tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84742691586584186342024-02-19T06:52:16.753-08:00BC MBAErichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-87629337951855437082013-03-21T14:47:00.000-07:002014-08-28T11:28:24.266-07:00Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Best Practices for Boards and CEOs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhB43govD764oETF4XgYp-R5iLSyFhUXZDRKiShQ2ZMORoRBM5DyUs7MILVdI2fiBpTY_p-rEdPgglaFL5fC_syGgfxNxWENMiLPXtZzeVPHOBqFo50qnNKMzivrI9Fz4hJXyJR-W3uA/s1600/Full+Cast+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhB43govD764oETF4XgYp-R5iLSyFhUXZDRKiShQ2ZMORoRBM5DyUs7MILVdI2fiBpTY_p-rEdPgglaFL5fC_syGgfxNxWENMiLPXtZzeVPHOBqFo50qnNKMzivrI9Fz4hJXyJR-W3uA/s320/Full+Cast+2.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">It’s Not Where You Start…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">In
1973, lyricist Dorothy Fields teamed up with composer Cy Coleman to pen what
would soon become one of <i>Seesaw’s</i>
signature numbers, “It’s Not Where You Start, But Where You Finish.” These
lyrics could not ring more true as I reflect on the completion of my MBA nearly one year later. While stepping out of a career in nonprofit management, the curriculum that I was introduced to was
certainly new and thereby initially quite challenging for me. Possibly greater
than the detailed terminology, theory, and frameworks that I was exposed to in
business school, the MBA program at Boston College enabled my world view to
evolve. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">This
evolution could be detected as early as the first quarter of business
school. Shorty after the start of the
first semester, <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I attended the
Boston-area premiere of Lucy Prebble's play ENRON, a modern day morality play
set against the events of the recent corporate scandal. As I turned to my
friend at intermission expecting to bash the production's pacing and shoddy
blocking, he, a very intelligent undergraduate theater and political science
major at Boston College, admitted that he was having trouble following the
plot. I, unaware at the time of my pedagogical path, began to explain this
human tragedy in terms of a balance sheet equation. With less than four weeks
of accounting under my belt, I was describing plot by using terms like assets,
liabilities, and accounts payable. While this story couldn’t make Professor
Pete Wilson more proud, I am almost positive legendary <i>New York Times</i> critic Brooks Atkinson is rolling over in his grave.
Alas, I have not been able to view the world the same way since.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Boards and
CEOs</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">,
an elective open to second-year MBA students, played a key role in contributing to this
trajectory. While management curriculum generally examines organizational
structure from the bottom up, this course taught me to see corporate America
from the top-down – through the eyes of the CEO and c-suite. As such, the means
in which I can interpret and analyze business media has changed. While the on
goings captured within Column One of <i>The
Wall Street Journal</i> once seemed mysterious and indecipherable, they now read as palpably as the content behind a prime time soap opera. Here in lies the
frame of this essay. While completing the weekly readings for this course, I
was also in the midst of watching, <i>Friday
Night Lights, </i>a critically acclaimed serial drama following the trials and
tribulations of protagonist Coach Eric Taylor as he spearheaded a high school
football program in the fictional-town of Dillon, TX. Parallels could certainly
be made between this community engulfed in politics, cut-throat competition,
and melodrama and the challenges facing corporate governance today. While
using some of the strategic and ethical decisions made by Eric Taylor
throughout the series as parallel illustrations, this essay will highlight some
of the best practices for creating a stable and
effective board structure and a strong corporate culture. The following essay will focus on best practices learned pertaining to a board’s most important
functions – the hiring, firing, and executive compensation of the chief
executive officer.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">In the Line of Fire: CEO Termination
& Ethical Violations <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3G-s3-GMruR_9wAvTWI7OXaYFKiM4Q5ZGkjNI0jxCY3dCPSu6xJ4LWOxOQGfwj7WuEsZ9BNrDQNaNCH0-OLxKmzV9ZzwXZr_KEMMsacPfqLZ99hgmpzHDRNvrsPTigXwNFVLNucj2LOo/s1600/Buffett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3G-s3-GMruR_9wAvTWI7OXaYFKiM4Q5ZGkjNI0jxCY3dCPSu6xJ4LWOxOQGfwj7WuEsZ9BNrDQNaNCH0-OLxKmzV9ZzwXZr_KEMMsacPfqLZ99hgmpzHDRNvrsPTigXwNFVLNucj2LOo/s320/Buffett.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">As early as the second season of <i>Friday Night Lights,</i> this simple phrase “Character is who you are
when no one is watching” overlooked Eric Taylor’s shoulders as it hung on the
cinderblock wall of his basement-level office.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Themes of character, integrity, and ethics are ones that run through this
series as well as the board room. In his 2010, biennial letter to Berkshire
Hathaway managers and directors, Warren Buffet wrote, “We can afford to lose
money – even a lot of money. But we can’t afford to lose reputation – even a
shred of reputation. We must continue to measure every act against not only
what is legal but also what we would be happy to have written on the front page
of a national newspaper.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Mr. Buffett communicates his vision and expectations to his managers clearly as
he understands that a CEO helps define and form a strong corporate culture. And
in short, “culture, more than rule books, determines how an organization
behaves.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn4" name="_ednref4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Nobody’s above the rules on
this field”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn5" name="_ednref5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[5]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Coach Taylor, like Buffett, understands that high-standards are
key in preserving trust amongst key stakeholders. Whether it is the fans
amongst a downtrodden community or the employees and shareholders of a publicly
traded company, those below and on the sidelines look toward the top for
direction and follow suit given what they see.
In season five, Taylor laid down the rules with his team as he declared,
“Anyone, and I mean anyone who breaks our standards will be off the team and
THAT is a promise.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn6" name="_ednref6" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
This promise was kept as be preceded to dismiss several teammates and bench the
star quarterback as a consequence of their questionable ethical behaviors.
Nothing sent a stronger message to his players about his expectations for the
culture and community he set out to establish for the newly formed East Dillon
Lions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRaM8WINGMP4CTyuD3i5gBVbdAqJErpqndoGXVYyrUsKeF5FHOeA8DlDcEWHa69VaMvfq4yM2RjFYwnOnQIKWGkMSX1HBX-11ZtJWa-NCW5SBjM75OnaBAePuHUSfDH_bdVnOBm5p9y8/s1600/time+out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRaM8WINGMP4CTyuD3i5gBVbdAqJErpqndoGXVYyrUsKeF5FHOeA8DlDcEWHa69VaMvfq4yM2RjFYwnOnQIKWGkMSX1HBX-11ZtJWa-NCW5SBjM75OnaBAePuHUSfDH_bdVnOBm5p9y8/s320/time+out.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Board of Directors should take note of Taylor’s actions. Given the
fallibility associated with human nature, it is not surprising that even a CEO
is capable of making decisions that fall below the ideals of a corporate
culture. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">In
fact, several CEOs have recently met their fate due to ethical breaches. For
example, Radio Shack CEO, David Edmondson resigned shortly after it was
discovered that he had misrepresented his academic records while Boeing Co.
CEO, Harry Stonecipher was fired following an affair with an employee.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn7" name="_ednref7" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Board members often find themselves in a quandary when deciding whether or not
to preserve the post of their wayward leaders.
The pre-mature decision to find a new CEO is never an easy one. Jeffrey
Sonnenfeld at the Yale School of Management has stated, “Board members are
often uncomfortable pushing aside a chief executive they chose and like […] The
devil we know is better than the unknown.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn8" name="_ednref8" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
While sticking by the side of the current CEO, especially one that has lead the
company through healthy financial performance, may be the easier, least
cognitive dissonant option for board members, but it certainly does not adhere to Mr. Buffett’s
aforementioned advice. In the end,
actions taken by the board to preserve the corporate cultures and values of the
company will speak volumes in communicating the integrity and priorities of the
company to both internal and external constituents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">‘Face Values’<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Much
like the value of <i>character</i> that
Taylor must face every day as he walks into his office, a board must be
prepared to review and uphold the core values of its company. As board members,
they have an obligation to employees, shareholders, and customers that these
values are upheld by all members of the organization, most notably those at the
top. If a CEO’s behavior stands in opposition to these values, a board should,
in the vast majority of cases, seek new leadership. For better or worse, a CEO
is the public face of a company. His or her behavior, both as a professional
and public citizen, becomes inseparable with the corporate identity and
reputation. To maintain a corporation’s good standing reputation, it must be
supported by the actions of its employees from the top down. When looking to
protect the long-term returns for shareholders and the enduring reputation of
the company, one must remember that “financial results are not sustainable, but
culture and values are.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn9" name="_ednref9" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Reinstating Trust <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Much like the players who broke the bond of trust between Taylor
and team, a CEO who chooses to act unethically creates the same breach of trust
between himself and the board. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">In addition to preserving reputation and corporate
culture in the eyes of employees, stockholders and the general public, the
firing of a disreputable CEO may be necessary for preserving trust on a board.
The most effective boards have honest, transparent lines of communication with
the company’s CEO. In fact, those CEOs who have behaved unethically or
dishonestly in one area of their careers or lives, lead board members to
question how much they can trust “any report to the board or investors.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn10" name="_ednref10" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
It has been noted that failure to keep directors properly and objectively
informed can increase liability for the company.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn11" name="_ednref11" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[11]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Given this risk, it is the responsibility of boards to ensure they are working
with individuals who they trust and who will uphold the values and reputation
of the company as reflected in all areas of their lives. Coach Taylor describes
character as the following; “It’s about striving to be better than everyone
else.” A good board expects management to not only do their utmost for the best
possible returns for its shareholders but to do so in an ethical manner that
categorizes them as leaders with integrity. While firing a CEO has never been
easy, it has also never been a more important duty for a board if it feels its
culture, reputation, and future performance is being threatened by questionable
behaviors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Put me in, Coach.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialjOYJsnTczOAAIYm3HYU8LpLo5W39Rj4g1LwEd45udjFiSHCx95sNktccfVXT1fnHNAmHhNtSxKdxV3pnP6QzbVHfz_VWX-EKPVMEpOCuoPEHsbm_3Hi6XayGtxM_aXpNdakH58oDaY/s1600/saracen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialjOYJsnTczOAAIYm3HYU8LpLo5W39Rj4g1LwEd45udjFiSHCx95sNktccfVXT1fnHNAmHhNtSxKdxV3pnP6QzbVHfz_VWX-EKPVMEpOCuoPEHsbm_3Hi6XayGtxM_aXpNdakH58oDaY/s320/saracen.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">In
the pilot episode of <i>Friday Night Lights</i>,
Coach Eric Taylor’s chances for a state championship ring look grim as his Notre
Dame-bound star quarterback suffers a severe spinal cord injury while
successfully tackling a defender in what would have been a game-ending
touchdown. Spending most of the first season, getting underclassman and green
QB2 Matt Seracen up to speed on technique and strategy, Taylor never forgot the
importance of having a strong succession plan in place for future seasons. In
fact, when Saracen later begged Taylor to move him to wide receiver after
having been benched during his senior year in favor of the more talented newbie
J.D. McCoy, Taylor refused because he needed him safe and in prime condition
should anything happen to the QB1. This philosophy is very similar to that of P&G’s
former CEO, A.G. Laffley who viewed one of his prime responsibilities to be
developing as many potential CEOs as he could – “leaders who would be ready and
able at any time to lead P&G under any circumstances they faced.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn12" name="_ednref12" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[12]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Planning for Hire<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">One
of the board’s most important responsibilities is the hiring of a company’s CEO.
As such, it is essential for boards to have a sound succession plan in place
for such instances when they are forced to bring on a new CEO. Surprisingly,
two-thirds of all corporate directors admit that they don’t give succession
planning enough energy. And, according to <i>Corporate
Board Member, </i>nearly half of all board members are dissatisfied with their
companies’ succession plans.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn13" name="_ednref13" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[13]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The sad reality is that most boards don’t begin to think about succession
planning until the last year or two of the sitting CEO’s term.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn14" name="_ednref14" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[14]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">The
most successful companies not only have a formal succession plan in place but
pride themselves on their internal leadership development programs. One might
argue that the boards of healthy companies are more apt to devote sustained
time to the work of leadership development and succession because “they’re less
busy putting out fires.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn15" name="_ednref15" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[15]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> But
at the very least, one must give them credit for not merely relishing in the
rewards of the present but instead having the foresight to be prepared for
future. In fact, research suggests that these companies have the most reason for
grooming future leaders as insider picks for CEO are generally the wisest when
the company is performing well.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn16" name="_ednref16" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[16]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Though, when a company is in crisis, an outsider with fresh perspective and
turn-around competencies often fare better.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn17" name="_ednref17" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[17]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3fQVIuorCzdseNT55XLniejX7qVJqjEvAx_imc-YGQu9SktHCYyEyUBKxQHAhZy3eoUEsg5vqZdA_X32Cl9QZIWmXuk_oHYEj1fhOCSGW2iYkcAxHAi7sBZKofTnsSk5mwwX34f8mao/s1600/Denise+Morrison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3fQVIuorCzdseNT55XLniejX7qVJqjEvAx_imc-YGQu9SktHCYyEyUBKxQHAhZy3eoUEsg5vqZdA_X32Cl9QZIWmXuk_oHYEj1fhOCSGW2iYkcAxHAi7sBZKofTnsSk5mwwX34f8mao/s1600/Denise+Morrison.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Both
Campbell’s Soup and the previously mentioned Proctor & Gamble are companies
who value sound succession planning. Denise Morrison, the current CEO of
Campbell’s Soup, was groomed by former CEO Douglas Conant prior to her
appointment while she served as President of Campbell USA. The two found
“kindred spirits” in each other and had relatively similar strategic visions –
even to the extent of being noted as peppering their speech with similar
vocabulary such as “empowerment” and “engagement” in their addresses.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn18" name="_ednref18" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[18]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The board at Campbell’s admitted that its goal was to hire from within from the
beginning.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn19" name="_ednref19" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[19]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
In fact some companies, such as EMC, whose boards take leadership development
and succession planning seriously as well will go as far to declare, “If the
next CEO doesn’t come from inside, we have failed and our leadership
development plan has failed.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn20" name="_ednref20" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[20]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9TMcS7m8gwDCPPc-Rtv22qrbPMJDnMQF1fVoGubqvIU01XHf7T12LedrKe7K9sTOL0uva2c71lV3GouRI5QkHZSAEFEf3N5iUJ6sD2pSvj84tz6A6P5hmBN4_5PkX3gA9jMIK8b1aN4/s1600/AG_Lafley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9TMcS7m8gwDCPPc-Rtv22qrbPMJDnMQF1fVoGubqvIU01XHf7T12LedrKe7K9sTOL0uva2c71lV3GouRI5QkHZSAEFEf3N5iUJ6sD2pSvj84tz6A6P5hmBN4_5PkX3gA9jMIK8b1aN4/s1600/AG_Lafley.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Perhaps
no company organizes leadership development better than Proctor and Gamble
where Laffley devoted the first meeting of every year to CEO succession and
executive leadership development. Through the creation of a list of criteria
and a multigenerational tier of candidates grouped by the relative promise they
showed at various stages in their careers, P&G created a safe and sure path
to a smooth succession. With access to the company’s top talent, board members
were able to identify and evaluate talent on a regular basis. Laffley’s
commitment elevated leadership development to the same level of importance as business
strategy and it clearly serves as some of the best practices in the industry as
it pertains to succession planning.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn21" name="_ednref21" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[21]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
While Taylor and his team were able to pull their season together on the back
of a hard working second-string quarterback with heart, boards owe it to
shareholders not not leave smooth transitions up to chance, but they must oversee
a practical, well-though-out plan of succession. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Getting Your Skin in the Game<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMo_SBDHj-pH_OcSgiVAX78Y7N3DwFS2nhb1kb0C-C-jeqzqXd1LIRvZNyWO5JcOgKH3Kah5gtSO3osynWrzz6vVpOGkT3i7dNzVt6FFIugkM5lv6UY7_CzazBIS-1xwVAdgDuszNfBA/s1600/Lions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMo_SBDHj-pH_OcSgiVAX78Y7N3DwFS2nhb1kb0C-C-jeqzqXd1LIRvZNyWO5JcOgKH3Kah5gtSO3osynWrzz6vVpOGkT3i7dNzVt6FFIugkM5lv6UY7_CzazBIS-1xwVAdgDuszNfBA/s1600/Lions.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">In
Season 4 of <i>Friday Night Lights,</i>
following a political turned personal fall-out with the West Dillon Boosters,
Coach Taylor, accepts a coaching position at the under-funded East Dillon High.
