Harriet Peters at her farwell party in the Ramin Palor, Sage Hall.
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Reunion 2005
June 9-12
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Director’s Message: Wishing Harriet Peters a happy retirement
For more than 25 years, Harriet Peters has been a strong and caring presence at the Johnson School. Her career has spanned work in student services, career management, international exchange programs, and alumni relations. In each and all of these roles, Harriet has touched the lives of students, alumni, and her fellow colleagues here at the Johnson School. The best way to get a sense of this is to read just a handful of the well wishes that Harriet has received from so many of you that span the generations of the Johnson alumni community:
From Jerry (MBA ’48) and Helen Levitan: “We both send you our best wishes for a happy, healthy and fulfilling retirement. After successfully serving Cornell, it is time to cater to your ‘wish’ list. Please count us among the scores of friends you have made along the way.”
From Dick (MBA ’59) and Arlene Kosoff: “I represent one of the legions of alumni that feel blessed to have crossed your path at Cornell. You have been generous with your time, wise in your recommendations, and endlessly patient. In short, you have made my connection with the school a joy rather than a chore. And on top of this you and [your husband] Earl have become friends, which is the biggest bonus of all.”
From Roger O’Neil, MBA ’61: “What a pleasure it has been to work with you over the years! There are so many memories – the smiling faces of the students you brought to Europe (and their comments on how much you helped them), the times we would meet in Ithaca and elsewhere and the enthusiasm you showed for all things Cornell, and the way you stepped in to support the European Alumni programs when we were in great need of a mentor. I hope that you will be able to wind down now with a great sense of accomplishment, and I wish you and Earl all the best in the years ahead.”
From David Feinburg, MBA ’79: “I do not remember when and under what circumstances I met Harriet, but I will never forget her kindness, interest, and warmth over the 25 years I have known her. After a meeting with Harriet I always left in a better mood than when I arrived. The school will miss her and I will miss her.”
From Jonathan King, MBA ’86: “My enduring memory of Harriet is one of professional grace – not under pressure, but the rare kind of grace in everyday business environments that profoundly communicates with each person in each exchange that the person is more important than the information being communicated, that people and the relationships between them are what really get things done and make it all worthwhile. You set an example for us that seemed so effortless (although we know it isn’t) and the simply knowing that it works, that it can be done, inspires us to not only find a way to ‘make it work’ but to stretch and grow and be more of who we really are.”
From Karling Alice Leung, MBA ’86: “I remember Harriet fondly. She was most kind to me when I was a new student from overseas. When I visited the campus prior to joining the 1986 class, she made sure that I felt welcomed, and that I had information for the two other students who were originally from Hong Kong so I had someone to call when I went back to Hong Kong for the summer before coming to Cornell. I can never thank her enough for her kindness. She made my transition from undergraduate to graduate school much easier than otherwise it would have been, as I was one of the youngest people in my class, and came straight from undergraduate with no work experience. It has been almost 20 years since I graduated and I have been relatively successful in my career. I think back often to my days in Cornell and to Harriet as one of those very kind people who helped me grow from a bright kid to what I hope is a more mature and understanding person.
From Cyrus Copeland, MBA ’90: “Fifteen years ago, you were the calm at the center of a perpetual storm. Amidst a fusillade of exams and presentations and interviews, there you were – ready with a smile and steady hand, reminding us would-be MBAs of a humanity that’s surprisingly easy to forget. I forgot much of what I learned at the Johnson School, and indeed have gone on to a non-business career, but I will always remember you and your kindness. May it return to you a hundredfold.”
From Michelle Thevenin, MBA ’01: “Harriet stepped into my life at an opportune time and while we may not talk as regularly as when I was in Ithaca, I will always value her guidance and belief in me. Were it not for Harriet I would not have had my first international experience in Turkey, which touched my life deeply and for which I will be forever grateful to her.
And, finally, it seems fitting to give the last word on this subject to the person who has been at the Johnson School the longest, Professor Harold Bierman: “Few of us understand Harriet’s very large contribution to the Johnson School. I cannot estimate the number of alumni who have asked where they can find Harriet so they can thank her. She has done her job so that it honors us all.”
Here, here. Good luck and Godspeed, Harriet Peters. You will be greatly missed.
Risa M. Mish '85, JD '88
Director, Alumni
Relations
Johnson student team among finalists for product case competition
Congratulations to the team of Tzu Chieh Lin, Jeremie Delvoie, Joshua Parker, Olga Narvskaia, and Nailah Jinnah, who, after earning a spot in the final round in the first annual Fuqua Product Strategy Case Competition, placed fourth. Participating teams were required to develop product-line strategies for NavMan and Northstar, companies that design, manufacture, and market global positioning system (GPS) products for the marine, personal GPS, fleet management and OEM markets. Five teams participated in the final case analysis recently in Durham, North Carolina, against teams from Harvard, Emory, and Notre Dame. John Deere, a company that manufactures agricultural and construction equipment, judged the final round.
- Hold advanced degrees in a professional area: business, law, medicine, education, and;
- Held executive-level or other management positions prior to “stepping out,” and;
- “Stepped out” of the corporate workforce for at least two years (to raise children, care for a sick relative, travel, complete additional education, or other reason), and;
- Have recently returned to the corporate workforce or are trying to do so.
If you are willing to complete the survey, please go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=21375561166
Volunteer spotlight
Rob Redmond, MBA’80, is the national chairman of the Johnson School Annual Fund, a role that involves leading the volunteer campaign to encourage Johnson Alumni to make unrestricted gifts to the school and helping to provide strategic oversight of the school’s peer-to-peer solicitation efforts. Under the leadership of Redmond, his fellow volunteers, and the Johnson School Annual Fund staff, the fund last year exceeded its goal of $1.2 million by more than 18 percent, with donations totaling $1,477,528.
