Marilyn Carlson Nelson: A Global Business Leader

W hen one hears the name “Marilyn Carlson Nelson,” what comes to mind? Most often associ-ated with the grand legacy of the Carlson Companies, her name frequently coexists with‘travel’ and ‘family,’ and occasionally with ‘rollerblades’ and ‘poetry.’ Presently, as the Chair

and CEO of Minneapolis-based Carlson Companies, one of the largest privately held corporations in the United States, she has been constantly named “the MostPowerful Women in the Travel Industry,” as well as one ofFortune’s “50 Most Powerful Women in Business.”

This daughter of Minnesota’s most famous entrepreneur has truly done her part in living up to her father, Curtis L.Carlson’s legacy. She pursued an education at the Sorbonne in Paris and the Institute des Hautes Etudes Economiques Politiques in Geneva,Switzerland, where she studied political sci-ence and international economics and laterin 1961, Smith College, where she graduatedwith honors. She also spent several yearsworking as a securities analyst withPaineWebber before she returned to her family’s flourishingbusiness. Eventually, in 1998, she took on the role of CEO and became one of the most respected and powerful women inbusiness.

Going Global: As CEO and Chair of one of the largestprivately held companies in the U.S., what advice wouldyou offer to aspiring business students, particularly young women, at the University’s Carlson School ofManagement?

Marilyn Carlson Nelson: An important first step to success is tofind a mentor. I am a passionate believer in mentoring as a keypredictor of success and have made formal mentoring programsavailable to the women of Carlson for over a decade. Second:know your strengths and weaknesses—and work on both of

GLOBALG O I N G

A NEWSLETTER PRODUCED BY INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS AT THE CARLSON SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

SPRING 2004

Women as GlobalBusinessLeaders

2 G o i n g G l o b a l

them. Focus on your strengths, yes, butwork to build on your weaknesses. WhenI assumed my leadership role at Carlson,only 15% of management positions wereheld by women. Many women were “inline” for the next level, but when theopportunity came for a promotion, Inoticed women were rarely being offeredas candidates because they were said notto be strong in one business discipline oranother.” So I said, “Well, then let’s trainthem and make them strong, so they’reprepared when the moment comes.”Today, nearly 40% of management posi-tions at Carlson are held by women.

GG: Speaking from your own interna-tional education and global businessexperience, why do you think itimportant that today’s business stu-dents have international experience?

MCN: The world has become a globalmarketplace, and there is no returning tothe old model of “business-within-bor-ders”. Yet-unimagined world events willcreate yet-unforeseen issues for busi-nesses, even those who operate withinsingle countries. For example, who couldhave ever imagined that people plottingin caves half a world away, inAfghanistan, could bring the U.S.tourism and transportation industry to astandstill, affecting both global concernslike Carlson and mom-and-pop hotelsand restaurants alike? It is all-importantthat business leaders of the future haveexperience and understanding that willhelp them foresee trends and actionsthat will have either positive or negativeimpact on their operations.

GG: How does your goal to create a“new model” of a modern corpora-tion—one known as much for its car-ing heart as for its financial success—fit into today’s competitive globalmarketplace?

MCN: Though jobs seem scarce rightnow, it will be workers who are scarce inthe future, and those companies whosucceed will be the ones who have strong

relationships with their employees. AtCarlson, that relationship is strength-ened by on-site daycare centers, flexiblework hours, adoption services, paternalleave and a family assistance hotline.And employees who feel that their man-agement cares about them as a person, inreturn care about the organization forwhich they work. And isn’t that the keyto a successful enterprise?

GG: Definitely. How have you seenthe playing field change for women inbusiness? Has the change varied if youlook both internationally and domes-tically?

MCN: None other than the World Bankhas said gender equality and the full par-ticipation of women in business must bea core development initiative for devel-oping nations, because it has found thatwomen are more likely to contribute tothose parts of an economy which sup-port better nutrition, education andhealthcare. As I co-chaired the recentWorld Economic Forum, I saw uneven-ness in the participation of women insenior business roles—the U.S is behindScandinavia, but ahead of other coun-tries. Just this past week I participated ina panel in France looking at the subject,and found that that country has rela-tively few women in business leadershiproles, but they’re ahead far ahead of theU.S. in women’s participation in themedical and legal processions.

GG: What are some of the hurdles youhave had to overcome as a woman in aleadership role, primarily as Chairand CEO of Carlson Companies?

MCN: Much has changed in just my ownlifetime since I entered the workforce inthe 60s. When I began my career in busi-ness as a stock analyst, I was asked by myemployer to sign my correspondence as“M.C. Nelson”—to disguise the fact thatI was a woman. (My boss didn’t believeanyone would buy securities on theadvice of a woman.) Later, when I wasasked to join my first corporate board, Idiscovered the toilets for women wereone floor below the boardroom floor—because no one had ever dreamt awoman would be on the board someday.

At Carlson, I assumed the leadershiprole from a legendary in what was amostly male environment. So a challengewas earning and developing trust—as anyleader, especially one in a family busi-ness, must do. Another challenge wasbringing the company into the high techage—while not being too technicalmyself. It’s important for any leader tounderstand what’s possible, without hav-ing to become technically proficient.

GG: On the flipside, what are some ofthe advantages of being a woman in aleadership role?

MCN: The body of research on women’sspecial skills in the workplace is robust.For example, in one study, women execu-tives—as rated by those around them—scored higher than their male counter-parts on a wide variety of measures: fromproducing high quality work to goal-set-ting and employee development. Womenoften get high ratings on exactly thoseskills needed to succeed in the globalinformation age, where teamwork andpartnering are so important.

GG: What are some of the challengesyou have faced as the daughter of apowerful entrepreneur, and how haveyou strived to maintain the entrepre-neurial spirit within the organization?

