St. Olaf MBA Association (SOMA)

SOMA co-founder Ted Hillestad '99 joins St. Olaf Alumni Board of Directors

2007-10-26T16:58:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to SOMA co-founder Ted Hillestad '99 on his election to the St. Olaf Alumni Board of Directors!

The full alumni board membership roster can be accessed here:
http://www.stolaf.edu/alumni/alumniboard/index.html

Ted welcomes feedback, ideas, and suggestions from SOMA members as he begins his term on the board. Congrats Ted!

Lars Leafblad - SOMA co-founder joins KeyStone Search

2007-10-26T16:54:00.000-05:00

Lars Leafblad '99, a co-founder of the St. Olaf MBA Association, has joined KeyStone Search, a full service executive search firm with a unique emphasis on corporate culture located in Minneapolis, MN, as a Vice President.

A link to his new contact information is below:
http://www.keystonesearch.com/team_leafblad.php

Oles on the West Bank Alumni Event on April 3

2007-03-14T11:41:00.000-05:00

Ole alums who have attended, or are attending, the Carlson School of Management, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, or the U of MN Law School are invited to attend a special networking event on April 3, 2007 with new STO president, David R. Anderson '74.

Full details can be found here:
https://wwws.stolaf.edu/alumni/events/westbank.html

If you'd like more info, please email Lars Leafblad: larsleafblad at yahoo.com.

Fram! Fram!

Update from SOMA member Jon Bjorlie

2007-01-24T17:00:00.000-06:00

SOMA members, please update your contact files to reflect the following information for Jon Bjorlie:

Jon E. Bjorlie , MBA
6421 Biscayne Boulevard
Edina, Minnesota 55436-1701
Cellular: 612.990.8484
Facsimile: 952.841.7069
jonbjorlie@earthlink.net

Fram! Fram!

Job opp at CarVal Investors

2006-12-07T22:18:00.000-06:00

Thanks to SOMA member, Dave Pelka, for circulating this to the SOMA network:

Analyst – Hedge Fund / Private Equity – Cargill Value Investment

The firm:
CarVal Investors (CVI) is a leader in opportunistic value investing. Founded in 1987 by Cargill, CarVal Investors has quietly acquired more than $15 billion in assets in 2,500 transactions. The firm has been a first mover or early entrant across the globe, having invested in 35 countries. Today, CarVal Investors manages over $8 billion in assets.

The position:
The Analyst position provides analytical and transaction support to Associates, Investment Managers and Managing Directors in a small team environment. Your ability to deliver work product is critical, but your ability to learn, think, collaborate and create will also be challenged and developed. The position will require travel.

The responsibilities:
60% Asset underwriting and valuation – the Analyst will model, value and underwrite investments, primarily portfolios of consumer debt accounts. The Analyst will stratify asset pools, model cash flows, identify and research risks, make well-supported investment recommendations, and craft approval and underwriting documents.

30% Investment management – the Analyst will monitor ongoing performance of existing transactions and our asset management partners, work with accountants and lawyers to ensure that asset managers comply with the terms of asset management agreements, and seek ways to maximize the value of assets acquired.

10% Other – the Analyst will support marketing efforts, recruiting, and other as needed.

The required qualifications:
· Bachelors Degree with excellent track record of success in previous endeavors
· 2+ years of experience in a Finance/Accounting environment, or equivalent. Business, analytical and financial modeling skills are preferred, however, candidates with less experience will also be considered. Excel proficiency required.
· Strong verbal and writing skills, excellent attention to detail
· Time management, organizational communication and multi-tasking abilitiesWillingness to learn, operate under demanding deadlines, create structure where none exists, and exhibit strong work ethic

Please contact Dave Pelka for additional information at David.Pelka@CarVal.com

SOMA welcomes another Wharton grad...

2006-11-30T00:08:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the newest SOMA member:

Paul Rohricht '84
MBA, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania '02
VP, Business Development, Symphogen A/S
www.symphogen.com

Ideas for fall programming??

2006-10-01T16:04:00.000-05:00

Have ideas you'd like to share on how to bring SOMA together off-line?

Please email us at:

larsleafblad_at_yahoo.com

or

ted_hillestad_at_yahoo.com

Fram! Fram!

Still alive and kicking...

2006-07-09T19:47:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the many SOMA members who have emailed inquiring about the status of our collective effort to bring together Ole MBAs.

Yes, we're still alive.

Yes, we're a bit behind with the updates.

Yes, we'd love you to keep sending them.

Yes, we'll be hosting an actual event, most likely in the Twin Cities, sometime later this year.

Yes, we welcome your feedback on how to keep building this network.

Fram! Fram!

Saying goodbye and hello to STO CEO's

2006-03-27T23:59:00.000-06:00

President Thomforde has accepted a call to serve as the president of Moravian College:

http://fusion.stolaf.edu/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsDetails&id=3249

St. Olaf has announced the naming of David R. Anderson '74 as president-elect of St. Olaf:

http://fusion.stolaf.edu/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsDetails&id=3248

Presidential search update

2005-12-28T23:13:00.000-06:00

can be found here:

2 December 2005

The committee has successfully completed the discernment phase, where we got a great deal of thoughtful and insightful input from many members of the St. Olaf community: alumni, faculty, staff, students and others who are interested in the success of St. Olaf. They gave us ideas about what a successful president looks like, what the characteristics of that person might be. And in some cases we got specific suggestions of people whom we might interview.

Now we are reviewing and interviewing candidates. We completed our first long meeting in that process on Dec. 1. So we continue to be on track to have a new president in place by July 1, with the likelihood of a president-elect being named sometime in the spring.