Facing a team in need of new uniforms, Taylor writes a personal check for
$3,000 to obtain new gear for his players.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn22" name="_ednref22" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[22]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
This gesture puts Taylor’s skin in the game as he becomes both personally and
professionally invested in helping realize the future long-term success of this
at-risk team. Boards should take note as the most efficient way to promote
long-term returns for stakeholders is to tie the compensation rewards of the
CEO and the board to those of the shareholders. Bruce Blessington, Chairman of
Flight Landata, Inc., advises that deferred compensation is the most effective
means of to pay executives.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn23" name="_ednref23" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[23]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
He believes that this model puts their “skin in the game” and forces them to
think like owners with equity. In turn, executives will be more likely to
properly assess risk before taking action. Too often, managers take risk hoping
for big short-term rewards paying complete disregard for those shareholders in it
for the long-term. Blessington suggests that when restricted stock prices tank,
executives should be given more stock instead of cash. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Laffley
who was given credit earlier for his contributions in the realm of leadership
development also takes a similar position as Blessington. He believes that
every element of a pay package should strengthen the CEO’s stewardship of the
firm, providing incentive to consistently create value over the short, medium,
and long term. Laffley, and not surprisingly so after what was revealed in the
last section, would go as far to say executive pay should not only align the
CEO with the company when he is active but also in retirement, because “the
surest measure of his contribution is the quality of succession and the
business’s performance in the year or two after he hands over the reins.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn24" name="_ednref24" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[24]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Given this philosophy, he too believes that equity should make up the “lion’s
share” of a CEO’s retirement package. To emphasize a company’s commitment to
long-term success for shareholders, a firm should also require an outgoing CEO
to hold a meaningful portion of their company-awarded equity into retirement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Much
like the directors on the board of Berkshire Hathaway who hold major stakes in
the company, executive compensation, too, should be tied to the long-term
success of a firm. Warren Buffet cites the following bottom line for his
directors: “You [shareholders] win big; they [directors] win big. You lose,
they lose big.”<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"> <a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn25" name="_ednref25" title=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[25]</span></span><!--[endif]--></a></span> This same philosophy should be adopted by
compensation strategists in the board room. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpBgu5tXROTbA2aIWgo1nm30BkbpnC5WaepsyHx2Bmf82qeTOxjedd4fBXfi7B9TDCiUnriFZUJt1clxOHs_RHX4R7kXJIBnt0UsNOLE9wGPKjf39swOVdjHXkCzUqhXdKcjws1_sTlc/s1600/Buddy+Garrity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpBgu5tXROTbA2aIWgo1nm30BkbpnC5WaepsyHx2Bmf82qeTOxjedd4fBXfi7B9TDCiUnriFZUJt1clxOHs_RHX4R7kXJIBnt0UsNOLE9wGPKjf39swOVdjHXkCzUqhXdKcjws1_sTlc/s1600/Buddy+Garrity.jpg" /></a><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Building Up Your Roster<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Throughout
the series, you see Coach Taylor, often with the gregarious Booster President
Buddy Garrity, making his way across the state to recruit the next best running
back for his team. As a coach, he needs his deck stacked with a strong offense
and an equally strong defense. Much like a football team with clearly defined
positions that need to be filled, it is also most necessary for a board to fill
its roster strategically as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vWcVfD993RPf2cXIgSfJUUJSE2PXBcW2BbarHAnt3RUyZMI58CUoAazZN6q-z83R-w7RvqsTR2iRTdC33kC_gQYF_pcw6oDhOukaj0GNxmhXemp9J9WkV7e5yVEtTXdvoBMRRpYawO8/s1600/posen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vWcVfD993RPf2cXIgSfJUUJSE2PXBcW2BbarHAnt3RUyZMI58CUoAazZN6q-z83R-w7RvqsTR2iRTdC33kC_gQYF_pcw6oDhOukaj0GNxmhXemp9J9WkV7e5yVEtTXdvoBMRRpYawO8/s1600/posen.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">While
our speakers this semester often disagreed on issues surrounding compensation,
independence, and regulation, very rarely was their dissension regarding the
qualities that make an effective board member. Our guests would probably agree
unanimously with Kranhold and Lublin’s advice that “a board should ensure that
it has the proper expertise and its members consists of persons with
sufficiently diverse backgrounds.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn26" name="_ednref26" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[26]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Well-known Harvard Business School professor, Robert Pozen, laments that board
members today “frequently lack sufficient expertise in the relevant
industries.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn27" name="_ednref27" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[27]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
As such, most directors of large companies struggle to properly understand the
business and thus a huge knowledge gap exists between the directors and the
executives. Without industry knowledge and operational proficiencies,
independent directors don’t have the expertise to properly evaluate the
information they get from managers. Perhaps most important for directors is
their ability to know what questions to ask about information they are <i>not </i>getting.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn28" name="_ednref28" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[28]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Joe
Petrowski, CEO of Cumberland Gulf, warned against the blind “check the box”
approach to filling a board but advises boards to make sure they have all bases
covered as they relate to the business and its core-competencies.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn29" name="_ednref29" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[29]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Flight Landata Chairman, Bruce Blessington also offered similar advice: “Review
your strategic plan. You should have someone on your board who can contribute
to each of the pillars of your strategic plan.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn30" name="_ednref30" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[30]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Pat Gross, a director at three public companies told <i>The Wall Street Journal </i>that before accepting an invitation to join
a board he asks himself, “Is there something about my background and experience
that will allow me to add something to this company.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn31" name="_ednref31" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[31]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
More now than ever, board members who come with industry experience and can
offer a “Been there. Done that,” perspectives are the most valuable board
members.<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn32" name="_ednref32" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[32]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Since
the regulations that have followed the scandals surrounding WorldCom and Enron,
we have seen corporate boards stacking their decks with directors with
substantial experience in audit, accounting, and finance. Corporations have formally recognized the
importance of having the guidance and advice of members who possess expertise
in these functional areas. It is now time for boards to “check another box” and
recruit individuals to their boards with professional experience in other
pivotal areas such as human resources and compensation – an area of corporate
governance that the previous sections on succession planning and compensation
suggest needs critical evaluations from deeply invested members.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can’t Lose.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn33" name="_ednref33" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[33]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxRgR56pe1yZS3EHxSGmOf_A4HNwDn4-hFZhKNkHNdOPvHdLfHyQ1mhClFul3fMx7jY9WSZg7Xwqzv90lWqDVeOxKfEnYsRkqUjJdXRT_UW4HFW8vfpAIYd7XVdYbLtyYMlGGU7Araz0/s1600/Clear+Eyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxRgR56pe1yZS3EHxSGmOf_A4HNwDn4-hFZhKNkHNdOPvHdLfHyQ1mhClFul3fMx7jY9WSZg7Xwqzv90lWqDVeOxKfEnYsRkqUjJdXRT_UW4HFW8vfpAIYd7XVdYbLtyYMlGGU7Araz0/s200/Clear+Eyes.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Boards & CEOs </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">has taught me to
think critically about the basic responsibilities of board and c-suite relations.
In doing so, I have been able to find parallel applied best practices even
within the dramatic frame of a prime-time soap opera like <i>Friday Night Lights.</i> Coach Taylor expects his players to give 100%
on the field and corporate shareholders should expect nothing less from
directors in the boardroom. Today’s boards “need individuals who can roll up
their sleeves and get into detail much more than they used to.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn34" name="_ednref34" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[34]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
To be committed, they need to express a willingness to be informed (<b><i>Clear
Eyes</i></b>), to do their homework, and to dedicate more hours than what might
have been expected from them in the past. Simply put, Warren Buffett states the
requisite for board membership should be “business savvy, interest in the job,
and owner orientation (<b><i>Full Hearts</i></b>).”<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_edn35" name="_ednref35" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">[35]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
At the core, it is the board’s responsibility to support and challenge
management in a way that steers the company in the direction that allows the
firm to remain true to its culture, values, and mission. It is with these
intangibles that shareholders have consciously contracted. From here,
responsibilities of compliance will follow, strategic input will be shared, and
a board of directors will be able to focus on securing the long-term success of
their company for its shareholders (<b><i>Can’t Lose</i></b>). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div>
<!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<br />
<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> J.
Burns, <i>Everything you wanted to know
about corporate governance, </i>WSJ, August, 14, 2002.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <i>Friday Night Lights, </i>Season 2: Episode
4: “The Backfire”<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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Warren Buffett, “Letter to Berkshire Hathaway Managers and Directors, July 26,
2010<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref4" name="_edn4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Warren Buffett, “Letter to Berkshire Hathaway Managers and Directors, July 26,
2010<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref5" name="_edn5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <i>Friday Night Lights, </i>Season 5: Epsidoe
9: “Gut Check.”<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref6" name="_edn6" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <i>Friday Night Lights, </i>Season 5, Episode
3: “The Right Hand of the Father”<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn7">
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref7" name="_edn7" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Erin White & Thaddeus Herrick, “Ethical Breaches Pose Dilemma for Boards:
When to Fire a CEO?”, <i>The Wall Street
Journal, </i>February 16, 2006.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn8">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref8" name="_edn8" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Joann S. Lublin, “For Boards, Firing or Keeping a CEO Can Be a Tough Call”, <i>The Wall Street Journal, </i>October 22,
2007.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn9">
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref9" name="_edn9" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Juan Enriquez, Class Lecture: The Role of Ethics, Trust & Integrity in
Business, February 6, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn10">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref10" name="_edn10" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Erin White & Thaddeus Herrick, “Ethical Breaches Pose Dilemma for Boards:
When to Fire a CEO?”, <i>The Wall Street
Journal, </i>February 16, 2006.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref11" name="_edn11" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[11]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>Kaja
Whitehouse, “Why CEOs Need to Be Honest With Their Boards”, January 14, 2008.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn12">
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref12" name="_edn12" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[12]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
A.G. Laffley, <i>The Art and Science of
Finding the Right CEO</i>, HBR, October 2011<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn13">
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref13" name="_edn13" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[13]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> A.G. Laffley, <i>The
Art and Science of Finding the Right CEO</i>, HBR, October 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref14" name="_edn14" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[14]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
A.G. Laffley, <i>The Art and Science of
Finding the Right CEO</i>, HBR, October 2011<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref15" name="_edn15" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[15]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> J.M. Citrin and D. Ogden, <i>Succeeding at Succession, </i>HBR, November 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref16" name="_edn16" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[16]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
J.M. Citrin and D. Ogden, <i>Succeeding at
Succession, </i>HBR, November 2010.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn17">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref17" name="_edn17" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[17]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> J.M.
Citrin and D. Ogden, <i>Succeeding at
Succession, </i>HBR, November 2010.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn18">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref18" name="_edn18" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[18]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
D. Brady and M. Boyle, <i>Recipe for a CEO</i>,
Bloomberg Businessweek, June 27, 2011.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn19">
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref19" name="_edn19" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[19]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
D. Brady and M. Boyle, <i>Recipe for a CEO</i>,
Bloomberg Businessweek, June 27, 2011.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn20">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref20" name="_edn20" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[20]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Win
Priem, Class Lecture: How Boards Select CEOs and Measure Performance, January
30, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn21">
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref21" name="_edn21" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[21]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
A.G. Laffley, <i>The Art and Science of
Finding the Right CEO</i>, HBR, October 2011<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn22">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref22" name="_edn22" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[22]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <i>Friday Night Lights, </i>Season 4: Episode
3: “The Skin of the Lion”<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn23">
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref23" name="_edn23" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[23]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Bruce Blessington, Class Lecture: Executive Compensation, March 12, 2012.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn24">
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref24" name="_edn24" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[24]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> A.G.
Laffley, <i>Executive pay: Time for CEOs to
take a stand, </i>HBR, May 2010<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="edn25">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref25" name="_edn25" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[25]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Warren
Buffett, <i>The Essays of Warren Buffett:
Lessons for Corporate America,</i> Durham, NC<i> ©2008<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</div>
<div id="edn26">
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/ebutler/Downloads/Final_Eric%20Butler.docx#_ednref26" name="_edn26" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[26]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">K. Kranhold and J. Lublin, <i>What Does a Director Do Anyway?, </i>WSJ,
March 3, 2005</span><b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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Case for Professional Boards, </i>HBR, October 2010<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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R. Pozen, <i>The Case for Professional
Boards, </i>HBR, October 2010<o:p></o:p></div>
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Joe Petrowski, Class Lecture: Improving Boards, April 2, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bruce Blessington, Class Lecture: Executive Compensation, March 12, 2012.<o:p></o:p></div>
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to be a good director</i>, WSJ, October 27, 2003<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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Ed Grady, Class Lecture: The Role of Directors, Independence, and Board
Leadership, January 20, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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C. Hymowitz, <i>How to be a good director</i>,
WSJ, October 27, 2003<o:p></o:p></div>
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Warren Buffett, <i>The Essays of Warren
Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America,</i> Durham, NC<i> ©2008<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-67960974043708183232012-11-22T18:25:00.003-08:002012-11-29T05:59:05.469-08:00Truthful Success: Career Guidance Through Clifford Odets' Golden Boy<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://seattletimes.com/ABPub/2008/03/26/2004189698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://seattletimes.com/ABPub/2008/03/26/2004189698.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This past November, I had the great pleasure of catching Lincoln Center’s 75th anniversary revival of Clifford Odets’ <b><i>Golden Boy</i></b> directed by Bartlett Sher. In short, this production is a sheer knockout – double pun intended. Mr. Sher, best known for his Lincoln Center productions of <b><i>The Light in the Piazza</i></b> and <b><i>South Pacific</i></b>, is one of Broadway’s most gifted directors. Much like the National Theatre’s Nicholas Hytner, Sher has shown a masterful directorial hand in nearly every genre from Shakespeare (<i><b>Cymbeline</b></i>) to political drama (<b><i>Blood and Gifts</i></b>) to musical comedy farce (the under-appreciated <b><i>Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown</i></b>) and classical opera (Rossini's<b><i> Il barbiere di Siviglia</i></b>, among others). With his intelligent interpretations and respectful subtlety, his work is always genuine, emotional, and thought provoking. For fellow directors and students of the theater, his productions are master classes in storytelling, spacing, and fluidity. I have been fortunate enough to catch nearly all of Bart's exquisite New York outings and his latest, <b><i>Golden Boy</i></b>, does not disappoint with its stellar cast (one that would have given The Group Theater a run for its money) and its gorgeous sets and costumes by frequent Sher collaborators Michael Yeargan and Catherine Zuber, respectively,</span></div>
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<a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luocquQatY1r3pazeo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luocquQatY1r3pazeo1_500.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a recent Lincoln Center blog entry, Sher commented: "It's hard to get people to understand how the play's central young character, Joe Bonaparte, could have felt a pull between the artistic fulfillment of playing the violin and the money-making of being a top boxer." He continues, "Joe's initial dilemma wouldn't occur to them in the same way. Today, money and fame are the primary goals, no question." Sher can rest assure the relevance of Odets' piece is as strong today as when it was first written. Its poignancy will be appreciated, particularly amongst members of Generation Y - many of whom have come of age in this post-9/11 world. When <b><i>Golden Boy</i></b> first premiered in 1937, the times were not much different than they are today. We were then and are now a country recovering from the greatest economic setbacks known to the generations of the times. The struggle for economic security and the quest for personal glory is one that will live on indefinitely.</span></div>
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<a href="http://images.bwwstatic.com/columnpic6/233B9F931-F143-41B6-9AB43BA81EE1835C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.bwwstatic.com/columnpic6/233B9F931-F143-41B6-9AB43BA81EE1835C.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In <b><i>Golden Boy</i></b>, Joe's father, Mr. Bonaparte (played superbly Tony Shalhoub), wants what all parents ultimately dream for their children: much happiness and success. Mr. Bonaparte is explicit - he wants Joe to find "truthful success" by living an examined life defined by its authenticity. When Mr. Carp (an endearing Jonathan Hadary), the Bonapartes' neighbor, questions if "a boy can make a living playing this instrument [violin] in our competitive civilization today?" he responds, "I don't expect Joe to be a millionaire. He don't need to be a millionaire. A good life's possible [...] Joe love music. Music is the great cheer-up in the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">language of all countries."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While today's parents more often than not encourage their children to shelve their dreams for more practical and profitable livelihoods, the spirit of Mr. Bonaparte lives on in today's institutions of higher education, particularly those Jesuit schools like the College of the Holy Cross (where Mr. Sher and I completed our undergraduate degrees) and Boston College. These schools encourage its students to explore their passions and discern personal vocations filled with meaning and reward. Very frequently, these vocations are not the most profitable - especially for those with interests in the arts and social services. As you follow the careers of these graduates, you commonly see the struggling actor shift gears and pursue a career in corporate sales or the underpaid social justice advocate suddenly decide to join the ranks in law school (I apologize for the stereotypes!). But what is lost when the love and zeal is stifled? Herein lies the true tragedy of <b><i>Golden Boy</i></b>.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.lct.org/content/media/prodphoto1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="/content/media/prodphoto1.jpg" border="0" height="212" src="http://www.lct.org/content/media/prodphoto1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Throughout the three-act play, we witness pure ambition drive Joe from a wide-eyed (though cockeyed), thoughtful, poetic musician to a hardened fighter with a "wolf inside." Joe is played effectively by Seth Numrich (last seen in the visually stunning and dramatically satisfying <i><b>War Horse</b></i>). Numrich makes us empathize with Joe's drive ("I don't like myself, past, present, and future), loathe his pride ("What good is immodesty? I'm a fighter! The whole essence of prizefighting is immodesty!"), yet still fear for his ultimate fall. Numrich shows us Joe's honest struggles between satisfying his own dreams and fulfilling the love and loyalty he feels toward </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">his family. When Mr. Bonaparte is forced to face the man his son has become, he laments, "Now I know... is'a too late for music...not like you. The men musta be free an' happy for music." Even Lorna Moon (Yvonne Strahovky in a breakout role), the hard-boiled but vulnerable fiance of Joe's manager, regrets what fame and fortune has done to Joe. It is not until Joe must confront his own destructive potential through the unintentional death of Chocolate Drop in the ring that he realizes how much he has changed from that "kid with the Buster Brown collar and violin case tucked under his arm."</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.lct.org/content/media/prodphoto3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="/content/media/prodphoto3.jpg" border="0" height="213" src="http://www.lct.org/content/media/prodphoto3.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Joe turns his back on his artistry and his family, he destroys a bit of himself and his humanity. Joe confides to Lorna, "With music I'm never alone - Playing music...that's like saying, 'I am man. I belong here." Before meeting his demise, he see's the wisdom in his </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">trainer Tokio's warning: "Joe you're loaded with love. Find something to give it to. Your heart ain't in fighting...your hate is. But a man with hate and nothing else...he's half a man...and half a man...is no man." Without his hands, music, and family, Joe is left a half of man with truthful success a lost dream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like Joe Bonaparte, members of Generation Y struggle with remaining true to ourselves and achieving greater lives whether in terms of money, power, or respect. Whatever stage in life you're at, I encourage you to evaluate what you want to achieve in life, but more importantly ask yourself 'why?' When interviewing prospective MBA students, I would often ask candidates to share their thoughts on these very topics. For example, if I was interviewing a student with a strong interest in corporate finance, I'd frequently ask, "What is it about analyzing Excel spreadsheets all day long that will get you up in the morning?" While there is no right or wrong answer to this question - after all, it is perfectly natural for motivations to vary from person to person - I wanted to ensure that the Boston College student body was comprised of individuals who were conscientious and self-reflective. As Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." And as Odets illustrates in this classic American tragedy, much is lost even in circumstances where it appears there is much to be gained.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For tickets to see <b><i>Golden Boy</i></b>: Visit <a href="http://www.telecharge.com/behindTheCurtain.aspx">http://www.telecharge.com/behindTheCurtain.aspx</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Under 35 years old? Get tickets for a steal at $30 a pop by signing up for LincTix: <a href="http://lct.org/linctixMain.htm">http://lct.org/linctixMain.htm</a></span></div>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-71573299275576502302012-09-23T08:36:00.001-07:002012-11-20T16:37:22.009-08:00Biting the Hand that Feeds You: The 1% vs. 99% Onstage<div>
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knew the inner-workings of the upper class. As a result, even those works laced with satire, lampooned the aristocracy with love and fondness and, in the end, upheld status quo.<br />
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Nearly a century later, with the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street movements making national headlines, the "1%" still graces our stages, but are being portrayed with very different brushstrokes. This time around, playwrights are not elevating the have-nots to lives of leisure (a least for a couple hours), but instead, are aiming to bring the haves down a notch or two. Not since mustached villain Ford Sterling charged toward a distressed Mabel Normand in Mack Sennett's <b>Barney Oldfield's Race for a Life</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">, </i>has American audiences seen a more accepted public enemy than the fiscally well-to-do. In an era where CEOs are making 231 times the average worker's pay, this select demographic becomes an easy target for today's contemporary playwrights and screenwriters. In fact, recent villains that have graced the boards have included Joseph Pulitzer (<b>Newsies</b>), Jeffrey Skilling (<b>Enron</b>), and Bernie Madoff (<b>Imagining Madoff</b>). Cosmopolitan theater-goers would be hard pressed these days to find a regional theater that isn't producing at least one new or contemporary work where the tension-filled relations between the 1% and 99% doesn't fill the stage. Boston audiences have to look no further than the Huntington Theatre's Southie-based <b>Good People </b>and the American Repertory Theatre's <b>Marie Antoinette.</b><br />
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<b>Good People's </b>protagonist Margie (tackled by spitfire Johanna Day) has recently lost her job at a Southie neighborhood dollar store due to habitual tardiness caused from accommodating her disabled, adult-aged daughter's babysitter's unreliable schedule. Can a girl catch a break? As bleak as a life behind the a dollar store register sounds, at least Margie has escaped being employed by the Gillette factory where every other dead-end Sally is stuck. Upon hearing that her high school sweetheart, Mike Dillon (a rather dull Michael Laurence), is once again local, she decides to hit her "lace-curtain Irish" old flame up for a job. Now a reproductive endocrinologist (don't bother asking Margie what that is), Mike has distanced himself from the old neighborhood and its blue-collared residents having moved to the affluent suburbs of Chestnut Hill. Speaking in an obnoxious Bryn Mawr-ish accent, Mike does not intend to go out of his way to help Margie get back on her feet. Nor is Mike willing to entertain the possibility that Margie's daughter may, in fact, be his own as such a revelation could threaten the "comfortable" lifestyle he has built for his wife, Kate (Rachael Holmes), and their daughter.<br />
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One interesting question that <b>Good People</b> poses is whether or not success is a product of luck or hard-work. Taking a page from Sophocles, Margie believes Mike's accomplishments are essentially a product of luck - or fate, if you will. After all, unlike Mike, Margie never had parents who "watched from the window." Mike, on the other hand, has no empathy for Margie's state as he proclaims, "It's not my fault you can't find a job." Mike believes hard work, and hard work alone, has made him what he is today. While Mike's childhood may not have exactly been the Upton Sinclair-esque upbringing he makes it out to be, the fortunes of an attentive and loving family does give one certain advantages in life independent of the socio-economic background one is born into. And in Margie's case, one should not underestimate the power of personal accountability to overcome the perceived impotence of the disenfranchised. Free-will vs. fate may be as old as the nature vs. nurture debate - but in all cases the truth is not as black and white as each character defends it to be. <br />
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<a href="http://d3rm69wky8vagu.cloudfront.net/article-photos/large/1.154789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://d3rm69wky8vagu.cloudfront.net/article-photos/large/1.154789.jpg" width="200" /></a>Playwrights are often given two points of advice when brainstorming ideas for new plays: write about your greatest fear or write about what you know. Lindsay-Abaire tackled the former when he wrote about the loss of one's child in the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama <b>Rabbit Hole</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">. </i>As someone who grew up in Southie, it appears, at least on the surface, that Lindsay-Abaire was ready to tackle the latter suggestion in his latest Broadway outing. Interesting enough, he decides to keep the focus on Margie - the Southie gal who can't seem to move past the deck of cards she's been dealt. Assuredly, he would have been more equipped to tell a Southie story from the perspective of someone who has risen above it all but is forced to face the ghosts of his past (Hello Ibsen!). After all, Lindsay-Abaire was educated at Milton Academy (alma mater of the Kennedy boys - yes, those Kennedys) on scholarship prior to attending Saint Lawrence College and gaining notoriety as a playwright. Not surprisingly, some of the plays most amusing moments come from Lindsay-Abaire's intimate knowledge of the quirks (push presents) and dysfunctions (marriage counseling) of this upper-middle class world. Perhaps, if he was telling this story more from his own perspective, success would be portrayed with more sensitivity, gratefulness, and nuance - characteristics that are decidedly missing from Dr. Mike and I would hope belong to the playwright and others like him. <br />
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<a href="https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/382480_10150959528038564_251297524_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/382480_10150959528038564_251297524_n.jpg" width="206" /></a>In <b>Marie Antoinette</b>, playwright David Adjmi and director Rebecca Taichman give the court of Versailles the royal treatment with sets of gold, pastel gowns, and macaroons aplenty. Much like Sofia Coppola's visually stunning biopic of the same name, the ART's production uses a modern pop soundtrack full of energy and angst. Adjmi and Taichman go a bit further in this post-modern production with their Queen bearing a closer resemblance to Lady Gaga than French royalty. At the heart of the court lies the title character who remains out-of-touch in every sense of the word. Not only does the Queen dismiss the threat of revolution ("I hear of talk of Revolution, but not around here [Versailles]," she can't even remember her husband's birthday. Marie's disregard goes not without warning as she is repeatedly told that she should be careful, "the people are angry. They're hungry. They're overtaxed." Sounds familiar, no? Even Louis XVI, the child-like and overwhelmed monarch played superbly by Steven Rattazzi, is fed up with her extravagant spending ("Why do you [Marie] bother speaking to me, just send me [Louis] an invoice."). While her husband criticizes her ("You never think of anything but your own amusements"), her subjects disgrace her ("To them I'm just some bitch from Austria who gives everyone a blow job.") Even when her life is in danger and her personal jewels are being confiscated, all Marie can think about is who will draw her baths in her post-Versailles existence. In her defense, Marie proclaims, "I didn't know the value of money. I was a Queen." Though the play was originally written during the Bush administration, the creative team obviously wants audiences to draw parallels between the French aristocracy and America's 1% as well as the 18th century revolutionaries and our 99% Occupy Wall Street-ers. In case these parallels were not obvious enough for you, the French peasants spoke with American Southern accents indicative of our rural poor. It's never a good sign when your production relies so heavily on forced relevance. <br />
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<b>Comedy in lieu of Compassion</b><br />
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<a href="https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/466396_10151012336236364_269445876_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/466396_10151012336236364_269445876_o.jpg" width="320" /></a>Lindsay-Abaire wants us to sympathize with the hardships faced by his down-on-their-luck Southie clan in <b>Good People. </b> In the second act, while life is handing his heroine, Margie, both set-backs and self-realizations, I was longing for the first acts constant stream of hard-boiled comic one-liners poking fun at their ignorance, 'white trash' taste, and vulgarity. Boston-based actresses, Nancy Carroll (Dottie) and Karen MacDonald (Jean) are exceptionally good. As tacky as their settings and actions are, they are smart enough actresses to play the comedy straight. From competitive Bingo games in the church basement to Dottie peddling her googly-eyed, bunny statuettes, this duo provides earnest comic relief. The greatest comedies of modern times have a layer of melancholy just underneath the surface. Lindsay-Abaire's comic zingers, though funny, are too broad, formulaic and calculated to achieve such layered greatness. Think of a more polished version of the sitcoms <b>My Name is Earl </b>and <b>The Jeff Foxworthy Show.</b> Lindsay-Abaire hasn't quite found the balance between wanting his audience embrace the raucous community bond between his characters dead-end existences and root for his protagonist to pull herself up from her bootstraps to find a better life for herself and her daughter. In the world of <b>Good People</b>, a lot is lost (at least as illustrated by Mike), in terms of spirit, camaraderie, and decency when a comfortable lifestyle is gained. Lindsay-Abaire would have been far better off to stay the course with the hard-boiled comic structure of the first act instead of launching into the melodramatic stickiness of its second act.<br />