MCN: My father always said much of hissuccess was due to his “restless Vikinggenes”—which drove him to always seekthe best solution to any situation or

An important first step to success is to find a mentor.Second, know your strengthsand weaknesses—and work

on both of them. Focus on your strengths, yes, but work to build on

your weaknesses.

S p r i n g 2 0 0 4 3

opportunity. So, it was a challenge to sat-isfy him—and because he transferredthose genes to me, it is now it is a chal-lenge to satisfy myself. This spirit is thevery stuff of entrepreneurism, and thelifeblood of business. I learned many les-sons from my father, chief among themthat “persistence wins the day”—thisthought is a cornerstone of how weapproach life and business. Long-termrelationships are the key—a relationshipyou make and build on today may lie dor-mant for years, and then blossom into anincredible business opportunity.

GG: Besides being the CEO of acompany with over 190,000 employ-ees in more than 140 countries, youalso serve as the chair of the NationalWomen’s Business Council, andvolunteer your time with organiza-tions such as the United Way, theMinnesota Orchestra and the WorldChildhood Foundation. How do youmanage to maintain a healthy work-life balance?

MCN: I’m often asked to talk to womenabout work/life balance. I’m not surewhy—I don’t really have much of itmyself. There is no moment in timewhen I am not the CEO of CarlsonCompanies. That’s the choice I made,and most days, I am energized by it. Anyhigh position has a high price you mustbe prepared to pay if you’re seeking it.Consider that there are many peoplewho play sports—but there are only afew who have the personal dedicationand rigor to become Olympic-class ath-letes. Careers at the top of any profes-sion require sacrifice, but I have always

tried to find ways to make a difference,so that the sacrifice would be worth it.

GG: And finally, what is your defini-tion of success, and to what do youmost attribute your success as a globalbusiness leader?

MCN: It’s important that everyonedefines success for themselves. For me,I’ve always known that my marriage andmy family were central to my well-being.No amount of success (in the world’seyes) could have made me happy if it haddisrupted our close family. Therefore, my

Employees who feel that their management cares about them as a person, in return care

about the organization forwhich they work. That’s

the key to a successfulenterprise.

choice to step out of the workforce for aperiod—while continuing to grow andlearn through increasingly responsiblelocal, national and international volun-teer opportunities—was a decision Itook fully aware that I might be tradingsome eventual “rung on the ladder”.

Also, success is a long-term accolade.In my opinion, a CEO cannot be judgedto be truly until he or she is out of theoffice for a decade or more. Only thencan their stewardship of the company be assessed by how well they preparedtheir people and organization for thefuture.

International Programs WelcomesNew Director

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Randal J. Zimmermann asthe new Director of International Programs at the Carlson School of Manage-

ment. Zimmermann, who served as associate director forthe Center of Nations in Transition as well as researchfellow at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of PublicAffairs, was instrumental in developing the now thrivingCarlson School’s Warsaw Executive MBA program(WEMBA), and currently directs a U.S. State Department-NIS College and University Partnership project betweenthe University of Minnesota and the Odessa StateEconomics University in Ukraine.

Given his commitment to international education,Zimmermann says, “I’m excited to have the chance to build on considerablerange of international programs and activities currently offered through our office by strengthening the partnerships between the Carlson School, thebusiness community in Minnesota and the upper Midwest, and foreigninstitutions of business and management education. “

“Looking at today’s competitive global economy,” he further emphasizes,“the need to develop international skills and cultural understanding has neverbeen more important for faculty and students at the Carlson School. Businesseshave had to adapt to the demands of global networking to be successful;educational institutions face similar challenges. The mission of the Interna-tional Programs Office is to facilitate that change within the Carlson Schooland to ensure we do all we can to prepare students to meet the global challengesof the 21st century.”

Zimmermann is also currently completing a PhD in Comparative andInternational Development Education at the University of Minnesota, andholds a Master’s degree in International Administration from the School forInternational Training in Vermont as well as a Bachelor of Science degree fromthe University of Minnesota.

“

4 G o i n g G l o b a l

Going Global interviews two individuals in theCarlson School community: Srilata Zaheer, a profes-sor in Strategic Management and Organization, andDr. Katarzyna Czuperska, an alum of the WarsawExecutive MBA (WEMBA) program, to discover therealities of being an influential woman in a local andinternational business community, as well as todetermine how a Carlson school student can bebetter prepared for a role as a global business leader.

Faculty PerspectiveWhen Sri Zaheer joined the Carlson School in

1991 as a professor in the Strategic Management, andOrganization department, she brought with her adiverse array of academic and corporate work experi-

ence. With an MBA from theIndian Institute of Manage-ment, she worked with Sandozin India as an Internal Auditor,and later taught at the RiversState University in Port Har-court, Nigeria before coming tothe United States to obtain aPhD from MIT. As a professorat the Carlson School, she hasbeen actively involved in Execu-

tive MBA programs abroad, and over the years, hastaught in China, Poland, India and Brazil. Given herrich intercultural background as well as diverse workexperiences, she seemed an ideal individual to inter-view regarding the challenges of being a woman inbusiness and academia.

However, as illustrated by Professor Zaheer’s ownexperiences in the corporate world, being a womandoes not necessarily denote a challenge. As InternalAuditor at Sandoz, for instance, she was responsiblefor conducting operational and financial audits inremote areas of India and reported to a Swiss director.Frequently involved in highly classified assignments,she experienced a high level of trust from her bosses,and generally “felt really valued.” In fact, she claimsshe held more responsibilities than most in her office,males and females alike; and hence when it came torewards or promotions, in her case, she believes shewas on a level playing field with her male counter-parts.

“It really depends on the woman,” she claims.“How she projects herself and is perceived will speakto her success as a leader on the business front.”