Addison (Tad) Piper Regent of St. Olaf College Chair, Presidential Search Committee

http://www.stolaf.edu/presidentsearch/updates/November112005update.html

STO Presidential Job Posting

2005-10-27T22:13:00.000-05:00

You can view the posting for the new President of St. Olaf here:

http://www.stolaf.edu/presidentsearch/positionspecifications/positionspecification.html

Board of Regents considers STO strategic positioning

2005-10-21T21:33:00.000-05:00

From President Thomforde's October message to the STO community:

"The Board of Regents, the administrative cabinet and, more recently, the college council have been thinking about the position of St. Olaf College in the marketplace: our reputation in various parts of the country, what price we charge and how we allocate financial aid.

In light of demographic changes that will decrease the pool from which we typically have drawn our students, we are posing this question: How do we increase and enhance the college's reputation beyond the Upper Midwest and allocate the financial aid resources that we currently have?

“We cannot continue to recruit and admit students and allocate financial aid in the same way we have been doing. It simply is not sustainable,” says Vice President and Dean of Enrollment Michael Kyle '85. “There will be a smaller pool of college-bound students in our current market. To maintain the academic profile and reputation that we enjoy, we have to look at where we recruit, how we recruit and how we use financial aid in support of the college's mission.”"

The full statement can be found here:
http://www.stolaf.edu/president/

Calling all SOMA members with UST MBA

2005-10-09T15:01:00.000-05:00

The MBA office from the University of St. Thomas has asked us to extend the following invite to participate in the dedication of their new building in downtown Minneapolis.

http://www.stthomas.edu/cob/application/schulze_rsvp/

Fram! Fram!

St. Olaf Presidential Leadership Program Launched

2005-09-13T10:23:00.000-05:00

From the STO website:

"St. Olaf is launching a developmental program for current and potential leaders at the college that is open both to faculty and staff members. Modeled after a successful program at the University of Minnesota, the President's Leadership Experience Program will kick off in October with the enthusiastic support of President Christopher Thomforde. "

Full story can be found here:
http://fusion.stolaf.edu/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsDetails&id=2960

A link to the homepage for the program:
http://www.stolaf.edu/president/leaders/

An Ole Chem Major Joins SOMA

2005-09-07T13:45:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the newest SOMA member:

Mark Peterson '97
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA '04
Strategic Account Manager, MarketWatch by DowJones

Welcome to another prospective Ole MBA

2005-08-29T10:59:00.000-05:00

Welcome Catharina!

Catharina Zuber '02
Prospective MBA Student
Analyst; Dahlen, Berg & Co.

An Ole couple joins SOMA

2005-08-23T13:07:00.000-05:00

SOMA welcomes its two newest members:

John Stockman '01
Current MBA Student - Class of 2006
Harvard Business School, Harvard University

Jane Bresnahan '01
Financial Analyst, Financial Leadership Development Program, Target Corporation
Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, MBA '05

Congratulations to John and Jane on their recent wedding!!

St. Olaf moves up in US News & World Report rankings

2005-08-19T10:40:00.000-05:00

From the STO website:

"St. Olaf College placed 55th overall in U.S. News & World Report magazine's 2005 annual rankings of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation. The college jumped seven places higher in the widely read rankings among liberal arts schools and earned special notice for its study-abroad programs. "

Full story can be found here:
http://fusion.stolaf.edu/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsDetails&id=2448

Another prospective MBA student joins SOMA

2005-08-19T10:35:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another Ole prospective MBA student who has joined SOMA!

Hillary Smith '03
Prospective MBA Student
Research and Communications Associate, LarsonAllen Search, LLC

An STO Regent joins SOMA

2005-08-18T12:53:00.000-05:00

Please welcome SOMA's newest member and current member of the St. Olaf College Board of Regents, Mark Yost '86.

Mark Yost '86
Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, MBA
President, Intrinsic Capital Partners, LLC

Job posting from a SOMA member

2005-08-18T12:35:00.000-05:00

SOMA member, Dean Jones '85, has passed along the following job opening at his company.

Dean is the VP of Sales and Marketing at Mission Control Productivity, LLC.

Here is the posting:

Position: Inside Sales Representative

Mission Control Productivity, LLC is an educational corporation that designs and delivers productivity programs and products. We provide new principles, tools and practices that redefine and dramatically increase the productivity of individuals, workgroups and organizations

Mission Control’s business growth since its inception reflects the increasing interest in the unique productivity solutions provided by the company. In 2000, when Mission Control was founded, the company offered workshops in four markets. Today, the company offers public programs in 26 markets in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore, United Kingdom and India, along with online courses and in-house corporate workshops.

This position will become one of the leaders within Mission Control’s sales team and will report directly to Vice President, Sales & Marketing.

Responsibilities of this position will include, but not be limited to:
Outbound prospecting of corporate accounts
Outbound sales for public workshops
Qualify corporate accounts
Work with Sales Team to manage the sales process to closing

The ideal candidate must have demonstrated success in the following areas:

Consultative Sales Process – A sales professional in the corporate training environment requires proactive sourcing of leads, leveraging of relationships, providing consistency in both client contact and overall message, constructing training solutions that will provide benefit to corporate clients, and the ability to secure final approval and financing for the corporate training program. Candidates must be able to demonstrate experience selling solutions to major corporate clients. Candidates must also be able to document her/his successes achieving and exceeding sales plans/goals.

Entrepreneurial Environment – As a start-up company, Mission Control consists of high-energy, fast-paced individuals with a “roll up your sleeves” attitude about their work. A consistent theme within the company is “do whatever it takes to get the job done” while serving our customers, our licensed partners and Mission Control. Candidates must find this environment stimulating and exciting, and demonstrate her/his ability to thrive within a similar environment.

