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Excerpt from dallasnews.com.  To subscribe, see the entire article and comment, visit http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/mercedes-olivera/20110722-program-at-smus-cox-school-of-business-encourages-latino-business-leaders.ece
 

By Mercedes Olivera
oliveramercedes@ymail.com
Published 22 July 2011 11:02 PM
 

For Antonio Padilla, making the transition from military to civilian life was difficult.
But after 20 years as a Marine and being in the thick of it as a gunnery sergeant in the Persian Gulf , Somalia and Rwanda, Padilla believed in his ability to tackle the toughest jobs.

But making the transition from middle management to the executive suites in corporate America was an altogether different challenge.

As general manager of the western region distribution center in Las Vegas for OfficeMax, Padilla wasn’t even sure he wanted to move up in his company.

Now, after being part of the inaugural class of the National Hispanic Corporate Council’s Executive Development Program at SMU’s Cox School of Business, that attitude is history.

“The class made me realize that it was my duty to myself and others to lead at a higher level,” he said. “You can be the example and be in a better position to help others.”

Created last year to address the dearth of Latinos in senior-level executive positions at U.S. corporations, the development program can already boast that half of its 15 graduates were promoted or given serious consideration for a high-level promotion, said Frank Lloyd, associate dean of executive education at the Cox School.

All of the participants were in middle-management positions and considered to be on the executive track.

The group met formally three times during the semester to receive training, work with a Hispanic mentor and collaborate on a cross-industry group project. They also gained self-awareness through feedback from peers, mentors and instructors — some of them CEOs of their own companies.

Lloyd said it was best summed up by one of the testimonials that participants wrote at the end of the program: “I came in thinking my career is all about me, and I have come away seeing that it’s all about others.”

The latest studies show that Hispanics represent 5 percent or less of managers and executives in Fortune 1000 companies, and they hold only about 1 percent of the seats in the boardrooms of Fortune 500 firms.

Ultimately, though, it all comes down to market share.
“Companies need better access to the rapidly growing Hispanic marketplace and demographic,” Lloyd said.

And this will happen only if a Hispanic perspective is present at higher levels of a company.
 

Muzamil Ahmad is among the 2011 Cox Global Leadership Program group spending two weeks in Latin America.

What a crazy way to start the trip! Between finals, finishing up our strategy papers and packing for Brazil, there really wasn’t very much time to even enjoy the end of the semester. Bug spray, suits, and camera bag in hand, we left for our journey to Sao Paulo. The flight wasn’t too bad at all, most of us had pretty sore tailbones near the end but the time difference is only 2 hours, so it was manageable. The food was – to say the least – nothing compared to good ol’ Humphrey Lee! The airport in Brazil was a whole lot of walking, and the wait going through immigration was a bit too much for most of us Mustangs. Tired, stressed, hot, and in desperate need of a bed, we dragged our bodies through the snake-line. Took a quick nap at the hotel (on the GIGANTIC king size bed, mind you) and with wrinkled business casual clothing, we visited Odontoprev – a dental company that provides low-cost dental coverage to middle-market Brazilians. After shaking hands with the IRO, we visited the lab where dental procedures evaluated, and payment was determined on how necessary and well-performed the procedure was.

After that, we spent $20 on a hamburger, juice, and fries. The burger came fully loaded with a beef patty, and a whole leaf of lettuce!

Gabriella Draney (MBA ’08) is featured in the February 26, 2011 issue of The Dallas Morning News for her company Tech Wildcatters, a mentorship-driven microseed fund and startup accelerator. Tech Wildcatters’ 12-week accelerator “bootcamp” runs every spring and fall in Dallas. The spring bootcamp began on Monday.
 
This year, Tech Wildcatters chose nine companies from more than 100 inquiries for its second boot camp, compared with five of 80 applications last year. Overall, it has provided about $350,000 in seed funding to the 14 companies, Draney said. “We’re trying to do everything we can to build the early-stage tech community in Dallas.”
 
Former bootcamp participants include Vickie Morris (MBA ’08) and Jeff Borden (MBA ‘06).  Morris and Borden entered the program with their company Brand Protection Agency (BPA).  Their service provides pricing intelligence which includes minimum advertised price monitoring and competitive pricing information.  During the program, BPA launched two additional web-based products to monitor and enforce branding and intellectual property.  Since the program, they have taken on twelve new customers including Samsung.

Additional information can be found at http://techwildcatters.com/news/

February 8, 2011 (DALLAS) — SMU Cox School of Business and the MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon board of directors today announced the results from the SMU Cox Corporate Relay Challenge presented by Behringer Harvard.

“The Corporate Relay Challenge continues to be one of the fastest growing events within our race,” said Phil Baker, Chairman of the Dallas White Rock Marathon Board of Directors. “More and more corporations are realizing the benefits of having a fit and healthy workplace, while at the same time helping us raise funds for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.”

