Author Archives: HELEN LUND

About HELEN LUND

Helen Lund, Social Media and Web Designer, joined the School of Management staff in 2014. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design in 2016. She manages social media and provides web updates for the School of Management along with creating printed materials. She assists the School of Management in content creation, photography, and event support.

UM-Flint to Host Event to Increase Impact of Internships in Michigan

Employers and educators are invited to attend an August 6 event focusing on growing internship opportunities and advancing the impact they have for students, businesses, and communities throughout Michigan.

“Intern Advantage: creating a talent pipeline through community partnerships and resources” will be hosted by the University of Michigan-Flint at the Riverfront Center. It will feature workshops designed to launch, expand, and engage new stakeholders in internship programs. UM-Flint School of Management Dean Scott Johnson will be a speaker at the event.

The Michigan Career Educator & Employer Alliance (MCEEA), a statewide collaboration aimed at creating relationships and leveraging resources for the advancement of career and internship opportunities across the state, is coordinating the event. The Prima Civitas Foundation (PCF), Michigan State University (MSU), UM-Flint, and Davenport University are among the MCEEA partners.

“Many employers are looking for ways to attract and retain talent, but aren’t sure where to begin,” notes Amanda Dumond-Avila, Prima Civitas Foundation’s director of talent initiatives and co-creator of the Michigan Internship Initiative. “By the end of the event, attendees will have resources and information to immediately develop an internship program.”

Internships are increasingly becoming important hiring tools for employers. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers‘ 2013 Internship & Co-op Survey Report (download PDF), 48.8 percent of interns were later hired as employees with the companies they interned for, and 88.9 percent of those hires remained after a year. With nearly 40 percent of recent graduates moving out of the state, internships remain an important talent retention method.

In addition to workshops focusing on “traditional” internships, the event also features a presentation on working with international student interns. Speakers will include Athena Trentin from Global Talent Retention Initiative (GTRI) and Malin Clark from UM-Flint’s International Center.

“Many employers could benefit from working with international students, but haven’t taken that next step,” said Dumond-Avila. “Our focus on international internships will demystify the process and highlight the benefits of connecting with international students.”

Attendees will receive an Employer Internship Toolkit, advice on developing job descriptions from HR professionals, information about Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) talent programs, contact information for local colleges and universities, and other resources.

The cost is free but seating is limited. Registration and event information are available at EventBrite.com.

SOM Alumna Michelle Goff Named CFO of the Year

The School of Management congratulates alumna Michelle Goff, BBA ’83, the CFO and senior vice president of R.L. Polk & Co., for being awarded CFO of the Year – large private company by Crain’s Detroit Business.

Goff received her BBA from UM-Flint in 1983 before continuing her education on the Ann Arbor campus. Since receiving her MBA in 1986, she has held a number of senior finance positions for large companies.

In her role as CFO and senior vice president of R.L. Polk & Co., Michelle Goff oversees more than 70 employees and a $19 million dollar budget. Her team is responsible for mapping out the future of the company’s financial operations, including risk-management, securities, real estate, insurance, taxes, accounting, assets, banking, credit, and treasury activities.

The Crain’s Detroit Business decision to award Goff the CFO of the Year recognition stems largely from insights she provided Polk in 2009, and the leadership role she flourished in when actions were taken based on those same insights.

In 2007, R.L. Polk & Co. invested an undisclosed sum to acquire a substantial stake in RoadToData, a Swiss automotive price and specifications data supplier with operations in 10 countries. Soon after the acquisition, Polk found itself dumping cash into RoadToData when the auto industry nearly collapsed during the economic recession. With profitability projections sliding into the distant future, Goff and other senior executives called for divestiture and a refocus on Polk’s core operations.

Although there were a variety of viewpoints amongst Polk leadership team on which direction was the best option for the future, the difficult decision was made, and Goff was called on to conduct the financial and legal aspects of the RoadToData closure in 2009. “It was a great decision in hindsight,” said Goff, as Polk’s profitability from core operations increased 31 percent between 2009 and 2013, and projects to perform even higher in 2014.

