Transcript
M&T BULLETIN
In the middle of November 2009, over 200 M&T
alumni returned to Philadelphia to celebrate the
University of Pennsylvania’s first coordinated dual
degree program, the Jerome Fisher Program in
Management and Technology’s 30 years of success.
The M&T celebration began with a session offering
alumni the opportunity to mix with current students.
This session was followed by parallel sessions
about the current state of affairs at Penn including
legacy admissions, Penn’s eastward expansion and
graduate options. Dr. William Hamilton, Faculty
Director of the program gave a retrospective of the
M&T Program from past to present. The evening
ended with a M&T Alumni Venture Capital Contest
and cocktails.
The second day of the celebration commenced with
Dean Robertson and Dean Glandt welcoming
returning alumni with updates on their respective
schools. During his remarks, Dean Glandt recog-
nized Dr. Bordogna and Dr. Hamilton for their
involvement with the program from the beginning.
Newsletter of the Jerome Fisher Management and Technology Program Edited by Eve Lee (M&T ‘12) & Matt Vogel (M&T ’12)
May 2010
30 Years ... and Still Going StrongDr. Dan Lee spoke about his pioneering work
exploring how to apply an understanding of how
biological entities learn to program increasingly
sophisticated and adaptive behavior into robotic
systems. He began with a demonstration of a face
recognition task which, while very easy for the
audience and even primates to complete, he
explained it is very difficult to program a robotic
system to perform. He drew contrast between this
behavior and other seemingly complex tasks such as
playing chess which can be approached using brute
force computation. He went on to describe his
current work with Penn’s GRASP lab including a
live demonstration of a two foot tall humanoid robot
capable of balanced walking, picking itself up from
a fall, and following sound while moving across the
room.
This robot is the second generation of Penn’s
robotic team which has over the past several years
been successful at fielding teams of robot dogs in
international robotic soccer championships. Such
competitions introduce some friendly competition
into the challenging task of making robots capable
of responding appropriately to their environment
and working collaboratively. Dr. Lee admitted that
the sophistication of play is still at a junior league
level, but this represents a leap forward from
primary school recess level of play just a few years
ago. Whether the matches will approach the thrill of
human soccer anytime soon is unlikely, but it is
clear that Dr. Lee and his team are enjoying the
challenge of keeping their robot teams one step
ahead of their international competition.
The lecture concluded with another project repre-
senting the cutting edge of possibilities in autono-
mous robotics. In 2007 Penn entered the DARPA
Urban Challenge which charged teams with the task
of developing vehicles able to navigate city streets
and interact with other traffic without human inter-
vention. The Penn team’s car “Little Ben” was a
Prius outfitted with a roof rack of sensors and a
trunk of computers outfitted with software allowing
it to make driving decisions up until now considered
squarely in the realm of human drivers. Little Ben
did his namesake proud and the Penn team was one
of only six groups to finish the course despite a
comparatively small budget.
Dr. Lee’s talk was an inspiring summary of a rapidly
developing realm of technology in which M&T
students are already contributing in research and are
sure to play a role later in the financing and execu-
tion of bringing autonomous robots into homes,
offices, sports matches, and roadways.
Dr. Chris Murray, a Penn Integrates Knowledge
Professor with appointments in the Chemistry and
Materials Science Departments, considered a lead-
ing researcher and visionary in the field, voiced his
appreciation for the enthusiasm and quality of M&T
students who have carried out Senior Design proj-
ects under his direction over the past several years.
He proposed that the nanotech arena is particularly
well suited to attention of the program due to the
inherently multidisciplinary nature of the research
and the potential for disruptive changes in business
practices from emerging fields such as nano-
manufacturing.
Dr. Garrett Reisman, M&T ’91 and NASA astro-
naut, concluded the guest lectures with the Alumni
Keynote Address on Space Adventures. Garrett
credited Penn and the M&T program with providing
him a strong foundation of solving problems and
communicating across disciplines. He has demon-
strated this appreciation by bringing tokens, includ-
ing a piece of the ENIAC computer and a laser-cut
M&T logo into space as personal items. After Penn,
Garrett pursued his Phd at CalTech, worked at TRW
designing propulsion controls for NASA, and
ultimately achieved his dream of being an astronaut
where he has contributed to the design of the Inter-
national Space Station robotic arm and flown two
missions as Flight Engineer aboard the space
station.
Garrett presented highlights from his most recent
mission - ranging from the thrill of launch and his
spacewalks to lighthearted antics such as an attempt
at juggling without gravity. He showed amazing
photos, including pictures of his night launch from
Cape Canaveral and a photo from space where he
pointed out the location of Penn. Lastly Garrett
walked the audience through plans for his upcoming
mission where he will serve as a member of the last
crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis before it is
decommissioned. He brought up a 3D model of the
station and demonstrated each step of his planned
spacewalk.
The celebration ended with a Gala Dinner where Dr.
Joseph Bordogna addressed alumni and Dr. Hamil-
ton was recognized by the M&T 30th Anniversary
Alumni Committee for his dedication to the M&T
Program over the last 30 years. All in all, the
successful event reconnected alumni to the program
while kicking off a number of new and exciting
M&T initiatives. More information can be found at
http://mt30.mandtalumni.com/.
Alumni UpdatesPeggy Choi (M&T '06) recently moved from
London to San Francisco to join TPG Opportunities
Partners, a special situations hedge fund started in
mid 2009 by TPG. The team opportunistically
invests in risk-adjusted assets across capital struc-
ture, including bank debt, bonds, distressed debt and
public equity. They also invest in portfolios of
assets and middle market direct lending. Prior to
TPG Opportunities, she worked in private equity at
Silver Lake Partners in London and investment
banking at Goldman Sachs in New York. In
London, Peggy took part in a few M&T gatherings
which were a lot of fun. She looks forward to
meeting other M&T alums in the Bay Area!
