March 12, 2008

  Introducing the Global MBA Class of 2009

  Class of 2009 Corporate Partners

In addition to welcoming our incoming students, we are also very pleased to welcome our new and returning corporate partners, listed below. We are excited to have a total of 32 companies join forces with the Ross School of Business to develop their high-potential employees through the Global MBA Program. We are honored to welcome back 10 partnering companies who have sent participants to previous classes and proud to announce that 22 new strategic partners will rely on Ross this year to educate their top managers.

We appreciate each company's participation and confidence in choosing Ross to develop their next generation of leaders.

  18th Annual Asia Business Conference

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Each year, the Ross School of Business hosts the Asian Business Conference which brings some of the most influential leaders of the Asian Business world to the Ross School of Business campus. This year’s conference was held on February 1 and 2. The conference, titled ‘Challenges to Asia’s Growth,’ featured keynote speaker H.E. Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat, the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the U.S., whose talk titled, “Growth and Interdependence in Asia,” was a highlight of the conference.

Several Global MBA students worked as organizers to ensure the conference went off without a hitch. Supporting the smooth operation of the conference, Global MBA students, Jun Usaka of Benesse Corporation, Shunsuke Orui of Nomura Securities, and Kei Ito of Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation (pictured left, front row) assisted the Japan panel where the discussion focused on the "Japanese Economy and Companies Under the Globalization of Business." The Japan panel featured four distinguished professionals who have in-depth knowledge and years of experience in global companies and in Japan’s economy. The panel speakers included (back row from left to right) E. Charles Gulash, Vice President-Research and Materials Engineering, Toyota Technical Center, Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Inc.; Thomas McGuckin, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; Takashi Tsuchiya, Chief Executive Director, JETRO Chicago; and Tomiji Sugimoto, Vice President, Honda R & D Americas, Inc. The discussions were riveting and audience participation was so high that Professor Kazuhiro Saito, the faculty moderator, extended the Q & A to allow time for the acclaimed panelists to field the many inquiries of the audience.

The position of faculty moderator for the Korean panel was held by Hyun Soo Ahn, Assistant Professor of Operations and Management Science at the Ross School of Business. Professor Ahn moderated the panel discussions relating to the theme “Threat and Opportunities to Korea’s Growth.” At Ross, Professor Ahn teaches the statistics core class to BBAs and MBAs. At this time, Professor Ahn is in Kashima, Japan teaching the Applied Business Statistics core to the Global MBA Class of 2009.

Other panel discussions held during the two day conference included topics specific to China and India, as well as debates focused on energy, the environment, and finance. The conference was highly successful, one of the largest of its kind, attracting many participants. The Asia Business Conference at Ross is one of the largest business conferences in the US and is also the longest running student conference at any U.S. business school.

  Charmin Billy

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - In June, the Global MBA Class of 2007 presented a gift to the business school, a print called 'Charmin Billy' (left) by William T. Wiley. The print is now prominently displayed on the first floor of the Electronic Resources building, as part of the Ross School of Business' eminent art collection. In keeping with tradition, the gift was presented to Dean Robert Dolan at the Global MBA dinner party held on June 28, 2007.

Since 2004, the graduating Global MBA class has presented the school with a gift of art and the Class of 2007 was pleased to continue the tradition.

  Employers Recognize the Ross MBA

SEOUL, Korea - Employers give Ross graduates high marks for teamwork, leadership, and analytically ability. Ross MBAs leave Ann Arbor with broad aspirations, the tools to achieve them, and the confidence to pursue them. Clearly, employers appreciate how action-based learning prepares their employees to lead the organization. As evidenced by their upward mobility in their companies, employers place their full trust in Ross graduate’s ability to blend practicality and vision. Several Global MBA alumni have recently received promotions.

Class of 2002
 
Inhwan Kim of Hana Bank was promoted from Executive Vice President and Regional Head of Large Corporate Finance Division to Senior Executive Vice President and Division Head of Large Corporate Finance. Dongman Lee of SK C&C was promoted from Project Manager to Senior Manager & Team Manager. Hongseok Eum of Hyundai Motor was promoted from Manager to Senior Manager and Taewon Kwon of Hynix Semiconductor was promoted from Manager to Deputy General Manager.

Class of 2004

Hyunjoo Lee of Hana Bank was appointed Executive Vice President and Division Head of the Planning and Management Division having been promoted from General Manager and Head of the New York Branch. Hongseok Park of Kumho-Asiana Group was promoted from General Manager to Vice President in charge of the Strategic Management Division. Hongseok earned his Global MBA sponsorship from Daewoo Construction which merged with the Kumho-Asiana Group in 2006.

Join us in congratulating your fellow Ross alumni who are leading their companies in thought and action.
 

  Alumni News

Krongtong (Krong) Na Songkhla of CRP Jewellery and the Global MBA Class of 2005 was recently married. Krong and Michael met while taking classes in Ann Arbor. Krong was completing her MBA and Michael was working on his Juris Doctorate. Krong and Michael have committed themselves to each other in love, as well as in culture. The couple exchanged vows in Bangkok in two different ceremonies with family and friends from around the world on December 29, 2007. The day began at 6:30 am with the first ceremony following Buddhist and Thai traditions. Later that day, the couple exchanged vows again, but this time following the Catholic tradition of matrimony. As things settle down, the happy couple plans to relocate to Washington, DC to make their first home together. Best wishes to Krong and Mike as they begin their new life together.

Hiroyuki Nakagawa of Nomura Research and the Global MBA Class of 2006 and his wife Mayumi, welcomed their first child on December 26, 2007. They were blessed with a baby girl who they named Mahiro, which is a combination of the parent’s names. Mahiro was a little small upon arrival and had to spend a couple weeks in the hospital, but now she is doing well at home with her parents and they couldn’t be happier. Congratulations to Hiro and Mayumi!

Takanobu (Nobu) Miyaki of Ebara Corporation and the Global MBA Class of 2007 along with his wife, Tomoko, delivered their third baby on September 21, 2007. Already blessed with two handsome and healthy boys, the whole family was excited at the prospect of having a girl. The excited parents named their first daughter Nico and Nobu reports that his sons, Iori and Aoi, were equally excited to welcome a girl into their home. Congratulations to the Miyaki family.

And last, but not least, Shumpei Tamura of ZS Associates and the Global MBA Class of 2007 had a son on December 25, 2007. We don't have a picture to share, but wanted to pass along the news. Shumpei and his wife, Yuko, named their second son Ryunosuke. About the larger family, Shumpei says that life is now very busy, but it is filled with joy!