Commitment to Personal Development – A key ingredient to success for this person will be passion for the productivity programs and products we deliver and the difference they make for individuals, teams and organizations. Learning and using the Mission Control system is requisite part of the job. Candidates must have demonstrated a commitment their own personal development and an openness to coaching, training and new approaches.

The ideal candidate should possess the following attributes:

Bachelors degree from an accredited academic institution, MBA preferred
A minimum of 3 years corporate sales experience
Sales experience in corporate training is significantly preferred, but not required
Aggressive, self-starter, goal-oriented, team player, organized
Effective verbal, written, interpersonal and communication skills
Possess a professional appearance and demeanor
Ability to work effectively without close supervision
High energy level and strong degree of self-motivation

The candidate will work from their home office.

Mission Control offers an excellent comprehensive benefits package including training, vacation, holidays/sick days, medical and dental insurance. Mission Control is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

For consideration, please send resume and cover letter to jobs@missioncontrol.com.
No calls, please. Please visit www.missioncontrol.com for more information about Mission Control Productivity, LLC.

Presidential Search Committee Appointed

2005-08-04T22:25:00.000-05:00

http://fusion.stolaf.edu/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsDetails&id=2922

A search committee has been formed for a new president of St. Olaf College, Board of Regents Chair Jerrol Tostrud '60 announced on Wednesday, Aug. 3. The committee will hold its first meeting on Aug. 10, with a goal of bringing a final roster of candidates to the St. Olaf board early in 2006.

The Board of Regents announced in June that the 2005-06 academic year would be the last for St. Olaf President Christopher M. Thomforde. The board's goal is to have a new president in place no later than July 1, 2006.

Chaired by Regent Tad Piper, the presidential search committee is comprised of seven other regents, two faculty members who also are alumni of the college, a student representative and a representative of the ELCA. "We're excited about moving ahead with this group," said Tostrud, an ex-officio member of the committee who will be available for advice and consultation. "Everyone I asked was eager to serve."

In addition to Tostrud and Piper, the committee membership includes:

* Regent John Benson, retired, 3M Corp.
* Regent Kathleen Brekken '71, retired, Midwest of Cannon Falls
* Regent Ron Hunter '70, Cargill Inc.* Regent B. Kristine Johnson '73, Affinity Capital Management
* Regent Martha Nelson '73, community leader
* Regent O.J. Tomson '58, First Citizens National Bank
* Regent Daniel Grossman '03, graduate student
* Professor of Physics David Nitz '73
* Associate Professor of Social Work Mary Carlsen '79
* Student representative Robin Karkowski-Schelar '06
* ELCA representative and former St. Olaf Regent Arne Selbyg

The committee will provide regular updates as the process unfolds, Tostrud said. He expects that alumni, students and other members of the St. Olaf community will be able to participate in the process in several ways, including a series of public forums on campus and an e-mail address to which people can send questions and recommendations.

Thomforde has served as president of St. Olaf since January 2001. Among his accomplishments: the creation of a strategic plan and a college-wide marketing plan, the growth of the endowment by more than $70 million and operational efficiencies that include more than $500,000 in the past year.

More information on the search for a presidential successor will be posted on the St. Olaf website as it becomes available.

Another SOMA member from Target

2005-07-26T21:44:00.000-05:00

SOMA's newest member is...

Kevin Kienbaum '96
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA '03
Process Owner -- Store Support, Target Corporation

4 new members...

2005-07-22T23:33:00.000-05:00

SOMA welcomes:

Tim Rupert '01
Associate, TA Associates
Menlo Park, CA
Prospective MBA Student

Dave Whitmer '99
Consultant, Ernst & Young
Prospective MBA Student

Mike Guild '96
Senior Inventory Associate, Best Buy Co., Inc.
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA Candidate

Charles Freitag '66
University of Denver, MBA '68
Broker Associate, Coldwell Banker Brokerage
Littleton, CO

More new members...

2005-07-12T22:36:00.000-05:00

SOMA welcomes:

Steve Caulder '95
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA '04
Professional Services Engagement Manager, International Decision Systems

Jon Nymo '02
Carlson School of Management, University of MN
Current MBA student, Expected Date of Graduation, May 2007

John Palmer '02
RBC Capital Markets
Prospective MBA student

Another Ole with an MBA from U of Michigan joins SOMA

2005-07-10T22:33:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the newest member of SOMA:

Matt Herzog '94
Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, MBA '99
Executive Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Harmony Foods

Looking to hire Ole MBA's....

2005-07-07T22:15:00.000-05:00

Thanks to SOMA member Jim Jerz '91 we are able to post our first "looking to hire an Ole MBA ad":

Harris Nesbitt is the US investment banking arm of the Bank of Montreal, which is one of the largest North American financial institutions with $265 billion in assets.

Harris Nesbitt focuses on the middle market and has a full product offering of advisory services, debt & equity capital-raising and corporate lending.

The firm is currently hiring candidates with the following backgrounds:

Analyst: 1-2 years of investment banking experience
Associate: 3+ years of investment banking experience and an MBA
Vice President: 6+ years of investment banking experience and an MBA.

The website is www.harrisnesbitt.com

Send an e-mail to Jim Jerz class of '91 at : jiminov7@yahoo.com for more information.

Another HBS grad joins SOMA...

2005-07-07T09:44:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the newest member of SOMA:

Priscilla Paff Wardlow '75
Harvard Business School, Harvard University, MBA '79

New Dean named for the Carlson School of Management - U of MN

2005-07-05T15:14:00.000-05:00

Alison Davis-Blake named new Dean of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

Full press release can be found here:
http://carlsonschool.umn.edu/Page3295.aspx?showcontent=41038&display=2&templateID=2

Snapshot of SOMA network

2005-07-05T13:40:00.000-05:00

You can now view the current list of all top 50 MBA programs (according to USNews & World Report's 2006 Top Business Schools Rankings) represented within the SOMA membership network on the right hand side of this blog.