Jon Ozark (M&T '04) married Nicole DeShazo in
Las Vegas on Nov. 7. Representing Penn was Kunal
Gupta EAS’04 W’04. They had a beautiful outdoor
ceremony, during which ‘The Red and Blue’ was
sung at some point. Congratulations Jon and Nicole:
we wish you all the best in your new life together!
Vineet Sen Budhraja (M&T '00 WG’01) married
Dr. Rebecca Lynn Bagdonas on June 26-27 on Long
Island. Among alumni attending was Roger Wu
(M&T 00)
Davor Sutija (M&T' 83) recently joined Thin
Film Electronics ASA (www.thinfilm.no) as
Executive Vice President. Thinfilm is a leader
in the emerging area of Printed Electronics,
producing non-volatile re-writable polymer
memory for use in advanced games, smart tags
and displays. Before Thinfilm, Davor was SVP,
Product Marketing at FAST, an enterprise search
vendor which was acquired by Microsoft in
2008 for $1.2B. Davor has lived in Norway
since 1991, and earlier co-founded SiNor AS, a
producer of silicon ingots for the photovoltaic
market, now a division of REC. Davor can be
reached at dsutija@gmail.com.
Jeffrey Modell (M&T '90) is the Division
Chief, IT Client Services at the International
Monetary Fund. He recently returned from a trip
to Africa to see first-hand how the Fund works
with country authorities and to understand the
technology challenges that affect staff in Africa.
Jeffrey also went on a short safari to Selous
National Game Reserve in Tanzania! On the
home front, he and his wife, Melissa, have two
daughters, ages 7 1/2 and 6. He can be contacted
at J.modell@verizon.net
Ryan Sheftel (M&T '95) has moved to Credit-
Suisse to start and head the Electronic Market
Making trading business for fixed income,
including all high frequency trading. In addition
he also has responsibility for designing and
implementing the firms strategy for automated
trading across the Rates and Mortgages globally.
Alumni UpdatesLing Chang (M&T '92) and Jenny Chang (SEAS
'94) with their 2 boys, Sydon (8.5) and Ethan (7),
have recently moved to Tokyo. Ling joined Google
as Director of Partner Solutions for Asia Pacific at
the end of last year. Previously he was with Voda-
fone Group, spending more than 3 years in China
and 5 years in UK. In Vodafone, he introduced
e-auction into the global supply chain which is used
to negotiate anything from indirects to entire
networks. He has high hopes for Google being a
unique company and optimistic about its next 10
years. Jenny was working as a management consul-
tant in Andersen Consulting before she decided to
be a full-time Mom. Ling and Jenny met 20 years
ago at Penn. Ling can be reached at at
lschang@chanclan.net or via his LinkedIn profile.
Monish Kundra (M&T ’95) and Minal J. Damani
joyously announce the birth of their son Sachin
Damani Kundra on March 23, 2009, just six days
before their one-year wedding anniversary! Minal is
a business strategist currently consulting for the
National Restaurant Association. Monish is a
venture partner for Columbia Capital, a private
equity firm focused on media and communications.
In their spare time when they’re not playing with
Sachin, they volunteer in local high schools for the
Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE),
which extends entrepreneurship education to youth
in low-income urban communities. Monish can be
reached at mkundra@gmail.com
Sarah Dong (M&T '06) is currently back at Penn
pursuing 'grad-level' M&T and finishing 1st year of
the MBA/MSE, and expects to graduate in May
2011.She will be interning at Blackstone's M&A
group in NYC this summer. She looks forward to
meeting up with M&T Alums again! Sarah can be
reached at sarah.dong@gmail.com.
Pradyut Shah (M&T ‘00) and Anh Thu Shah
(W’00) celebrated the birth of their beautiful baby
boy, Pavan Shah, on July 27. He is the first child for
The couple is “happily settled in San Francisco, and
look forward to camping trips in the California
wilderness with [our] son in a few years.” Pradyut
can be reached at shah_pradyut@yahoo.com..
Shehzad Daredia (M&T ‘06) recently became
Product Manager at BillShrink, a personalized
recommendation engine for lowering your everyday
bills. BillShrink has attracted top-tier VC funding,
earned significant press coverage, and won numer-
ous awards for its innovative approach to saving
consumers money. Shehzad previously led the
online marketing team at KAYAK.com and invested
in startups at Rho Ventures. He can be reached at
shehzad.daredia@gmail.com.
Katherine Wu Brady (M&T '01) is happy to
announce that she married Atticus Brady on Octo-
ber 11th. In attendance were Nimita Shah (M&T
2002) and Nitin Sikka (M&T 2002) in addition to a
number of other Penn friends. They reside in Man-
hattan and Katherine is currently the VP of Market-
ing Strategy at NBC Local Media. She can be
reached at Katherine.Brady@nbcuni.com.
Amarish Mehta (M&T ‘95) and his wife, Dr. Neha
Shah-Mehta, are happy to announce the arrival of
their son, Akash Mehta, on March 30, 2010
in New York, NY. Anokhi (2yrs) is thrilled to be the
big sister. Amarish is the Director of Research for
Arcadia Captial Advisors LLC, a value-oriented
hedge fund. Neha has taken a long deserved leave
to be a full-time mother. Amarish can be reached at
amehta@arcadiacap.com.
