findings can be applied wherever we work. Hear a panel of male executives from leading companies discuss the research and how they are addressing issues of gender EQUITY within their organizations.

Speaker

Deborah Campbell, Catalyst Western Region Director

Panel Members

Rami Branitzky, Managing Director, SAP Labs North America
George Lee, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs, San Francisco
Lenny Mendonca, Director, McKinsey & Co, San Francisco
Moderator TBD

The Catalyst report, "Engaging Men in Gender Initiatives: What Change Agents Need to Know", explores:

Why do some men stand up for women at work while other men think that gender inequality does not exist?
How do perceptions about maleness and leadership complicate efforts to retain and promote women?
What steps can companies take to engage men as advocates for leveling the playing field?

Take aways will allow alumnae to share findings with men in their companies and invite them to discuss their perceptions and solicit ideas to help their companies overcome barriers to gender equity.

Catalyst Report

Cost/Event Registration - Open to GSB Alumni and Students

We encourage you to bring a male or female colleague or friend who is interested in helping women level the playing field. $35 per alumna, $35 per guest, includes program and reception following the program. Students are complimentary, but pre-registration is required. Space is limited.

Choose the registration option that best describes you:

Alumni Registration
GSB Student Registration (no guest registrations for students)
Prefer to Register by Fax? Download Registration Form, fill-out, and fax back to +1-650-723-5151. Please note: if you register online, you do not need to fax in your registration.

Note: GSB alumni and students must enter their own registrations and will use the GSB's event registration system. If you need an alumni username/password, use the "Register" link on bottom of the event registration log-in screen.

Questions?

Contact Erica J. Richter in the GSB Alumni Office at +1-650-724-2709.

Oct 28 - Baltimore - SBSAA Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter Meeting

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:07:11 GMT

Upcoming Alumni Event

Wednesday, October 28
SBSAA Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter Meeting

7:00 pm

Home of Bruce Kennedy, MBA '07
Baltimore, MD 21230
(Full address to be provided upon registration)

Event Details

GSB alumni are invited to a strategy and planning session in Baltimore to discuss the Stanford GSB Washington DC/Baltimore Alumni Chapter. Following our successful meeting in Washington DC, we encourage alumni in Baltimore to share their goals and objectives for the chapter.

Thank you to Bruce Kennedy, MBA '07, who has graciously offered to host at his Federal Hill home.

Cost/Event Registration

This event is free but requires advance registration. Dinner and drinks will be provided. Register by October 27.

NOTE: All GSB alumni must enter their own registrations and will use the GSB's event registration system. If you need an alumni username/password, use the "Register" link on bottom of the event registration log-in screen.

Questions?

Contact Jessica Christie in the GSB Alumni Office at +1-650-724-2709.

Oct 15 - Washington, DC - SBSAA Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter Meeting

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:19:55 GMT

Upcoming Alumni Event

Thursday, October 15
SBSAA Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter Meeting

7:00 pm

Stanford in Washington Bass Center
2661 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20008

Event Details

Join Chapter Officer Jason McMillan, MBA '04, for a strategy and planning session at the Stanford in Washington Bass Center. The group will discuss alumni's ideas submitted to Jason via email, the chapter's goals and objectives, as well as ways for interested alumni to take on more active roles in the chapter.

If there is an area in which you would like to contribute but will be unable to attend the meeting, please contact Jason at jasonmcmillandcgsb@gmail.com.

Cost/Event Registration

This event is free but requires advance registration. Pizza and drinks will be provided. Register by October 13.

NOTE: All GSB alumni and students must enter their own registrations and will use the GSB's event registration system. If you need an alumni username/password, use the "Register" link on bottom of the event registration log-in screen.

Questions?

Contact Jessica Christie in the GSB Alumni Office at +1-650-724-2709.

Oct 15 - Korea - Dinner with Stanford GSB Professor David Brady

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:19:24 GMT

Upcoming Alumni Event

Thursday, October 15
Dinner with Stanford GSB Professor David Brady

7:00 pm

Ye-Hyang
655-12 Yuksam-dong, Kangnam-gu
Seoul, South Korea

Event Details

Join GSB Professor David Brady, the Deputy Director and Senior Fellow of Stanford University's Hoover Institution, for a lively discussion with fellow GSB alumni.