R.L. Polk & Co. assembles comprehensive automotive sales and forecasting data. The company also provides vehicle recall services for auto manufacturers, presents annual awards and has a diversity marketing services arm. In 2012, Polk generated $401 million in revenue.

Professor Mehdian lectures at Romanian American University

Two years ago, the University of Michigan-Flint and the Romanian American University (RAU) of Bucharest signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together in sharing faculty expertise to increase the quality of education for the students of both Universities.

During the Fall ’12 semester, Professor Seyed Mehdian, Professor of Finance for the School of Management, became the first SOM faculty member to participate in teaching at RAU in Romania. During his visit, Professor Mehdian delivered several iterations of his lecture titled “Financial Management Issues” to RAU students and faculty.

Professor Mehdian is seen in the image above with Dr. Ovidiu Folcut, the Rector of Rau, Mrs. Despina Barbieru of the Office of International Relations (RAU), and students who attended Dr. Mehdian’s lectures.

SOM Student, Amanda Nielsen, Interns At New Landaal Packaging

Written By Shaun Byron of MLive.com | [email protected] | See the original M-Live article here

FLINT, MI — Amanda Nielsen had her sights set on Chicago for an internship.

That was before the Grand Blanc resident and University of Michigan-Flint student met with Burton-based Landaal Packaging Systems about an opportunity.

While the Windy City is still on the minds of Nielsen’s friends, she said Vehicle City is looking like the better choice.

“A lot of people want Chicago, I wanted Chicago at first, but I like it more here now,” she said.

Nielsen will be part of the staff moved Jan. 2 to Landaal Packaging’s new offices at 540 Saginaw St. in Flint.

M-Live article

 

SOM Students Win Oakland University International Case Competition

Congratulations to UM-Flint School of Management students, Todd Ackerman, Alex Benda, George Joubran, and Logan McGrady, for winning the first ever Oakland University International Case Competition!

In February, the Oakland University School of Business invited teams of top undergraduate students from more than 200 highly respected international academic institutions to take part in their International Case Competition (OUICC). Aimed at building and practicing teamwork and leadership skills, the competition consisted of three elimination rounds of judged case presentations, with prizes and awards going to the three finalists.

In the initial round, all participating teams were required to submit a video presentation and case summary to the OUICC judging panel by email. From all the first round submissions, only 12 teams were selected to advance to the next stage of competition. In round two, the teams delivered their presentations via interactive live feeds, and were required to defend their strategies and arguments during Q&A sessions with the OUICC panel of judges.

Then with only twelve hours between rounds two and three to make improvements based on Q&A feedback, the top three teams made their best case in the third round. In the end, the School of Management student team’s presentation won the day and took home the first place award.

Congratulations again to our outstanding students – Todd Ackerman, Alex Benda, George Joubran, and Logan McGrady!

UM-Flint Opens New Transfer Advising Office at MCC

The University of Michigan-Flint will have a new presence at the Mott Community College (MCC) University Center (located in the Mott Memorial Building), where MCC students can get in-person information and advice about UM-Flint.

UM-Flint will staff the new space Monday through Friday during normal business hours. On occasion, special events may extend past normal hours. Staff from UM-Flint’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions and School of Management will handle the operations of the new office.

Mott students who seek to transfer to UM-Flint upon completion of their associate degree can receive advising service. Advising will also be provided to students in the newly established Mott2UM-Flint Concurrent Enrollment program.

The presence of UM-Flint admissions advisers at MCC University Center facilitates a much smoother transfer process for Mott students who wish to transfer to the University of Michigan-Flint. It enables these students to seek quality advising about UM-Flint academic programs and their degree requirements.

“We are extremely grateful to President Dick Shaink and Vice President Amy Fugate for their support, particularly in allowing UM-Flint to have a presence at the University Center where Mott students will have more convenient access to UM-Flint staff,” said Vahid Lotfi, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Programs.

UM-Flint Featured in the Princeton Review

The University of Michigan-Flint School of Management (SOM) is an outstanding business school according to the education services company The Princeton Review.

The School of Management is in the new 2013 edition of its annual guidebook, “The Best 296 Business Schools.”This latest recognition comes less than a month after SOM was named one of the Best Undergraduate Business Programs in the Midwest by U.S. News’ “Best Colleges 2013.”