Entrepreneur’s CornerStuart Eichert (M&T '99) recently formed Sliced
Simple with two friends to produce collaboration
software for the real estate industry. Sliced Simple
is currently hard at work on their first product and
always interested to hear from exceptional M&T
alumni who are looking for a new opportunity. On
the personal front,Stuart married his long time
sweetheart, Lucy, last summer. Stuart can be
reached at stuart.eichert.wh99@wharton.upenn.edu.
William Stanger (M&T '02) based in Philadelphia,
has completed site architecture for Ventuity, his new
bootstrap real estate development and investment
matchmaking site. There are hundreds of places
online where a real estate developer can sell prop-
erty or apply for a loan, but there are no resources to
simplify the search for partners and investors,
especially for smaller deals. Equity placement
firms, brokerages, and investment funds aren’t
interested in projects valued below $1M because the
risk adjusted returns don’t cover their overhead or
opportunity costs. Through creative use of automa-
tion, standardization, and user-generated content
management tools, Ventuity will become the first
subscription based online marketplace for sub-
million dollar real estate equity investments.Stanger
is looking for small-project real estate developers
and investors in the Philadelphia-NY corridor to
participate in beta-testing and/or late stage market
research. All early adopters will receive complimen-
tary lifetime memberships. Ventuity is also
currently soliciting bids for a .Net software develop-
ment spot on the founding team. If you are inter-
ested in learning more about these opportunities,
please email William.Stanger@Ventuity.com.
David S. Levy (M&T '96) recently formed his
second digital media company, Hang10, in the
social television space. Hang10 lets people use
their mobile devices to check-in to television shows,
comment on shows, receive targeted offers, and
share their television experiences with friends.
Hang10 is accepting registrations for its private beta
now at http://hang10.tv. David can be reached at,
among other places, david@hang10.tv.
M&T Alumni Spotlight
As almost all alumni know, MGMT-237, Manage-
ment of Technology, is a central part of any sopho-
more M&T’s spring semester. This year brought a
change to the yearly tradition, as Dr. Hamilton
passed the responsibility of teaching the class to Dr.
Saikat Chaudhuri, an M&T alumnus from the Class
of 1997. Throughout the semester, we have gained
invaluable insights into the subject of managing
innovation, and Professor Chaudhuri’s M&T back-
ground has truly provided us with a unique perspec-
tive on the subject. As current students in the class,
we believed that an Alumni Spotlight on Professor
Chaudhuri would illustrate not only how an M&T
education could influence the path one takes after
graduation, but also the exciting interaction between
alumni and current students.
As an Indian citizen born and brought up in
Germany, Saikat has an extremely diverse back-
ground. He described his education at the Interna-
tional School of Duesseldorf as extremely interest-
ing and exciting, as he was able to interact with
people from a wide array of countries. Saikat found
that although there was a mix of so many different
cultures, students were able to be “perfect Indians,
Americans, and Germans” and interact with others
“without losing their true identity.”
Saikat majored in Mechanical Engineering and
Multinational Management while minoring in
Mathematics in his time at Penn. Saikat was a TA in
MGMT-100 for two years and MGMT-234 for one
year, as well as a UCB in Hill House. Outside of
academics, he was actively involved in the Interna-
tional Affairs Association, International Student
Admissions, Tau Beta Pi, and the American Society
of Mechanical Engineers. Saikat strongly believes
that the M&T Program at Penn was an ideal envi-
ronment to nurture his academic interests, as he was
able to gain solid fundamentals while studying in a
very social and supportive atmosphere.
After graduating summa cum laude, he eventually
continued his studies at Stanford University, in a
joint Masters program between the engineering and
business schools, focusing on
manufacturing/systems engineering and
technology/operations management. Saikat’s M&T
background helped him complete the program in an
accelerated timeline of one year, instead of the usual
two years required. As he found his interests
converging towards the subject of strategic manage-
ment of technology, he went on to Harvard Univer-
sity to pursue a doctorate in Technology and Opera-
tions Management, specifically concentrating on
high-tech mergers and acquisitions in the field of
hardware/software. Impressively, an independent
study Saikat started at Stanford became an HBR
article titled “Capturing the Real Value in High-Tech
Acquisitions,” appearing the month he joined at
HBS. His research on such external sources of
innovation has now expanded to include R&D
outsourcing as well, which have recently risen to
prominence.
While Saikat worked with several companies in
between his various academic pursuits, including
Dusseldorf-based Mannesmann, McKinsey, Roland
Berger, and Citibank, he was eventually drawn to
academia after being offered an assistant
Saikat Chaudhuri, M&T ’97 (MEAM, MGMT)
Saikat (right), pictured with Doug Alexander (’83),
truly enjoyed his time at the M&T 30th Anniversary.
professorship at The Wharton School upon graduat-
ing with his doctorate. At Wharton, Saikat currently
teaches MGMT-721(MBA-level Corporate Develop-
ment, Mergers and Acquisitions), and had until last
year also taught the undergraduate version of the
same course, MGMT-249. At Dr. Hamilton’s
request, Saikat took up the role of teaching MGMT-
237 this past semester, in lieu of MGMT-249.
When asked about MGMT-237, Saikat enthusiasti-
cally answered that this class is the “perfect fit” for
him, as M&T holds “a special place in [his] heart.”
He finds it very rewarding that he is able to “help
shape the views” of students who are eager to learn
about managing technology, a subject he is
extremely passionate about. The best part about the
class, Saikat believes, is that he does not have to
focus on basics, as M&Ts will already have a solid
foundation in both fields.