Professor Brady is a noted expert on the U.S Congress, congressional decision making, U.S. election results, and history of political parties in the United States. Brady's research focuses on the American Congress, the party system, and public policy. He has studied the critical congressional realignments of 1860, 1896, and 1932, and has concluded that the rising number of safe seats and the waning importance of presidential coattails have made it much more difficult for a realigning election to take place in the United States.

Cost/Event Registration

KRW 60,000 per person. Space is limited. To register email Han Sang Roh, MBA '04 and GSB Korea Chapter Officer. Register by October 8.

Questions?

Contact Han Sang Roh, MBA '04 and GSB Korea Chapter Officer.

Oct 14 - Phoenix - Luncheon featuring Stanford GSB Professor Edward P. Lazear

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:17:50 GMT

Upcoming Alumni Event

Wednesday, October 14
Luncheon featuring Stanford GSB Professor Edward P. Lazear
"The Economy: How We Got Here and Prospects for the Future"

11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa
2400 East Missouri Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Event Details

You are invited to join the Economic Club of Phoenix luncheon featuring GSB Professor Edward P. Lazear, Chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers to President George W. Bush.

The Stanford GSB Alumni Association of Arizona is pleased to announce our alliance with the W. P. Carey School of Business of ASU University. We will make available to the Stanford GSB Alumni invitations to the many events the W. P. Carey School organizes during the academic year. Registration will be on a non-member basis. This is a unique opportunity, on an ongoing basis, to see the talent being invited to speak to the senior level business community in Phoenix.

Edward Lazear's Bio

Cost/Event Registration

$80 for alumni at the non-member affiliation status. Lunch will be provided. Register by visiting www.econclubphx.org

Questions?

Contact Economic Club of Phoenix at +1-480-727-0596 or by email.

Oct 14 - Bay Area - Angel Technology Investing Discussion with Ron Conway and MC Hammer

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:17:14 GMT

Upcoming Alumni Event

Wednesday, October 14
Angel Technology Investing Discussion with
Ron Conway and MC Hammer

6:30 pm

Gunderson Dettmer Offices
1200 Seaport Blvd
Redwood City, CA 94063

Event Details

1stFriday.com, Inc., Gunderson Dettmer LLP, and the Stanford Business School Black Alumni Association are presenting a discussion with Ron Conway and MC Hammer around angel investing in technology companies and opportunities in social media. Brian Patterson (a corporate attorney at Gunderson) and Jay Ward (CEO of 1stFriday.com, Inc.) will be moderating the discussion.

Ron Conway is possibly the most successful angel investor in the history of the Silicon Valley. If you've ever wanted an angel investment – or think you may need one someday – Ron is a guy you want to know. Ron was early into Google, PayPal, Ask.com, and is now in Twitter. It is reported that he has a portfolio of 130 angel investments.
MC Hammer is an active technology investor and social media expert. He recently spoke at the Harvard Business School on his use of social media. He is not only an investor in Twitter – he has over 1.5 M followers.

Cost/Event Registration

$25 per person. Advance ticket purchase is required and tickets are limited. Register at http://thenetwork.eventbrite.com/.

The registration fee will go toward a contribution to The Black Eyed Peas Peapod Foundation. Ron Conway is on the board of this non-profit that builds music schools in inner-city areas.

Questions?

Contact Art May, MBA '89, at +1-510-206-9130.

Oct 13 - GSB Campus - "Managing with Social Networks" with Professor Jesper Sørensen

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:15:28 GMT

Faculty Seminar

October 13 - SOLD OUT
"Social Capital and Small Worlds:
Managing with Social Networks"
with GSB Professor Jesper Sørensen

6:00 - 9:00 pm - Program and Reception
Room S170
Stanford Graduate School of Business

Cost/Event Registration

Program Details

Social networks play a crucial role in firms and markets. Successful managers and leaders know how to think systematically about social networks, and can use social network thinking to advance their own careers and increase organizational performance.