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<a href="http://www.wbur.org/files/2012/09/Marie-Antoinette-620x405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://www.wbur.org/files/2012/09/Marie-Antoinette-620x405.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Marie Antionette </b>has major tonal problems. Tone, or the director's and/or playwright's attitude toward the material, is one of the most basic, though essential, elements of drama. In interviews, David Adjmi states that he sees Marie Antoinette as a sympathetic figure. The compassion that Adjmi attempts to impart on Marie comes, unfortunately, far too late in the game. Following a first act characterized by obvious satire, extravagant costumes (three foot powdered wigs) <i>objets </i>(perfumed sheep), questionable silliness, midget servants, and cross dressing comtes gyrating to techno punk, the audiences' distaste for the French royalty's naivete and inaccessibility to the poor man's blight has been solidified. As the tone shifts in the second act following Marie's dissent, the audience is not prepared to journey with the Queen through lectures on Rousseau and moments of self-discovery. Adjmi admits that he did not set out to demonize the wealthy, but instead, to critique the political structures that allow for incompetent leadership and an unjust distribution of wealth. While the second act supports these intentions, audiences can't ignore or forget that the satire of the first act focuses on Marie as an individual and the Versailles she has created. Someone must remind Adjmi that he can't have his cake and eat it too. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Biting the Hand That Feeds You</b><br />
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<a href="https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/?ui=2&ik=812c211200&view=att&th=139f35f6e5366535&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_Soi3nsKiwXSPxKDE_9HD5&sadet=1348409795282&sads=LzDpOMD-PlQFZxNwzK23_6POlxo&sadssc=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/?ui=2&ik=812c211200&view=att&th=139f35f6e5366535&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_Soi3nsKiwXSPxKDE_9HD5&sadet=1348409795282&sads=LzDpOMD-PlQFZxNwzK23_6POlxo&sadssc=1" width="200" /></a>Bad dramatics aside, I can't help but be aggravated by the hypocrisy of regional theater companies committed to "thought-provoking" works that portray the wealthy as a monolithic group of selfish capitalists. Flipping through the Huntington's program for <b>Good People</b>, I found nine (over 20% of the program) pages highlighting individuals, corporations, and foundations who have supported the theater, its operating budget, and its educational programming over the past fiscal year. When you walk through the lobby at the ART, the first thing you notice is a mounted honor roll of donors recognizing those individuals and groups who have made leadership contributions to their last campaign. For better or worse, the 1% are the leading supporters of the American theater both as patrons and large benefactors. While Lindsay-Abaire's latest works have commercial appeal due to their crowd-pleasing melodramatic plots of the kitchen-sink variety, I think it would be fair to say that Mr. Adjmi's <b>Marie Antoinette</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>would have never received such a highly visible and ostentatious production without the financial support of the ART's donors (or the 1% as I like to call them) and the ART's partnership with Harvard University. Note: Harvard's Endowment reached $32 billion in 2011. While I fully support theater that advocates social and political change in a subtle, intelligent, and entertaining manner, regional theaters must be careful not to bite the hand that feeds them with their two-dimensional portrayal of class contentions. And if your theater is full of individuals who believe, at least on some level, in a just and necessary distribution of wealth through their support of your programming and capital projects, aren't you just preaching to the choir? </div>
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Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-70473825824366629432012-07-15T06:20:00.000-07:002012-07-18T14:11:35.898-07:00Sustainable Success: Remembering Rev. John E. Brooks, S.J.<div style="text-align: center;">
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This past month hundreds of students, alumni, current and former faculty, and friends of the College of the Holy Cross gathered in St. Joseph's Memorial Chapel to celebrate the life of Rev. John E. Brooks S.J. Father Brooks served as the President of the College from 1970 to 1994 and, until his death, remained a very active and visible member in the community through his work as President Emeritus and the Loyola Professor of the Humanities in the Religious Studies Department. </div>
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<a href="http://college.holycross.edu/departments/publicaffairs/media/frbrooks/images/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Rev. John E. Brooks Photo Gallery" border="0" height="192" src="http://college.holycross.edu/departments/publicaffairs/media/frbrooks/images/19.jpg" width="320" /></a>Following my graduation from the College of the Holy Cross, I served as a staff member in the Development Office at the school. During these two years, I had the great pleasure of delivering three newspapers (<i>The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, </i>and <i>The Telegram & Gazette) </i>to Father Brooks each morning. While Mitch Albom might have had Tuesdays with Morrie, I was fortunate to have five minutes with Father Brooks at the start of each day. Though I had never formally met him as a student, I was certainly aware of his nearly fabled legacy as President. During his presidency, he led the college to <span style="background-color: white;">coeducation, committed to increasing diversity on campus, and strengthened the finances of the college through balancing the budget and increasing the school's endowment from $6 million to $150 million during his 24 year tenure. Much like how I believe Dorothy must have felt standing before the the great and powerful Oz, my early conversations with Father Brooks were met with much trepidation and delicacy. During those first few weeks, we exchanged pleasantries, commented on the weather (</span><i style="background-color: white;">"Had enough of this rain?"</i><span style="background-color: white;">, recapped the previous night's sporting events (</span><i style="background-color: white;">"How 'bout those Celtics?"</i><span style="background-color: white;"> - now you see how desperate I was!), and shared </span><span style="background-color: white;">our </span><span style="background-color: white;">weekend plans. As time passed, our conversations transcended the superficial as I became more inquisitive and Father Brooks enthusiastically opened up to discuss academic politics, share war stories (both literal and figurative), and provide insight into his strategic visions through both retrospect and future hope. </span></div>
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<b>Long-term Returns</b></div>
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As I reflect on the life and work of Father Brooks, I can't help but draw parallels between the exemplary leadership and forward thinking he exhibited during his presidency and those themes that repeatedly arose during classroom discussion in Professor Bob Radin's <i>Boards & CEOs,</i> a corporate governance seminar I took during my last semester of business school. In Lorsch and Khurana's <i>Harvard Magazine</i> May/June 2010 article, "The Pay Problem", they wrote:</div>
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<i>"For most of the twentieth century, the large public corporation was regarded as both an economic entity and a social <span style="background-color: white;">institution. Shareholders were but one of several constituencies that stood in relation to the corporation. Corporate </span><span style="background-color: white;">decisions were evaluated not only by their specific economic results, but also with an eye toward their moral and </span><span style="background-color: white;">political consequence. Today, corporations are typically described in terms of economic and financial consideration </span><span style="background-color: white;">alone." </span></i></div>
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Unlike many of today's business leaders who act as "relentless, self-interested free agents ready to make tracks out of their companies and sacrifice the long-term for immediate gains," Father Brooks always used a holistic (social, political, and theological) framework when evaluating his presidential decisions. In his homily, Father Earl Markey, S.J. delivered: </div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white;">"He [Brooks] began his presidency with the purpose of bringing the College into the 21st century, and making the </span><span style="background-color: white;">College a liberal arts college competitive with the best in the nation. He never wavered from that goal and said, at his </span><span style="background-color: white;">retirement, that he honestly never made a decision that he did not think was in the best interests of the College. He </span><span style="background-color: white;">said he may not have been right all the time, but he never made a decision that he did not think was in the long-term</span><span style="background-color: white;"> good of the College."</span></i></div>
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<a href="http://college.holycross.edu/departments/publicaffairs/media/frbrooks/images/07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rev. John E. Brooks Photo Gallery" border="0" height="200" src="http://college.holycross.edu/departments/publicaffairs/media/frbrooks/images/07.jpg" width="138" /></a>Father Brook's strategic plan served as the real driver of the College's long-term sustainable success. Many of his decisions were no<span style="background-color: white;">t popular at the time he made them. One can only imagine the resistance and criticism he faced when he decided to </span><span style="background-color: white;">spearhead</span><span style="background-color: white;"> the proactive recruitment of African Americans in the wake of the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination, or when under-performing sons of loyal alumni lost admissions slots to top-notch female candidates in the 1970s, or when he became a founding member of the Patriot League (an athletic conference known for its prohibition of athletic scholarships) in spite of protests from die-hard Crusader fans who bled purple and lived for a Holy Cross/Boston College face-off. While some of these controversial decisions may have caused temporary setbacks for the President and the College, each was made through trust in their long-term returns. Flash forward several decades later and the school is a much stronger institution today because of the foresight and the perseverance of John Brooks. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Moral Obligations</b></span><br />
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Prior to his death, Father Brooks sat down with <a href="http://news.holycross.edu/blog/2012/07/02/tomorrow-holy-cross-to-be-featured-on-nbcs-today-show/">The Today Show</a> to discuss the story of his recruitment of 20 African American students to attend the college during the radical sixties. Of those he hand-picked to join the college community, some of the most notable alumni in the class include (Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Pulitzer Prize Winner author Edward Jones). Fortunately, this story is explored further in Diane Brady's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fraternity-visionary-recruited-College-history/dp/0385524749">Fraternity</a>. On this topic, Brooks speaks of how a moral obligation propelled his actions during this pivotal time the College's history. While it has become corporate chic to throw around words like <i>core values </i>and <i>ethics</i> in the boardroom, it would be interesting to see how many executives today have the courage of John Brooks to allow their moral compass to direct their business decisions. The Presidency of Father Brooks is a concrete example of how one can lead morally and justly while still balancing the books. </div>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSHxaz3Z188lFXsVlfFRNf4F30q4apgS7NvS9EusLieSsLfJmXncDy_zPhxXA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSHxaz3Z188lFXsVlfFRNf4F30q4apgS7NvS9EusLieSsLfJmXncDy_zPhxXA" style="background-color: white;" width="200" /></a>Earlier this year, I had the great pleasure of meeting with <a href="http://ericmba.blogspot.com/2011/10/business-with-buffett-no-big-deal.html">Warren Buffett</a>. Buffett and Brooks have two very important things in common. Both are men who believe in principled leadership. In his July 2010 letter to Berkshire Directors, Buffett wrote, "We can afford to lose money - even a lot of money. But we can't afford to lose reputation - even a shred of reputation. We must continue to measure every act against not only what is legal but also what we would be happy to have written about us on the front page of a national <span style="background-color: white;">newspaper in an article written by an unfriendly but intelligent reporter." Like Buffett, Brooks frequently made decisions that weren't popular but were thoughtful, just for society, and meaningful for the evolution of his small liberal arts college in Massachusetts. Secondly, both Warren Buffett and John Brooks shared the same taste in office decor. Both men had a print of Ted Williams' first at-bat with the Boston Red Sox. The photo was taken in April 1939 on Fitton Field at Holy Cross. As a tribute to the late Rev. John E. Brooks, I have recently purchased and framed the same print to proudly display my new office. Hanging on my wall, this photo will serve a reminder of those core values reinforced at the Carroll School of Management and the <a href="http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/csom/graduate/news/2012/OathCeremony.html">ethical oath</a> many of us took before embarking on our future careers. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-80042412528410955192012-06-07T09:26:00.000-07:002014-11-05T05:19:15.092-08:00Give My Regards to Broadway: A New Perspective (Part 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back in March, my blog entry <a href="http://ericmba.blogspot.com/2012/03/give-my-regards-to-broadway-new.html">Give My Regards to Broadway: A New Perspective</a> examined several of this spring's openings from the perspective of a number cruncher. This season saw a record number of investors backing shows where pennies could be pinched (i.e. relatively small casts, single location sets, casting actor-musicians, etc.) and built-in audiences could help bolster advance tickets sales (i.e. Hollywood stars, film adaptations, etc.). Given the popularity of this entry, I have decided to continue the conversation, but with a new spin. This past May, I took two days off from the pub crawls and booze cruises that typically define "Grad Week" and headed back to New York to catch a few more of this season's latest offerings.<br />
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The theme of this month's entry will instead focus on an elementary concept covered in any introduction to finance course: <i>Risk and Reward.</i> The theory states that "return rises with an increase in risk." While you would be hard-pressed to find a Goldman Sachs managing director or Broadway producer (just ask Michael Cohl of <i>Spider-Man</i>) to disagree with this construct as in pertains to ROI for investors, this theory has never been put to the test in relation to audience satisfaction...until now. Following this year's TONY nominations, I took in three additional shows (<i>Nice Work If You Can Get It, One Man, Two Guvnors, </i>and <i>Peter and the Starcatcher</i>) each representative of a varying degree of creative and financial risk for its producers. In short, when put to the test, the Risk-Return Trade-off holds up where the "riskiest" of these three productions yields the most satisfying, entertaining, and thrilling evening at the theater. Below are the results.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>LOW RISK: <i>Nice Work If You Can Get It</i></b></span><br />
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With a score packed with Gershwin hits, two bona fide stars (one film, one stage), and direction and choreography from the reliable Kathleen Marshall, how could you go wrong? On paper, it looks like a surefire hit. Producers must have thought the odds of lightning striking twice were pretty good - and with such a creative team behind this show - who could blame them? With Kathleen Marshall's other Depression-era musical (the joyous and exuberant <i>Anything Goes)</i> still running strong at the Stephen Sondheim Theater, could Marshall and book writer Joe DiPietro do for <i>Oh, Kay! </i>what 1992's (geez, has it been that long?) <i>Crazy for You </i>did for <i>Girl Crazy?</i><br />
