Wharton Alumni Club of Brazil Builds on Global Alumni Forum
Wharton Alumni Club of Brazil has long been one of the network’s largest. Galvanized by the success of hosting the 2006 Global Alumni Forum, the Club has redirected the spirit of celebration towards its mission: to provide opportunities for alumni to network, to strengthen the bonds between the school and the alumni, and to raise high the Wharton brand in Brazil. Last August, the WGAF attracted 421 participants, 92 from abroad.
Intensive planning and execution produced a large alumni group discussing everything from speakers to venue details and working on off-Forum activities, such as two Admission Sessions, with 150 guests in São Paulo and 55 in Rio, focusing on the 2009 class candidates. The Club’s track record since 2001’s first Alumni Forum in Brazil up to the fantastic 2006 Wharton’s 125th anniversary celebration in Rio has been impressive.
In this period, the Club averaged seven yearly meetings, from senior encounters, as the one with Armínio Fraga, former Central Bank governor, to breakfasts with start-up entrepreneurs, to social gatherings, including wine tasting, puffing “puro” Habanas, and the traditional year-end dinner, attracting more then 100 alumni and guests in its fifth edition last December.
The Forums were also perfect milestones for the Club leadership transitions, generating momentum and attracting new energy and participants to the Club. Brazil has a young and vibrant Wharton community (around 360), heavily concentrated in São Paulo, working mainly in the financial markets. The club plans to keep the community moving ahead in 2007 and looks forward to hosting another Forum in the future.
– Eduardo Strang, WG’01
Wharton’s ‘Home Team’: The Philadelphia Club
The Wharton Club of Philadelphia is the “home team” for the Wharton Alumni Network, with over 14,000 Wharton alumni in the region.
“Our growing membership represents the breadth of Wharton’s Undergraduate, Graduate, Executive, and Doctoral programs,” reports Club President Gloria Rabinowitz, WG’78. The Philadelphia Club’s focus is “Get Connected. Stay Connected. Keep Your Edge.” This theme is reflected in the Club’s diverse and enhanced schedule of events, new membership outreach, and resulting expansion, coprogramming with other groups including other business school alumni clubs, and in exciting new club offerings.
Some examples include:
Get Connected
In November 2006, the Club partnered with the Union League’s Business Network in sponsoring a Members Only Breakfast with over 125 attendees, featuring David Cohen, Executive Vice President, Comcast, speaking on the “Future of the Internet.” In February 2007, the Club held its inaugural Business Leads Council Breakfast Event spearheaded by Jim McAssey, WG’97. The council’s purpose is to encouragelead generation and networking among our members. Beginning in 2007 Molly Harper, WG’04, has undertaken a leadership role in the Club’s special outreach to increasing numbers of young alumni located in Philadelphia, featuring two events including a scotch tasting and golf event.
Stay Connected
The Club provides ongoing opportunities for members to connect in social settings while promoting regional businesses.
The 2006-2007 event calendar kickoff reception was held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, highlighting great art, wine, food, and music from the well-known jazz great Jae Sinnett. Bill Valerio, WG’04, Assistant Director for Museum Administration, welcomed our members, and drew winners for the wonderful Museum Sunday Jazz Brunch. The 2006 Holiday party was held in DiBruno’s House of Cheese, founded in Philadelphia’s Italian Market in 1939. Alumni enjoyed an Italian food extravaganza including education by DiBruno’s wine and cheese experts.
In March 2007, the Club held an event at Philadelphia landmark, Boyd’s, founded more than 60 years ago and regarded as one of the world’s great clothing stores. Boyd’s Executive Vice President will speak about their extraordinary success, their expansion and their future plans.
Keep Your Edge
The Club offers outstanding opportunities for members to learn from experts in a variety of fields. Recent speakers include Ian McLean, President, Exelon Power Team; David N. Feldman, W’82, L’85, author and nationally recognized expert on Reverse Mergers, also the title of his book; and Lawler Kang, WG’96, who presented an interactive seminar based on his life and his book on finding work you love entitled Finding Passion at Work. The Wharton Women’s Network, founded in Philadelphia, sponsors a variety of events, including a sold-out career coaching event and series of Work-Life balance programs. The Club recently re-launched its web site, <www.whartonclub.org>,with enhanced membership services.
The site allows members to manage their profiles, select how they would like to learn about upcoming events, register for events and renew membership. The site also includes career links, a brand new job board, upcoming program information, new membership options, and Wharton School connectivity and related news.
New approaches to programming diversity as well as new and ongoing opportunities to network and connect are the key focuses for the Club according to Program Chair Madlyn Powell, WEV’03, WEV’04.
