David Weil, PhD, Administrator, Wage and Hour Division, United States Department of Labor, Peter and Deborah Wexler Professor of Management, Boston University Questrom School of Business (On Leave)

Wed 10/1, 10:30am – 11:30am EST
Forum: Fostering Ethical Leadership

David Weil was sworn in as the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division on May 5, 2014. Dr. Weil is an internationally recognized expert in public and labor market policy; regulatory performance; industrial and labor relations; transparency policy; and supply-chain restructuring and its effects.

Prior to this appointment, Dr. Weil has served as professor of economics and Everett W. Lord Distinguished Faculty Scholar at Boston University Questrom School of Business. He also served as co-director of the Transparency Policy Project at the Ash Institute at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He has written three books on labor market policy, including the recently published The Fissured Workplace. He has authored numerous articles and publications in a variety of economics, public policy, management, and industrial relations journals and books, as well as numerous publications in non-academic outlets.

No stranger to the Department’s mission or its work, Dr. Weil has served as an adviser to both the Wage and Hour Division and to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, as well as to a number of other government agencies. He also has served as mediator and adviser in a range of labor union and labor/management settings across the globe. In addition to his work for the Department, his research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Russell Sage Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, among others.

Dr. Weil received his B.S. at Cornell University and M.A. and Ph.D. in public policy at Harvard University.

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Peter Wexler, Cofounder, SpiderCloud Wireless

Forum: Cultivating Innovation & Entrepreneurship

*Forum Hosts engage throughout the 60 hours at unscheduled times.

Peter Wexler is an Engineer, entrepreneur, and Investor currently focusing on Internet and mobile technologies. He has been instrumental in helping to evolve the computer networking industry into the globally connected, broadband environment that we know today. During the past 25 years, he has led the development of key products that form the foundation of the Internet and today’s rapidly growing mobile networks. Currently he is a co-founder, investor and Director of Spidercloud Wireless. The company, develops devices and systems that provide very dense indoor licensed spectrum to feed the proliferation of smartphones, tablets and other wireless devices. 

Peter was the founding Vice President of Engineering at Juniper Networks. During his tenure at Juniper, Peter grew the engineering organization from 17 to 600, helped lead the company from initial product through IPO, and oversaw the delivery of multiple generations of high-performance routers that power much of today’s high-speed Internet. Subsequently he managed Juniper’s Mobile Business Unit and was a Director of the Ericsson-Juniper joint venture company. Previously Peter has held Engineering and management positions at a number of Companies including Bay Networks, Wellfleet communications and Siemens.

His good fortune has enabled him to help take a number of companies public, raise many rounds of venture financing, work with insanely great people, and to be part of global organizations ranging in size from 10 to 440,000. He has also shared in the heartbreak of, on occasion, developing great technology 5 years before there was a market.

Peter serves on a number of private company boards and is a member of the University of Illinois Engineering Advisory Board as well as the Boston University Questrom School of Business Advisory Board. He has an MBA from Boston University, an MSE from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a BSEE from SUNY Stonybrook.

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Giselle Weybrecht, Bestselling author of ‘The Sustainable MBA: A Business Guide to Sustainability’

Thurs 10/2, 11am – 12pm EST
Forum: Engaging New-Generation Students & Employees

Giselle Weybrecht is the bestselling author of The Sustainable MBA: A Business Guide to Sustainability published by Wiley, 2nd edition 2014. The book aims to educate the next generation of business leaders about sustainability issues, whether these be students or business executives. Giselle has over 15 years of experience as an advisor in sustainable development and business topics internationally with the United Nations, business schools, governments and the business sector. She is a frequent lecturer and trainer on these topics and is a Special Advisor to the United Nations Global Compact on management education issues. Over the past 100 days she has been exploring how the MBA can adapt to ensure that it trains the kinds of sustainability leaders that organizations and the world needs by posting one idea a day at 100futuremba.com.

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Marie Wilson, PhD, Pro Vice Chancellor (Business and Law), University of South Australia Business School

Wed 10/1, 2pm – 3pm EST
Forum: Challenging the Business Model of Education

Chat: Wed 10/1, 11am – 11:30am EST
The Importance of Student Exchange/International Travel to Business Education

Professor Marie Wilson is the Pro Vice Chancellor (Business and Law) of the University of South Australia Business School, a position she commenced in August 2013. She leads the top business school in the state, the study destination of choice for more than 8000 students located in Adelaide, Australia, and across the globe.

Professor Wilson has had a distinguished career that has spanned multinational corporations, high technology start-ups, NGOs, not-for-profits and universities. She is a graduate of AICD, and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, and the Australia New Zealand Academy of Management.

In the 1970s Professor Wilson graduated from Florida State University with a first degree in Science and followed that with a Master of Science in Rehabilitation and Neuroanatomy. For several years she worked in vocational rehabilitation in Florida.

