Commencement Speaker
 Jeff Taylor
Founder of Monster.com & Eons.com
As the founder of Monster.com, Jeff Taylor forever changed the way the world networks and builds careers. Recognized as an innovator and visionary in both internet and careers industries, Taylor reinvented the way the world looks for employment. His “monster idea,” conceived at the dawn of the World Wide Web, quickly became one of the first dot-com companies (and the 454th registered domain on the web). Today, the Monster global network has grown into the world’s leading online career site, consists of language sites in 30 countries, and serves nearly 30 million visitors monthly.
A restless big-picture entrepreneur, Taylor also tapped into the burgeoning generation of baby boomers. He harnessed the power of the Internet to launch Eons.com, an innovative media company that challenges boomers and seniors to live the biggest life possible, which was acquired by Crew Media in May 2011. Taylor’s other web properties include obituary website Tributes.com and dating service Meetcha.com. Most recently, he has joined investment company Bridgewater Associates in Westport, Connecticut, where he will manage their talent.
As an expert in technology, advertising, and human capital, Taylor zeroes in on what lies ahead, sensing economic upheaval, changing global employment, and the shift in doing business that Web 2.0 has created. Envisioning ways to capitalize on these evolving trends with technology and the power of human capital, Taylor taps into his experience to advise businesses on how they can break away from the competition by adopting a new mindset and getting in early with social networking.
Taylor is the co-author of the books Monster Careers: How to Land the Job of Your Life; Monster Careers: Interviewing: Master the Moment That Gets You the Job; and Monster Careers: Networking: Make the Connections That Make Your Career.
He serves on the board of advisors at the Berklee School of Music and is a board member of Boston's Citi Performing Arts Center/Wang Theatre. Also a dedicated advocate for young people, he is on the board of Year Up, where he acts as a mentor for high schoolers who don’t plan to go to college. He has also worked for years in a jungle village in Guatemala, where he sponsored and built a key road for the elementary school; built a first-of-its-kind computer center with 25 working computers; and personally funds four teachers, in addition to operating expenses.
Taylor holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst; a certificate in Owner/President Management (OPM), Executive Education, from Harvard Business School; and an honorary doctorate from Bentley College.
Student Speakers
 Charity Tarn // AB/BBA '13 // BBA Student Speaker
Hailing from Portage, Mich., Charity is a dual-degree student in business and honors psychology, and completed her honors thesis this year in organizational psychology. As a preferred admit to the Ross School of Business, Charity began to make an impact early on at Ross as one of the founders of the Preferred Admit Newsletter and later as a pre-admit mentor. She served as co-president of Michigan Business Women, and also helped lead the largest universitywide career fair for women. Although she is nostalgic about leaving Michigan, Charity is excited to join Cardinal Health’s leadership development program as a senior financial analyst after graduation. She is deeply grateful for the experiences and relationships she has gained through being part of the Ross community, and would like to sincerely thank her family, friends, professors, and mentors for all of their love, patience, and encouragement.
 Rajat Wali // MAcc ’13 // MAcc Student Speaker
Born and raised in the Middle East, Rajat felt extremely blessed when he
got his U-M admit letter to attend Ross as a pre-admit. During the past
five years, he was a lead Bollywood choreographer for the Indian American
Student Association (IASA) cultural show, the second-largest student-run
production in North America. Rajat also had the opportunity to work with University Housing as a resident adviser and as an orientation leader
through the Office of New Student Programs (ONSP). After graduation,
he will be moving to New York to work in the auditing profession at Ernst
& Young LLP. Rajat bids a bittersweet goodbye to U-M, which he cites as the place he learned responsibility, dedication, and professionalism. He will forever cherish the bonds that he’s established with fellow Wolverine friends, faculty, and mentors.
 Jamee Pearlstein // MBA ’13 // MBA Student Speaker
A Chicagoland native, Jamee graduated from Washington University
in St. Louis with degrees in marketing and international business. Prior
to coming to Ross, she worked at Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide Chicago,
specializing in digital marketing. At Michigan, Jamee continued to pursue
her passion for marketing, and was an elected officer of the Ross Marketing
Club for two years. She also served as a teaching assistant and marketing
career mentor for MBA1s, and took full advantage of the many co-curricular
opportunities at Ross as head of marketing for Ross Follies board and a writer for the Monroe Street Journal. Last summer, Jamee interned at the Procter & Gamble Co. in brand management. Upon graduation, she’ll be returning to her hometown to join Kraft Foods Group as an associate brand manager. Jamee is thankful for all the knowledge she’s gained, the wonderful experiences she’s had, and the truly inspiring people she’s met at Michigan.
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