The program, which is now in its fifth year, consists of five-person relay teams who each participate in the full MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon relay (26.2 miles total).

“The Cox School has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, and we are honored to co-sponsor the Corporate Relay Challenge with Behringer Harvard,” said Albert W. Niemi, Jr., dean of SMU Cox. “Whether it is through our MBA consulting program or our annual marathon participation, we are committed to supporting the mission of TSRHC.”

Winning relay teams in a variety of categories share a purse of $30,000 in prize money, which will be given directly to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, in the names of their respective corporations, at a reception on February 8, 2011 at the Collins Center at the SMU Cox School of Business.

“Our sponsorship of The SMU Cox Corporate Relay Challenge goes far beyond the dollars that we provide to the race and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children,” said Jason Mattox, chief administrative officer of Behringer Harvard. “In addition to the dozens of Behringer Harvard employees that run every year, we also have many more who help line the streets of Dallas by volunteering and cheering on the participants.”
Results for the 2010 SMU Cox Corporate Relay Challenge presented by Behringer Harvard are as follows:

Fastest Corporate Team (First corporate teams to finish relay)

• 1st place – A $5,000 donation to TSRHC was awarded in BNSF Velocity’s name for winning the relay in two hours, 44 minutes and 22 seconds. This is the second year BNSF has received 1st place in this category.
• 2nd place – A $2,500 donation to TSRHC was awarded in Hunt Striders’ name for running the relay in three hours, one minute and 36 seconds.
• 3rd place – A $1,500 donation to TSRHC was awarded in Sewell 1’s name for running the relay in three hours, six minutes and 40 seconds.

Most Corporate Teams (Based on total number of 5-person teams completing the relay)

• 1st place – A $5,000 donation to TSRHC was awarded in Sewell’s name for a total of 26 teams.
• 2nd place – A $2,500 donation to TSRHC was awarded in TXU Energy’s name for a total of 18 teams.
• 3rd place – A $1,500 donation was awarded to TSRHC in L-3’s name for a total of seven teams.

Oldest Corporate Team (Combined age of all five runners as of race day)

• 1st place – A $3,000 donation was awarded to TSRHC in Sewell 4’s name for an average age of 58.2.
• 2nd place – A $2,000 donation was awarded to TSRHC in Sewell 5’s name for an average age of 54.
• 3rd place – A $1,000 donation was awarded to TSRHC in Five Guys Not Named Mo’s name (Kimberly Clark Corporation) for an average age of 52.6.

Youngest Corporate Team (Combined age of all five runners as of race day)

• 1st place – A $3,000 donation was awarded to TSRHC in Sewell 2’s name for an average age of 20.6.
• 2nd place – A $2,000 donation was awarded to TSRHC in Sewell 3’s name for an average age of 22.6.
• 3rd place – A $1,000 donation was awarded to TSRHC in Sewell 22’s name for an average age of 25.8.

About the MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon
Voted the top marathon and half marathon in the state by Competitor Texas magazine, the MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon features a start/finish in Fair Park, and a scenic course that includes a flat and fast 10-mile loop around White Rock Lake, and is a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon. The primary beneficiary of weekend events is Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. For more information, visit the official MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon website at www.runtherock.com.

 DALLAS — Bargain buying has become a boom in this down economy.

Discount stores just finished one of their best years ever. Some chains are planning to expand. Other stores already have.

And thrift stores are booming.

Mike Davis, Senior Lecturer, SMU Cox School of Business provides expertise;

Chuck Greenberg, Managing Partner and CEO of the Texas Rangers, paid a visit to SMU yesterday. Mr. Greenberg was our speaker at the most recent SMU Cox Business Leaders Spotlight Series, sponsored by Bank of Texas.

Greenburg spoke to a packed room of our SMU Cox community over lunch at the Collins Center. Like anything else, to know how Chuck Greenberg has been so successful with his current project (our beloved Texas Rangers), it helps to know about his past. His overnight success here in Dallas is, in fact, about twenty years in the making.

Greenberg graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University and then went onto earn his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. He practiced law for over a decade and serendipitously found himself practicing more and more sports law over time.

A turning point in Greenberg’s life came when he was introduced to Mario Lemieux (not that Mr. Greenberg’s life didn’t already have an impressive trajectory…but Hall of Fame legends have a way of spicing things up). Greenberg was asked to help Lemieux put a deal together that ultimately landed Lemieux ownership of the team he had once played for – the Pittsburg Penguins.

The Penguins deal struck a cord with Greenberg. It helped him see sports as more than just a game. As he communicated on Tuesday, sports “may be the last great town hall in America.” He went onto say that, through sports ownership and involvement, he saw “an opportunity to get out there and touch peoples lives.”

Greenberg wasted no time. He formed an ownership group and spent the next seven years purchasing and transforming minor league baseball teams, including the Altoona Curve, the New Jersey Cardinals, and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. His success with minor league ownership led to his inevitable involvement with a major league team. We are lucky enough for that team to have been the Texas Rangers, and SMU was lucky enough to have him at the podium in the Collins Building yesterday.