In the 1980s Professor Wilson completed a Master of Science in Management and Statistics at the University of Arizona, before moving on to study Law, and working as a Legal Research Associate for a local law firm. During this period she was also working as an Assistant Professor in Science and Mathematics on the Navajo and Hopi lands of northern Arizona.

She completed a PhD in Management and Law at The University of Arizona, then worked at NCR Corporation in Ohio as Director, Corporate Compensation and Manager HR Development, while also holding the position of Adjunct Assistant Professor in Management and Executive Education at the University of Dayton.

In 1991 Professor Wilson joined the University of Auckland Business School; in 1995 she was promoted to Foundation Dean of the Graduate School of Business, and then in 2006 to Head of Department, Management and International Business. Professor Wilson secured more than $2 million in research funding and five teaching awards during her time at the University of Auckland.

From 1991 to 2008 Professor Wilson was Managing Director of Wilson and Associates in New Zealand where she developed and delivered training and solutions for organisational development, strategic management and leadership to more than 50 New Zealand organisations and businesses, including the Ministry of Commerce, NZ Post, and the Bank of New Zealand.

In 2009 she was appointed Academic Dean at Griffith University’s Business School, where her responsibilities included quality improvement, accreditation and performance excellence in teaching, research and industry engagement.

Professor Wilson’s teaching and research has focussed on human performance in the workplace and its links to innovation and enterprise. She has published more than 30 refereed journal articles and five books and monographs along with eight book chapters.

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Michael Wright, Global Chief Information Officer, McKinsey & Co.

Wed 10/1, 1pm – 2pm EST
Forum: Fostering Ethical Leadership

Mike Wright is the Global Chief Information Officer for McKinsey and Company, the international management consultancy. Previously he has held similar roles for Man Group plc; for Fidelity International; and for the Willis Group Ltd. All four roles have spanned multiple international locations, with genuinely global remits. At Willis, he worked closely with the private equity firm, KKR, to take the company private and then return to a public listing on the NYSE.

In addition to these CIO roles, Mike has seen the financial services industry and IT function from a number of other vantage points. Between 1984 and 1997, he worked as a consultant at both Accenture and McKinsey on various IT and general business assignments; he founded and ran a software products company for four years, and was also a non executive director of another software start up specializing in digital rights management.

In 2008, 2010 & 2011, he was voted one of the top 50 CIO’s in the UK in a survey by Silicon.com. He has been a CIO advisor for HP; part of the Accenture panel of Global CIO’s and worked with Boston University to forecast the strategic direction for offshoring and outsourcing.

Mike graduated from Oxford University with an MA in Biochemistry after doing research into Parkinson’s disease. Outside work, Mike enjoys his family, sport and travel. He is also actively involved with charity work in different roles.

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Sri Zaheer, PhD, Dean, Carlson Questrom School of Business, University of Minnesota

Forum: Cultivating Research with Impact

*Forum Hosts engage throughout the 60 hours at unscheduled times.

Sri Zaheer joined the Carlson School in 1991 and most recently held the position of associate dean of faculty and research. Zaheer is a Fellow of the Academy of International Business and is a former consulting editor of the Journal of International Business Studies. Her research centers around the risks faced by multinational corporations, and on the impact of technology on international location and organization. She has won several international awards for her research including the Barry Richman Award for the best interdisciplinary work in international management. Zaheer is a founding member of the International Academic Council of the Indian School of Business, set up by McKinsey, Kellogg, and Wharton in Hyderabad, India.

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Lin Zhou, PhD, Dean, Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Wed 10/1, 8am – 9am EST
Forum: Challenging the Business Model of Education

Prof. Zhou Lin assumed the Deanship of Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University since April 2010. Prof. Zhou received Bachelor degree from Fudan University in 1982, and Ph.D. degree in Economics from Princeton University, USA in 1989. He had teaching experience at Yale University, Duke University, Arizona State University, City University of Hong Kong, and Tsinghua University. In 2006, Prof. Zhou was granted the Chang Jiang Scholar by Ministry of Education of China. He was elected Fellow of World Econometric Society in 2009, and is the first scholar in China maintain being granted this award. Before serving as the Dean of Antai College, Prof. Zhou was the previous Dean of School of Economics of Antai Collge and the Deputy Dean of Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Prof. Zhou’s research interest covers the basic theory areas of Microeconomics, including Game Theory, Mechanism Design, Social Choice Theory and Welfare Economics. He has published articles in most leading economic journals like Econometrica, Review of Economic Studies, Journal of Economic Theory, Games and Economic Behavior. He has also held refereeing duties in many renowned journals, like Vice-chief-editor of Mathematical Social Sciences and Social Choice and Welfare.

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Q&A with VIP Guest Andrea Backman

Don’t miss Andrea Backman for a discussion on increasing the value of management education on 10/1 from 12-1 p.m. EST.

Andrea Backman—Senior Vice President & Dean, Jack Welch Management Institute—speaks with the Jam Team:

How would you describe industry/academia relationships today? How do you hope to describe them in five years?