This lecture will introduce you to some of the latest thinking in the study of social networks, and relate these insights to fundamental challenges faced by managers and entrepreneurs: creating and capturing value through networks; structuring networks for innovation; using network methods to diagnose organizational problems; and the value of on-line social networking tools.

Professor Sørensen is a sociologist who specializes in studying the dynamics of both organizations and careers, with work that covers a wide range of topics ranging from firm performance to social inequality. For example, his work has touched on:

how firm characteristics (e.g., organizational age, corporate culture, incentive systems) influence organizational learning and performance
the impact of career experiences on turnover rates and workplace diversity, as well as firm outcomes
the influence of local corporate demography on promotion chances and income inequality
the influence of the work environments and opportunity structures on individual rates of entrepreneurship

Professor Sørensen also serves as a Faculty Director of the Center for Social Innovation. He currently teaches the core Strategic Leadership course for MBA students, and has taught extensively on firm and corporate strategy, organizational design, social networks and non-profit strategy.

Faculty Profile

Cost/Event Registration – SOLD OUT

$35 per person. This event is sold out. Please contact Erica Richter regarding the waiting list..

Cancellation Policy

Prior to Sept 29, 2009 please fax your request to 650-723-5151. Refunds will be processed after the event. No refunds will be given for cancellations after September 16, 2009.

Questions About This Event?

Contact Erica Richter at +1-650-723-8020.

Sept 17 - San Deigo - Business School Alumni Mixer with Stanford, HBS, Colombia and Wharton

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:49:12 GMT

Upcoming Alumni Event

Thursday, September 17
Business School Alumni Mixer with Stanford, HBS, Colombia and Wharton

5:30 pm

Suite & Tender, inside the Se Hotel
1047 5th Ave (Between Broadway and C Street)
San Diego, CA 92101

Event Details

Join fellow Stanford GSB alumni and other top business school graduates for a business networking/social happy hour at San Diego's hippest new venue. Come meet new colleagues and reconnect with your fellow business school classmates at a private event organized by HBS. No one knows the importance of business networking like a business school grad!

Cost/Event Registration

$15 per person. Appetizers will be provided and there will be half price specialty cocktails and bottomless glasses of select wines. Register by September 15 on the HBS website.

Note: when you buy your ticking by clicking "Add to Cart" scroll to the bottom of the page you land on for instructions on how to create a guest account.

Questions?

Contact Jessica Christie in the GSB Alumni Office at +1-650-724-2709.

Sept 17 - New York - "Intro to Italy" Wine and Cheese Event

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:47:37 GMT

Upcoming Alumni Event

Thursday, September 17
"Intro to Italy" Wine and Cheese Event

6:00 pm

Artisanal Premium Cheese Center
500 West 37th Street, 2nd Floor (entrance is on 10th Avenue)
New York, NY 10018

Event Details

Join us for a formal wine tasting led by Alyssa Rapp, MBA '05, Founder & CEO of bottlenotes.com and author of Bottlenotes Guide to Wine: Around the World in 80 Sips. This will be an introduction to Italian wines and will feature wines from Tesori Imports. Come out for the evening to reconnect with fellow alumni and to sample some wonderful wines!

Cost/Event Registration

$28 per person, guests are welcome. Register by September 14.

Directions

For a map and directions visit the Artisanal Premium Cheese Center website.

Questions?

Contact Jessica Christie in the GSB alumni office at +1-650-724-2709.

Sept 17 - Atlanta - GSB Business Innovation Lecture Series

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:46:38 GMT

Upcoming Alumni Event

Thursday, September 17
Stanford GSB Innovation Lecture Series with Dr. Michael Filler, PhD '06
"The Future of Energy: How Can We Power our Planet?"

6:30 pm

Alston & Bird, LLP
Atlantic Center Plaza, 15th Floor - The Williams Room
1201 West Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30309

Event Details

Don't know your petrocarbons from your photovoltaics and worry that "biomass" is something you should visit the doctor about? Then this is the event for you!