Redmond, who is a managing director at Lehman Brothers and head of the firm’s industrial and financial sponsor investment banking group, has served as a host practitioner in the Johnson School’s annual “Week on Wall Street” program, through which students in the investment banking immersion are introduced to Wall Street firms, has been actively involved in the recruitment of Johnson School students to Lehman Brothers, and is a member of the Cornell University Council. He is also a member of the Johnson School Dean’s Leadership Committee, which conducts peer-to-peer solicitation of Tower Club-level ($5,000) and higher gifts.
As national chairman of the Annual Fund, Redmond’s main goal is to increase the percentage of Johnson School alumni who participate in the Annual Fund, so that our participation rate, which is currently 23 percent, is more in line with that of other top MBA programs (where rates are 30-63 percent). Redmond believes that achieving a participation rate that is competitive with our peer schools is not the only reason for emphasizing unrestricted giving, however. "Alumni participation is a strong indicator of alumni satisfaction, and many corporations and foundations use this measure to decide which MBA programs merit their financial support. Increasing our participation rate will mean increasing the Johnson School’s opportunity to obtain these additional funding sources so that we can continue to provide students with a first-rate business education."
The Johnson School thanks Redmond for his excellent volunteer service, and we look forward to continued progress under his leadership toward achieving our Annual Fund participation goals.
Featured alumni
Recent Media Hits
The comments of Professor Robert Frank are included in a Star-Ledger article entitled “Why we need to shop.” In the article Frank cites how individuals aspire to the spending levels of wealthier neighbors. Frank said, “The extra spending at the top does cascade down and influences the standards of the rest of us. You've got people doing clerical work who think they have to start the day with a $4 cup of coffee.” Consultant-in-Residence Randy Allen's business, Girls Explore, continues to make the pages of the print media. Her business was highlighted the Syracuse Post-Standard, NJBIZ, Downtown Magazine and Grandparents Magazine. Professor Stuart Hart was mentioned in a Washington Post commentary that looks at businesses finding profit by "tilting to the left." The paper writes, "Even when it comes to the daunting problem of global poverty, influential business thinkers C.K. Prahalad and Stuart L. Hart have persuaded Unilever, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson and others to explore ways to profitably serve the world's 4 billion poor and promote economic development by making businesses out of manufacturing low-cost utilitarian products such as water purification pills." Professor Robert Frank's presentation at the Conference of Economists-the 2004 Giblin lecture at the University of Tasmania-received extensive attention in the Australian media. In an Australian Financial Review article, a reporter reviews Frank's research on CEO pay. The article quotes Frank, "There's been a change in the nature of competition for CEO positions. You could look at the CEO of a large corporation and see a good decision in the 1950s would have meant millions of dollars on the bottom line. But you had to come up through the ranks to be CEO. So only a handful of people were available for the post. It was a bilateral negotiation and not a competitive market.'' Many other comments made by Professor Frank are cited throughout the lengthy article.
For more Johnson School media hits, see Johnson School in the News.
SageConnection Events/other:
December 21
Philadelphia, PA
Happy Hour and Holiday cheer! Join us at the General Lafayette Inn, 646 Germantown Pike, Lafayette Hill, PA. Time: 6:00 p.m. RSVP to Abra Benson at amb8@cornell.edu.
January 3
Hong Kong
Happy Hour! Join some current students for an update about the school. Location: Backroom, 8 Arbthnot Rd., Central, tel: 2868 0490. Time: 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. For questions, please contact Leo Chan, or Felix Chan.
January 9
Silicon Valley (CA)
CEN Silicon Valley presents its Annual Entrepreneurship Event will feature two “keynote” conversations with Carl Bass ’78, COO Autodesk (interviewed by Roger Strauch ’78, chairman, The Roda Group) and Beckie Robertson ’82, managing director, Versant Ventures (interviewer not yet named). Location: The Computer History Museum, 1401 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountainview. Time: 3:30 to 8:00 p.m. Cost: $50 includes buffet reception, presentation, drinks, dessert and coffee. RSVP at www.cen.cornell.edu
January 11
New York, NY
CEN presents best selling finance and technology author Andy Kessler ’80. Location: The Cornell Club, 6 East 44th St. Time: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Cost: $30 includes buffet reception, presentation, drinks, dessert and coffee. RSVP at www.cen.cornell.edu
January 13
Boston, MA
Happy Hour! Join alumni and current students for a happy hour sponsored by the Alumni Relations Office. Meet us at the Aqua (http://www.aquaboston.com/welcome.html), 120 Water Street, Downtown Boston. Time: 6:00 p.m. RSVP so we know how many alumni will attend, at www.johnson.cornell.edu/alumni/events. For questions, contact Patrick Milligan at Patrick.milligan@fmr.com. Hope to see you there!
January 14
Boston, MA
CEN and the Cornell Club of Boston presents an evening with the Atlanta Hawks vs the Celtics networking with Hawks owner Steve Belkin ’69, Cornell’s Entrepreneur of the Year! Location: The Fleet Center. Time: 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. Cost: $110 (all-inclusive: game, food, drinks). RSVP at www.cen.cornell.edu
February 1
San Francisco, CA
CEN Silicon Valley and the Johnson School Club of the Bay Area present “The Magic of Markets, Market Efficiency and Informational Arbitrage” featuring a presentation by Johnson School Professor Charles M.C. Lee, MBA ’89, PhD ’90 , and a panel discussion with Andy Kessl. Location: The World Affair’s Council, 312 Sutter St, 2nd Fl, San Francisco. Time: 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Cost: $30 includes event and reception. RSVP at www.cen.cornell.edu
Johnson School specific events appear in red.