Top 25 programs represented:
84% (21 of the top 25 programs)

Top 50 programs represented:
54% (27 of the top 50 programs)

Ole MBA from Dell joins the network...

2005-07-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the newest SOMA member:

Diana Specht Morris, STO '84-'86, Miami of Ohio '88
Graziadio School of Business and Management, Pepperdine University, MBA '98
Strategic Alliance Manager, Healthcare Division, Dell Computer

Northfield Community Investment Fund

2005-06-30T22:30:00.000-05:00

"Four Northfield institutions -- Community National Bank, First National Bank of Northfield, St. Olaf College and Carleton College -- have contributed capital to establish the Northfield Community Investment Fund. The fund, currently $1.5 million, will be administered by the Northfield Enterprise Center.

The Northfield Community Investment Fund will be used to facilitate economic development and redevelopment in Northfield and fund projects that further the city's economic development plan. "

Full story can be found here:
http://fusion.stolaf.edu/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsDetails&id=2904

128th, 129th, 130th, and 131st members of SOMA

2005-06-29T14:01:00.000-05:00

Welcome to:

Alec Savchenko '98
Columbia Business School, Columbia University, MBA '05

David Moen '92
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA '99
Principal, Boing Software

Brent Koehler '84
Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, MBA '88
President, Summit Hill Consulting, LLC.

Matthew Bertolatus '04
Prospective MBA Student
US Bank Trust Support
CFA Candidate

More future Ole MBA's join SOMA...

2005-06-29T00:18:00.000-05:00

SOMA welcomes future Ole MBA's to its membership community:

Marcelino Peña '03
Prospective MBA Student

Emily Koehler '02
Prospective MBA Student

SOMA in the June STO e-newsletter

2005-06-28T08:26:00.000-05:00

SOMA was featured in the June 2005 STO e-newsletter that is distributed monthly to over 15,000 Ole alums.

You can read it here:
http://www.stolaf.edu/president/enewsletter/0506.html

125 Ole MBA's have joined SOMA....

2005-06-28T08:20:00.000-05:00

The SOMA network has exceeded 125 Ole MBA's.

Welcome to the newest member:

Kjell Stenberg '98
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MA-HRIR '04
HR Business Partner, Sun Microsystems

SOMA network continues to grow...

2005-06-24T14:39:00.000-05:00

SOMA welcomes:

Tom Erickson '83
Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, MBA '86
Co-Founder, BlueStream Ventures

Gregory M. Brown '69
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, MBA '74
CEO, Ace Precision Castings

More Ole MBA's respond to STO e-newsletter

2005-06-23T13:33:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the following new SOMA members:

Ruth Pechauer ‘84
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA ‘02
Sales & Operations Planning Manager, HB Fuller Company

Angie Jenks ‘92
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA '98, CPA
Senior Manager of Financial Reporting, Target Corporation

Lon B. Peterson ‘82
University of Wisconsin-Madison, MD ‘85
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA ‘01
Family Physician, Medical Director, Regina Medical Group

Ronald K. Johnson ‘71
Lundquist College of Business, University of Oregon, MBA '98
Oregon State University, M.S. in Statistics, '03
Florida State University, M.S. in Statistics, '74
Mathematical Statistician
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Government

Jennifer F. Grant ‘98
University of Minnesota, MS, Software Engineering
Project Management in Mortgage Technology, Wells Fargo

Eva Sheie ‘98
Managing Editor, Envy Houston Magazine
Project Manager, American Health and Beauty
Prospective MBA Student

Dan Baker ‘95
Haworth College of Business, Western Michigan University, MBA ‘05
Manager, Special Markets, Baker Publishing Group

Anna Trefz ‘99
Crosby School of Business, University of Missouri, MBA candidate

Joseph Schlais ‘00
Goizueta Business School, Emory University, MBA candidate
Expected date of graduation, May 2006

Kate Besleme ‘94
University of Maryland-College Park, MBA and MPP ‘01

Rick Goedde
University of Wisconsin-Madison, MBA
Professor, Management Studies, St. Olaf College

Maren Anderson '87
Daniels College of Business, University of Denver, MBA '98
Marketing and Communications Consultant

Shaila Patterson Cunningham '89
Thunderbird-The Garvin School of International Management, MBA '93
VP, Amaroq Capital LLC

STO e-newsletter brings new SOMA members...

2005-06-21T21:44:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the June 21st STO e-newsletter, we are happy to announce the following new members of SOMA!

Ryan Hunt ‘00
Kogod School of Business, American University, MBA ‘05
Marketing Manager, Champro Sports Equipment

Dr. Vijay Mehrotra ‘86
PhD, Operations Research, Stanford University
Vice President, Solutions, Blue Pumpkin Software Inc.
Assistant Professor, Decision Sciences, College of Business, San Francisco State University

Rusty Zaspel ‘02
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA ‘04
Marketing, Best Buy Corp. Inc.

Chris Zuehlsdorff ‘98
Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, MBA ‘03

Grant Riewe ‘01
IT Project Manager, Securian Financial Group
Prospective MBA student

Kim Phillips ‘86
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA candidate, Expected graduation, May ‘06
Senior Specialist, Signature Client Group, AT & T Network Solutions

Katie O’Shea ‘00
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA ‘04
Business Development Manager, Microgistix

Decker Walker ‘04
Oxford Business School, Oxford University, MS in Finance candidate

Kully Nelson ‘02
International Business School, Brandeis University, MS in Economics and International Finance candidate

John S. Hartmann ‘82
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA ‘84
CEO, GoHart Merchandising Inc.