“We consider UM-Flint’s School of Management one of the best institutions a student could attend to earn an MBA,” according to Robert Franek, Princeton Review Senior VP-Publisher. “We selected the schools we profile in this book, 280 of which are in the U.S.A. and 16 are international, based on our high regard for their academic programs and our reviews of institutional data we collect from the schools. We also solicit and greatly respect the opinions of students attending these schools who rate and report on their experiences at them on our 80-question survey for the book.”

The Princeton Review’s survey asked 19,000 students at the 296 schools their opinions of their school’s academics, student body and campus life as well as about themselves and their career plans. The student surveys analyzed for this edition were conducted during the 2009-2012 academic years.

“We are very pleased to have been recognized by Princeton Review in their 2013 annual guide book of Best Business Schools. This recognition succinctly reflects the quality of our academic programs. It could not have been achieved without the dedication and hard work of our faculty and staff,” noted Vahid Lotfi, senior vice provost and acting dean of SOM. The recognition is also partly based upon feedback from our students, many of whom face complex lives. We are truly proud of them.”

Some of the comments from students attending SOM in the profile include: “If you are looking for a ‘prestigious top school for management’ that offers a great deal of ‘flexibility,’ then consider the University of Michigan-Flint School of Management. The MBA program is ‘very structured and organized.'”

UM-Flint Entrepreneurs Society Wins National Awards

(Chicago, Ill) The Entrepreneurs Society of the University of Michigan-Flint received special recognition and honors in two categories last week at the National CEO Conference. This premier event, in Chicago, featured three days of meetings, workshops and competitions (www.c-e-o.org) where the best universities compete in a number of categories. Out of 130 universities and more than 1400 students, representatives from University of Michigan-Flint placed 2nd in two categories: Best Fundraising Event, and Best Chapter Leadership.

Gannon O’Reilly, Chapter President, was honored as one of the best CEO leaders in America. His efforts at leading the Entrepreneur’s Society for the 2011-2012 year featured such innovations as the Work/Live Space launch in June, in partnership with the Flint Habitat for Humanity. This new business initiative was the first of its kind and is leading the way in urban re-development initiatives.

Another Entrepreneurs Society Member, Brooke Dziurman, led UM-Flint to the second place prize for the best fundraiser. This monumental effort resulted in $32,000 being raised and donated to a severely ill person battling brain cancer, all done in a 5 week period.

The Entrepreneurs Society was formed in 2007 as an academic club at the School of Management, University of Michigan-Flint. It presently has 109 members and a number of involved alumni and supporters in the greater Flint community.

SOM’s Young Entrepreneurs

Two young entrepreneurs from the School of Management launched a successful website, mylifesecret, which already have postings from 10 different countries, and more than 900,000 page views since May 2012. Philip Pirkovic graduated with a dual degree in business management and economics. His brother, Saso, will graduate from the School of Management at the end of this year. A fellow School of Management marketing graduate, Taylor Hinds, designed the branding and graphics. The website provides a safe outlet for individuals to express themselves and seek out help when they have nowhere else to turn. The rates of cyber bullying, depression and suicide are skyrocketing among the young individuals. The two brothers found this unacceptable and wanted to make a difference. They are donating 20% of proceeds from their shirt sales to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In the coming year, they plan to start the My Secret Life Foundation to combat bullying, suicide and depression alongside a mobile application.

Philip and Saso feel very strongly about the revitalization of the struggling economy in Flint, and they want their ventures to reflect this sentiment. The School’s Associate Dean, Dr. Yener Kandogan, says “It is this kind of entrepreneurial activity that provides the best hope for the region’s economy.” The brothers are looking at office spaces in the up and coming downtown corridor of Saginaw Street in Flint. All promotional printing is also done in the Flint area.

SOM Partners with Citizens Bank for Internship Program

The School of Management is partnering with Citizens bank to offer an internship program. The interview process for the program was held in April with ten students chosen for internship positions. Students with majors in Accounting, Finance, International Business and Marketing will participate in the intense training program May 14 through September 1.

Click here to read more from University of Michigan-Flint News.

Click here to read the article featured on MLive.