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Unfortunately, the answer is no. Susan Stroman and Ken Ludwig can sleep tight tonight knowing that their <i>Crazy for You </i>remains the far superior Gershwin jukebox musical. You might be wondering, how could a project with such an extensive risk mitigation plan (hit tunes, real stars, and an award winning director/choreographer) disappoint? Ironically, it was a combination of all three (tunes, stars, and director/writer) that ultimately caused this production to fall flat. Here's the lowdown:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwd46JG8AeuI5xnqmvI9J3wKlpesEzPqvtWW6RYQ9aB66BkPC479XAnj7ugwDJvFC6lQ0Ui3n7TsQF_BeMXJG3L9Cmi0S73V2U-R6cdA4wJWnRHZJVDRnOvGgjVRNwr8LGwGVItgZwSyA/s1600/Nice+Work+Opening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwd46JG8AeuI5xnqmvI9J3wKlpesEzPqvtWW6RYQ9aB66BkPC479XAnj7ugwDJvFC6lQ0Ui3n7TsQF_BeMXJG3L9Cmi0S73V2U-R6cdA4wJWnRHZJVDRnOvGgjVRNwr8LGwGVItgZwSyA/s320/Nice+Work+Opening.jpg" height="187" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>The Tunes. </b>"I like a Gershwin tune/How about you?" With the entire Gershwin catalogue at their disposal (minus selections from the current revival of [<i>The Gershwin's] Porgy & Bess)</i>, Marshall and DiPietro set out to create a 'new-fashioned' screwball musical comedy based on the 1926 musical <i>Oh, Kay!</i> about a playboy millionaire and his unlikely romance with a rough and tumble female bootlegger. Someone should have warned the writing team that less is more as they decidedly crammed 21 Gershwin tunes into this two and a half hour musical. The result? Many of these songs are as misplaced in this narrative as they have been in some of the most cringe-worthy jukebox musicals (i.e. <i>Mamma Mia, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, </i>etc.) Some of these songs, in fact, stand in direct opposition to established characterizations (i.e. "Fascinating Rhythm's "I long to be the man I used to be"). The songs at their best are blissful (O'Hara's gorgeous interpretation of "But Not for Me" or Broderick's charming crooning of "Do, Do, Do" backed up by a harmonious Varsity letterman trio), while at their worst they slog along leaving audience members either puzzled (O'Hara's entre course "Hanging Around With You" interludes) or embarrassed (Judy Kaye's chandelier swinging ode "Looking for a Boy") Perhaps an out-of-town tryout would have allowed the creative team to fine tune their selections from the Gershwin songbook, tweak the book-to-score ratio, and strengthen the tunes' relationship to the narrative and characters. There's still hope for a revision before the National Tour launches.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0Zi-NmuF8p9WR4hfPiZQtrYV-Yte1m12M1OxKbPhq-3zNN_bRvd7vp3t7F_88EGX4euNpbg7dIhUIFvMCWDJ71V8Dk78nhCwyj4znWWzLW5yN-sgBPdFV2Bre-jEkUaC8pyOkEO___A/s1600/nice+work+vanity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0Zi-NmuF8p9WR4hfPiZQtrYV-Yte1m12M1OxKbPhq-3zNN_bRvd7vp3t7F_88EGX4euNpbg7dIhUIFvMCWDJ71V8Dk78nhCwyj4znWWzLW5yN-sgBPdFV2Bre-jEkUaC8pyOkEO___A/s320/nice+work+vanity.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><b>The Stars. </b>I have never been shy about my desire for contemporary musical theater writers to return to the great tradition of conceiving star-vehicle shows. Following the Golden Age, these song and star vehicle productions were traded in for spectacle (<i>Wicked</i>), epic (<i>Les Miserables</i>), and irony (<i>Urinetown</i>). <i>Nice Work If You Can Get It</i> was Broadway's chance to regain what had been lost. Unfortunately, instead of building a show around their stars, Marshall and DiPietro tried to squeeze their likable leads into roles they just aren't right for. Matthew Broderick last made a splash on Broadway as the nebbish accountant-turned-producer Leo Bloom in the Mel Brooks mega-hit <i>The Producers. </i>Obviously, all the qualities that made him wonderful in this role make him ill-fitted for the thrice married millionaire playboy Jimmy Winters in <i>Nice Work. </i>While he plays to his strengths (his earnest man-child act is often endearing), he lacks the youth, confidence and general song and dance man skills needed to properly pull off this role. Broderick has bitten off a little more than he can chew with the plenitude of production numbers he has been given to carry. Through no lack of trying, Broderick unfortunately comes off as uncomfortable in several of his more featured numbers ("Sweet and Lowdown" and "Nice Work") but thankfully the supportive and beguiling presence of Kelli O'Hara loosens him up in the ebullient pas de deux "S'Wonderful."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKcj-OW2RXkOkddB9sdpupJNK8A4WBfm2SJb1pX8yYvYgaIlQQdY1mwkS1IrjOl8ErBacVkMQkzRD8WeQM84sinnaIHxsfyuCMfZm8xQys0w4GDoaiRRLRkIKsTEC781Xn1MnDX6W6MI/s1600/nice+work+kelli+and+matt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKcj-OW2RXkOkddB9sdpupJNK8A4WBfm2SJb1pX8yYvYgaIlQQdY1mwkS1IrjOl8ErBacVkMQkzRD8WeQM84sinnaIHxsfyuCMfZm8xQys0w4GDoaiRRLRkIKsTEC781Xn1MnDX6W6MI/s320/nice+work+kelli+and+matt.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a><br />
Kelli O'Hara, probably best known for her turn as Nellie Forbush in Bart Sher's brilliant revival of <i>South Pacific</i>, is one of Broadway's greatest treasures. Always grounded, her interpretation of songs are eloquently phrased and earnestly performed. She is the type of actress who plays the truth even in the most ridiculous situations and consistently makes smart acting choices keeping her performances fresh and interesting for herself and her audiences. Producers and directors have recently chosen to ignore the beautiful subtlety and delicacy that she has brought to her past characters and have repeatedly cast her in hard-boiled roles (<i>Nice Work's</i> bootlegger Billie Bendix and <i>The Pajama Game's</i> Babe Williams; both directed by Marshall). While Ms. O'Hara is always good (not since Barbara Cook has a more accomplished and winning ingenue graced the stage), when I see her in roles like these I'm left with the uneasy feeling that misbegotten casting does not always allow her to be as great as she can and should be. That said, I have very high hopes for her portrayal of Cathy Whitaker (originated by Julianne Moore in the film) in <i>Far From Heaven</i> at Williamstown this summer. Though not a fan of the movie, I believe O'Hara's sincerity as a performer will be the show's greatest asset.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPmR0cGL9Z4FyXEcIiwdTcaHzt2Y7gUqyoIFI2Usw7uSI2tMghoNqm_RWd6qdUMelhrwcmR_4BiyNQBZsZ72kyXZWkpxTZUW2pRCdwwSE_kb75JlAWJ9AgZemPoOAxS7LjfXcLiXReIw/s1600/kathleen+marshall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPmR0cGL9Z4FyXEcIiwdTcaHzt2Y7gUqyoIFI2Usw7uSI2tMghoNqm_RWd6qdUMelhrwcmR_4BiyNQBZsZ72kyXZWkpxTZUW2pRCdwwSE_kb75JlAWJ9AgZemPoOAxS7LjfXcLiXReIw/s320/kathleen+marshall.jpg" height="320" width="223" /></a><b>The Director-Choreographer.</b> Kathleen Marshall is one of the most talented directors and choreographers working on Broadway. It's rare to find someone with such a strong affection for classic Broadway, yet is able to present her work in ways that appeal to mainstream modern audiences. She is at her best, perhaps, when she is mounting major revivals - a talent honed at Encores! earlier in her career. Some might argue that after last season's pitch perfect production of <i>Anything Goes</i>, any follow-up would surely be likely to disappoint in comparison. When compared to her work in <i>Anything Goes</i>, her numbers in <i>Nice Work</i> appear lackluster. Having cast triple-threat Sutton Foster in the lead, Marshall was able to push her choreography in <i>Anything Goes</i> to a level that left audiences wowed, especially the title song act one closer. No luck here, perhaps due to the dancing talent constraints of her lead, Broderick. Much as with the rest of the show, her choreography comes off as safe and as a result unmemorable. There are glimmers of wit (Broderick being shuffled across a line of chorus boys rolling along the ground as he downs a bottle of moonshine) in her choreography, but these moments are few and far between. A choreographer is often only as good as his or her weakest dancer. Bob Fosse knew this and always went through painstaking efforts to only have the best dancers in his shows. Marshall's choreography feels inhibited by the talent she has to work with and as a result falls short of what we've come to expect from her.<br />
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<b>The Verdict. </b>Low risk yields small returns. <i>Nice Work</i> felt safe, recycled, and at times ill-conceived in an effort to please the masses.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>MEDIUM RISK: <i>One Man, Two Guvnors</i></b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgQcF77CtZ8vJFHnp5pUhgJxx1hrbO3fBMOj77p9TlL71YhaLCegHszH7Jy78XCmN_HzLBIfEvDCVeMRAB1JlDfBvyZuH4N26yh4542u16nQ-D6eNGT0BJ8Ra81cH3PGLORy7dJAQNss/s1600/One-Man-Two-Guvnors-Playbill-03-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgQcF77CtZ8vJFHnp5pUhgJxx1hrbO3fBMOj77p9TlL71YhaLCegHszH7Jy78XCmN_HzLBIfEvDCVeMRAB1JlDfBvyZuH4N26yh4542u16nQ-D6eNGT0BJ8Ra81cH3PGLORy7dJAQNss/s320/One-Man-Two-Guvnors-Playbill-03-12.jpg" height="320" width="205" /></a><i>One Man, Two Guvnors, </i>adapted from the classic Carlo Goldoni commedia dell'arte work, <i>The Servant of Two Masters, </i>is a British import from The National Theatre. In the past few years, The National Theatre has seen several successful transfers to Broadway including the TONY Award winning productions of <i>The History Boys</i> and <i>War Horse. </i>As such, these mountings have a relatively small, but loyal built-in audience of New Yorkers and savvy theatre-goers expecting high quality, well-acted and well-directed productions from this company. Outside of this audience, The National Theatre and its affiliated commercial producers depend on strong word-of-mouth and award show buzz to build audiences to secure a hit. As a straight play with a relatively unknown star and a setting and humor directed toward audiences from across the pond, this production does come with its fair share of risks. But will it pay off? Let's see how it all plays out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vcFYYSdVPv_W6m5arO2Jpvv7tYVlCSeIonCTmrN2yJa9XtT92aKLEWggOv6XtLzSKuYk3g4MxJdgZXoyQQ7KT8ZakbdXvh1zNFQMRypOHyg5K9i2yOez8dt9a0jjwAVzajhC0AN8pRU/s1600/The+Craze.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vcFYYSdVPv_W6m5arO2Jpvv7tYVlCSeIonCTmrN2yJa9XtT92aKLEWggOv6XtLzSKuYk3g4MxJdgZXoyQQ7KT8ZakbdXvh1zNFQMRypOHyg5K9i2yOez8dt9a0jjwAVzajhC0AN8pRU/s1600/The+Craze.png" /></a><b>Straight Play. </b>Non-musicals are always a tough sell, especially during the busy summer tourist season in New York City. <i>One Man, Two Guvnors </i>mitigates its risk by inserting a crowd-pleasing band (The Craze) invoking the spirit of early-sixties British invasion rockers. The Craze plays a high-energy original score by Grant Olding before the show and during scene changes, often with cast members making guest appearances to play or sing along with the group. The gamble appears to have paid off with a rare TONY nomination for Best Original Score and.audience members arriving early to the theater just to experience the pre-show. From an audience perspective, the live onstage band helps viewers feel as if they are getting a little something extra for their money.<br />
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Comedies are often an easier sell to tourists. But will this Brighton-set piece play well to an American crowd?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXawfn8N-2L7CBXJIyESF9hwTbzVqZix1a8vHtYTAKswVj1BGoaqUMAGULw4LpBwwkGTqa1cK1vqNBDGgJ4H0ENKZdf1nG3RTDcmkx6pObWh529XGMHzFm9FMWZTtEW5N_HLzIr68TrD4/s1600/One-Man-Two-Guvnor+farce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXawfn8N-2L7CBXJIyESF9hwTbzVqZix1a8vHtYTAKswVj1BGoaqUMAGULw4LpBwwkGTqa1cK1vqNBDGgJ4H0ENKZdf1nG3RTDcmkx6pObWh529XGMHzFm9FMWZTtEW5N_HLzIr68TrD4/s320/One-Man-Two-Guvnor+farce.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a><b>Translating Humor.</b> I am confident in answering the above question with a resounding 'yes!". American audiences can appreciate a good farce and that is exactly what they will get with <i>One Man, Two Guvnors. </i>Nicholas Hytner has staged possibly the funniest, slickest comic scene I have witnessed where Frances Henshall (James Corden) attempts to serve dinner to his two bosses without giving away his moonlighting charades. Staged with precision and performed with gusto, the low-brow slapstick that is reminiscent of the vaudevillian shtick seen in the acts of the old British music halls should garner a laugh from even the most stoic audience member. I am continually impressed by Hytner's range as a director. Is there a genre he can't succeed in tackling with his adept directorial hand? It is a rare production that manages to combine the discipline and tightness required for farce and the spontaneity that arises through some of its more seemingly improvised scenes. The cast is first-rate particularly Oliver Chris as Stanley Stubbers, a prep school tool who murdered the brother of the love his life, and Tom Edden as Alfie, the decrepit, but dutiful waiter at <i>The Cricketers Arms Pub</i>.<br />
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But even with an ensemble of good actors, is a well known star still needed to create a hit?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOvtMacqArkdWOhENWhkWOf8eiDHTnxTMJliizi3esJF8Tdr8R4-cB9HkYNph2xj5aYtZX1JX9_JDKcCrJ2p11QvVYh9WOm_0nlObgQHCWCKMuDjBiVJe7On2Ny-ZxjE7WIyF_M2wAXg/s1600/james+corden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOvtMacqArkdWOhENWhkWOf8eiDHTnxTMJliizi3esJF8Tdr8R4-cB9HkYNph2xj5aYtZX1JX9_JDKcCrJ2p11QvVYh9WOm_0nlObgQHCWCKMuDjBiVJe7On2Ny-ZxjE7WIyF_M2wAXg/s1600/james+corden.jpg" /></a><b>Star Quality. </b>Watching James Corden in <i>One Man, Two Guvnors</i> is like witnessing the birth of a star. An accomplished actor is his own right - Corden was last seen on Broadway (and in the film) in <i>The History Boys</i> as the affable Timms - but he had yet to headline a show on his own. A gifted physical comedian, Corden is like the love child of the late Chris Farley and the incomparable John Cleese. With Philip Seymour Hoffman being his stiffest competition for this year's Best Actor TONY Award, I will be curious to see if voters value Corden's winning comic performance enough seal a victory with the heaviness of Willy Loman (though superbly played by Hoffman) right behind it.<br />
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<b>The Verdict: </b><i>One Man, Two Guvnors </i>makes for a thoroughly enjoyable evening in the theater. While it won't change lives, it was breezy and entertaining. The risks producers took certainly added to the enjoyment - a fresh, young face as the charismatic lead, a new comedy based on a often forgotten (outside of academia) art form, and a chance for American audiences to see a terrific British production.<br />
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<b style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">HIGH RISK: <i>Peter and the Starcatcher</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIVR1J_DLYBqF_xln5wuOJ8qxqnDbLGpO3R3DRKOlQd-LXbI-7hbC4c32pMWmfIUFeRVNO-HZGO66_faaN99_I0ga7zO5tuoxnVou0AIlFz-DYcxX0nQu-_Tf-fsGtk8ABYwkYLAnoDQ/s1600/Peter+Playbill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIVR1J_DLYBqF_xln5wuOJ8qxqnDbLGpO3R3DRKOlQd-LXbI-7hbC4c32pMWmfIUFeRVNO-HZGO66_faaN99_I0ga7zO5tuoxnVou0AIlFz-DYcxX0nQu-_Tf-fsGtk8ABYwkYLAnoDQ/s200/Peter+Playbill.jpg" height="200" width="128" /></a><i>Peter and the Starcatcher </i>is a total-theater adaptation of Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson's children's novel <i>Peter and the Starcatchers </i>(note the 's') tracking the tumultuous adventures of the S.S. Neverland and its crew as they face storms, pirates, savages, magic dust, and mermaids. Director Roger Rees (with co-direction by Alex Timbers) borrows from the story theater made popular in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1981 literary adaptation of the <i>Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby </i>in which Rees starred. After a sold out run and strong reviews at The New York Theater Workshop last summer, Disney decided to remount its production on Broadway. Without spectacle (in the traditional sense) or a strong IP, targeted demographic, or headliner to support advance ticket sales, Disney is banking on the notion that one hell of a show can sell tickets.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1cr-7cYvjE8uKG6GVS-iAxmM4stDM06LREQ47wWc3mzZnZIL13yYjrEoBdoDqYcXbfdU8_TPzsYz5AVfQJpEfQZMJsYxYsY-KrHrQQNEZz4yCSi73uOD6BwI89b5sdzPPlH_zAZgd00/s1600/Peter+mob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1cr-7cYvjE8uKG6GVS-iAxmM4stDM06LREQ47wWc3mzZnZIL13yYjrEoBdoDqYcXbfdU8_TPzsYz5AVfQJpEfQZMJsYxYsY-KrHrQQNEZz4yCSi73uOD6BwI89b5sdzPPlH_zAZgd00/s320/Peter+mob.jpg" height="232" width="320" /></a><b>No Spectacle. </b>Rope, fabric, a rolling ladder, a trunk, sticks, a net, etc. That's about all there is. For Broadway standards, it's a minimalist show that depends on its audience having an active imagination and being willing to go along for the ride. <i>Peter</i> is the perfect example of the effectiveness of a narrative structure that embraces its own theatricality. Instead of falling chandeliers, swooping helicopters, and rotating barracks, this show offers ingenious staging, engaging performances, and the most stellar lighting and hand-produced live sound effects to be found on Broadway. Rees and Timbers give you the gift of the bedtime story. Not since the days of your youth, have you been allowed to surrender to the tale, letting the words, fantasy, and spirit wash over you as you fall into a sublime, joyous trance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl39lfOu2rmVD14hkaKUFWmQGrK9eD4xKESnhrrCxM1CNOmiS2rfqvuOH6CeL0AuwTtGLlKA_Wo8aA1BsDEAyhkC4tHNIwL_LGTpgQ2Kxc4WrGPR1-oQqKeqgxftsq6rGUAxy-NuEBO4M/s1600/Peter+Black+Stache.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl39lfOu2rmVD14hkaKUFWmQGrK9eD4xKESnhrrCxM1CNOmiS2rfqvuOH6CeL0AuwTtGLlKA_Wo8aA1BsDEAyhkC4tHNIwL_LGTpgQ2Kxc4WrGPR1-oQqKeqgxftsq6rGUAxy-NuEBO4M/s320/Peter+Black+Stache.jpg" height="168" width="320" /></a><b>No Headliners.</b> The only stars in <i>Peter </i>are in the sky. When Disney green lit <i>Peter's</i> transfer, it was comprised of a relatively unknown ensemble with a few recognizable faces from past Broadway outings. Depending on the strength of the ensemble, this is a a show about storytelling. Rees and Timbers focus all of their resources on guiding this ensemble toward telling a story in an entertaining, innovative, and rollicking manner. As a director myself, I admired the tightness of the ensemble greatly. It was as if they were acting as one single, living, breathing organism. Their focus and energy yielded one of the slickest, most polished ensemble pieces I have seen in a long time. Standout performances include Christian Borle (of <i>Smash </i>fame) with his hilarious scenery chewing turn as Black Stache, the menacing villain of the piece, and Celia Keenan-Bolger playing the type of precocious young heroine that would make Carson McCullers proud. But Borle and Keenan-Bolger are gracious enough performers to take a back seat to support the other members of the cast when their featured bits have passed. The cast as a whole is superb, most notably veteran character actor Arnie Burton as Mrs. Bumbrake, the droll, no-nonsense (though, maybe just a little) nanny on board. <i>Peter </i>is one of the rare, open-ended running shows where the actors are having as much fun as the audience. As the actors engage the crowd and feed off their reactions, you come to the realization that you are being exposed to a very powerful and effective type of theater, one defined by the communal experience. <br />
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<b>Targeting an Audience.</b> You begin to wonder if Disney has really defined its audience for this show. <i>Peter</i> would be the ideal show to introduce kids to theater. But deciding how to sell this show to parents and kids presents another problem. <i>Peter </i>is a straight play without the the support of an indestructible intellectual property behind it. How can it compete with the likes of <i>The Lion King </i>and <i>Mary Poppins</i> (properties with ridiculous awareness amongst elementary school children and older) or <i>Spider-Man</i> and <i>Wicked</i> (wildly popular with the tween and teen set)? Though it is a Peter Pan origin story, its connection to this property isn't very clear in its title or marketing. If you play up the Peter Pan affiliation, do you risk losing the interest of an adult audience? Disney has stumbled upon something special - a show that can charm audiences of all ages. Marketing principles tell you that you can't be all things to all people and must position yourself to a target demographic. With a rare show on its hands that can appeal, at least somewhat, to all audiences, it doesn't appear from their generic marketing campaign that it has done its due diligence in positioning its show toward an intended demographic. Unfortunately, with this tactic, it runs the risk of its marketing appealing to no one at all. The most disheartening part is that the creative merit of this show alone could appeal to everyone if only producers could just fill the seats. NOTE: I was able to get third row center orchestra seats for half price through the Theater Development Fund - not a good sign.<br />
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<b>The Verdict:</b> Despite the risks producers are facing, <i>Peter and the Starcatcher </i>was one of the most entertaining and charming evenings I've spent in the theater. Two hours into the production, I could hear heavy breathing by my ear. As I turned around, I saw an eight year old girl leaning forward, her head on the back of my chair, hanging on to every word of the play. When you manage to keep both a child's and a cynical MBA's attention that long, you know you are doing something right. Theater, at its best, can be transformative. Even the most hardened individual should leave feeling like a kid again. Now that is the highest compliment that can be paid.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>The Wrap-Up</b></span><br />