Geoff Seper ‘94
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA ‘03
Manager, Direct Marketing, Target Corp.

Andy Dahlen ‘89
Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University, MBA '97
Marketing Manager, Green Giant Frozen, General Mills

Dave Pelka ‘03
Analyst, Cargill Value Investment, Cargill, Inc.
Prospective MBA student

SOMA and the top 50 MBA Programs

2005-06-21T13:35:00.000-05:00

Collectively the SOMA membership network currently represents 17 of the top 25 MBA programs in the country (68%) and 25 of the top 50 MBA programs in the country (50%), which is an amazing testament to the caliber, quality, and diversity of the St. Olaf MBA alumni network.

SOMA member schools ranked according to the 2006 USNews & World Report Top MBA Program Rankings:

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/mba/brief/mbarank_brief.php

Harvard University (#1)
Stanford University (#2)
University of Pennsylvania-Wharton (#3)
MIT (#4)
Northwestern University-Kellogg (#4)
U of Chicago (#8)
Columbia University-NY (#9)
University of Michigan (#10)
Duke Univesity-Fuqua (#11)
UCLA (#11)
NYU-Stern (#13)
U of Virginia-Darden (#14)
U of Texas-Austin-McCombs (#18)
UNC-Chapel Hill-Kenan-Flagler (#21)
U of MN - Carlson School (#23)
Purdue University (#23)
University of Rochester - NY (#23)
University of Illinois-Champaign (#27)
Indiana University-Bloomington-Kelley (#27)
Arizona State University (#31)
University of Wisconsin - Madison (#37)
Vanderbilt University (#45)

You can view the full list of all SOMA member school by scrolling through the posts below and also viewing the archived posts accessible on the lower right side of this blog.

"Are Business Schools Failing the World?"

2005-06-20T17:00:00.000-05:00

Are Business Schools Failing the World?

By WILLIAM J. HOLSTEIN
Published: June 19, 2005 - NY Times

JEFFREY E. GARTEN, 58, who is stepping down after 10 years as dean of the Yale School of Management, says he does not think American business schools are doing a good enough job. Here are excerpts from a conversation with Mr. Garten, who became the dean after a career on Wall Street specializing in debt restructuring abroad and a stint as under secretary of commerce for international trade.

Full article can be accessed below (free registration required):
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/19/business/yourmoney/19advi.html?pagewanted=all

Between the docs and pastors...

2005-06-18T11:04:00.000-05:00

According to the official St. Olaf College Alumni Directory published in 2000 there were 6799 living Oles that indicated they had earned a graduate degree that began with the letter M.

A more precise breakdown is below:

MS - 1129 Oles
MD - 590 Oles
MBA - 575 Oles
MDIV - 541 Oles
MMUSIC/MM/MMUS - 222 Oles
MSW - 155 Oles
MFA - 86 Oles
MPP/MPA - 35 Oles

Other letters of note:
PhD - 999 Oles
JD - 670 Oles
DDS - 125 Oles

SOMA makes the hometown news...

2005-06-17T17:13:00.000-05:00

SOMA sends a huge thank you to St. Olaf's terrific Director of Communications, Amy Gage, who heard the "SOMA Story" and thought it was worth sharing with the broader STO community.

"Ole MBAs create their own virtual community to support each other and St. Olaf College
FRIDAY, JUN 17, 2005 — St. Olaf is rightly renowned as a college that schools young people in how to make the world a better place. That includes graduates who go on to become ministers, social workers and volunteers -- but it also includes the many Oles who become leaders in business, as the new St. Olaf MBA Association (SOMA) is out to prove. "

You can read the full story on the front page of STO's web home:

http://www.stolaf.edu

The direct link to the SOMA story can be found here:
http://fusion.stolaf.edu/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsDetails&id=2882

Thanks again Amy and thanks to the hundreds of Ole alums who believe in the mission and work of SOMA!

Fram! Fram!

SOMA network continues to grow...

2005-06-16T13:16:00.000-05:00

Welcome,

Rob Langheim '00
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA '04
Consultant, Kurt Salmon & Associates

Dawn Gaddis Buchanan '78
San Diego State University, MBA
Senior Manager, Accenture

David Salmi '92
Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, MBA
Manager, Global Trade Finance, Target Corporation

Mara Stenback '90
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA
Development Director, IFP Media Arts

Michael Brekke '95
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA
Thomson West

Yoon Kim '83
University of San Francisco, MBA
Co-founder, Totalventure, Inc.

Jeff Klinefelter '90
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA '97
Senior Research Analyst, Piper Jaffray

Amy Peterson Pavlis '91
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA '97
Financial Advisor, Capital Street

David Reynolds-Gooch '75
MBA
Six Sigma Black Belt, Corporate Marketing and Public Affairs, 3M

Jeff Iverson '77
MBA
Director, GE

Jay Grinney '73
UW Business School, University of Washington, MBA
School of Public Health, University of Washington, MHA
President and CEO, HealthSouth Corporation

And growing....

2005-06-14T22:38:00.000-05:00

Welcome to:

Luke C. Peterson ‘93
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA ‘98
Senior Manager, Health Care Strategy Group, Kurt Salmon Associates

Becky Squier ‘84
School of Management, Simmons College, MBA '91
Marketing Communications Manager, Dragon Systems, Inc.

Cynthia Storrs ‘74
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA '93
Founder, Evergreen Strategies, Inc.

Duane Hitz ‘94
Anderson School of Management, UCLA and National University of Singapore
dual degree executive MBA ‘05
Project Manager, InsureWorx, Inc.
Chief Technology Officer, ServiceLogix, Inc.