As for future plans, Saikat says that he is “very
happy” where he is, although he didn’t necessarily
expect to find himself in academia. He has found
that he most enjoys the intellectual work and the
freedom to explore topics which intrigue him,
likening academia to entrepreneurship. As a profes-
sor, Saikat is also extremely involved in work with
outside firms, and finds this applied research
extremely engaging. To this end, he encourages all
current M&Ts and alumni to explore various options
and pursue their true passions.
Saikat particularly encourages alumni to take full
advantage of their exclusivity in order to promote
the M&T “brand” and steer funds to further the
program. In addition, he truly enjoys seeing cohe-
siveness within the alumni community, citing events
such as the 30th anniversary and regional alumni
gatherings as some of his favorites. Saikat also
envisions the creation of a more interconnected
global alumni community, and would love to see
alumni become even more unified than they are
today.
When he is not saving the world one merger or
acquisition at a time, Saikat enjoys spending time
with his wife, a microbiologist, and his two sons,
ages 4 and 2½. His hobbies include tennis and other
racquet sports, but points out that golf is not a
particular favorite. He also enjoys reading novels
by Crichton, Grisham, and Ludlum. Above all,
Saikat loves traveling, and treats his time on the
plane as an opportunity for a rare moment of relax-
ation. Some of his favorite destinations include
Hong Kong, Istanbul, Vienna, Calcutta, Dusseldorf,
and Boston.
Saikat has truly followed an amazing path since his
time in the M&T Program, one which can be
summed up by his advice to all M&Ts, “Pursue your
passion…success will follow later.”
Since Jason Wang (M&T '98) joined AutoChina as
its CFO last July, it has been quite the whirlwind
experience as they work to position the company as
a premiere growth company. AutoChina most
recently completed a $70M registered direct place-
ment of its common shares that will provide the
company with some much needed growth capital.
Jason lives in San Diego and typically spend a week
out of every month in China. AutoChina is head-
quartered in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei
province, about a 4 hour drive or a 2 hour train ride
from Beijing. According to Jason, "there is an
amazing level of growth and development occurring
in China and it's neat to be able to see it firsthand
while still living in San Diego, which is a place I
really love." Jason can be reached at
jcwang@autochinaintl.com. (logo available)
Peter Burchhardt (M&T '03) has been in China
since 2006, first with Microsoft, now as an entrepre-
neur. His latest project is http://CallMeInChina.com,
a service targeted at foreigners living in China.
Users get phone numbers in their home countries
that then ring directly to their mobile phones in
China. This makes it cheap and easy to get calls
from friends, family, and customers back home.
"The idea came naturally because I needed this
service myself. Previously, my friends had to go to
their computers and call me via Skype, or we'd have
to arrange times to meet there. Now with CallMeI-
nChina, they just use their own phones to call my
number as if I were in the US, and it reaches me
directly here on my mobile. My business partner
Theron is a friend from my time at Microsoft. We
put a good amount of effort into making the system
fault-tolerant so our customers can rely on it. It's an
exciting project because we're building something
directly useful in our daily lives, and because the
nature of the business allows us to operate it from
anywhere in the world. Inspired by Tim Ferriss'
The-Four-Hour-Workweek, I developed the first
version in Buenos Aires, was in Uruguay when we
launched our first beta version, and I'm on an island
off the coast of China right now - no cars allowed
here - but I have my 3G modem and carry a big
monitor in my suitcase so I can work productively
anywhere. More than four hours per week, but
loving it."
M&Ts in China
Adam Leitzes (M&T ’02) married Kim Nguyen
(W’04) on Nov. 12 on a boat off the coast of St.
John , U.S. Virgin Islands. Joshua Solan (M&T ’02)
was one of the groomsmen. Elaine Chan (W'05) and
Olivia Shone (W'04) were two of the bridesmaids.
Adam and Kim enjoyed a month of married life in
Manhattan and then shipped off to Shanghai where
Adam established the China office for Tiger Man-
agement, Julian Robertson’s personal investment
vehicle. The firm is investing opportunistically in
both private and publicly traded Chinese compa-
nies. Having exhausted nearly all the food options
in NYC after six years in the city, Adam and Kim
are particularly excited about exploring all the
culinary delights of Shanghai . Adam can be
reached at adam.leitzes@tigerfund.com.
Justin Rapp (M&T ’06) has been studying
Chinese for the past two years and after recently
applying to law school, has decided to stay in China
for at least another year. His travels have seen him
start a company in Thailand and teach English in
Taiwan as well as slaughter goats with Indonesian
villagers. At the moment, he is doing some part-
time work with David Diebold & Associates,
helping identify opportunities in the healthcare and
green energy sectors in China in addition to helping
understand how Chinese regulations affect firms
operating in these spheres. As the Secretary of the
Penn Club of Beijing, Justin has been able to work
with other alumni to plan events that keep fellow
Quakers in contact. Currently, he is looking for a
full-time position with a firm focused on investing
in China and/or Southeast Asia. Justin would love
to hear from fellow classmates as well as any other
M&T interested in this part of the world. He can be
contacted at justin.rapp@gmail.com.
M&Ts in China
Bill Kung (M&T '97) has had 9 years of experi-
ence working with startup companies, as a venture
capitalist since 1999. He was most recently with
General Catalyst Partners, a $1.6 billion venture
fund. He is currently the Executive Director and
Acting COO of one of his portfolio companies: La
Miu, one of China’s top e-commerce companies.
Bill is also managing his other investments in the
PRC: Tudou, Giant (NYSE:GA), CIC and InteTrust,
while serving as director for Young Venture Capital,
an organization he co-founded. Bill can be reached
at bkung@wkcap.com.