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While higher creative risk looks like it is yielding higher returns in terms of critical and audience satisfaction, it is unfortunately not translating into greater box office returns. Below is a summary the box office grosses for the week of June 3.<br />
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Of the three productions reviewed in this entry, <i>Nice Work</i> (the safest bet) has the highest revenue, average ticket price, and capacity filled while <i>Peter</i> has the lowest of the group. It would, however, be interesting to look at these numbers in relation to operating costs to see which show yields the highest net profit. It could turn out that the riskier shows, also have the lowest operating costs, and are, in turn, the most profitable. But, alas, these operations costs are not reported. Food for thought, I guess. Until next time.<br />
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<br />Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-78805968540151923362012-04-17T20:53:00.007-07:002012-04-19T06:40:15.743-07:00INK takes on the Boston Marathon...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvisXklkaAPa3euk6A_wgUm6TzaNt79tjSvbY575hxry7A1TBymgw_cait-qY1pqUdShTfevtdcZzq-Fp9WHo85qriC1RmWA8N2y1hhnSsF8hmMfTSHkvvIaRnTM50VdR57pbqblYVeEE/s1600/INK+Marathon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvisXklkaAPa3euk6A_wgUm6TzaNt79tjSvbY575hxry7A1TBymgw_cait-qY1pqUdShTfevtdcZzq-Fp9WHo85qriC1RmWA8N2y1hhnSsF8hmMfTSHkvvIaRnTM50VdR57pbqblYVeEE/s400/INK+Marathon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This past weekend, the <i>Invest in Kids (INK</i>) co-directors teamed up to run the Boston Marathon in support the <b><i>Invest in Kids</i> Scholarship Fund</b>. For those readers not familiar with the organization, <i>INK</i> is a tutor/mentorship program sponsored by the Carroll Graduate School of Management. For more information on <i>INK</i> see my previous post: <a href="http://ericmba.blogspot.com/2011/12/perpetual-growth-why-investing-in-kids.html">Perpetual Growth: Why Investing in Kids Pays Off</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Family, friends, classmates, and professors all came through in helping us raise over $10,000 in support of the <b><i>Invest in Kids </i>Scholarship Fund. </b>For their generosity, we are immensely grateful. The scholarship fund, started by former <i>INK</i> directors and tutors, is an endowment that supports low-income college bound students who have participated in the Boston College <i>Invest in Kids</i> program and who have continued to be a part of Brookline's <i>Steps to Success</i> program.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And now on to the main event...The Marathon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruEJ-2yGhJPJWbS1CMeVYb2LzcrR6eVIY5ABYySVe36PcxHVO9Mm_4zwATRtA8kvjE3ISOuZizl-ZEgxX1hvCh4NdocRjXQe0vC401crVQ1f6Bc5mpGii5v1KO_q58D8zJe9pCye91QU/s1600/Boston+Marathon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruEJ-2yGhJPJWbS1CMeVYb2LzcrR6eVIY5ABYySVe36PcxHVO9Mm_4zwATRtA8kvjE3ISOuZizl-ZEgxX1hvCh4NdocRjXQe0vC401crVQ1f6Bc5mpGii5v1KO_q58D8zJe9pCye91QU/s200/Boston+Marathon.png" width="196" /></a>First off, I must say that I am in awe of the dedication and stamina put forth by my co-directors, Kim Clark and Michelle Pinnette. Training since last semester, they have run through snow (though not much this winter, thankfully), rain, sleet, and now 87 degree stew to make it through yesterday's marathon. Not even Professor John Gallaugher's exhausting, but rewarding 20 companies-in-five days death march could stop us from training as Michelle and I regularly passed each other this winter break while jogging to and from our hotel toward Stanford on University Avenue in Palo Alto, CA. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Much credit and praise should be given to Kim and Michelle for running their first marathon. And thanks to them, they pushed me outside my comfort zone to run my first 10 miles. Here is my story...</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I started my run at Mile 16. I joined the pack just as I could see the cocky second-string, front-runners petering out due to over exerting themselves too early in the race. As I managed to keep pace with them up Heartbreak Hill, I fed off of the crowd cheering me on. With very little athletic prowess of my own, I felt like a rock star as I jogged past adoring fans holding signs that said "<i>You </i>[Wait, me? Yes, me!] <i>Inspire Me</i>!" Indeed, running really is the sport for the kid who couldn't make the basketball team. Believe me, I know.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not long after starting, a Chestnut Hill housewife exclaimed, "You look great. Keep it up!" Of course I looked great, I was only three miles in. Unfortunately, compliments like this stopped for me before hitting Brookline. While running through Newton and Chestnut Hill, residents graciously handed out water and Twizzlers (On the Next Episode of <i>Sh*t Rich People Do</i>) to deflated runners as they crawled up Heartbreak. Regrettably, most of the families allowed their toddlers to hand out the orange slices. I had to respectfully decline - who knows where those toddler hands have been?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was exhilarating running by Boston College on Marathon Monday. You couldn't help but get a mental and physical boost from the thousands of undergraduates lining the streets cheering you on. At one point, I'm pretty sure I was running next to the <i>Fruit of the Loom</i> characters. Whether it was a hallucination invoked by heat stroke or a demonstration of college brand humor, the absurdity of the moment and the chuckle that followed came at the right time. That said, Mile 21 by Boston College is like the love child of Mardi Gras and the Olympics. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirk_4wcqHRiJdygwaGRQkW_rHAzKbmX1mzsVQ9C6lgZrG-Qd6db3cbKHSSK20x2uSNiGqxCjcRW9G6HvnCPN031pNKQ0lPojsRpXounGTgBASqGqPKl6z6A0NWaiagV3ADVv3osB-uMr8/s1600/Finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirk_4wcqHRiJdygwaGRQkW_rHAzKbmX1mzsVQ9C6lgZrG-Qd6db3cbKHSSK20x2uSNiGqxCjcRW9G6HvnCPN031pNKQ0lPojsRpXounGTgBASqGqPKl6z6A0NWaiagV3ADVv3osB-uMr8/s200/Finish.jpg" width="200" /></a>As I passed each notable landmark - Cleveland Circle, Washington Square, Coolidge Corner, etc. - I was greeted by familiar faces of friends who had come out to support the run. As I joined up with Kim and Michelle at Mile 25, we ran the last stretch in solidarity. A group of our classmates saluted us from the Cactus Club (it was 5 pm somewhere in the world) as we neared the finish line.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd liked to think that I didn't make too much of a fool out of myself running in this year's Boston Marathon. But if I did - at least it was for a great cause. I couldn't be prouder of the efforts of our <i>INK</i> Team and those who helped validate and affirm our good work through their support of the <b><i>Invest in Kids </i>Scholarship Fund</b>.</div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-82529917658439335292012-03-11T19:59:00.011-07:002012-05-09T20:27:35.746-07:00Give My Regards to Broadway: A New Perspective<div style="text-align: center;">
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This past spring break brought me back to New York City, home to some of the best theater in the world. Those who are closest to me know that when it comes to theater, I have a critical eye and I am not afraid to share my often astute, but not always infallible, observations. Prior to business school, my analyses of those productions I attended frequently focused on actors' performances, tone and style of the production, directorial interpretation, dramatic structure, general aesthetic, etc. But now, carrying almost two years of MBA-level education with me, I sit in a darkened theater with a whole new level of baggage with which to deconstruct the show.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4XxBRpo2HKEw6V9V6gSNcAHas228EgFFvd6cagqpsrEzfl9xuo20RTR51ISEntZyn3_lvLcFpeydGGlmKpcCubfeHEDt33Mnm6lNIhny8B-hqDlEsgFUdyutKV7PUBw_i8HBRCpxkqE/s1600/Enron+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4XxBRpo2HKEw6V9V6gSNcAHas228EgFFvd6cagqpsrEzfl9xuo20RTR51ISEntZyn3_lvLcFpeydGGlmKpcCubfeHEDt33Mnm6lNIhny8B-hqDlEsgFUdyutKV7PUBw_i8HBRCpxkqE/s320/Enron+1.jpg" width="320" /></a>Shortly into the program, I knew that my nearly superhuman powers were developing further. With less than seven weeks of class behind me, in October 2011, I attended the Boston-area premiere of Lucy Prebble's play ENRON, a modern day morality play set against the events of the recent corporate scandal. As I turned to my friend at intermission expecting to bash the production's pacing and shoddy blocking, he, a very intelligent undergraduate theater and political science major at Boston College, admitted that he was having a hard time following the plot. I then, unaware at the time of my pedagogical path, began to explain this human tragedy in terms of a balance sheet equation. Yes - I know. <i>Who am I?</i> With less than one semester of accounting under my belt, I was describing plot by using terms like assets, liabilities, and accounts payable. While Professor Pete Wilson is proud, I am pretty sure Brooks Atkinson is rolling over in his grave. Alas, I have not been able to view theater the same way since.</div>
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Below is a recap of some the thoughts that crossed my mind as I sat through some of the hottest shows in town during this past week.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7ikcZ8yeHbI2Dt9-DvJWQTV-ZfCl_VFJiDpBJFiXm524RmeeoMO8LxLAAsxoX82kuRfbifAlmzAven9nkOAvTPgMFC_n2tur6pY4qqN-V5aDZI31EOpvXl5dimXzY3Pyum2U3NCRyDg/s1600/Gore+Vidals+The+Best+Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7ikcZ8yeHbI2Dt9-DvJWQTV-ZfCl_VFJiDpBJFiXm524RmeeoMO8LxLAAsxoX82kuRfbifAlmzAven9nkOAvTPgMFC_n2tur6pY4qqN-V5aDZI31EOpvXl5dimXzY3Pyum2U3NCRyDg/s200/Gore+Vidals+The+Best+Man.jpg" width="195" /></a><b>GORE VIDAL'S THE BEST MAN:</b> Producers are banking on an all-star cast comprised of theater royalty (Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones), former TV stars (Eric McCormack, John Larroquette, and Candice Bergen), and well liked, current Broadway go-to actors (Kerry Butler, Jefferson Mays, and Michael McKean) to draw in the crowds. This breezy, timely piece may not be very memorable, but its ensemble certainly is. In this case, the money is definitely on the marquee. Though I sat through an early preview, the cast was already beginning to find the rhythms of the banter. Though I had full faith that this ensemble will have a polished political potboiler on its hands come opening night, I sat there with bated breath every time octogenarians Lansbury and Jones rose from a drawing room sofa. Clearly their knees aren't what they used to be which leads me to wonder what additional costs did the producers face when insuring this show? </div>
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<b>DEATH OF A SALESMAN: </b>Commercial producers love to dust off this classic every ten years or so for another Broadway outing. This time around Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman carries those weathered brief cases sullenly across the stage. Yet again, this production is counting on star power to fill the seats. To capture even the teeny-bopper audience, Andrew Garfield (from <i>The Social Network</i>) has been cast as Willy's prodigal son, Biff. Clearly, not as strong an actor as Hoffman (most of Garfield's scenery chewing performance in the second act is caught in his throat), the young heart-throb should help bring in young audience members eager to catch the star in action before he dons the Spider-Man suit later this year in the comic book franchise's latest installment. </div>
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As I prepare for job interviews during my last semester of business school, one quote from Miller's play will ring loudly in my ear:</div>
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<i>"The man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want."</i></div>
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Here's hoping my interviews end happier than this play!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRkNJKcX-V-7jVrOmwS3SrEXPvwfYBif9ZoPdKtoOF9dHSJR04QxXB4c_QoDRR3_UvXcgKbkVKZBMCOuJzHRIE1JfrbxmnGQb75j9X5P6DLL2cZ18TO8-rjIdGv2tF1zMqYmeoreITiI/s1600/Once.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRkNJKcX-V-7jVrOmwS3SrEXPvwfYBif9ZoPdKtoOF9dHSJR04QxXB4c_QoDRR3_UvXcgKbkVKZBMCOuJzHRIE1JfrbxmnGQb75j9X5P6DLL2cZ18TO8-rjIdGv2tF1zMqYmeoreITiI/s320/Once.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>ONCE: </b>Based on the hit 2006 indie movie of the same name, this adaptation's beautiful contemporary score does justice to its source material. Though a moderate success during its theatrical release and a 2007 Academy Award winner for Best Song ("Falling Slowly"), its base audience is probably too small to truly leverage it into the hit musical stratosphere. As I watched this musical, I applauded producers for taking a chance on this unconventional romantic comedy. I assume this musical made it so far from page to production, not for its effective melodies and heart, but for its relatively low costs (at least by Broadway musical standards). The writers have placed the action of this production in one setting (a Dublin bar), though the scenes are represented across multiple minimalist locations. Actors double as musicians. And characters are capped at thirteen. With steady ticket sales and modest operating costs, this musical could potentially see a long run and a decent return. At this time, positive word of mouth is needed the most!</div>
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ONCE also must be commended for its fantastic use of product placement. While flipping through the program, I came across an advertisement (picturing the musical leads) for C.F. Martin & Co. declaring to be the proud sponsors of the ONCE guitars. Given the importance of music and instruments, specifically the guitar, in this production, the product placement not only in the program but in the script came across as the most genuine and organic endorsement I have seen in years. </div>
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<a href="http://www.thetheatresource.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Venus-in-fur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.thetheatresource.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Venus-in-fur.jpg" width="224" /></a><b>VENUS IN FUR</b>: VENUS IN FUR is a sexy, literate new play by David Ives and directed adeptly by Walter Bobbie. A star is born in Nina Arianda's hilarious performance as Vanda, a manipulative and talented young actress who coaxes playwright/director Thomas (played by Hugh Dancy) into letting her audition for him after-hours. Producers must have known they had a hit on their hands with Arianda as this Broadway mounting is the project's third production following two sold-out off-Broadway runs. Setting up shop this last time at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater allows both Arianda (as a Best Actress candidate) and the play to be eligible for the coveted TONY Award come June - an honor restricted to Broadway productions. With likely nominations and awards in its future to fuel ticket sales, a small cast of two (low operating costs), and sunk costs (sets, costumes, etc.) recouped during its off-Broadway iterations, producers are hoping to cash in on this play while word of mouth is positive and Arianda remains the critical darling of Broadway. Unfortunately, with so many new works opening in the next couple weeks, it is most likely that this humble comic production will be lost to audiences in the sea of openings this spring. After all, this play is "so last season."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7len_ACp-udE-4hNvcw6cNrszAkXkQg-AC6h852b2VpXoK72Y-AddKE3Uod4hFiZMsWBZP1QQvBa7Udp1mDJjHv3hIP3qC6FCENMjPAFviGcijdjC4AJX4BO-00jaiKYNRyggnolAGKk/s1600/the-jazz-age.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7len_ACp-udE-4hNvcw6cNrszAkXkQg-AC6h852b2VpXoK72Y-AddKE3Uod4hFiZMsWBZP1QQvBa7Udp1mDJjHv3hIP3qC6FCENMjPAFviGcijdjC4AJX4BO-00jaiKYNRyggnolAGKk/s200/the-jazz-age.jpg" width="181" /></a><b>THE JAZZ AGE: </b>My last stop of the week was at a private industry reading of a new play, THE JAZZ AGE. Focusing its plot on a 'bromance' between F. Scott Fitzgerald (played by Kieran Campion) and Ernest Hemingway (Pablo Schreiber) with Zelda (Hannah Yelland) on board to complicate things. Fully staged productions have promises of dancers, an onstage jazz band to provide musical scoring, and projections. With only three principal actors, cost for future productions look manageable but will certainly increase with the addition of dancers in the ensemble and musicians. Producers beware - doing this era right does not come cheap. While listening to the reading, I tried to adopt the mindset of a commercial Broadway producer. Would this story sell? Though I have a personal affinity for this period and these authors (see my ongoing attempt to adapt Fitzgerald's <i>This Side of Paradise</i> into a musical), I do question how much mainstream appeal this literary circle has for today's audiences (::ugh:: tourists with their neon fanny packs and orchestra seats for MAMMA MIA) aside from the whimsical world embodied by Woody Allen's brand of humor in last summer's delightful <i>Midnight in Paris. </i>Once again, it all comes back to that balance sheet. Show me a production that can be mounted well for a modest amount and then I might consider an investment.</div>
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In short, it was a very successful and entertaining trip to New York. To my theater friends who think I sold out by going to business school and chastise me for only seeing dollar signs (and not art on the stage) - I leave you with one redeeming thought. Despite a total of five Stephen Schwartz and Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals currently playing on Broadway, I escaped the big bad city without seeing a single one. There is some hope!</div>
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<br /></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-13582515437246060832012-02-15T10:45:00.001-08:002012-02-29T19:21:17.896-08:00East Meets West - Tech Trek 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To say that Tech Trek West was one of the highlight</span>s of my MBA experience would be an understatement. Twenty-four full-time and part-time MBA students ended their winter break early this year to hop between Seattle, Palo Alto, and San Francisco to visit twenty companies in five days. Exhilarating and exhausting all the same time, this course put us in front of senior level executives, receiving master class level educations at some of the world's most interesting companies. From members of the Fortune 500 list to start-ups and venture capital firms, we certainly felt the pulse of Silicon Valley. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning at Nintendo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>While you can read about many of these companies (i.e. Starbucks, Facebook, Amazon, and Zynga) in case studies offered by the Harvard Business Review, there is really nothing like experiencing their cultures head-on. And in case, you're wondering, everything they say about Google's culture is true. Gourmet meals three times a day. Free lattes every 115 feet. Hair stylists and masseuses at your beckon call. Laundry and dry cleaning services everyday. Ironically, a company like Google, known for its forward thinking and revolutionary technology, has provided its employees with what I essentially like to call the June Cleaver of work experiences. Short of a string of pearls and a "Yes, dear" every once in a while, the 'businessman' hasn't lived this good since he came home to find a Wally and the Beav 'messing around' before dinner. All kidding aside, while West Coast companies certainly know how to care for their employees, it appears to be worth it as these firms are attracting some of the brightest, most creative and entrepreneurial individuals in the field. Now, all they have to do is replace those small bicycles with Segways and you can sign me up tomorrow.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While I could write for days on the knowledge I've obtained through these visits (and believe me when I say that I have to complete the deliverables for this course), I will spare you the pain and include just a few highlights from the trip.</div><br />