“The Club’s membership base represents a cross-section of different age groups, career paths, industries, and experiences,” says Rabinowitz. “Our goal is to continually develop and enhance programs and services for our members to reflect this diversity and depth. We seek to draw new members, implement new ideas, and new approaches to enhance the value proposition of our Club. We are excited to be the ‘home team.’”
– Jennifer Streitwieser, WG’97
Hong Kong Club to Host 2007 Global Forum
Joseph Wharton never visited Hong Kong. But if he could see Hong Kong today he would certainly be impressed with its business activity and overall buzz. Wharton alumni living and working in Hong Kong count themselves fortunate to be in one of the world’s leading capitalist cities, in one of the world’s most capitalist regions. Wharton’s preeminence as a business school is well suited to Hong Kong’s preeminence in making and spending money, and the Wharton Club of Hong Kong is just as prosperous.
The Hong Kong club was founded in 1999 by Paul Cheng, WG’61, Joseph Ferrigno,W’67, and an enthusiastic support group to serve their fellow alumni’s social and career needs as well as promote the Wharton School in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has a long history of students attending Wharton, as well as attracting Wharton grads looking for adventure. Today there are over 300 Wharton alumni in Hong Kong, mostly working in the financial industry covering Greater China and Southeast Asia.
The Wharton Club of Hong Kong has witnessed a real roller coaster of economic activity in Hong Kong the last several years. During 2001-2002 Hong Kong suffered from dropping stock prices, rising unemployment, and a general funk. It became a lot worse in 2003 with the SARS outbreak before bottoming out and starting to improve in 2004. The economy, job opportunities, and the stock market have continued improving and we currently are enjoying a fairly bullish environment.
The Club has survived the ups and downs of the economic cycle, and in 2005 under the slogan “more happy hours” elected Kyle Shaw, WG’87, as president. In the spirit of a rising market and a strong sense of ancestor worship the Club threw a party for Ben Franklin’s 300th birthday in January 2006. 180 Wharton alumni and friends came out for drinks, dinner, and entertainment that included a Franklin impersonator.
Emboldened by the small but successful Franklin party, the Club volunteered to host the Asian Global Alumni Forum for 2007. In keeping with the recent Hong Kong economy, the Forum theme will be “Up and Down the Capitalistic Road.” Hong Kong’s Global Alumni Forum aims to provide participants with all the insights and networking opportunities to stay on the sunny side of whatever capitalist road they choose in Asia. The Wharton Club of Hong Kong hopes to see you May 25-26, 2007. Visit <www.whartonhongkong07.com> for more.
– Kyle Shaw, WG’87
Wharton Women in London Fight the Glass Ceiling
Wharton women graduates are building an informal network amongst the alumni community in London. The group was started in 2004 by alumnae Tina Winfield Achkar, WG’91, Sharla Kaussari-Dick, WG’70, Joy Seppala, WG’89, who wanted to reconnect with the Wharton community, and is part of the Wharton Alumni efforts in the UK. Alumnae host events in their homes or offices to facilitate the logistics of meeting up with one another and other members from the Wharton community.
Tina Winfield Achkar hosts informal dinners in her home on a regular basis. Most recently, Monty Harris from Wharton Alumni Affairs joined the Wharton Women in London to update them on what is happening with alumni affairs around the world.
Other notable events included:
• Discussion on “Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling” hosted by Ellen Brunsberg, WG’91, at Morgan Stanley. Guest speakers included Marisa Drew, WG’92, and Diane McGrath, WG’91.
• Garden party at the Sloane Square home of Dana Nason, WG’94, G’94.
• Buffet dinner at INSEAD grad Jane Stingfellow’s home for Wharton and INSEAD alumnae.
• Breakfast sessions at the SISU Capital office of Joy Seppala.
Events are published online at <www.whartonclubuk.net> and are open to women living in or passing through London. If you are interested in becoming more involved in the Wharton Women’s Network or will be passing through London and would like to find out about upcoming events, please contact Tina Winfield Achkar at t.achkar@btopenworld.com.We look forward to re-connecting with you!
– Tina Winfield Achkar, WG’91
Profile: Craig Enenstein Steps Up as Alumni Association President
“You’re on campus for only two or four years, depending on whether you’re grad or undergrad, but then you have a lifetime of affiliation,” says Craig Enenstein, WG’95, G’95, the new president of the Alumni Association. “You’re off campus a lot longer than on, so it’s important to make the alumni experience as valuable as possible.”