Craig D. Pederson ‘88
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA ‘91
School of Public Health, University of MN, MHA ‘91
Consultant, Health Care Futures LP

Jed Norgaarden ‘82
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, MBA ‘89
President, Chaska Building Center

SOMA keeps growing and growing...

2005-06-14T08:23:00.000-05:00

Please welcome:

Ron Eckstam '71
Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, MBA '75
Financial Planner, LPL Financial Services

Gary M. Christensen '65
College of Business, Mankato State University, MBA
Retired, Former President and CEO, Pella Corporation

Joe Christenson '80
Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, MBA '85
President, PPT Vision Inc.

Michael Melichar '93
Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, MBA
International Product Manager, AOL

Dr. Dave Mackinnon '76
Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, MBA, '79
Fuller Theological Seminary, MA, '92
Purdue University, Ph.D., '98
President, Lighthouse Coaching

Andrew Nelson '99
Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, MBA '04
Marketing, Target.com

Andrei Kittelson '99
Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, MBA '05
Sales Manager, Western Digital Corporation

Kirk Grandstrand '99
Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, MBA '05
Target Corporation

Eric Reynolds '92
Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, MBA '98
Marketing Manager, Clorox

Amy Peterson Pavlis '91
Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, MBA '97
Financial Advisor, Capital Street

Timm Nelson '81
Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, MBA
Business Consultant

Christopher J. Anderson '89
J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, MBA
Director of Marketing, Tele-tracking Technologies, Inc.

SOMA continues to grow...

2005-06-13T21:39:00.000-05:00

Welcome to:

Kathryn Burke '94
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA '03
School of Law, Hamline University, JD '99
Associate, Construction Law Practice Group, Foley & Mansfield, P.L.L.P.

Eric Royce Peterson '98
Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, MBA '05
Financial Advisor, Piper Jaffray

Michelle Vandesteeg Nordberg '94
Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, MBA '02
VP and Account Supervisor, Risdall Advertising Agency

Valerie Scala Walker '86
The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, MBA '90
Vice President of Analytic Product Management, Information Resources, Inc.

Suzanne Bjorkman Nimmo '80
Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, MBA '87
Director, Alliance Operations, American Express

Scott Mickelson '94
University of Colorado-Denver, MBA
Tax Manager, Gambro, Inc.

Margaret Sletten Ross '85
College of Business and Public Administration, Drake University, MBA '91
Research Analyst, DuPont Ag and Nutrition

Steven Keay '83
Harvard Business School, Harvard University, MBA
CEO, Perfection Learning Corporation

Jon Freeman '84
McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin, MBA
VP Finance/CFO, Infrared Solutions, Inc.

Dan Johns '68
Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, MBA '73
School of Law, Indiana University, JD '73
Attorney, Crowley, Haughey, Hanson,Toole & Dietrich P.L.L.P.

William Clark '90
Clark University, MBA '92
Co-founder and EVP, Virtual Causeway

Sue Ostrem '85
California State University,Long Beach, MBA '90
Foreign Service Officer, US Department of State, Krakow, Poland

Kim Bowman '88
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA '02
Director of Endowments and Planned Giving, Minneapolis Institute of Arts

New SOMA Members

2005-06-13T00:20:00.000-05:00

The SOMA network continues to expand.

Welcome to the following new members of SOMA:

Matt Hanson '95
Marquette University, MBA '02

Jim Jerz '91
University of Illinois - Champaign, MBA '95
Vice President, Harris Nesbitt, Chicago, IL

Keith Tellekson '53
Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, MBA '57

Kari Roe '92
Columbia Business School, Columbia University, MBA '00
Senior Product Manager, Magazine Subscriptions, Amazon.com

Carrie Gehlbach '86
University of North Texas, MBA
Financial Systems Analyst, Texas Instruments

Dan Neuger '95
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA '02
Portfolio Manager, AIG Global Investment Group

Col. Shelley L. Bennett '74
University of Oklahoma, MBA
United States Naval War College, MA

William Kloehn '83
Columbia Business School, Columbia University, MBA '85
Managing Director, Schroder Salomon Smith Barney

Russell A. Bellew '91
Kenan-Flagler School of Business, University of North Carolina, MBA '03

More SOMA members...

2005-06-09T22:58:00.000-05:00

Welcome to:

Nancy Svendsen '83
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA '89
Vice President, Broadlane, Inc.

Isaac Townsend '03
Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago
Full-time MBA Student, Class of 2007

Steve Heim '76
Southern Methodist University, MBA '78
Thunderbird - The Garvin School of International Management, MIM '80
President, Heim & Associates, Inc.

Tom Moenter '71
Simon School, University of Rochester, Executive Development Program, MBA '85
Former Manager of Product Planning, Xerox Corp.
Currently comfortably retired.

President Thomforde

2005-06-07T23:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the STO community learned that President Thomforde will be stepping down after the 2005-06 academic year.

From the STO website:
http://fusion.stolaf.edu/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsDetails&id=2873

You can read more here in the Star Tribune:
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5443112.html

If you've ever wondered what the legal job description is for the President of St. Olaf College, Inc. you can find it in the governing bylaws of the college:
http://www.stolaf.edu/president/documents/bylaws.html#602

Dean of HBS is leaving for BYU

2005-06-07T23:55:00.000-05:00

Fram! Fram! More new members...