<ul><li>Meeting with the Social/Digital Marketing Team at Starbucks Headquarters. Nobody does it better than Starbucks (and they put together a mean gift bag, too). We also were able to test out their blonde roast days before it's official launch.</li>
<li>A master class with Phil Schiller, SVP of Worldwide Marketing and BC alum, at Apple, Inc. just days before he launched Apple's education project in New York City.</li>
<li>An informative presentation and intimate dinner with Tallwood Capital partner George Pavlov at <a href="http://www.nolas.com/index.html">Nolas</a> in Palo Alto.</li>
<li>Getting my inner <a href="http://www.napastyle.com/custserv/custserv.jsp?pageName=AboutMichaelChiarello">Michael Chiarello</a> on in Napa at <a href="http://www.roundpond.com/">Round Pond</a> and <a href="http://www.schramsberg.com/">Schramsberg</a>. While the clock said 9 AM California time, it was definitely 5 PM somewhere in the world.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lastly, I would like to leave you with a few fun photos taken throughout the week. I assure you, the week was not all fun and games - but much of the action that occurred behind closed doors around executive conference tables remains as proprietary as Equinix's undisclosed location. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBB_66J1ayXxrExpX0n-wMBVH9d3yYpYbu_9bj2IQmaWmipWFfEKziGC8oIFz-1aK_2QpWfmPvLZyDYWETaKl38_XUWehd3hh3dZVmdI13FwEX2Q129Ju2Vy8ZIKfiEyzvU7T4gtXRu4/s1600/Facebook+Group.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking out the giant screen at the <a href="http://www.empmuseum.org/"><i>Experience Music Project</i></a> in Seattle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group shot at the <i>EMP</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOhCsg-75j2HpP1veuN566KDwVPto-nPjY3UffbF__i9n0hWBZ9Itg7bPJGO-R9zqyVZoGnlqq3VMuHcggX38p-33FET1F326-iLn6NSqgf1nVTKqW2GNwKyv5tcQB3yV_gCQetfnkJY/s1600/Guitar+Playing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOhCsg-75j2HpP1veuN566KDwVPto-nPjY3UffbF__i9n0hWBZ9Itg7bPJGO-R9zqyVZoGnlqq3VMuHcggX38p-33FET1F326-iLn6NSqgf1nVTKqW2GNwKyv5tcQB3yV_gCQetfnkJY/s320/Guitar+Playing.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jamming with Michelle and William at the <i>EMP</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Space Needle - Staring back at Martin Crane (an allusion to "Here's Looking at You", <i>Frasier</i>, Season 1, Episode 5 - check it out!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5kXLpjo7vEkRGnsNSw8g5JcSQ7E1T5uddtJE-tb1rOkv-0J1DTNZPrRzRFqEl22aPhSdl-wF-jKoaqRfX1ljY1dp_OuQ3fT4JdDj8vVQ9JCQAEkiXJG0FWQBKJCfFnC8qFp-_WBHnI8/s1600/At+the+Starbucks+Bar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5kXLpjo7vEkRGnsNSw8g5JcSQ7E1T5uddtJE-tb1rOkv-0J1DTNZPrRzRFqEl22aPhSdl-wF-jKoaqRfX1ljY1dp_OuQ3fT4JdDj8vVQ9JCQAEkiXJG0FWQBKJCfFnC8qFp-_WBHnI8/s320/At+the+Starbucks+Bar.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having a beer at a Starbucks?! Say what?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBB_66J1ayXxrExpX0n-wMBVH9d3yYpYbu_9bj2IQmaWmipWFfEKziGC8oIFz-1aK_2QpWfmPvLZyDYWETaKl38_XUWehd3hh3dZVmdI13FwEX2Q129Ju2Vy8ZIKfiEyzvU7T4gtXRu4/s1600/Facebook+Group.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBB_66J1ayXxrExpX0n-wMBVH9d3yYpYbu_9bj2IQmaWmipWFfEKziGC8oIFz-1aK_2QpWfmPvLZyDYWETaKl38_XUWehd3hh3dZVmdI13FwEX2Q129Ju2Vy8ZIKfiEyzvU7T4gtXRu4/s320/Facebook+Group.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group photo at Facebook. 'Like it' if you dare.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4q1APqo3_gPGrLdbm5Rc1cEnIyBV2hkcrM9HM6SNdYlXW19wpzmLjIVDW_H7m8HuRvVWFM_kfcVOeGmUfcP9ghd0mx1h7sj02EQloN2kZKd7YFo7uVThdI7mzFJ00m-gV3xfCUupsRs/s1600/Intuit+Costume.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4q1APqo3_gPGrLdbm5Rc1cEnIyBV2hkcrM9HM6SNdYlXW19wpzmLjIVDW_H7m8HuRvVWFM_kfcVOeGmUfcP9ghd0mx1h7sj02EQloN2kZKd7YFo7uVThdI7mzFJ00m-gV3xfCUupsRs/s320/Intuit+Costume.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suited up for my meeting at Intel. Business casual as usual.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;"></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-45081556973101876552012-01-20T12:25:00.000-08:002012-01-20T12:34:45.746-08:00Bomb Squad Revisited<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7T7AefJQZffS7U3k4DjCRIG8hxff7BRZuUAcKPZgipXA9vaVMUO5zrgB12gy8XMy8ULqLm26GnyZkwHf_CfujxnlU71YZR5T4k2q3L4ZLp40dtUskhk1njEkbvPANrHhMncVK1ayBEgg/s1600/Business+Plan+Competition+Blog+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7T7AefJQZffS7U3k4DjCRIG8hxff7BRZuUAcKPZgipXA9vaVMUO5zrgB12gy8XMy8ULqLm26GnyZkwHf_CfujxnlU71YZR5T4k2q3L4ZLp40dtUskhk1njEkbvPANrHhMncVK1ayBEgg/s320/Business+Plan+Competition+Blog+Photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bomb Squad: (left to right) Matt DiStefano '12, Carly Ferris '12, Joanna Lippert '12, <i>moi</i>, Vivi Zhuang '12. Not pictured: Anna Wascher '12.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">On Friday, December 16, five teams of MBA candidates matched off to compete for bragging rights and a cash prize in Fulton 511. This competition marked the culmination of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MPIII: Business Planning and Entrepreneurship</i> – a required course taught by Professor Gregory Stoller for all full-time second year graduate students. Teams may originate their own business concept or partner with outside entrepreneurs and companies to further develop their ideas. Ultimately, each team is responsible for completing a full-length plan incorporating management-practice knowledge and concepts explored in such classes as financial management, marketing, operations, and business strategy. In addition, each team must present a five-minute elevator pitch to a panel of judges comprised of local business professionals who will, in turn, select the aforementioned five teams to present their full plans within the frame of a 15 minute presentation followed by ten minutes of questions and answers. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigK1E12yeJKR0rjUx0AA3thH8oLHqkTJRz7Q8DBFfgP8Z1bjuXbP32KhwMIFe0Cu9YLdQ-op8MsuhE9ghacRMloTqCGIDBqgOzAAfUVAEIgIbcPIH7SWttBkXOew-C8RCot-hC8eAwKFA/s1600/Business+Plan+Competition+Blog+Photo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigK1E12yeJKR0rjUx0AA3thH8oLHqkTJRz7Q8DBFfgP8Z1bjuXbP32KhwMIFe0Cu9YLdQ-op8MsuhE9ghacRMloTqCGIDBqgOzAAfUVAEIgIbcPIH7SWttBkXOew-C8RCot-hC8eAwKFA/s1600/Business+Plan+Competition+Blog+Photo+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the field doing market research.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">This blog entry would have been considerably shorter had my team not been lucky enough to be selected to go to the finals. Partnering with TBS Technologies, our team presented a plan for a unit that is designed to release chlorine dioxide gas to decontaminate spaces such as biosafety cabinets. With one press of a button, this device is proven to be 99.9999% (yes, that’s six nines!) effective in such situations. The biggest challenge for our team was finding the appropriate environment to launch this device. While chlorine dioxide is a perfect compound for decontamination, it can also be deadly. Good luck marketing this device to housewives looking for a quick clean. “Step 3: Run for Your Life” certainly seemed like a barrier to entry in the consumer product goods sector. That being said, bioscience professionals working in secured, laboratory settings seemed like the perfect users for such a cleaning process. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGP3eqkr0ENi-8_guxna4oT-8chRU8sXL0ORJNYzz2fW_z5YdlzzqgJ8_PuckdeXSgpB7bY36zUuoki8tcM8f27jK2tjaimnhwpwFQIQoYzW1UXAP6hzuc0ZoPN7PQLkJHH7PFUZOxO0/s1600/Business+Plan+Competition+Blog+Photo+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGP3eqkr0ENi-8_guxna4oT-8chRU8sXL0ORJNYzz2fW_z5YdlzzqgJ8_PuckdeXSgpB7bY36zUuoki8tcM8f27jK2tjaimnhwpwFQIQoYzW1UXAP6hzuc0ZoPN7PQLkJHH7PFUZOxO0/s1600/Business+Plan+Competition+Blog+Photo+3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bertolt Brecht</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">In the end, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bomb Squad</i> (our only partially satirical self-assigned team name) took top prize at the competition. The former theatre major in me would like to think it was the <span class="st"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">verfremdungseffekt </i>that won over the judges. (Did I just use the German phrase for a theatrical distancing effect in a business school blog?) Or perhaps it was the Mighty Duck’s Flying V formation that swayed the votes? (Who doesn’t root for the underdog?) Brechtian staging and subliminal messaging aside, our team came together in the final hours to deliver an admirable 85 page business plan and a knowledgeable presentation. </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This victory came as quite a surprise to us and was met with much humility. Personally, I was blown away by the innovation, intelligence, poise, and eloquence of my fellow classmates. Some of the other projects from the semester included a Lebron James line of school supplies, a tablet-based device for placing orders and making payments in restaurants, and a Catholic school management consulting company. My personal favorite was from the team who brought us high-tech microwavable dishware that is designed to keep your dinner warm for up to 30 minutes. Presented in the form of an infomercial parody, the pedagogical structure of the demonstration was honestly quite brilliant. Ryan Traeger ‘12 gave a breakout performance as an entrepreneur schlepping his dishware on a home shopping program. Though an indisputable spoof, Ryan played the comedy straight and refrained from commenting on the material (a trap even the most popular comic actors fall into!). With delivery this good, I was ready to buy my HotSpot Microwavable Dishware on the way out the door.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegdYI4OQBWJbY65WFWFn1oV3UASMEWVvUwQYEo48_W3cz97AzDisH8PMmhYHX-f8DfMqqvGlxUF7BqoOPw8JRpiyLxhRryEoEEjtWFZIbn-OehGGFqhoWStMs0VVkbS4qMW3ZM1OXyXc/s1600/Business+Plan+Competition+Blog+Photo+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegdYI4OQBWJbY65WFWFn1oV3UASMEWVvUwQYEo48_W3cz97AzDisH8PMmhYHX-f8DfMqqvGlxUF7BqoOPw8JRpiyLxhRryEoEEjtWFZIbn-OehGGFqhoWStMs0VVkbS4qMW3ZM1OXyXc/s320/Business+Plan+Competition+Blog+Photo+4.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Flying V - the epitome of teamwork. </td></tr>
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</div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-6296578994808896952011-12-20T08:49:00.000-08:002012-01-21T10:17:47.433-08:00Perpetual Growth: Why Investing in Kids Pays Off<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitngyHeFzVjuSbMaAC7KkxRl7UDaYZrJyqcEwlT7T9hWuiJe93FnqIw6IGR_a69wK0ULQ0t9UFk9O5gUmLormCrxXQTAt9wftS2KABuWCfUeQmrdwQuep5EQxiCmG64LH54xlCbbIhbGE/s1600/Invest+in+Kids+Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="49" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitngyHeFzVjuSbMaAC7KkxRl7UDaYZrJyqcEwlT7T9hWuiJe93FnqIw6IGR_a69wK0ULQ0t9UFk9O5gUmLormCrxXQTAt9wftS2KABuWCfUeQmrdwQuep5EQxiCmG64LH54xlCbbIhbGE/s320/Invest+in+Kids+Logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i style="background-color: white;">"Nothing that you have not given away will ever truly be yours." ~ C. S. Lewis</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i style="background-color: white;"><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px;">Last week marked the end of another successful semester of <i>Invest in Kids </i>at the Carroll School of Management. <i>Invest in Kids</i> is a tutor/mentorship program sponsored by the Carroll School and its graduate students. Each week, approximately 35 'at-risk' middle school children from the Brookline Public School system arrive on the Boston College campus to work one-on-one with volunteer tutors from our MBA, MSF, and MSA programs. <i>Invest in Kids</i> partners with <i>Steps to Success, </i>a comprehensive school success and college readiness program that serves low-income youth from the fourth grade through their high school graduation. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px;">This year, I, along with classmates Michelle Pinnette and Kim Clark, have stepped up as the co-directors of the program. Together, we planned some fantastic sessions for the kids including a campus-wide scavenger hunt, a tour of BC's varsity athletic facilities, and a <i>Minute to Win It</i> themed Christmas Party.With the stress of school, project deadlines, final exams, and internship and job searching, it is very easy to become consumed by our academic lives. For those students involved in <i>Invest in Kids</i>, life is given new perspective as we join together for a few hours each week to support and guide those kids most in need of mentorship. While it can be hard, often frustrating work, nothing is more rewarding than to see a young individual realize his or her own potential and succeed in achieving those goals set at the beginning of the semester. For many of these kids, higher education is not believed to be an option. Over the course of a semester, several of these students will realize that they do have the intelligence to make college a reality, the ability to get on the basketball team, or the talent to audition for the school play. Sometimes, all it takes is some patience, positive reinforcement, and encouragement to show a young mind the world of possibilities that lie ahead. While not every scenario results in a <i>Hallmark Hall of Fame </i>happy ending<i>, </i>it is those small moments of growth, development, and self-realization that makes the program worth it for the tutors and students, alike. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white;"><br />
</i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">This past month, c</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">lassmates Kevin Cuomo (U.S. Naval Academy grad) and Matt Horne (Holy Cross NROTC alumnus) spoke to the kids about the personal and professional sacrifices that service men and women make for their country. Following the presentation, the kids made greeting cards for the troops expressing well wishes and gratitude for their service, especially during this time of year. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">In an effort to bring <i>Invest in Kids</i> programming into the 21st century, a good friend </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">of mine and Boston University film student, Austin Paquette, joined us to film a holiday greeting for those troops overseas. <b>See the greeting below.</b> As many of you know, I direct quite a bit of theater on the side. An ephemeral art form like theater is ideal for a perfectionist like myself where "Take 38" is not an option. Believe me when I say that I was shocked when our nearly three dozen middle schoolers nailed our group Christmas greeting in one take. That being said, we did two more takes for good measure. I mean - would you expect any less from me? The group's ability to listen, stay focused, and deliver has almost made me reconsider my vow to never direct children and animals. Note I said <i>almost</i>. Merry Christmas!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #464646; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz9K3wQ8Z6sWPo40LFNJtj-O_4iG6VeriM_2aX5dM96huSABRWuBzrKPQ5wyDeV77pe9P0aqw9eUEpceCbhHw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-41536158134947309442011-10-28T11:50:00.000-07:002011-10-29T09:10:51.346-07:00Business with Buffett: No Big Deal<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sdRKuaGji9g6a-h5Am7n3MJX6GiFXU0HwW86kf3uLSgB3Kj1YpXP5l644hAcGZOGevTN0OO9t07u5rZeVRCleqi-Q90I0F40K-3P2uUO4xt0dF46VYGgqw4xIAzLcJ0BxAU-ioglX_w/s1600/E%2526B.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sdRKuaGji9g6a-h5Am7n3MJX6GiFXU0HwW86kf3uLSgB3Kj1YpXP5l644hAcGZOGevTN0OO9t07u5rZeVRCleqi-Q90I0F40K-3P2uUO4xt0dF46VYGgqw4xIAzLcJ0BxAU-ioglX_w/s320/E%2526B.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">On Friday, October 21, twenty lucky MBA students from the Carroll School of Management's full-time and part-time programs were once again treated to a day with Warren Buffett. I was fortunate enough to be amongst this bunch. Our itinerary included a question and answer session with Mr. Buffett that ran for well over two hours and a leisurely lunch at Omaha’s family-run Piccolo Pete’s Restaurant. </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Prior to the trip, I already had a great respect for Mr. Buffett’s prudent investment strategies, strong sense of business ethics, and commendable commitment to philanthropy – but in all honesty, I had no idea as to what kind of personal impression the man behind the headlines would make on me throughout the day. That said, I am delighted to report that Mr. Buffett exceeded all conceivable expectations. Humble, gracious, approachable, and surprisingly bawdy are just a few of the adjectives to describe this celebrated business man. While many of the questions addressed to Mr. Buffett related to his views on investing and the current economic state of the country and the world as a whole, he made a conscious effort not to turn our short time together into a master class in finance, but rather used the opportunity to share with us his high-level, yet personal insights on life, love, professional and personal success, and patriotism. Think <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wall Street</i> meets <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tuesdays with Morrie.</i> Below are just a few of the insights he shared with us that Thursday. I warn you – these nuggets of wisdom are not the typical sound bites you get by scanning <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wall Street Journal</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Financial Times. </i></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">On Careers:</b> “Work for whomever you admire the most.” Upon hearing this, a record number of Harvard Business School graduates decided to become self-employed. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">On Business Practices:</b> “You might not remember the exact price of the product from when you bought it, but you’ll probably remember how you were treated when you bought it.”</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">On Marriage:</b> “They always tell you to marry someone for his or her intelligence. Warmth. Sense of humor. Here’s some advice -<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>just look for someone with low expectations if you want a marriage that will last.”