Enenstein, an Alumni Association board member for five years, stepped into the position of president in fall 2006 when his predecessor, Tama L. Smith, WG’90, was elevated to the chairmanship. By day, Enenstein is CEO of Corridor Capital, LLC, a Los Angeles-based value added investment group, focused on lower middle market private equity and growth venture capital. He founded the company in September 2005.
When Enenstein first became involved in the Alumni Association, he joined the development committee, where he examined data related to Wharton Fund giving. He found that the most important factor is Wharton Reunion attendance, and resolved to improve the experience. He piloted a set of recommendations for his own 10-year reunion in 2005, and his efforts were a resounding success.
The changes increased attendance 100% over previous years, and strong fundraising followed. Enenstein’s outreach and format reforms were rolled out to the Wharton Reunion as a whole in 2006. He has three goals for his term as president:
(1) Enhance student experience culturally so that students feel a strong sense of pride and obligation as they become alumni
(2) Create strong universal platform and infrastructure for global alumni supporting geographic and affinity clubs and individuals.
(3) Ensure all events worldwide have Wharton quality in the way they are delivered.
“Whatever we do in the world should merit the Wharton brand,” he says. “I’ve been involved with the School for the past few years, and for me, this is the next step to affect high-impact change.”
Linking Alumni Around the World… Join Your Regional Alumni Club.
With 82 clubs around the world, the Global Clubs network is one of the key ways for Wharton alumni to stay involved with each other in their local communities. Alumni can participate in club-organized professional and social events, and volunteer to serve on committees or take a leadership role.
Says Richard Miller, WG’02, copresident of Penn-Wharton Club of Toronto, “I had such a great experience at Wharton that I didn’t want it to end, and found that being involved in the alumni community was a great way to ‘extend’ my Wharton experience. I choose to do that through the alumni club because I wanted to help strengthen the alumni network and foster ongoingalumni engagement with the school, as I feel these are essential for Wharton to maintain its preeminent position.”
Joining a regional alumni club gives you a chance to make the most of your Wharton connections by participating in social and networking events, while finding others who share your personal and professional interests. The clubs are always looking for new members and new volunteers, and opportunities exist that will fit with your time and schedule.
A list of regional and affinity clubs and presidents follows. To get on the mailing list for your local club, sign up for an event, or finding out more about volunteering, visit the global alumni club directory at the Wharton Alumni portal. www.wharton.upenn.edu/alumni/Clubs.cfm
United States Clubs
Arizona
Penn-Wharton Club of Arizona
Mike Spector, W’66
California
Wharton Club of Northern California
Jeffrey L. Goodman, WG’96
Penn-Wharton Club of San Diego
Ellen Chang, WG’98
Wharton Club of Southern California
Meesh Pierce, W’93, WG’98
Colorado
Penn-Wharton Club of Colorado
Shiv Chakrabarti, E’00
Connecticut
Wharton Club of Hartford
Ralph E. Little III, WG’87
District of Columbia
Wharton Club of Washington, DC
Alan Schlaifer, W’65
Florida
Wharton Club of Central and Northern Florida
Mike Harbison, WG’76
Wharton Club of South Florida
William Britton, WG’89
Kaihan Krippendorff, E’94,W’94
Wharton Club of Tampa Bay
Steve Stagg, WG’00
Georgia
Wharton Club of Atlanta
Brian Hankin, WG’97
Illinois
Wharton Club of Chicago
Mark Ahlheim, WG’84
David Guttmann, WG’94
Spencer C. Stern, WG’93
Massachusetts
Wharton Club of Boston
Richard D. Lane, W’76, WG’81
Michigan