Another important aspect to consider is culture.According to Professor Zaheer, “On the one hand, inmale-dominated Nigeria, women are not very visiblein mainstream companies, with the exception ofstrong entrepreneurs running small businesses. Onthe other hand, in India, another patriarchical society,women tend to be accepted as powerful leaders,especially in politics.”

Professor Zaheer’s perceptions of the glass ceiling,too, seem to vary on a cross-cultural basis. Surprisedby her own observation that the concept of the glassceiling is less prominent in India than even in theUnited States, she attributes this to the belief that “once an Indian woman is married, her genderseems to fade in importance, and she is usually takenseriously as a professional.”

This could relate to the role that youth plays indetermining a woman’s ability to establish her credi-bility. As Professor Zaheer maintains, “While youthitself can be a bit of a disadvantage, especially inteaching in MBA and Executive programs, youthcoupled with gender is often worse.” She adds that a young inexperienced woman would definitely haveto work harder to establish herself in an MBA orexecutive classroom than a young inexperienced manwould.

Despite her strong work experience, and fluentcommunication skills, she still finds that as a womanfrom a different culture, she has to sometimes proveherself within the first ten minutes of any interaction,be it academic or corporate. “A person who does notspeak English well, or has a strong accent,” shebelieves, “will find it a lot more difficult, and willprobably have to work on really improving his or hercommunication skills.” Ultimately, she argues thatthe task lies in moving beyond first impressions andprojecting oneself with clarity and confidence, to beseen as a convincing asset to any establishment.

Alumni PerspectiveDr. Katarzyna Czuperska, a 2002 graduate of the

Warsaw Executive MBA (WEMBA) program,presently works as a General Manager of AbbottDiagnostic Division in Poland. An M.D. in Medicine,

Who Owns the Glass Ceiling?

The booming global workforce has seen a rapid increase in the number ofwomen business leaders over the past few decades. Coupled with this upsurgehas been the rise of theories concerning the legendary glass ceiling,

work-life-balance, leadership and management styles and gender roles in business.Inspired by the theme of this issue: “Women as Global Business Leaders,”

The task lies in

moving beyond

first impressions

and projecting

oneself with

clarity and con-

fidence, to be seen

as a convincing

asset to any

establishment.

SRI ZAHEER

“

S p r i n g 2 0 0 4 5

she transferred to the business world ten years ago,and has been working in multinational companiessince. Soon, she will be promoted to Sales Director of Europe, Middle East & Africa in the AbbottMolecular Division, and will move to Wiesbaden inGermany.

Like Professor Zaheer, Dr. Czuperska too, has notperceived many challenges working in business,owing to her gender. According to her, the playingfield for women in Poland has changed dramatically

since she entered the corporateworld ten years ago. This, shecredits to the shift in underly-ing attitudes related to womenin business. For instance, thenotion of “the wife bringingmoney home” is not as extraor-dinary as it used to be. Also, shestates, “today, a woman canhave a bigger income, or be theonly one employed in the fam-

ily,” and this indicates a significant improvement overthe past decade. When queried about what possiblycaused this shift in thinking, she admits that Poland isnot as patriarchical as it used to be.

However, while the playing field has improvedover the years, it is still not necessarily level for menand women. While Dr. Czuperska neither believesthat “women have to be better than men” in order toprove themselves, nor that Polish businesses areunfriendly towards female managers, she doesacknowledge that she is presently the only femaleleading her country’s division right now, and thatamong all the managers in the Polish office, she is theonly woman. To account for this imbalance, sherecalls the constituency of her WEMBA graduatingclass, where she was one of nine women in a class of 50students, suggesting some form of structural bias inthe very applicant pool of MBA candidates.

“There really is no observable disparity betweenmen and women in leadership positions,” she insists.“If any differences do exist between a good and badmanager, they are hardly ever gender-related.”

There may be certain differences in approaches,however, especially in the way men and womenchoose to present themselves. Dr. Czuperska remem-bers an instance at the outset of the WEMBA pro-gram, when individuals in the class had to introducethemselves and all nine women spoke in-depth aboutwhat they had done professionally, and what theirmost important career-related achievements were.The majority of the men, on the other hand, offeredachievements on a more personal note, such as therecent birth of a child.

From this, Dr. Czuperska presumes, “It seemedlike the women felt the need to establish themselvesas professionals, while the men did not.”

Of her own challenges faced as a woman inbusiness, she claims that the main difficulty relates tomaintaining a healthy work-life balance. As a GeneralManager, she works 55 - 60 hours a week and does notget as much time to spend with her family as shewould like.

Although she claims not to face too many obsta-cles as a global business leader, she ascribes much ofher development to the WEMBA program, whichhelped broaden her cultural and social horizons,through interactions with professionals of differentbackgrounds from her own. Also, her self-confidenceand comfort level working with other managersgreatly increased through her study in the WEMBAprogram.

Words of adviceSo what tips do these two women have for

students in pursuit of global leadership positions? Apart from advising students to enroll in her

courses, Professor Zaheer recommends that they takeadvantage of the wealth of globally focused programsoffered by the Carlson School. According to her, “theCarlson School is currently the envy of schools likeWharton and INSEAD, simply on account of itsoutstanding research-oriented international manage-ment faculty.” She argues that students at Carlsonneed to be made aware of this tremendous advantagethey have, and subsequently make the most of it.

Another piece of advice she has, is for students to keep track of, and engage in the “exciting eventshappening in business in other parts of the world,especially in Asian countries.” She is troubled by thefact that the international facet of the Carlson Schoolcurriculum has been downgraded to a mere 2-creditcourse requirement in recent years. She implies thatthis downplays the importance of understandingbusiness on a macro-level, and hence, the develop-ment of students as global citizens.