2005-06-05T22:56:00.000-05:00

SOMA welcomes:

Charles Frump '92
Anderson School of Management, UCLA, MBA '01
Marketing Manager, Ford Motor Company

Paul R. Hansen '85
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA '89
Managing Director, 3M Mexico, Mexico City

Dan Timmer '88
Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, MBA '99
Asia-Pacific Marketing Strategy Manager, Ford Motor Company

Jon Bjorlie '75
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA '91
Vice President, Marketing and Underwriting, Medical Alliance Partnership

Schele Gislason Smith '90
Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, MBA '97
Self-employed Consultant

Carol Marckel Holderness '84
Simon School of Business, University of Rochester-NY, MBA '87
Elementary School Teacher

Cindy Berg Koch '96
Harvard Business School, Harvard University, MBA '02
General Mills

Eric Molho '93
Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, MBA '01
Marketing Supervisor, 3M

Paul Englund '71
Johns Hopkins University, MBA '96
Research Chemist, H B Fuller Co.

Tom Richardson '88
Krannert Graduate School of Management, Purdue University, MBA '97
IBM Global Financing, Armonk, NY

If you build it, Oles will come...

2005-06-03T09:17:00.000-05:00

Welcome to more new members of SOMA!

Jack Kemme '70
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA '93
Director, Human Resources Division, Scott County, MN

Keith Tufte '82
Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, MBA '84
Hedge Fund Portfolio Manager, Riversource Financial

Sonya Carlson Wilson '98
Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, MBA '03
Co-founder, One World Spanish, LLC

Susan Throndrud '77
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA '85
Residential Real Estate Sales, REMAX Results, Edina, MN

Laura Langer '73
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA '85
Director of Marketing and Communications, Barrett Moving & Storage, Eden Prairie, MN

Andrew Ronningen '83
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA '93
Entrepreneur and Executive Search (Franchot & Associates)

John Jensvold '85
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA '01
Manager of Business Development, PCL Construction Services, Inc.

Dr. Gary Coles '66
University of Missouri-Columbia, MBA '81
University of North Dakota, MA and PhD, General-Experimental Psychology, '68 and '70
Adjunct Professor of Marketing, University of Missouri-Columbia

More new members...

2005-06-02T13:18:00.000-05:00

Join us in welcoming:

Michelle LeGros '87
Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, MBA '89
Director of Marketing Research, UnitedHealth Group

Karin Roof '89
Sloan School of Management, MIT, MBA '95
New Product Planning, Guidant Cardiac Rhythm Management

Bruce Jerde '82
W.P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University, MBA '91
Director of Business Development, PacifiCare

Don Cleven '95
Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, JD and MBA '98
Portfolio Manager/Analyst, Lee Munder Capital

Jill Rowlison '95
School of Business and Public Management, George Washington University, MBA '03
Manager, Political Action Committee, Target Corporation

Tim Bates '80
College of Business, University of St. Thomas, MBA '87
President & CEO, Cirista, LLC

Laura Veazie '01
College of Business, University of Illinois, MBA '04
Arizant Healthcare Inc.

Tom Heckler '73
Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, MBA '75
CEO, OHSU Medical Group

Dean Jones '86
Anderson School of Management, UCLA, MBA '00
VP, Sales & Marketing, Mission Control Productivity, LLC

Welcoming new SOMA members...

2005-06-02T13:09:00.000-05:00

We are receiving a terrific response from our initial invitation to Ole MBAs to participate as members of SOMA.

Welcome to the following to new members!

John Shaw '87
Hamline University Law School JD '93
University of Wisconsin-Madison, MBA in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics '02
Currently the Managing Member of Shaw Realty Group, LLC specializing in the development of Section 42 low-income housing tax credit apartments and conventional apartment investments

Cuitlahuac Turrent '97
Stern School of Business, New York University, MBA '03
Works as an Associate at Goldman Sachs in the Operational Risk Group

Pierce Johnson '78
Carlson School of Management, University of MN, MBA '89
Retired. Founder of Johnson Technologies.

George Aker '58
Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, MBA '60
Retired

Tait J. Pinnow '99
Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, MBA '05

Career Resource for MBAs

2005-05-30T22:41:00.000-05:00

This resource, hosted at Yahoo! Groups : MBAJobs, is a job listserv for MBA candidates all over the country. Sign up with the site and you can be alerted to jobs whenever they open up.

An Ole MBA from Yahoo! Joins SOMA

2005-05-30T20:49:00.000-05:00

Paul Boruta '98, Harvard MBA '04, has joined SOMA!

Paul works at Yahoo Search Marketing in Pasadena, CA in the product marketing group.

Welcome Paul!

MBA Consulting Salaries Are Up 10% over 2004 - Boston Globe

2005-05-29T20:19:00.000-05:00

According to this article from the Boston Globe, starting consulting salaries for MBAs will be $109,000, up from $98,751 in 2004. The survey was based on responses from 85 MBA students, from a dozen schools, including Yale, Wharton, Chicago, and UCLA.

The report also looked at MBA graduates' perception of some of the top consulting firms. When asked which companies were among the most favorable, a majority of the MBA students selected McKinsey & Co. The second top ranking firm in this category was Boston Consulting Group, followed by Bain & Co., Monitor Group, A.T. Kearney, Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte and IBM Consulting.

Ward Klein, CEO of Energizer, Kellogg MBA

2005-05-28T19:54:00.000-05:00

Ward Klein, CEO of Energizer Holdings, was mentioned in a USA Today article that shows all of the Fortune 1000 CEO appointments in 2004, and where they went to undergrad and graduate school. The list mentions his undergrad degree from St. Olaf and his MBA from Kellogg at Northwestern.

Ward is also mentioned in the Spring St. Olaf Magazine - check your mailboxes for this article.

Congratulations Ward!

Wall Street is Knocking on MBAs Doors Once Again

2005-05-27T17:43:00.000-05:00

Reuters - MBA grads find Wall Street wants them - again

50 % of MBA Grads Found Jobs in 2005

2005-05-27T10:13:00.000-05:00

"For newly minted business school graduates, this was the most successful job-hunting year since 2001, a new survey says. Half of students finishing master's of business administration degrees this year had job offers by mid-March, according to the survey of 5,829 students at 129 business schools conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council, an organization of business schools."