Greenberg talked a lot about the people side of the game. “We just want to take care of people,” he said, “if we do that, good things will follow.” He reminded us that sports has the ability to unite people. The energy surrounding last years World Series run was clear proof of that. He shared a story about the claw and antler shirts that appeared around town during the month of October. The original order was going to be for 2,000 shirts. Chuck was confident the Rangers could sell more than that given the playoff buzz, and upped the order to 6,000.

The last time he checked, the Rangers have sold 400,000 claw and antler t-shirts.

Not bad for a guy who says he lived here for nine months before he saw a Texas Rangers hat away from The Ballpark.

Greenberg said his personal philosophy is to, everyday, be better tonight than he was this morning. In that same spirit, he wants to see to it that the Texas Rangers ballclub is always better tomorrow than it was today. When asked about what the Metroplex can look forward to next year, he told us about HD screens, fan feedback, and even checking each individual cup holder in the ballpark to make sure every fan enjoys the Texas Rangers experience to the fullest. But what he really got excited about looking forward was community outreach. New found success means new opportunities to reach out and, in his words, “impact people’s lives.”

When asked about his success, Greenberg didn’t point to spreadsheets or numbers. Instead, he said it has been the ownership group’s “belief that all of this was possible” that contributed to their early success. In fact, he said the best advice he ever got was not to track the numbers, but to personally track how well he is taking care of people.

For what it’s worth, Greenberg walks the walk. He stayed for over an hour after lunch to sign autographs and talk to the SMU Cox community members individually.

January 6, 2011

Chad Hennings, a three-time Super Bowl winner with the Dallas Cowboys, an Air Force fighter pilot, a businessman and the author of Rules of Engagement, spoke on campus as part of the NFL Super Bowl XLV Playbook Workshop Series. He discussed the importance of leading a life of significance in create a legacy of vision and character. He abides by the following five principles to living a meaningful life:

1. Determine your goal. This is the foundation for the rest of your life, and all of your efforts should be directed to achieving this goal. However, the goal must not be purely financial, as this is not sustainable and can prove fleeting. Life is not about the material.
2. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Be honest with yourself and get feedback from others. Then work towards enhancing your strengths and mitigating weaknesses.
3. Train. You must always be in a personal growth mode, no matter your age. Do not remain stagnate. Find a mentor and seek their guidance, and associate with individuals whom you wish to emulate. Continuously read and learn something new.
4. Plan. Determine your needs in the present, short term and long term. Continuously evaluate these plans, and be willing to adjust and adapt. The key to success is flexibility.
5. Execute. Once you have determined your goal, maximized strengths, trained and outlined a solid plan, it’s game day. You have done everything possible to set yourself up for success.

The Cox School kicked off the Super Bowl XLV Playbook Workshop Series this morning, with a welcome address by Bill Lively, president and CEO of the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee. “After 50 years since the Cowboys were formed, we are delighted to finally host the Super Bowl,” he said. His team has worked hard to maximize business opportunities surrounding the big event.

Bernard “Bud” Weinstein, associate director of the Maguire Energy Institute and adjunct professor of business economics followed the welcoming remarks with a presentation on the economic and demographic outlook for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Weinstein noted that the economic benefit the DFW region will experience thanks to hosting the Super Bowl will be in the hundreds of millions. Furthermore, according to Weinstein, DFW, the nation’s fourth largest metroplex, is the best place to ride out the recession. DFW’s current unemployment rate is 8.2 percent, 1.6 percentage points lower than the national average. Texas and Idaho tie for number one in projected job growth through 2016. Since 1990, DFW has grown in population by 61.6 percent, and is expected to reach a population of more than 15 million by 2040. It is no wonder that Texas boasts the 11th largest economy in the world.

The following breakout sessions are now in order:

Change: The Opportunity Incubator, presented by Jerry White, director of the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship, SMU Cox

Market to Win in a Challenging Economy, presented by Marci Armstrong, associate dean for graduate programs, SMU Cox

Marketing Segmentation: One Size Does Not Fit All, presented by Richard Briesch, associate professor of Marketing, SMU Cox

The Power of E-mail Marketing and Social Media, presented by Julie Niehoff, senior regional development director, Constant Contact

Chad Hennings, a three-time Super Bowl winner with the Dallas Cowboys, an Air Force fighter pilot, a businessman and the author of Rules of Engagement, will present at 11:30 a.m., followed by the program conclusion.

About the Playbook Workshop Series
The Super Bowl XLV Playbook Workshop Series is a professional development program designed to educate the North Texas Small Business Community in areas of business that will inspire growth and facilitate greater connectivity to one another, local business development organizations and to the community at large. Each workshop promises to be informative and interactive, allowing participants to walk away with a solid “Game Plan” and resources to support them on the path to future success.