Spring 2010 has been a time of new beginnings for
James Feldkamp (M&T '96) with the birth of his
son, birth of a new venture, and moving into a new
apartment. James' son, Albert, was born on March
13th. He is an absolute joy and mom and dad are
slowly adjusting to the sleepless nights and added
responsibilities. In preparation for their son's
arrival, they decided to lay down roots in Shanghai
and purchased an apartment. Renovations are nearly
complete and the family will move in next week.
The process of purchasing building materials and
baby products brought home the severity of the
health hazards and lack of consumer protection in
China. In response, and together with an MBA
classmate from Shanghai, James have formed
MingJian Consumer Products Testing and Informa-
tion to provide an independent, unbiased source of
consumer product testing and information for
Chinese consumers. Look for the launch of James'
website later this year at mingjian.org. He can be
reached at feiminghao@yahoo.com or
jamesfeldkamp@gmail.com.
Mark Smerznak (M&T ’93), and Gabriele Solarik,
C’93, will mark 5 years in Beijing this summer.
Mark is working for Procter and Gamble as an
Associate Director in R&D, leading a global organi-
zation focused on downstream process development
for the Fabric and Home Care businesses. Mark and
Gabi have two children- Erik, 5, and Eline, 2. The
whole family has enjoyed living in Beijing, and
traveling throughout Asia.He can be contacted at
m_smerznak@yahoo.com.
M&Ts in China
Jeffrey Cheung (M&T '87) is the founder and
managing director of Crossgate Advisors Limited
(www.crossgateadvisors.com), helping multina-
tional companies to invest and integrate ventures to
raise fund for growth. Drawing from a wealth of
investment, management experience across indus-
tries and a vast business network, Jeffrey completed
consecutive assignments with various consumer-
related and technologyinvestments in PRC. Cur-
rently based in Beijing, Jeffrey enjoys angel invest-
ing and regularly mentors entrepreneurs. Jeffrey can
be reached at jeffrey@crossgateadvisors.com.
Charlene Chen (M&T ’05) writes, “After working
in NYC for 4 years (Monitor and Insight Venture
Partners), I decided to head back to Penn for my
MBA. With my start date fast approaching, I
deferred my admission to experience life on the
other side of the world. I am now in Beijing, study-
ing Chinese at Tsinghua University where I’m
enjoying $1 meals and bracing myself for an
onslaught of sandstorms. Key highlights so far
have been the below zero night in a yurt in Inner
Mongolia and an all-star alumni event at the US
Embassy, hosted by Jon Huntsman Jr. While it’s
tempting to defer another year, I will be heading
back to Philadelphia this August and joining the
WG class of 2012." She can be reached at
chen.charlene@gmail.com.
Senior Farewell
It’s that time of the year again – when a newly
graduated class of M&Ts is shipped off from
campus and into the real world. After months of
anticipation, from buying our caps and gowns to
hulling back two heavy diploma frames, graduation
is just around the corner and feelings of nostalgia
are in the air.
As founding editors of the M&T Bulletin, we want
to take a moment to freeze frame and look back at
the M&T experience, from the tribulations of
all-nighters to the triumphs and accomplishments of
our peers – for it is these amazing peers who have
truly shaped our experience. These are the people
who made writing a 100 page research paper in
MGMT 237 bearable and, dare we say, fun. These
are the people who commiserated in the pains of
OCR as well as the agony of late nights in labs (be it
the Moore Linux Lab or the Skirkanich BE labs).
These are professional workload jugglers, connois-
seurs of nerdy jokes, and athletes who have trained
to run back and forth across campus in 10 minutes.
Though we are of the same breed, each of us, with
our own perspective and ambition, has left a unique
mark on Penn, M&T, and each other. But don’t just
take our word for it! Just take a look at some of the
impressive accomplishments of the M&T Class of
2010.
Noah Ready-Campbell has pursued his entrepre-
neurial passion, receiving the Wharton Venture
Award and acceptance into the Weiss Tech House
Innovation Fund. On the other end of the spectrum,
Clarence Tso has pursued research interests in cell
and molecular biomechanics and has been published
as a coauthor in FASEB (Federation of American
Societies for Experimental Biology). Looking
forward, Sam Levine will take advantage of his
Thouron Award to study abroad in Cambridge.
Nechemya Kagedan, on the other hand, is travelling
the globe, hoping to meet people of different
cultures and gain worldly perspective.
Alexander Yen was this year’s recipient of the
Michele Huber and Bryan Giles Award; this award
honors an outstanding M&T senior who “demon-
strates academic excellence, leadership, service and
love of mankind”. After graduation, Alex will be
working for McKinsey and in his “spare time”, he
will continue to develop YouthBank, a non-profit
organization he is involved in. When asked about his
“M&T experience” he says, “M&T was an experi-
ence I am grateful to have been a part of. I was
exposed to opportunities I couldn't have had
anywhere else, and became part of a community of
friends and colleagues that made my four years here
completely worthwhile.” We agree wholeheartedly.
In many ways, we are lucky to be part of the Class
of 2010. We have had the pleasure of knowing both
Lea and January. We were fortunate enough to be
one of Dr. Hamilton’s last MGMT 237 students
while still having the opportunity to interact with
and learn from M&T alumnus and new professor of
MGMT 237, Dr. Chaudhuri. Of course, we can’t
forget about Jaime whose familiar face and warm
greetings make the M&T office feel like a second
home.
Graduation is always bittersweet. Though the two of
us will be in NYC next year and the rest of the class
will be scattered around the globe, we hope that our
class will not be afraid to reach out to each other the
way we do now or will at least know that they will
always have a couch to crash on in NYC. With that,
we wish everyone the best luck (though you prob-
ably won’t need it) and hope to see you at our
reunion!