To further their development as global leaders, Dr.Czuperska suggests that students keep their eyesopen for opportunities within multinational compa-nies. More importantly, she believes they shouldmake the most of interactions with individuals fromdifferent cultures, because the world, being highlycomplicated, is fascinating to appraise from differentperspectives. Another tip she offers to American stu-dents is to avoid using the expression “the rest of theworld.” According to her, besides being highly cen-tralistic, the phrase tends to evoke tremendous dis-dain from non-Americans.

Finally, to truly foster one’s development as aglobal citizen, Dr. Czuperska urges students to learnany other language other than English, because “it islike learning to fly,“ and “makes your life more color-ful and enjoyable wherever you are.”

Make the most

of interactions

with individuals

from different

cultures, because

the world,

being highly

complicated, is

fascinating to

appraise from

different

perspectives.

KATARZYNACZUPERSKA

6 G o i n g G l o b a l

Are you a new international exchange student? Do you ever find yourselffeeling highly energized and eager to tackle the recent changes in your life, yetsomewhat disoriented and overwhelmed? Do you wish you had a better guide tothe sights and sounds of the Twin Cities, but don’t know where to get started?

GLOBE is here to help. As the Carlson School’s Student Association for International Business,

GLOBE presents its Mentorship Program, aimed at assisting internationalexchange students at Carlson with their transition to the culture in the UnitedStates. Paired with a mentor, you as an international student will take part insocial and professional events, share experiences from your cultures, makefriends, and build a lasting network.

So if you’d like to visit the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, cheer at a Timber-wolves game, cook up a storm for an International Potluck dinner, go bowlingwith your classmates, or simply meet new people, then join GLOBE today.

To join, just write to globe@csom.umn.edu and include some informationabout yourself. All Carlson School students are welcome.

GLOBE OFFICERS 2004 -05

President Hristina Markova, MBA 2005VP, Communications Kyle Kelley, MBA 2005

VP, Mentor Michael Caamic, MA-HRIR 2005VP, Corporate Affairs MBA Jack Guo, MBA 2005

VP, Corporate Affairs HRIR Chris Demoux, MA-HRIR 2005GLOBE - IPX Liaison Michael Perpich, MA-HRIR 2005

VP, Internships Abroad Jim Ericsson, MBA 2005VP, Undergraduate Affairs Diana Berlinerblau, Int’l Business, Finance

& Global Studies, 2006VP, Business Board Representative Gina Lupo, Finance, 2005

VP, Corporate Affairs, Undergrad Carolina Dohmen, Int’l Business & Finance, 2005

VP, Mentorship Laura Cook, Int’l Business & Finance, 2005

GLOBE and the Mentorship Program

In 1979, the not-for-profit organiza-tion “Graduate Business Women”was founded at the Wharton School

of Business in the University of Pennsyl-vania, and dedicated to the educationand promotion of women in business.Because of the increasing number ofwomen in the corporate world in lateryears, the organization changed its nameto Graduate Women In Business(GWIB) and is currently headquarteredat Rice University Jones GraduateSchool of Management.

Thanks to the support of MarilynCarlson Nelson, Chair and CEO of theCarlson Companies, the CarlsonSchool’s Chapter of GWIB has devel-oped, not only in terms of its member-ship but also in its ability to fulfill its mis-sion. This chapter, one of the nation’slargest, is comprised of 65 students fromMBA, MA-HRIR and MHA programs,and was recognized as the CarlsonSchool’s best graduate student organiza-tions in 2003. With a mission to “ReachForward *Reach Back* Reach Out,” thischapter strives to be a professional andeducational resource to women; to pro-vide visibility and networking opportu-nities with other professionals commit-ted to the development of women’s rolesin business, to increase communicationamong graduate business schools, and tobe a positive, proactive and inclusivecommunity builder.

To achieve its mission, GWIB organ-izes various events promoting women’sroles in business. One such recent event,an outreach seminar in collaborationwith a professional organization of pre-eminent women entrepreneurs and cor-porate leaders: the Committee of 200(C200) had the theme “Strategies forSuccess: Inspiring Leadership in Today’sBusiness Environment.” Attendees ofthis event had the privilege of hearingkeynote speakers Betsy Bernard, formerPresident of AT&T, and Marilyn CarlsonNelson, CEO/Chairman of CarlsonCompanies, as well as a participating inpanel discussions including “Charting

Graduate Women In Business Your Own Course: Women as Entrepre-neurs” and “Achieving Personal and Pro-fessional Fulfillment”.

The organization continues to hostvarious “Reach Back“ events including amentoring program with female studentsfrom the Minnesota Business Academyof Saint Paul, and volunteer opportuni-ties at the Jeremiah Program which pro-vides housing and family services forlow-income single mothers and theirchildren. Also, with the Carlson Compa-nies, GWIB has co-sponsored the bi-annual “Inside the Boardroom” serieswhich Marilyn Carlson Nelson devel-oped to showcase female CEOs consid-ered to be leaders in their respective

fields. This year’s guest speakers includePat Mitchell, President/CEO of PublicBroadcasting Service (Nov. 21, 2003) andAnne Mulcahy, Chairman/CEO of Xerox(March 9, 2004). Activities planned forthe spring 2004 semester include a nego-tiations workshop hosted by ProfessorPri Shah, a networking event with recentfemale alumni, and a member golfouting.

GWIB welcomes the feedback andinsight of fellow graduate students andmembers of the business community.Interested parties are encouraged tocontact GWIB at gwib@csom.umn.edu.