Full story is below:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050527/ap_on_re_us/mba_grads

Fortune.com - 100 Most Desirable MBA Employers 2005

2005-05-24T22:01:00.000-05:00

Fortune.com - 100 Most Desirable MBA Employers 2005

This is the annual survey that Fortune Magazine sends out to MBA graduates and asks them who they most want to work for. I've posted the list of the top 10 below from their website (link above). For access to the rest of the list, you need to buy the upcoming issue of Fortune, or subscribe to their website.

Some Minnesota companies that made the list (rank in parentheses): 3M (17), Target (46), General Mills (53), Best Buy (61), Medtronic (72), Guidant (80).

And these companies have offices in Minnesota: McKinsey (1), General Electric (10), Deloitte (12), IBM (14), American Express (20), Accenture (30), PricewaterhouseCoopers (38), Ernst & Young (55), BearingPoint (70), KPMG (71), Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (93).

In addition to this list, columnist Anne Fisher writes about Why It's a Good Time to be an MBA. She highlights that students are getting more offers and are venturing outside the traditional on-campus MBA recruiters. More and more companies are recognizing the value of an MBA besides the consultants and bankers, which results in increasing overall interest in the skills MBA graduates can provide employers.

2005 Rank	2004 Rank	Company	% Who Put in Top Five
1	1	McKinsey & Company	18.03
2	2	Citigroup	13.55
3	3	Goldman Sachs	12.55
4	7	Bain & Company	11.55
5	13	The Boston Consulting Group	9.79
6	5	Johnson & Johnson	9.64
7	10	Booz Allen Hamilton	9.47
8	19	Bank of America	8.71
9	25	Morgan Stanley	8.60
10	9	General Electric	8.21

MBA Recruiters Returning to Campus

2005-05-24T21:56:00.000-05:00

The job market for MBA graduates is picking up. This article in the Wall Street Journal's "CareerJournal.com" site discusses some of the recent activity for recruiters on MBA campuses.

Search for a new Dean of the Carlson School

2005-05-24T12:22:00.000-05:00

SOMA member Lars Leafblad '99 (Carlson School of Management) is serving a student delegate to the search committee for the new Dean of the Carlson School. The committee just released the four finalist candidates and you can learn more about them through the link below:

http://www.csom.umn.edu/Page3221.aspx?showcontent=39126&display=102&templateID=24

Lars welcomes ideas, input, and possible questions to pose to these candidates from SOMA members, especially fellow Carlson School alums. You can email him at: larsleafblad@yahoo.com

Welcoming Harvard to the mix...

2005-05-19T15:14:00.000-05:00

Lara Giebelstein '99 has joined SOMA as a founding member, welcome Lara!

Lara will be receiving her MBA from the Harvard Business School this spring and plans to move to San Francisco following graduation where she will be employed by Bain & Co.

A member of the STO Alumni Board joins SOMA!

2005-05-18T16:51:00.000-05:00

John Haugen '86 has joined SOMA as a founding member; welcome John!

He is a Vice President and Director of Marketing at General Mills and also serves on the St. Olaf Alumni Association Board of Directors.

John received his MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.

Another SOMA Founding Member!

2005-05-18T13:00:00.000-05:00

Shanon Gutierrez Hicks '99 has joined SOMA as a founding member!

Shanon received her MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University in 2004.

She is currently working as an Assistant Product Manager with Frito-Lay, Inc. in Plano, TX.

Welcome Shanon!

Top Employers of MBAs

2005-05-16T22:29:00.000-05:00

This article from the Wall Street Journal highlights the top 100 employers that MBAs want to work for. How many St. Olaf grads are in these companies?

The list is located here.

New members of SOMA

2005-05-16T17:11:00.000-05:00

Prof. Kathy Chadwick, St. Olaf Management Studies faculty member and graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and Mark Wiltering '99, also a graduate of Kellogg, have agreed to join SOMA as founding members. Mark will be joining Citigroup's Global Investment Banking unit in Chicago after graduation.

Welcome Kathy and Mark!

Fram! Fram!

An idea from across the Cannon River

2005-05-13T14:00:00.000-05:00

Carleton's innovative "Alumni Business Fellowship Program":

http://webapps.acs.carleton.edu/alumni/lofgren/

Oles with M degrees

2005-05-11T23:21:00.000-05:00

According to the official St. Olaf College Alumni Directory published in 2000 there were 6799 living Oles that had a graduate degree that began with the letter M.

A more precise breakdown is below:
MS - 1129 Oles
MD - 590 Oles
MBA - 575 Oles
MDIV - 541 Oles
MMUSIC/MM/MMUS - 222 Oles
MSW - 155 Oles
MFA - 86 Oles
MPP/MPA - 35 Oles

Other letters of note:
PhD - 999 Oles
JD - 670 Oles
DDS - 125 Oles

This blog is dedicated to those 575+ of us that fall between the pastors and the doctors.
Fram! Fram!

Roger that Northfield, SOMA is cleared for launch...

2005-05-10T22:36:00.000-05:00

Ted Hillestad '99 and Lars Leafblad '99 have launched SOMA.

Ted will receive his MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA this spring and will be working for The Monitor Group in their LA office after graduation.

Lars is an MBA candidate at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota with an expected graduation date of May 2006. He works next door to the Carlson School in the Dean's Office of the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the U of MN.

Thanks for your interest in SOMA.

Please remain seated and keep your arms in the ride at all times. Fram! Fram!

Welcome to the St. Olaf MBA Association

2005-05-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

Ole MBA's Unite!