Starting in July 2010, Juhi Heda will be working as a Private
Equity Analyst at The Blackstone Group. Joy Xu will be
working as a M&A Analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
They can be reached at juhi.heda@gmail.com and
joyx905@gmail.com, respectively.
From left to right, seniors Joy Xu, Juhi Heda, and Alex Yen
pictured with Dr. Hamilton at the 30th Anniversary celebration.
Job PostingsGoogle (posted by Cynthia Yeung, M&T ’06)
Overview:Google's mission is to organize the world's information, and our growing Content Partnerships team helps to
provide access to all of the world's content. Through content partnerships and programs, we support over 14
Google products/properties around the world including Google.com, Mobile/Android, Product Search, Google
Maps and Google Earth. The breadth and scope of content we acquire almost defies description – it includes
video, books, publications, mapping data, satellite and aerial imagery, business addresses, restaurant reviews,
retail product listings, real estate listings and government data.
Seeking:Strategic Partner Development Associate (SPDA), Local/Core ContentThe Strategic Partner Development Manager for Local/Core content provides exposure to multiple functional
disciplines (e.g. product management, engineering, finance, legal, and operations). You will be working to
obtain content that is valuable to Google users, but not yet included in Google's index. In this role you will have
the opportunity to: help define the content strategy and execution for certain categories/verticals, negotiate
partnerships, represent Google at industry events, present to senior management, and collaborate with product
teams to evolve Google's offerings. The position will be in Mountain View.
Requirements
* BA or BS degree (an excellent academic record from a leading university is preferred)
* At least 4 years of related work experience (investment banking, consulting, venture capital, marketing
and/or business development preferred)
* Demonstrated strong work performance with increasing levels of responsibility and independence
* Sharp analytical and problem-solving skills
* Exceptional communication and presentation skills
* Ability to operate with energy and flexibility in a fast-paced, constantly evolving and collaborative
environment
* Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (PowerPoint, Excel, Word)
Responsibilities
* Lead research and conduct competitive analyses that help to determine our content categories and
vertical strategies
* Maintain a deep understanding of Google's product roadmap in order to better identify and qualify
prospective content partners and negotiate partnership term sheets and legal contracts
* Help execute scalable content acquisition programs through marketing plans and outreach to content
owners/aggregators
* Represent the company at industry events, which will include describing the benefits of working with
Google to users, content providers and advertisers
* Play a central role in helping our team build content metrics and management business infrastructure
tools
Contact:For more information or if interested, please contact Cynthia Yeung (cyeung@google.com).
Job PostingsGoogle (posted by Cynthia Yeung, M&T ’06)
Overview:Google's mission is to organize the world's information, and our growing Content Partnerships team helps to
provide access to all of the world's content. Through content partnerships and programs, we support over 14
Google products/properties around the world including Google.com, Mobile/Android, Product Search, Google
Maps and Google Earth. The breadth and scope of content we acquire almost defies description – it includes
video, books, publications, mapping data, satellite and aerial imagery, business addresses, restaurant reviews,
retail product listings, real estate listings and government data.
Seeking:Business Analyst, Strategic PartnershipsAs a Business Analyst, you will provide analytical support to Google’s Strategic Partnership teams, focusing on
mobile partnerships and software distribution partnerships. You will work individually and as part of cross-
functional teams to conduct analysis and report on business performance. You will work collaboratively with
Partnership Development, Product Management, Finance and Operations teams to analyze and report on prod-
uct and partnership performance to assist in business decision making, optimization and issue identification and
resolution.
Requirements
* Degree in Business/Finance/Economics preferred with at least 3 years of relevant experience.
* Experience at a leading consulting firm or investment bank, or experience as an analyst in a high
growth company.
* Demonstrated aptitude for and interest in data-driven analysis and problem solving.
* Strong Excel skills required, database experience and working knowledge of SQL a big plus.
* Good communication skills and ability to explain complex analysis and work effectively with cross-
functional teammates.
Responsibilities
* Provide data reporting and analytical support to global and regional strategic partnership sales teams.
* Develop and report metrics to assess performance of Google products and partnerships and identify
and track trends.
* Build models to predict or explain business performance and conduct root cause analysis to resolve
issues or identify opportunities for improvement.
* Conduct primary and secondary market research, and synthesize and report on key business metrics
and trends.
* Establish working relationships with cross-functional peers and collaborate to gather data and conduct
analysis.
Contact:For more information or if interested, please contact Cynthia Yeung (cyeung@google.com).
Job PostingsClearView Healthcare Partners (posted by Ankita Deshpande, M&T ’95)
Overview:ClearView is a premier strategy consulting firm based in Boston focusing on the life sciences. ClearView
Healthcare Partners provides world-class strategic decision-making support across a wide diversity of business
issues, informing actionable recommendations that allow companies to achieve their business goals. We serve
the life sciences industry, including firms in the biopharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostic spaces.
Seeking:Strategy Analyst in the Life SciencesYou will interact with both clients and teams within ClearView to address critical strategic questions within the
biopharmaceutical space. During the course of a typical project, you will engage in a number of activities,
including:
• Conduct complex problem-solving through a hypothesis-based approach;
• Complete primary and secondary research to drive to critical insights;
• Create and utilize analytic tools, e.g., forecast models, to support key decision-making; and,
• Communicate recommendations to clients to inform strategy and maximize value.
We are seeking analyst-level candidates with undergraduate and/or Master’s degrees in the life sciences.