Dr. Michael Filler, Stanford PhD '06, will be joining us for an evening of informative discussions on the future of energy and an overview of the alternative energy sector, including a discussion of the macro issues impacting energy consumption and needs world-wide, the various technologies that exist and are being researched today to meet those consumption needs, and his thoughts on what does work today, what can work, and what won't.

An expert on solar energy, Dr. Filler's talk will be aimed at the non-technologist and give you the basics you need to understand recent developments in the industry (and a perspective on what the future will bring). Whether you're interested from a policy perspective, just curious, or looking for the next big business opportunity, you won't want to miss this presentation and discussion.

Cost/Event Registration

$15 per person, light appetizers and drinks will be provided. Guests are welcome and tickets are limited. Register by September 14.

Note: All Stanford alumni will enter their own registrations and will use Stanford University's event registration system. If you need an alumni username/password, use the "Register" link on bottom of the event registration log-in screen.

Directions

For a map of the building's location visit the Alston & Bird website.

Questions?

Contact Jessica Christie in the GSB Alumni Office at +1-650-724-2709.

Stanford Business School Alumni Association

Speaker Forum: Credit Card Pioneer Fairbank Recalls the Early Days

Research: Is "Thinking" or "Feeling" More Persuasive?

Research: Just Hearing About a Stock Bubble Won't Keep Investors Out of Trouble

Related Information

GSB News - Economics Prize for John Van Reenen

GSB News - Montgomery Named INFORMS Fellow

GSB News: Five Tenure-Track Professors Added to Business Faculty

Nov 11 - Zurich - 7th Annual Martini and Goose Dinner

Upcoming Alumni Event

Event Details

Cost/Event Registration

Questions?

Nov 10 - Sydney - India-Australia Virtual Trade Mission

Upcoming Alumni Event

Event Details

Cost/Event Registration

Questions?

Nov 10 - Bay Area - GSB Young Alumni FOAM

Upcoming Alumni Event

Event Details

Cost/Event Registration

Questions?

Nov 5 - GSB Campus - Women's Initiative Network (WIN) Fall Meeting

November 5 Fall WIN Meeting

Cost/Event Registration - Open to GSB WIN Members

Nov 5 - Chicago - MBA Alliance Happy Hour

Upcoming Alumni Event

Event Details

Cost/Event Registration

Questions?

Nov 4 - GSB Campus - Women's Leadership Forum

Wednesday, November 4 Women's Leadership Forum - "Men and Women as Allies at Work"

Event Details

Speaker

Panel Members

Cost/Event Registration - Open to GSB Alumni and Students

Choose the registration option that best describes you:

Questions?

Oct 28 - Baltimore - SBSAA Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter Meeting

Upcoming Alumni Event

Event Details

Cost/Event Registration

Questions?

Oct 15 - Washington, DC - SBSAA Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter Meeting

Upcoming Alumni Event

Event Details

Cost/Event Registration

Questions?

Oct 15 - Korea - Dinner with Stanford GSB Professor David Brady

Upcoming Alumni Event

Event Details

Cost/Event Registration

Questions?

Oct 14 - Phoenix - Luncheon featuring Stanford GSB Professor Edward P. Lazear

Upcoming Alumni Event

Event Details

Cost/Event Registration

Questions?

Oct 14 - Bay Area - Angel Technology Investing Discussion with Ron Conway and MC Hammer

Upcoming Alumni Event

Event Details

Cost/Event Registration

Questions?

Oct 13 - GSB Campus - "Managing with Social Networks" with Professor Jesper Sørensen

Faculty Seminar

Program Details

Cost/Event Registration – SOLD OUT

Cancellation Policy

Questions About This Event?

Sept 17 - San Deigo - Business School Alumni Mixer with Stanford, HBS, Colombia and Wharton

Upcoming Alumni Event

Event Details

Cost/Event Registration

Questions?

Sept 17 - New York - "Intro to Italy" Wine and Cheese Event

Upcoming Alumni Event

Event Details

Cost/Event Registration

Directions

November 5
Fall WIN Meeting

Wednesday, November 4
Women's Leadership Forum - "Men and Women as Allies at Work"