<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">On Human Rights:</b> “I am a firm believer in equality of opportunity and inequality of results.”<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">On Words to Live By: “</b>A bell's not a bell 'til you ring it / A song's not a song 'til you sing it / Love in your heart wasn't put there to stay / Love isn't Love till you give it away.” ~ lyricist, Oscar Hammerstein II<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Following this candid and memorable question and answer session, we all joined Mr. Buffett for a luncheon at Piccolo Pete’s, an unassuming establishment that you would think you had a better chance of running into the Food Network’s Guy Fieri in than one of the world’s richest men. Simple fare; hospitable service – it should no longer be shocking that this is one of Mr. Buffett’s favorite local restaurants. It was possibly most endearing to witness Mr. Buffett’s warm interactions with the restaurants’ set of regulars and wait staff. Clearly, everyone in this town rightfully adores their most celebrated citizen. This was possibly most evident at the end of our meal when each of us received dessert – Mr. Buffett’s favorite, a root beer float that was once featured in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fortune - </i>with the largest glass placed in front of the big cheese, himself.</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Following lunch, Mr. Buffett joined us in the parking lot for a casual photo session, granting every student on the trip an opportunity to pose with him in anyway they’d like. Props welcomed! No wonder I loved this guy – he has a clear appreciation for theatrical flair. For my photo op, a friend of mine created a faux <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New York Times</i> article where Mr. Buffett agrees to produce my latest musical…with one caveat…he gets the lead. Without missing a beat, Mr. Buffett agreed to take 15% of the box office. I’ll have to consult with my business law professor to confirm how binding verbal contracts are!</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">See below for photos from this once-in-a-lifetime weekend. Also check out a copy of the aforementioned <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New York Times</i> article.</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9R5raTa7VhaBNOrdnCuO_39UC1yt8DHBg6t8Sinosrg2YCtDyaoy2pjkuz7y8HoV0qcN3Uq_WiM0c2prgWIzzdxvrp8Ea8YplYwIu6zvfcuitZ2Liu3mQK5-m-wZrMtH4PY8ebZpW6zg/s1600/Piccolo" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9R5raTa7VhaBNOrdnCuO_39UC1yt8DHBg6t8Sinosrg2YCtDyaoy2pjkuz7y8HoV0qcN3Uq_WiM0c2prgWIzzdxvrp8Ea8YplYwIu6zvfcuitZ2Liu3mQK5-m-wZrMtH4PY8ebZpW6zg/s320/Piccolo" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piccolo's - "Where everybody knows your name" - at least they do if you're Warren Buffett.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group photo in the parking lot across from Piccolo's</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnfYqFBusMrXnArPqLnWrGiiEB0Up3MOU7QC4wM4_ZZN_Y2AsMSVv4bJ7TLP2yfsKvqvRvCFi8-tGGe-77KYH2AxxRo3l4zyKhI3Hv7sEWzMVlrBKp0Xi7QlLQeDl4GvCfNsjdWtNquc/s1600/Dinner+1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnfYqFBusMrXnArPqLnWrGiiEB0Up3MOU7QC4wM4_ZZN_Y2AsMSVv4bJ7TLP2yfsKvqvRvCFi8-tGGe-77KYH2AxxRo3l4zyKhI3Hv7sEWzMVlrBKp0Xi7QlLQeDl4GvCfNsjdWtNquc/s320/Dinner+1.bmp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner on the first night in Omaha</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtEIRfJpglTBNamWMnX2O6Eg0KAFyuC6haDJwx8zvp3qJRtEDLBOMLPCO9qXhqrXprmHKPM5TWb6xRtGG41GZ0uHzWIRCaO7EXSry67r7FD-mjuXYQJAxj7f4ivS_VyqSC8zcLuc9_5g/s1600/Dinner+2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtEIRfJpglTBNamWMnX2O6Eg0KAFyuC6haDJwx8zvp3qJRtEDLBOMLPCO9qXhqrXprmHKPM5TWb6xRtGG41GZ0uHzWIRCaO7EXSry67r7FD-mjuXYQJAxj7f4ivS_VyqSC8zcLuc9_5g/s320/Dinner+2.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>On November 1st, 1959, the population of New York City was 8,042,783. If you laid all these people end to end, figuring an average height of five feet six and a half inches, they would reach from Times Square to the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan. I know facts like this because I work for an insurance company ~ C.C. Baxter, The Apartment</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With the last days of summer behind us and our boys of summer unfortunately done for the season, it is time for me to provide you all with an update on my "vacation."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Much like the iconic character, C.C. Baxter, from Billy Wilder's charming romantic comedy, <i>The Apartment,</i> I worked for an insurance company. For better or worse, the similarities end there. There was no passing of keys to accommodate management's various extramarital liaisons, no fetching elevator operator girls to flirt with on my way up (although the kind, elderly doorman was always ready with a plastic bag for my wet umbrella), and for those of you familiar with the film's musical adaptation, <i>Promises, Promises, </i>certainly no Turkey Lurkey Time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This past summer, I spent my days as a MBA Associate at Liberty Mutual's headquarters in Boston on Berkeley Street in Back Bay. I worked with a fine team in Group Benefits in Commercial Markets where I was able to head-up a project focused on the conception and development of an online self-reporting portal. Splitting my time between the conservative Boston locale and the much more casual (sadly, plaid was the closest thing I could find to flannel in my closet) vibe of Dover, NH - I gained great insights into the daily operations of the insurance business and was able to apply many of the skills and knowledge I developed in my first-year classes (Information Technology for Managers and E-Commerce) in a professional setting. From the development of a wireframe and prototype through the preparation for its anticipated market testing, I received senior level executive exposure (reporting to the COO of Group Benefits) and sincere accolades from the project steering committee. While I was very nervous taking on this high level project in the beginning, this experience has certainly built up my confidence and proven to me that the pedagogy I am exposed to in the classroom at BC will, if applied correctly, yield much success in a corporate setting like Liberty Mutual's. All in all - I had a wonderful experience at Liberty Mutual as it was a perfect company to help me transition from the non-profit sector to Corporate America. While inarguably a corporate machine (See <i>Fortune 100</i> list), Liberty Mutual has been able to uphold a culture defined by its sense of responsbility toward its customers, employees, and communities.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On a lighter and completely unrelated note, I was also able to return to the proverbial director's chair this summer as I was involved (as director and actor) in the premiere of the new musical, <i>Affairs of a French Afternoon</i>. One part Mel Brooks comedy, one part French farce, one part Shakespearean comedy, and one part Gilbert and Sullivan operetta - this new musical delighted sold-out audiences throughout its run. For your enjoyment, I have posted a fun, behind-the-scenes video as well as some photos from the production. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/8WIgXJFneiY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WIgXJFneiY&feature=share"><span style="font-size: large;">Affairs of a French Afternoon: Setting the Stage</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TpNrKN3w1SMEpCmhVRYqbvpJf1Pm1hZhNURzUkxWXKOELDWU-wLxtghW0xml2ZsX08hcF9fkrdTBrwhY1qSABQZ3GuGw7Yc11KyyJ2sTAXea5uqbH70OObdCQeHwtwluXJR91ldM6QQ/s1600/affairs+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TpNrKN3w1SMEpCmhVRYqbvpJf1Pm1hZhNURzUkxWXKOELDWU-wLxtghW0xml2ZsX08hcF9fkrdTBrwhY1qSABQZ3GuGw7Yc11KyyJ2sTAXea5uqbH70OObdCQeHwtwluXJR91ldM6QQ/s320/affairs+10.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGomOqcNye-914OUyNQC-DSGoEVXOW0oDvJJfp-QeYe8raa1VIplGyjahtPR3KvbeoYLtzvv6TbF1m6r-w3GqSFtTn1PeeAj3WLQ4ArJonl1z_ZIgV4yBGnplTrqhB0vMTlxzT09TYgnI/s1600/affairs+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGomOqcNye-914OUyNQC-DSGoEVXOW0oDvJJfp-QeYe8raa1VIplGyjahtPR3KvbeoYLtzvv6TbF1m6r-w3GqSFtTn1PeeAj3WLQ4ArJonl1z_ZIgV4yBGnplTrqhB0vMTlxzT09TYgnI/s200/affairs+13.jpg" width="185" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCVOxJ-uRq8GFMggrIeu4xE_QSJjsmcBHmB9iLcUGGfvQyCPiWiWlwjtIPSMUXXCZICC0KKFfKMxSHt5aLXxABrVwQYmEpzpWmF7R6Kq4h3jzvbJZ8RsuikoLlAg8TolAfe8iiWMWKVg/s1600/Affairs+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCVOxJ-uRq8GFMggrIeu4xE_QSJjsmcBHmB9iLcUGGfvQyCPiWiWlwjtIPSMUXXCZICC0KKFfKMxSHt5aLXxABrVwQYmEpzpWmF7R6Kq4h3jzvbJZ8RsuikoLlAg8TolAfe8iiWMWKVg/s200/Affairs+1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheh2LS7GLtL95CCbBnO37RAkxikritmxGRSMFkxB66ym20JjJlzLslDxnweEXTm65PcyL9DsDWMphGFhYYKAxQjbG-TqR1mrfMoLWiUGotUuZ_paznT3BKvp7Z9Me7RtEk-pA-gpVrIV8/s1600/affairs+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheh2LS7GLtL95CCbBnO37RAkxikritmxGRSMFkxB66ym20JjJlzLslDxnweEXTm65PcyL9DsDWMphGFhYYKAxQjbG-TqR1mrfMoLWiUGotUuZ_paznT3BKvp7Z9Me7RtEk-pA-gpVrIV8/s200/affairs+7.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-28035835817027370442011-03-22T11:25:00.000-07:002011-03-23T17:56:44.095-07:00Winning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA74KqL2CVkmtD-L6cHEbkGGSGPVcWSw2-c0vHiDfqBC0rbIDibbYN7_mPtWWPs4xAZb4p9MMnJE1P2WHbXMf8wBgcNzLP8k5TnbKKzsHoo-Iq4wq2JFw4n7J7SuqNKMWhjItpavVvL5I/s1600/Charlie_Sheen_35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA74KqL2CVkmtD-L6cHEbkGGSGPVcWSw2-c0vHiDfqBC0rbIDibbYN7_mPtWWPs4xAZb4p9MMnJE1P2WHbXMf8wBgcNzLP8k5TnbKKzsHoo-Iq4wq2JFw4n7J7SuqNKMWhjItpavVvL5I/s320/Charlie_Sheen_35.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><br />
The last quarter has begun and the summer internship search is in full swing. While completing a series of cover letters this weekend, I am realizing just how many of the skills I've developed working in the non-profit sector will be transferable to a corporate setting. This summer I hope to find a position working in marketing and brand and product management. In the past week, there have been a lot of neat marketing/brand management/communications postings on the GTS MBA recruitment site for companies like New Balance, Welch's, Kettle Cuisine, Liberty Mutual, etc. Here's keeping my fingers crossed! While the application process can certainly be stressful - the insight, assistance, and support of Marilyn Eckleman in Career Services and the strong network of BC alumni have made the process much more manageable. <br />
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If I have not secured a summer internship offer by May 1 - I think I may have to widen my net. I hear Charlie Sheen is looking for an intern to promote and manage his social media network. Now that's a brand to manage! Charlie - my survival this year is proof that I possess the Tiger Blood you're looking for! While you may not have the talent of Robert Downey, Jr. I promise you by the end of our eight weeks together we'll have you suited up and ready to go for next summer's newest, biggest superhero blockbuster. Michael Bay - let's talk.<br />
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In other news - classes this quarter have been going well. It is very exciting to be taking our first round of electives. This semester, I am taking Brand Management, Business Law, and E-Commerce in addition to continuing my consulting project with Brown Brothers Harriman. So far the classes have been very interesting and full of great discussion. Life could not get busier, but honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-43538015405554522932011-02-01T17:12:00.000-08:002011-02-01T17:12:18.608-08:00Consulting Commences<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9otZBKM-IsZ984VrgFWid25acVolKqFt1nB-Gz44pyv7_sAcytpbfTB0mHq07G62d8Bso3-VQnBULpDvduZB-bBoQ42ilIfyB6cYW5as1JLXEveIiulcqwmunrfzfNTmaXVduEdYqLM/s1600/George+Banks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9otZBKM-IsZ984VrgFWid25acVolKqFt1nB-Gz44pyv7_sAcytpbfTB0mHq07G62d8Bso3-VQnBULpDvduZB-bBoQ42ilIfyB6cYW5as1JLXEveIiulcqwmunrfzfNTmaXVduEdYqLM/s200/George+Banks.png" width="200" /></a></div>The Boston College Consulting Project has begun. Our team has been assigned to work with Brown Brothers Harriman in the Financial District in Boston. Over the next semester, we will focus our efforts on researching and identifying globalization strategies to help BBH continue to lead the industry in cutting-edge technologies, innovative products, and client service excellence. We are very lucky to be working with James Burns, a fellow BC MBA candidate and also a full-time BBH employee, as our second year consultant. Last week, our team visited the very elegant and impressive BBH headquarters (think Fidelity Fiduciary Bank from MARY POPPINS) to be drug-tested and complete our background checks. After several large bottles of water and a week of abstaining from poppy seed bagels, our team is ready to hit a home run for BBH.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-30272477889266216942010-12-13T07:34:00.000-08:002012-01-22T22:16:14.931-08:00A Day in the Life of a BC MBA Student<strong>6:00 am: </strong>Wake up for a morning run...Who am I kidding? Hit the snooze button....five times.<br />
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<strong>6:30 am - 7:45 am: </strong>Shower, check and respond to e-mails, peruse <em>The Wall Street Journal </em>online, prepare books and binders for class today, and breakfast.<br />
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<strong>7:45 am - 8:30 am</strong>: Swing by Athan's to pick up a coffee for the day...resist their delicious scones. Travel to Boston College.<br />
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<strong>8:30 am - 10:30 am:</strong> Meet with my Marketing Team to work on our final project. For our final project, our team will be launching a brand extension for The Arbor Collective. The Arbor Collective, a small, privately-held company headquartered in Venice, CA and founded in 1995, specializes in the design of eco-friendly snowboards, skateboards, surfboards, and affiliated apparel. Our team has chosen to create a comprehensive marketing plan for the launch Arbor Nix, a new line of freestyle skis. Today, we will work on Buyer Behavior and Consumer Segmentation exhibits.<br />
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<strong>11:00 am - 1:00 pm</strong>: Managerial Economics with Professor Cliff Holderness. Today, we discussed Search Theory. Apparently one can search for a spouse by using the same basic economic principles you use when shopping for the best price of a car. This is probably not something you want to mention on a first date.<br />
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<strong>1:00 pm - 1:45 pm:</strong> A quick lunch in Lyons Hall with my classmates.<br />
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<strong>1:45 pm - 3:45 pm: </strong>Marketing class with Professor Gerald Smith. Today, we covered Conjoint Analysis. We looked at three attributes consumers consider when selecting a hotel room: size, rate, and location. Upon running a conjoint analysis, we concluded that the males in our class were the most price sensitive (big surprise!) and size did not matter to the females. Attention: If you're a Super 8 with small rooms and more than 10 miles away from an urban setting - you're going to have to ramp up your marketing efforts - at least for the demographic of our MBA class.<br />
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<strong>4:00 pm - 6:30 pm:</strong> Work on Finance Problem Set with classmates.<br />
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<strong>6:30 pm - 7:30 pm:</strong> Attend a Net Impact Lecture. Dunkin Brands was on campus to discuss their Corporate Social Responsibility efforts. Those Munchkins were much needed to hold me over until dinner. <br />
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<strong>7:30 - 8:30 pm:</strong> Return home for a quick dinner - homemade chicken soup picked up from my parents when I visited last weekend. Hey - you're never too old for Mom's Chicken Soup!<br />
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<strong>8:30 pm - 11:30 pm</strong>: Return to BC to read in the Bapst Library. Preparation for tomorrow's Information Technology ( a case study for Google, lecture notes, academic articles) and Finance classes.<br />
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<strong>11:30 pm - 12:30 am: </strong>Chill with my roommate and watch a "pretty good; pretty, pretty good" episode of <em>Curb Your Enthusiasm</em>.<br />
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<strong>12:30 am - 1:00 am:</strong> Read a bit of Hemingway's <u>The Sun Also Rises.</u> And bedtime.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474269158658418634.post-50945657400502791362010-11-29T12:36:00.000-08:002010-12-02T14:46:59.206-08:00The MBA ExperimentAs a Theatre and Psychology double major during my undergraduate years at The College of the Holy Cross, I read my share of Surrealist plays and academic research papers (see Yale's Milgram Experiment or Stanford's infamous Prison Experiment). If someone decided to combine the metaphysical intent of surrealism with the complex design structure of research methods, you would have created my first week in business school! <br />
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Prior to enrolling at the Carroll School, I worked as a higher and secondary education fundraiser and a theatre director. Though I developed a deep interest in creative strategic planning through my work in nonprofit management, I had never taken an economics, accounting, finance, or general business class as an undergraduate student. This left me feeling much excitement and, frankly, a little agita as I began classes this fall. During the first week of class, I would often joke with my friends saying I felt like I was part of an elaborate psychological experiment. Was there a group of psychologists observing what would happen if they placed a theatre major in the middle of a top MBA program amongst accountants, financiers, and business consultants? <br />
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I soon realized that I was not alone. In the first semester, I have met classmates with many different professsional backgrounds (musicians, engineers, educators, etc.) and from all around the world. I also felt a strong connection to BC's many international students - while English may not have been their first language, Statistics was certainly not mine!<br />
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In my first semester, I have left my comfort zone, but I have learnt so much thanks to the encouragement and assistance of my classmates and the dedicated faculty at Boston College. From group study sessions to professors' office hours, the support received from the Boston College community has allowed me to succeed in this new, challenging environment. In less than three months, business school has changed the way I view the world: I have explained to a friend the plot of the Zeitgeist Theatre's production of ENRON in terms of a balance sheet equation, engaged in topical investment conversation over Thanksgiving dinner, and was told by a mentor/friend that a personal e-mail of mine read like a marketing survey. Here marks the beginning of two years of intellectual growth and self-discovery. Thanks for following along!Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155647300933642717noreply@blogger.com1