Penn-Wharton Club of Michigan
Jay Hansen, WG’85
Minnesota
Wharton Club of Minnesota
Gail Parsons Baumgart, WG’99
New Jersey
Wharton Club of New Jersey
Ken Wolf, W’87
Eddie Monteiro, W’01, EAS’01
New York
Penn-Wharton Club of Albany
Richard Cunningham, WG’62
Wharton Club of New York
Kenneth Beck, WG’87
North Carolina
Wharton Club of the Triangle –North Carolina
Laura K. Mack, C’89
Wharton Club of the Carolinas
Joe Kenny, WG’94
Ohio
Wharton Club of Columbus
Don Strench, WG’82
Wharton Club of North East Ohio
Herb Braverman, W’69
Oregon
Wharton Club of Portland
Tim Gillette, WG’88
Pennsylvania
Wharton Club of Philadelphia
Gloria Rabinowitz, WG’78
Wharton Club of Western Pennsylvania
Alexandra K. Hendrickson, WG’79
South Carolina
Wharton Club of the Carolinas
Joe Kenny, WG’94
Texas
Wharton Club of Austin
Christine Schiller Grable, WG’00
Wharton Club of Dallas / Fort Worth
Karen Meador, MD, WG’02
Wharton Club of Houston
Evan Betzer, WG’99
Vermont
Wharton Club of Vermont
Thomas S. Leavitt, WG’82
Washington
Wharton Club of Seattle
Andy Mok, WG’02
International Clubs
Argentina
Penn-Wharton Club of Argentina
Gerardo Waisburg, WG’96
Australia / New Zealand
Wharton Club of Australia
Winston Nesfield, W’92, WG’93
Austria
Wharton Club of Germany / Austria
Jüergen Habichler, WG’01
Belgium
Wharton Club of Belgium
Joseph Sadis, WG’75
Brazil
Wharton Club of Brazil
Eduardo Strang, WG’01
Canada
Penn-Wharton Club of Toronto
Richard Miller, WG’02
Wharton Club of Quebec
Vargha Moayed, WG’94
Chile
Wharton Club of Chile
Abel Bouchon, WG’94
People’s Republic of China
Wharton Club of Beijing
Jim Jin Zhang, WG’97
Wharton Club of Shanghai
Philip Wu, WG’95
Denmark
Wharton Club of Denmark
Erik Winther, GrW’85
Dominican Republic
Wharton Club of Dominican Republic
Jose Miguel Bonetti, W’61
Ecuador
Wharton Club of Ecuador
Humberto X. Mata, WG’97
El Salvador
Wharton Club of El Salvador
Ernesto Sol Meza, WG’61
Finland
Wharton Club of Finland
Patrik Sallner, WG’99
France
Wharton Club of Paris
Franck Noiret, WG’95
Germany
Wharton Club of Germany / Austria
Jüergen Habichler, WG’01
Greece
Wharton Club of Greece
Christian C. Hadjiminas, WG’83
Hong Kong
Wharton Club of Hong Kong
Kyle Shaw, WG’87
India
Wharton Club of India
Gautam Chand, WG’92
Israel
Penn-Wharton Club of Israel
Isaac Devash WEV’88
Italy
Wharton Club of Italy
Maggie Dufrense, WG’86
Japan
Wharton Club of Japan
Keisuke Muratsu, WG’75
Republic of Korea
Wharton Club of Korea
Yong-chan Ahn, WG’85
Malaysia
Wharton Club of Malaysia
Donald Lim, W’86
Mexico
Wharton Club of Mexico City
Oscar R. Diaz-Flores, WG’96
Middle East
Wharton Club of the Middle East
Fadi Abou-Arbid, WG’03
Raymond Noujaim, WG’02
Netherlands
Wharton Club of Netherlands
Sjoerd H.R. Siebergh-Sjoerdsma,
WG’95
Norway
Wharton Club of Norway
Tore Borthen, WG’88
Peru
Wharton Club of Peru
Jorge Alexis Kuryla, WG’95
Philippines
Wharton Club of Philippines
Eduardo Francisco, WG’87
Russia
Wharton Club of Russia
George Kikvadze, WG’02
Singapore
Wharton Club of Singapore
James Sim, WG’94
Spain
Wharton Club of Spain
Pelayo Primo de Rivera, WG’94
Sweden
Wharton Club of Sweden
Lennart J. A. Engström, WG’85
Switzerland
Wharton Club of Switzerland
Marc O. Stockli, WG’96
Republic of China
Wharton Club of Taiwan
Harvey H. W. Chang, WG’77
Thailand
Wharton Club of Thailand
Dr. Olarn Chaipravat, W’66
Turkey
Penn-Wharton Club of Turkey
Mesut Ellialtioglu, W’93
Ukraine
Wharton Club of Ukraine
Geoffrey Berlin, WG’88
United Kingdom
Wharton Club of United Kingdom
Yoav Kurtzbard, W’90
Venezuela
Wharton Club of Venezuela
José Luis Molina, WG’99
Vietnam
Penn-Wharton Club of Vietnam
Sesto E. Vecchi, W’58
Affinity Clubs
Wharton Aerospace Community
Ellen Chang, WG’98
Michael Langman, WG’98
Evening School
Gary Lindauer, W’92
Wharton Health Care Management Alumni Association
Ted Ebel, WG’97
Wharton Private Equity Partners
Rob Newbold, WG’99
Bruce Schulman, WG’99
Wharton Out for Business
Ravi Gupta, WG’87
Norm Savoie, C’86, G’91, WG’91