S p r i n g 2 0 0 4 7

She’s a sophomore honors student at the University ofMinnesota. With her pursuit of two majors through theCarlson School: Finance and International Business, and

a third, Global Studies, through the College of Liberal Arts,her plate already appears to be brimming. And yet, like abright-eyed child in a room full of gadgets, Diana Berlinerblaucannot seem to get enough of the fascinating choices that hereducation presents. On top of her intense workload, she actsas Vice President of Undergraduate Affairs for GLOBE, is theCommunications Coordinator for Carlson’s UndergraduateHonors Association, and volunteers for various causes,

including the University YMCA, the Ronald McDonald House and food shelters.In the winters, she is a cross-country ski instructor for the Three-Rivers Park Dis-trict, and occasionally, as a guest speaker at Andover Elementary School, shedelights young learners with stories, pictures, music, dances and toys from Mexico.

If that is not enough, she is also a long-distance runner on the University Cross-Country and Track team, and averaging 50 miles/week, claims that her day is notcomplete without a good run.

How does she do it all? “You have to find out what you’re passionate about,” she unveils. “Know yourself

and your limits. It’s really exciting once you find your niche because that keeps youmotivated, but at the same time, it is important to prioritize and not overdo it.”

Incredibly, a good night’s rest is another of Diana’s keys to success. “You have toknow when to back off and say ‘no’, but at the same time, be dependable once youcommit.”

So what is she passionate about? One of the biggest motivators in Diana’s life is her easy access to the world. With

a mother from Mexico, a father from France and grandparents living in Israel, Dianafeels truly blessed. As a child, she had the opportunity to travel, not only to her par-ents’ homelands, but also to Australia and several countries in Europe; and as anadult, she spent a few weeks at a conference in China, with 30 other undergraduatestudents from schools across the nation. She has been intrigued by other culturesfor as long as she can remember. “Once you get a taste of what lies beyond,” sheaffirms with enthusiasm, “you get the bug.” In fact, she even hopes to study abroadin Belgium next spring, just so she can work on her French.

Naturally, another passion lies in promoting awareness of other cultures. To stu-dents who may not have had an opportunity to travel before, she highly recom-mends talking to others who have, to get involved with GLOBE, to make time toexplore and not be afraid to try something new. She also strongly recommends studyabroad, even during the May session if necessary—anything that involves “gettingout there and seeing the world, because it crosses over into so many aspects of life.”

What are her plans for the future? Ideally, after she graduates, Diana would love to find a job that allows her to

travel globally right away. For the upcoming summer, she ponders over whether tofind a finance internship on Wall Street or to teach English to businesspersons inMexico. Ultimately, her goal is to gain experience in many different capacities, tofind her passion in the business world, and to keep on running.

Keeping Up with Our Undergraduates—Off and Running

Spot l ight InternationalProgramsAdvisory Council 2004

James A Lawrence, ChairExecutive Vice President and CFOGeneral Mills

Philip C. HaanExecutive Vice President – InternationalNorthwest Airlines, Inc

Charles B. HartwellPresident, Board of DirectorsMinnesota International Center

Michael IllbruckChair & CEOIllbruck GMBH

Jean IpU of M Alumni

Matt KramerCommissionerEmployment & Economic Development Minnesota

The Honorable Walter F. MondaleFormer Vice President of the UnitedStates, and Former Ambassador to JapanDorsey and Whitney

Glen D. Nelson, M.D.Retired Vice ChairMedtronic, Inc

David W. RaisbeckVice ChairmanCargill

Eugene SitChair, CEO & CIOSit Investment Associates, Inc

Albert StroukenChair, President and CEOH.B. Fuller Company

Inge G. ThulinExecutive Vice President3M

8 G o i n g G l o b a l

First Graduating China Executive MBA Class

O n November 10, 2003, at theNicollet Island Inn, thirty-fiveChinese executive students in

the first graduating China ExecutiveMBA class, teamed up to establish theCHEMBA Alumni Club. The creation of this club not only symbolizes the long-term vision and commitment thesestudents have towards their classmatesand the Carlson School of Management,but also signifies a remarkable momentin the history of the three-year oldCHEMBA program.

Launched in September 2001,through a collaborative effort by theCarlson School and its partner Lingnan(University) College in Guangzhou,China, the CHEMBA program is nowone of three accredited U.S. degreesoffered in China.

“What is remarkable about these students,” says Jessica Vogt, ProgramAssociate for Global Executive MBAprograms at the Carlson School, “is thatthey grew up during the Cultural Revolu-tion in China, but now are executivecaptains of industry.”

Weidong Xia, Assistant Professor inthe Information and Decision Sciencesdepartment, underscores the students’hard work, despite “their heavy responsi-bilities during the week and tight classschedule over the weekends.”

The CHEMBA curriculum, whichfocuses on “offering managerial skills tomidlevel career professionals while com-bining Western and Eastern businesstraining,” is taught primarily in China. As a concluding piece to the two-yearprogram, however, the students have tocomplete an International Residency in

the United States, a two-week programthat, according to Professor Aks Zaheer,represents “a very critical capstone ele-ment of the program, exposing them toU.S. businesses, to the Carlson School, toMinnesota and the University.”

The inaugural group’s InternationalResidency took place last November,before they graduated, and consisted ofcoursework as well as corporate visits tolocally headquartered companies such as3M, General Mills, Medtronic, H.BFuller, the Federal Reserve Bank of Min-neapolis and the Carlson Companies.Besides the valuable insights gained atthese businesses, the Chinese executivestudents particularly appreciated theopportunity to speak to Marilyn CarlsonNelson, were overjoyed by the prospectsof watching a Timberwolves game,savored the harmony of the William Tell Overture at the Orchestra Hall,delighted in touching snow for the firsttime, and expressed their reservationsabout eating cheese in their sandwiches.