Although prior business or consulting experience is not necessary, all candidates should have a demonstrated
interest in the biopharmaceutical industry. Candidates must be highly analytical in their approach to solving
complex problems, should be proficient in both written and oral communication, and must enjoy working
within a dynamic team environment.
Contact:For more information or if interested, please contact Ankita Deshpande (ankita.deshpande@gmail.com).
Aksia (posted by Patrick Adelsbach M&T ’97)
Overview:Aksia is an independent consultant focused on advising institutions (pensions, endowments, foundations, insur-
ance companies, etc.) with respect to their hedge fund investments. The firm is headquartered in New York
with satellite offices in London and Tokyo. Aksia’s key people are seasoned hedge fund industry professionals,
who previously held senior roles at investment banks and hedge funds in the areas of portfolio management,
research, trading, audit, prime brokerage, operations, and risk management. The combination of these experi-
ences gives Aksia a “360-degree” perspective when analyzing hedge funds and advising on hedge fund
programs.
Seeking:Aksia is seeking an analyst to assist the senior investment partners with research related to hedge fund invest-
ments. Analysts will have the opportunity to gain a deep understanding of various hedge fund strategies and
will develop both subjective and objective skills necessary to assess the attractiveness of hedge funds from an
investor’s point of view. Each analyst will rotate between Aksia’s 3 strategy teams over a 2 year period in order
to gain a broad exposure to the hedge fund universe. A significant portion of the role will entail writing invest-
ment reports that detail the qualitative and quantitative aspects of individual hedge fund strategies. Analysts at
Aksia will be working directly with hedge fund managers, clients, and the partners of the firm. Ideal candidates
will have 1-4 years of relevant work experience, strong communication skills, independent and critical thinking.
Contact:For more information or if interested, please contact Jenny Hirsch (jenny.hirsch@aksia.com).
Job PostingsCiti (posted by Alexander Chilton, M&T ’05)
Overview:Citi's Municipal Capital Markets department serves institutional and municipal clients by underwriting, structur-
ing, marketing, selling and trading all products related to the municipal market. In addition to flow business in
bonds and derivatives, we provide affordable housing structures, credit products, tax credit financings, securiti-
zations and other structured products to meet the needs of our customers in a rapidly changing market. Citi-
group is consistently ranked #1 in municipal underwriting, sales and trading. Municipal Capital Markets is part
of the Municipal Securities Division (MSD) in the Institutional Clients Group (ICG) of Citi.
Seeking:Municipal Capital Markets Structured Products AnalystMSD is looking to add an Analyst in our Financial Products group focused on Structured Products.
Job Responsibilities:
· Support MSD's Financial Products group in the development of municipal structured products
· Development of financial models for municipal structured products
· Prepare term sheets, deal summaries, and presentations on various structured products
· Assist in drafting approval memorandums and presenting proposed municipal structured products to
internal approval committees
· Monitor daily desk profit and loss report
Qualifications:
· Candidate is required to have a BA/BS with a minimum of 1-2 years of experience in banking and/or
finance
· Individual must have excellent communication (oral and written), organizational and interpersonal
skills, as well as the ability to multi-task under tight deadlines
· Experience with financial modeling
· Ability to create high-qualify presentations and product descriptions Series 7 and 63 are preferred
Contact:For more information or if interested, please contact Alexander Chilton (alexander.b.chilton@citi.com).
Google JAPAC (posted by Ling Chang, M&T ’92)
Overview:The Asia Pacific (JAPAC) region is extremely dynamic and Google requires innovative people to help us grow.
I lead the Partner Solutions Organization in JAPAC and this function drives the technical implementation of our
key products with strategic partners and customers. PSO works cross-functionally with BD, Sales, Products and
Eng to deliver projects. For example, we helped to launch Android devices around the world, integrate Google
mobile apps with carriers, integrate search with publishers, automate adwords creation with advertisers, etc.
Seeking:Technical Account Managers (TAM), Technical Solutions Engineer (TSE) and Customer Solutions Engineer
(CSE) to join PSO in Australia, Japan, Singapore, India, Korea and Taiwan. PSO is perfect for graduates and
alumnus of M&T as we seek candidates who are highly technical and yet well-versed in business. Ideal candi-
date will have CS degree (if not, then with programming experience), with business experience that is customer
or partner-facing (MBA degree is plus but only M&T is great). Applicant should be a self-starter, creative, and
passionate to make a difference. There is also local language requirement depending on the countries.
Contact:For more information or if interested, please contact Ling Chang (lingchang@google.com).
Job PostingsBillShrink (posted by Shehzad Daredia, M&T ’06)
Overview:BillShrink provides a free, online service to help consumers make better purchase decisions for complex prod-
uct categories. It takes a scientific, highly-personalized approach which identifies the products that best fit
users’ individual requirements. BillShrink’s first category is wireless services; a user can interactively describe
their cell phone usage (or automatically import their bill for comprehensive analysis) and receive personalized,
ranked recommendations on the 10 million cell phone plan/add-on combinations available on the market today.
BillShrink was launched in April 2008.
Seeking:BillShrink is seeking to fill the following positions:
• Product Intern Part or Full Time
• Marketing Communications Intern
• Front End Engineer
• Senior Software Engineer
• Software Engineering Intern
All the above positions are based in Redwood, CA. For more details, please visit
http://www.billshrink.com/jobs/.
Contact:If interested, please contact Shehzad Daredia at shehzard.daredia@gmail.com.
Nomura Securities
Seeking:Nomura Securities is actively looking to recruit an associate to join the Securitized Products Research Team.