The current state is disconnected and ineffective. There is very little focus on aligning core competencies to the needs of employers and/or helping to solve for the skills gap, particularly in terms of soft skills and leadership skills. In the future, those who can respond to the needs of both employers and consumers will be most successful. These institutions will need to be nimble, innovative, and student-focused.

What challenges facing global business today could be better approached through a partnership with academia?

There are a number of challenges facing global business today, including increased competition, economic swings, the acceleration of technology innovation, and the need to do more with less. But, amidst all of these challenges, the one that is central to all of them is people development. People are everything, and the businesses that hire, grow, and develop great talent best will be out in front.

At present, there is a clear disconnect between what business leaders need and what higher education is delivering by way of college graduates and future employees. With talent at the center, academia can and should do a few things to help with this challenge:

  • Ensure students and graduates understand the importance of organizational mission and values so that they align their behaviors and outcomes appropriately to the organization’s overarching strategic goals.
  • Ensure that students are applying learning while they study—even before they become graduates. In this way, they are adding immediate value to their companies and ensuring that the learning is relevant.
  • Take a proactive role in understanding the core competencies businesses need and want in employees. Then, align content and learning outcomes to those core competencies to help close the skills gap.
What do you think the most exciting thing about the Business Education Jam is/will be?

It’s creating a forum for rich exchange between business and academic leaders to talk about the disconnect. It also allows for cross-pollination of thought leadership and allows the community to dream into the future and create action plans to get there.

What is the one piece of advice you would give students as they pursue business education?

Consider going for an option that allows you to continue to build your career while earning your degree—a program that offers maximum flexibility coupled with maximum value. You’ll get the most out of your MBA by far if you can apply your learnings from business school in real time to your job to solve the immediate challenges you are facing in the workplace.

 

Q&A with VIP Guest Mary C. Gentile

Don’t miss Mary leading a discussion on fostering ethical leadership on 10/1 at 6 p.m. EST.

Mary C. Gentile—Director of Giving Voice To Values, Babson College—talks with the Jam Team:

How would you describe industry/academia relationships today? How do you hope to describe them in five years?

There is a lot of room and need for more collaboration. Too often the realities and demands of faculty publishing requirements can lead to research that is not presented in ways that are most accessible to practitioners and in the failure to focus on questions that are perhaps more difficult to research but also more critical for businesses to function effectively. I would hope that there will be opportunities for more productive interaction.

What are the three most important things institutions must do in order to remain relevant to industry—both now and well into the future?
  1. Define research topics that address important real problems, not simply intellectual fads.
  2. Develop methodologies for cross-functional integration in the curriculum, including, and especially around, preparing graduates to effectively enact values-driven leadership.
  3. Reward faculty for creativity and relevance in their teaching.
What is the one piece of advice you would give students as they pursue business education?

Consider a historical perspective on business and its impact on wider society—both for good and for ill. Allow yourself to take a wider perspective in some of your coursework.

It is critical to gain skills but your business education is also a valuable opportunity to think more broadly and to feed a deeper vision for your own professional impact.

What do you think the most exciting thing about the Business Education Jam is/will be?

I want to hear what practitioners are saying about what they really need from new business graduate hires; and I am eager to hear what students are satisfied—and dissatisfied—with in business education.

 

Q&A with Dan LeClair, Forum Host

Don’t miss Dan LeClair for a discussion on regulation, reputation, and rankings throughout the Jam.

Dan LeClair—Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, AACSB—speaks with the Jam Team:

How would you describe industry/academia relationships today? How do you hope to describe them in five years?

While many business schools have close relationships with business, overall there are enormous opportunities to create more value for society by strengthening the intersection between business and academia. Rather than think of industry simply as the “consumer” of university graduates, in five years I’d like business schools to be described as institutions where academe and business come together to develop leadership and management, a partnership combining the scholarly approach of academics with the experience of practitioners to create new knowledge and high-quality education.

What do you think the most exciting thing about the Business Education Jam is/will be?

It is the number and the breadth of participants—academic leaders, students, executives, faculty, policy makers, and more—all coming together to envision our future, rather than contemplate the past or complain about the current state.

What are the three most important things institutions must do in order to remain relevant to industry—both now and well into the future?
  1. Every business school should consider what makes it distinctive, especially focusing on its purpose and impact in the various communities it serve. To be relevant, quality business schools need to be more than career development centers and make their mark as social institutions. Most schools need to start locally.
  2. Business schools should develop richer faculty models, moving towards greater diversity in academic and professional experience from an overreliance on the single scholar/teacher model. This also means thinking about as faculty not just as content experts, but also facilitators and coaches.
  3. Business schools should develop new business models—rethink their portfolio of services and products, and develop new ways of providing them. Universities should support these models with more transparent financial systems.
What is the one piece of advice you would give students as they pursue business education?

Keep in mind that business education is incredibly diverse, with a wide-range of programs designed for different types of students. Students should first understand their objectives, then look for the best program match. And make sure to look for AACSB accreditation, which signals that a school is high quality and delivers on its promises.