In other words, the International Res-idency played a crucial role in bridgingthe geographic distance betweenGuangzhou and Minneapolis for the stu-dents, and according to Professor Li,“providing them with a sense of affilia-tion.” This is significant because, as Pro-fessor Xia aptly implies, “influentialalumni will not only help recruitprospective CHEMBA students, but...they will (also) become importantpromoters and sponsors of the school inthe future.” According to Jessica Vogt,the International Residency “raises theprofile of the Carlson School within thelocal and global business community,especially because many companies areeager to get into China.”

This visibility and global networkingis only expected to strengthen, with the second CHEMBA InternationalResidency this May, coinciding with the Vienna Executive MBA (VEMBA)program’s Residency, as well as the factthat both programs will take part in the

Executive MBA International Residency Dates, Spring 2004These intensive international studyresidencies offer top executives fromaround the globe the opportunity toengage with U.S. business leaders andlearners at the Carlson School ofManagement. We are pleased to hostthe following groups:

Program Dates Location

ESCP-EAP-European School of Management March 28 - April 1 Twin Cities

China Executive MBA (CHEMBA) May 6 - 16 Twin Cities

Vienna Executive MBA (VEMBA) May 6 - 11 New York May 12 - 16 Twin Cities

S p r i n g 2 0 0 4 9

As I reflect upon my experience, I have many fond memories of the Costa Ricanculture, the native people, the INCAE students and faculty, and the breath-taking landscape. As far the academic aspect of the course, I thoroughly

enjoyed learning about sustainable development in a country that is developing.Hearing the INCAE students’ and faculty’s outlook of sustainable development wasinvaluable. After taking this course, I believe sustainable development classes shouldbe offered and required for all MBA students. Certainly, developed countries mustmaintain a major role in recognizing and promoting sustainable development.

I also appreciated the opportunity to become acquainted with the INCAE stu-dents and faculty. I felt welcomed from the day I arrived and everyone was hospitablethroughout my entire stay. I hope that I was able to illustrate my sincere appreciationof their culture and their willingness to open their door to strangers. In light of theworld’s overall view of the United States, I thrive on the opportunity to illustrate howUnited States’ citizens are peaceful, appreciative people.

Prior to going to Costa Rica, my goal was not to just take a class and get the cred-its. My goal was to take advantage of the whole experience; aiming to yield a lifetimeof memories. Whether it was the amazing Canopy Tour in Monte Verde, discussing acase study on the Amazon Jungle, or having a beer with the INCAE students at theHard Bar, the overall experience was memorable and provided many good times.

One final product of the Costa Rica seminar was the friends I gained from theCarlson School of Management. As a full-time professional and a part-time student, Irarely have the ability to really get to know some of the other CSOM students.Accordingly, my experience in Costa Rica allowed me the opportunity to meet someof the other students that I see on a regular basis but did not know.

Again, I want to express my gratitude to The Carlson School of Management,INCAE and the DeRoy Testamentary Foundation for the opportunity to participatein the Costa Rica Seminar. I was able to learn about sustainable development, expe-rience another culture and country, meet people from Central and South America,and finally, get to know some of my fellow CSOM students. I loved the experienceand will recommend it to other students.

Matthew Dooley, MBA Candidate 2004, thanks the De Roy Testamentary foundation for theirgenerous support of international study at the Carlson School.

China Center Celebrates 25thAnniversary

Congratulations to the China Centerfor 25 years of success in promotinginternational research, teaching andservice!

The University of Minnesota’s ChinaCenter came into being in 1979, sixty-five years after the first three Chinesestudents enrolled. Today, a quarter of acentury later, it assists almost 1,300 Chi-nese visiting students and scholars, coor-dinates 22 exchange programs, organizesChinese alumni events, and serves as awindow to China, on a state and nationallevel.

From arranging an annual “Under-standing China” workshop in the univer-sity community, to initiating exchangeprograms with universities in Beijing,Shanghai and Tianjin, to hosting lec-tures, plays, symposiums, exhibits, andconcerts exploring the Chinese culture,to coordinating visits of Chinese dele-gates to Minnesota, the China Centerhas truly lived up to its aspiration of“building U.S.-China bridges.”

same commencement ceremony as therest of the Carlson School.

As one would expect, the future ofCHEMBA has much to offer. While Pro-fessor Zaheer states that the programwill “expand the global reach and brandof the Carlson School and the Universityof Minnesota,” Professor Xia remarksthat “the Carlson School faculty will geta chance to observe and experience theadvanced state and fast growing pace ofChina first hand... and bring (theirenhanced global view) back to the class-room.”

Looking back on the positive feed-back received from students and faculty,Mahmood Zaidi affirms, “I am proud towitness the completion of the Interna-tional Residency and the graduation ofthe first CHEMBA class. It is just won-derful to see the results of the 3-4 yearsof work in these students, especiallygiven the difficulty in managing pro-grams cross-culturally.”

Reflections from the 2004 Costa Rica Seminar

1 0 G o i n g G l o b a l

Copenhagen: A New Summer Program The Carlson School is pleased to offer anew summer study program at the Copen-hagen Business School (CBS). Located inthe heart of Scandinavia, and taught byU.S. and European faculty, this 3-weekintensive or 6-week long program offers adynamic multicultural environment forstudents to gain an understanding ofbusiness in a global environment. Sinceclasses are taught in English, commonlyspoken in Copenhagen, no secondlanguage is required. CBS offers separateacademic programs for undergraduate andgraduate students. The application dead-line is February 28, 2005 for the followingsummer. See carlsonschool.umn.edu/international programs for more details.

Congratulations to the followingstudents on having been selected toparticipate in the 2004 CopenhagenSummer Business Program!