This team consists of seven senior analysts and is responsible for publishing research reports on RMBS,
consumer ABS and CMBS markets. Associates joining the team will work with senior analysts on analyzing
prepayment and credit profiles of assets backing different mortgage and asset backed securities as well as on
identifying macro-trends that are important drivers of the performance of MBS/ABS investments. Strong
quantitative background is required but no prior work experience in financial services area is necessary. Candi-
dates with BS degree in engineering/mathematics/physics/economics and MS in finance or an MBA will be
preferred.
Contact:If interested, please contact Paul Nikodem at paul.nikodem@nomura.com.
Job PostingsCVS Caremark (posted by Clifford Jones, M&T ‘07)
Overview:CVS Caremark (Fortune 19, ~$99B revenue) is beginning to search for a new Analyst to join our Enterprise
Delivery team. The ideal candidate will have 1-3 years of experience at a top tier strategic consulting or private
equity firm (or equivalent background). Leveraging their modeling expertise, advanced communications skills,
and problem solving abilities, this person will drive projects that add value to our company by chartering new
pharmacy and pharmacy benefit management products and services. This position provides a unique opportu-
nity to have a significant impact on the strategic direction of one of the nation’s largest and most innovative
companies.
Seeking:CVS Caremark is seeking an Enterprise Delivery Analyst (Full-time) that will be responsible for modeling and
analyses that will help define the company's overall business strategy. The Analyst will be expected to work in
teams with key stakeholders from across the enterprise to gather, analyze and synthesize data; the Analyst's
work must routinely drive business insight, leading to competitive advantages in a highly complex and dynamic
market. Generally, the Analyst will work both independently and collaboratively on several projects simultane-
ously. The Analyst will also be a thought partner for the leaders of the group and will regularly interface with
senior leaders throughout the company. In addition, the Analyst will perform market research, help develop
solutions to operational and other qualitative issues, and generate reasonable assumptions in the absence of hard
data. Overall, the Analyst’s work will have a significant impact on product development decisions made by the
senior management of CVS Caremark.
Job Description:
• Perform advanced quantitative analyses (spreadsheet modeling, data analysis, etc.) to help determine
product development strategy
• Execute modeling to assess the value of pipeline opportunities
• Develop presentations to communicate findings, summarize key insights, and influence decision-
makers
• Work with appropriate stakeholders to define key metrics to track
Requirements:
• Superior analytical and problem solving skills
• High level of independent judgment and initiative required
• Ability to work both independently and in a team environment
• Excellent communication and writing skills
• Advanced skills with spreadsheets, databases and presentation software, including a strong working
knowledge of MS Excel and MS PowerPoint, as well as familiarity with MS Access
• Ability to support multiple projects simultaneously, adjusting priorities as needed and meeting
deadlines
For more information, please see
https://www.cvs.apply2jobs.com/ProfExt/index.cfm?fuseaction=mExternal.showJob&RID=3860&CurrentPage
=1
Contact:If interested, please contact Richard Huff, at rhuff@cvs.com.
Job PostingsAQR Capital Management (posted by Sarah Jiang, M&T ’08)
Overview:The founders of AQR were still Ph.D. candidates when they initially developed the complex financial models
that are now at AQR’s core. Today, AQR Capital Management is a $23 billion asset management firm
employing a disciplined multi- asset, global research process (AQR stands for Applied Quantitative Research).
AQR's investment products are provided through a limited set of collective investment vehicles and separate
accounts that deploy all or a subset of AQR's investment strategies. These investment products span from
aggressive high volatility market-neutral hedge funds, to low volatility benchmark-driven traditional products.
AQR offers a professional culture that is entrepreneurial and team-oriented, where those with talent and drive
are offered a vast array of opportunities to hone their skills and tackle new challenges as they take on ever-
greater responsibility.
Seeking:AQR is seeking to fill the following positions:
• Global Stock Selection- Research Associate
• Global Asset Allocation- Research Developer
• Global Asset Allocation- Risk Parity Researcher
• Global Stock Selection- Developer
All the above positions are based in Greenwich, CT, a short commute from New York City. For more details,
please visit http://www.aqr.com/ExperiencedHires.htm.
Contact:If interested, please contact Matt Gombos at matt.gombos@aqr.com.
Announcements
Save the Date!Philly M&T Alumni Club Event for Alumni Weekend
Del Frisco’s Steakhouse (15th and Chestnut)
Saturday, May 15th
5-8pm
The Philadelphia M&T Alumni Club has organized a family and friends night to coincide with Alumni Weekend
festivities. If you are coming into town for Graduation or Alumni Weekend, stop by the Vault Bar downstairs at
Del Frisco’s Steakhouse at 15th and Chestnut between 5pm and 8pm on Saturday, May 15th. Bring your
spouses and friends and then go out to dinner afterwards – this is a unique opportunity to socialize instead of
network! Cash bar. An RSVP to William.Stanger@Ventuity.com is requested for headcount, but is not manda-
tory. Hope to see you there!
Want to update your fellow M&Ts on your life? Did you start a
company? New additions to your family? Or do you have
suggestions for an article in the next edition?
Email blurbs, photos, and any suggestions to
Matt Vogel (M&T ‘12) and Eve Lee (M&T ’12) at
mvog@wharton.upenn.edu and yinglee@wharton.upenn.edu.
Looking for current M&T students to intern at your company?
Email a description of the company and the position to M&T Program
Administrative Director January Stayton and Administrative Coordinator Jaime Davis
and djaime@wharton.upenn.edu.
Artem Mikhlin (M&T '97) will be coordinating the requests.
at staytonj@wharton.upenn.edu
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