Alumni Spotlight

1. What are some of your fondest memories as a FEMBA student?
   The final residential and the Belgium trip. In both instances we were all a bit more relaxed than usual and able to connect with each other as an entire class.
2. How did you choose your career path?
   Based on everything I have done to this point I looked back on what I had enjoyed the most and am most passionate about now.
3. How has earning your MBA at the Merage School helped you in your business?
   This question is asked quite a bit. The biggest take-away for me was working in a collaborative environment with the best and brightest in their individual fields. I learned to work better as part of a team and leverage the bits of knowledge on each subject into the bigger picture.
4. Can you describe your company Cerius Interim Executive Solutions, and your role as Executive Vice President?
   1. Cerius Interim Executive Solutions is the North American leader in delivering interim executive management solutions with the innovation and speed that businesses need to tackle their business opportunities or to mitigate risk. Cerius leverages the skill and experience of its deep pool of more than 500 Interim Executives, who bring the broadest array of industry and functional experience to deliver best-in-class leadership on-demand to the market.
   2. My role is primarily in business development and expanding Cerius regionally on a national basis.
5. What particular skills do you think are critical for succeeding in the business world?
   Listening and building lasting relationships
6. What are some of your hobbies and extracurricular activities that you enjoy?
   Triathlons, water skiing, snow skiing
7. Is philanthropy important to you? If so, why?
   Yes, most importantly to keep the cycle going. Very few, if any of us, are successful all by ourselves. Once you are in a position to give back in any way possible, it is important to keep the cycle going and help others.
8. How do you stay involved with the Merage School and your local community?
   I am part of the Dean's Leadership Circle at the Merage School. In the past, I have volunteered with the Girl Scouts and was on a non-profit Board of Directors. I have recently located to Washington DC and am looking forward to finding ways to contribute to my local community here.

1. What are some of your fondest memories as an Ph.D student?
   
   I was in the School's second Masters class, and the second person to earn a Ph.D there (1973). The School was tiny by current standards, of course. But all of us, faculty, staff, and students, felt we were present at the beginning of a great adventure. I don't get back to the UCI campus and the School very often. But when I do, the growth of both into the wonderful institutions they are today shows we were right. Being"present at the creation" is a wonderful memory for me.
2. How did you choose your career path?
   
   When I was a doctoral student, three Foreign Service Officers came to the School to recruit candidates for the Diplomatic Service. They were seeking people who possessed"management skills", then assessed to be in short supply within the State Department. I was very interested in national affairs, and liked the excitement of living in the Nation's Capital, so I applied. When accepted, I came to Washington and have been here ever since
3. How has earning your Ph.D at the Merage School helped you in your business?
   
   It has been absolutely crucial to my success in at least two ways. The first has been the intellectually demanding skill building the Masters and Doctoral programs fostered. Without them, I wouldn't have been capable of grasping the opportunities that have presented themselves over the years. The second has been a certain cachet that degrees from the University of California have in the wider world. I believe they've helped open more than one door for me over my career. I've always been proud to tell people where I'm from academically.
4. Can you describe your company [The MITRE Corporation], and your role as [Principal Information Technology Economist]?
   
   MITRE is a"think tank" that does studies and evaluations for the Federal government. We have about 6,000 professionals working in Washington DC and around the world. Often MITRE's work has national significance, so it is professionally rewarding. My typical role is to lead projects intended to improve the way a given Federal agency uses computer systems to achieve its overall purposes. It's absorbing work.
5. What particular skills do you think are critical for succeeding in the business world?
   
   In many respects, they're the same skills that are important to succeeding in life generally – knowing yourself well, knowing when and how to follow your heart, having clear, achievable purposes, seeing the world as it really is, gathering appropriate information about the situation at hand, evaluating alternatives, working well with people, making good decisions, taking everything as seriously as it should taken but not more so, being able to laugh often, and having fun along the way.
6. What are some of the hobbies and extracurricular activities that you enjoy?
   
   I compete in Masters Track and Field competitions (i.e., track meets for competitors over 40). I've thrown the discus, shot, and javelin competitively in World Masters competitions in South Africa, Australia, England, Spain, Italy, Puerto Rico, and Canada. The competitions are as much fun as they were in college, though"aging gracefully" gets a little harder every year.
7. Is philanthropy important to you?
   
   If so, why? Philanthropy is a concrete way of acknowledging that not everyone has the same advantages in life, and that we all stand on the shoulders of others. Philanthropy can help establish a more level playing field, help pay back the debt we owe all those who assisted us along the way, and brighten the lives of others even if we never meet them. It's a concrete way of acknowledging our connectedness as people.
8. How do you stay involved with the Merage School and your local community?
   
   I live in the Washington DC area, so opportunities to stay involved with the Merage School are comparatively few in number. But I'm currently working on establishing links between my company and the School to foster outplacement opportunities for Merage graduates.