Daniel Berning, UndergraduateChen Gao, UndergraduateMichael Iverson, UndergraduateDerek Magnuson, UndergraduateMana Moini-Zolghadr, UndergraduateAndrew Moe, UndergraduateErik Randall, Part-Time MBAMark Waller Jr., UndergraduateHeidi Wendroth Jr., Undergraduate

Students Selected for theLyon Seminar

Offered in collaboration with the Insti-tute for Administration and Managementat University Jean Moulin Lyon 3, this 2week seminar combines French, Europeanand U.S perspectives in developing anunderstanding of the internationalbusiness environment. Entitled “DoingBusiness in the European Union,” theLyon Seminar involves a trip to the WorldTrade Organization in Geneva, Switzer-land as well as visits to French corpora-tions. In continuing the fifteen-yearpartnership our school and the UniversityJean Moulin Lyon 3, the following CarlsonSchool students will be attending theLyon seminar this summer:

Scott Ackerman, Part-Time MBAStacey Anderson, Part-Time MBABjarni Benjaminsson, Part-Time MBA

business environment of Central andEastern Europe. This Global EnrichmentElective, which takes place in early June,involves 20 Carlson School students and10 from WU. The students participatingin this year’s Vienna Seminar representingthe Carlson School are:

Joe Ashley, Full-Time MBAKevin Blalock, Full-Time MBAJane Bresnahan, Full-Time MBAHolly Brunell, Part-Time MBARobert Dircks, Part-Time MBAJames Erickson, Full-Time MBAEmily Hanson, Part-Time MBAAbha Jain, Part-Time MBAJoshua Kaiser, Part-Time MBAKyle Marinkovich, Full-Time MBAJustin Merritt, Part-Time MBAHeather Munro, Part-Time MBAWilliam Neiss, Part-Time MBACatherine Peloquin, Part-Time MBABrett Reichow, Part-Time MBAJacquelyn Rieck, Part-Time MBAMichael Saburov, Part-Time MBAManuel Sandoval, Full-Time MBAHolly Shoden, Part-Time MBAChiung-Hui (Shirley) Tseng, Full-TimeMBATravis Vannatta, Part-Time MBA

Students Selected for the Ethics Seminar

This May, these twenty-five CarlsonSchool students will attend the seminar toexplore and understand the effects ofglobalization on ethics, culture and busi-ness from U.S and European perspectives.“The Ethical Environment of Interna-tional Business” takes place the last twoweeks of May in London and Brussels andoffers these students the opportunity toengage with leaders of multinationalfirms, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations toexamine current issues in business ethics.

Maura Bartel, Full-Time MBAMichael Berry, Full-Time MBAMark Bertulli, Full-Time MBADuncan Chandler, Part-Time MBAMaria Cordova, Part-Time MBASusan Costanzo, Full-Time MBAJeremy Esensten, Part-Time MBAJodi Gowan, Part-Time MBARocky Hanson, Part-Time MBADavid Hughes, Part-Time MBAJim Jarman, Full-Time MBA

Kevin Boren, Part-Time MBAIleana Dancovich, Part-Time MBAJulie Fullenkamp, Part-Time MBAVivekanand Gadgay, Part-Time MBAVanessa Matiski, Full-Time MBAMolly Mills, Part-Time MBACasey Nelson, Part-Time MBALindsay Nelson, Part-Time MBAMurali Radhakrishnan, Part-Time MBANancy Reardon, Not IndicatedMelanie Savage, Part-Time MBAEvan Schnell, Part-Time MBAPatrick Sheahan, Part-Time MBALanette Sheldon, Part-Time MBAKatsuhiro Suzuki, Full-Time MBACatherine Stier, Part-Time MBAKammy Tsang, Part-Time MBAKelly Warden, Part-Time MBATian Yang, Full-Time MBA

Students Selected forSummer Program in Vienna

Over 150 students from around theworld participate in the Vienna Summerprogram. Designed to focus on thechallenges facing the transitioningeconomies of Eastern and Central Europe,the program is taught by an exceptionalset of international faculty in Vienna atWirtschaftsuniversität Wien (WU). Forthis year’s Vienna Summer Program, thefollowing Carlson School students havebeen selected to participate:

Alraune Chowdhury, Part-Time MBAKeith Donais, Part-Time MBAMathew Glaeser, UndergraduateAmy Johnson, Part-Time MBALori Kocer, Part-Time MBAVinita Mahadevan, Part-Time MBABrian Mojica, Full-Time MBACasey Nelson, Part-Time MBAMark Pocernich, Part-Time MBARichard Rominger, CEMBA AlumPhilip Shea, Part-Time MBA

Students Selected for the Vienna Seminar

The Vienna Seminar, entitled “DoingBusiness in Central and Eastern Europe,”unites students from the Carlson Schooland partner university Wirtschaftsunver-sität Wien (WU) to work on a live casestudy with 3M in Vienna and Moscow. Thestudents explore challenges faced bycorporations in the rapidly transforming

GLOBALC A R L S O N S C H O O L O F M A N A G E M E N T

G O I N G

S p r i n g 2 0 0 4 1 1

Suzanne Joseph, Full-Time MBAKulpreet Kaur, Full-Time MBAKyle Kelley, Full-Time MBAJustine (Yi-Tze) Lai, Part-Time MBAWinona Lakin, Part-Time MBAMichael Langan, Full-Time MBALeslie Munson, Full-Time MBAStephanie Peterson, Part-Time MBAColin Piper, Full-Time MBAMark Pocernich, Part-Time MBAJeffrey Rueber, Part-Time MBALydia Seiber, Part-Time MBAAndrew Smith, Part-Time MBARobert Strand, Part-Time MBA

Where are they now? The following faculty members teach

abroad during spring and summer ’04 inthe Global Executive MBA program:

CHINA EXECUTIVE MBA (CHEMBA)John C. Anderson, Operations and

Management SciencesMark Bergen, Marketing and Logistics

ManagementChun Chang, FinanceChandra Kanodia, Accounting

Ian Maitland, Strategic Management andOrganization

John Mauriel, Strategic Management andOrganization

Yijiang Wang, Human Resources andIndustrial Relations

Warren Weber, Marketing and LogisticsManagement

Aks Zaheer, Strategic Management andOrganization

Mahmood Zaidi, Carlson IndustrialRelations Center

WARSAW EXECUTIVE MBA (WEMBA)John C. Anderson, Operations and

Management SciencesJohn Bryson, HHH Institute of Public

AffairsRajesh Chandy, Marketing and Logistics

ManagementJohn Mauriel, Strategic Management and

OrganizationCorey Redfield, FinanceEd Joyce, AccountingJohn Mauriel, Strategic Management and

OrganizationTimothy Nantell, FinanceBill Rudelius, Marketing and Logistics

Management

VIENNA EXECUTIVE MBA (VEMBA)Charles Caliendo, AccountingNorm Chervany, Information Decision

SciencesJohn Fossum, Human Resources and

Industrial RelationsJohn Mauriel, Strategic Management and

OrganizationChris Nachtsheim, Operations and

Management SciencesRodger Schroeder, Operations and

Management Sciences

And this upcoming summer ‘04, thefaculty members teaching in our GlobalEnrichment Electives are:

ETHICS SEMINARNorm Bowie, Strategic Management and Organization

VIENNA SEMINARLori Abrams, Strategic Management and Organization

LYON SEMINARKaren Donohue, Operations andManagement Science

VIENNA SUMMERMary Zellmer-Bruhn, StrategicManagement and Organization

Consider spending a semester abroadEach year, dozens of Carlson graduate and undergraduate students spend a

semester overseas on exchange at one of the Carlson School’s top-notch interna-tional partner universities. A semester exchange is a great and affordable way toexperience a new culture while taking a full semester of classes that apply towardyour Carlson School degree requirements. Space is still available for some of thefollowing programs during the Spring Semester of the 2004-05 school year!

Australia University of MelbourneBelgium Université Catholique de Louvain-la-NueveBrazil Escola de Administracão de Empresas de São Paolo Fundacão

Getulio VargasCosta Rica INCAEDenmark Copenhagen Business School (CBS)England Manchester Business SchoolFrance HEC Ecole des Hautes Etudes CommercialesHong Kong Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyJapan Keio Business SchoolNew Zealand University of OtagoNorway Norwegian School of Management (NSM/BI)Spain ESADESweden Stockholm School of EconomicsSwitzerland University of St. Gallen

Austria Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien (WU)Belgium Université Catholique de Louvain-la-NueveDenmark Copenhagen Business School (CBS)England Manchester School of Management (UMIST)France Bordeaux School of ManagementFrance l’Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 (Lyon 3)Hong Kong Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyItaly l’Università Commerciale Luigi BocconiNetherlands Universiteit MaastrichtNew Zealand University of OtagoNorway Norwegian School of Management (NSM/BI)Singapore Singapore Management University (SMU)Switzerland University of St. Gallen

For more information and an application visit: www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/interna-tionalprograms or contact Janelle Wenzel at 612-625-0562 or jwenzel@csom.umn.edu.

UN

DE

RG

RA

DU

AT

E E

XC

HA

NG

E

PAR

TN

ER

SG

RA

DU

AT

E E

XC

HA

NG

E

PAR

TN

ER

S

Professor Michael J. Houston

International ProgramsCarlson School of ManagementUniversity of Minnesota

321 19th Avenue South, Suite 4-104Minneapolis, MN 55455612-625-9361www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/internationalprograms

© 2004 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota. All r ights reserved.

same skills and motivation likely held by many successfulmale salespeople. My point is simple: as more and morewomen break through the glass ceiling, they potentiallyface another layer of discrimination and sexism that dimin-ishes the appreciation for the talents that brought themsuccess. Over the years I have been treated by femalephysicians and dentists, worked with female managers andattorneys, and interacted with many successful female col-leagues in the academic world, many of whom were earlyentrants into these historically male-dominated profes-sions. It became clear to me that it was their special talentsas individuals that brought them success. I hope that thesecomments help reinforce the important messages fromMs. Nelson, Professor Zaheer, and Dr. Czuperska.

Some of the difficulties faced by women in the U.S. busi-ness world may, depending on the culture, be diminished ormagnified in other economies. Any woman (or man forthat matter) moving to a position outside of her homecountry should familiarize herself as much as possibleabout any potential difficulties faced by women in the des-tination country. If participation in study-abroad programsis any indication, however, women do not seem fazed bycultural differences they may face. Proportionately, womenparticipate at a greater rate than men and collectively maybe better equipped for the global workplace, as a result.

The “glass ceiling” that exists for women in businesscan be shattered by the right woman, as should beevident from the impressive women whose thoughts

on this issue are provided elsewhere in the newsletter. Andit certainly has by many women. Their success, however,brings to mind another troubling reaction to the success ofwomen that I have observed on the part of some people,especially men. Allow me to put it into a specific context.

Over the past couple of decades or so, we have wit-nessed a significant infusion of women into the male-dom-inated occupation of sales. Early on, one thing started tobecome very clear. The women entering sales were on thewhole outselling men! The troubling reaction was that thissuccess somehow had something to do with gender differ-ences, i.e., merely being a woman provided an advantageover men. Of course, there were some not-so-kind sugges-tions that because the gender of the organizational buyerswas typically male, women brought special “advantages” tothe sales encounter. As it turns out, this wasn’t the case atall. Consider the situation. You have a woman willing andinterested in pursuing a male-dominated occupation. Thisindividual is going to have certain levels of motivation andskills that make her interested in pursuing this occupation.Her subsequent success has nothing to do with gender; itresults from those special skills and motivation that madeher unafraid to enter a male-dominated occupation, the

Reflections from the Associate Dean