This Is Vanderbilt Business

Last month, Bart Édes, the Representative of the North American Office for the Asian Development Bank, paid a visit to campus. We sat down with him to discuss the growth of Asia Pacific economies, challenges that the region is facing, how an MBA can prepare business leaders to work in a global economy, and more.

The scale and impact of the opioid crisis in America are tough to measure, because the numbers are so large, the effects so profound, and the demographics are so diverse. Professor Larry Van Horn breaks down the facts and looks at potential solutions with Marketing Director Amy Katz.

For prospective Executive MBA students, work/life balance is an important consideration, especially if there’s a partner to factor into the equation. So what happens when both partners want to head back to school? We spoke with three couples who each went through the Vanderbilt Executive MBA program — some concurrently, others staggered — to get a better understanding of how they balanced their time, got the most of their education, and support each other along the way. Marketing Director Amy Katz and I conducted the interviews.

Value-based care is a hot topic in healthcare, but without a consensus on the definition of "value", or a reliable way to achieve it, the industry is still looking for ways to take advantage of the concept. Ranga Ramanujam, the Richard M. and Betty Ruth Miller Professor of Management at Vanderbilt Business, talks with Marketing Director Amy Katz about value-based care, the challenges it presents, and what it means for MBA students looking to build a career in the healthcare industry.

Wes Murry (MBA'06) had already worked in consulting and at a hedge fund when his friend Will Arvin showed him a real estate brochure of an old distillery. The idea of restoring it immediately appealed to Murry's entrepreneurial side, and the two became the founding partners of Castle & Key distillery in Frankfort, KY, which opens to the public later in September. In our latest episode of Vanderbilt Business, Murry discusses the challenges of restoring a historic distillery, how his time at Owen prepared him to become an entrepreneur, and his advice for breaking into the spirits industry.

Amazon's partnership with Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan, along with its acquisition of PillPack, raises a lot of questions about the logistics giant's plans for operating in the healthcare industry, and what they mean for healthcare in general. Professor Larry Van Horn shares his thoughts on Amazon, innovation in US healthcare, and more.

By his early 30s, Rehan Choudhry (MBA'07) had achieved the kind of career success people in their 40s strive for. So why did he walk away from it all? We talked with Rehan about his career pivot, social enterprise, and more on the first episode of season 2.

The monthly Humans of Owen events have become a fixture of the Vanderbilt Business community, and give students, faculty, and staff a chance to share their stories. For our last episode of the academic year, we wanted to give our podcast listeners a taste of Humans of Owen. Joshua Carlile is a Master of Science in Finance student who once thought he might never get a chance to go college — and ended up getting a master’s degree at his dream university. He chronicles his untraditional journey to Vanderbilt for us this week.

The opportunities for women in the financial world are enormous, yet a gender disparity remains throughout the profession. What are companies doing about it, and why should women take a closer look at careers in the field? Cherrie Wilkerson, Director of Vanderbilt Business' MS Finance Program, and Kelly Smith (MSF'13)an Associate at Global Endowment Management, talk about the opportunities that the Vanderbilt MSF specifically, and the world of finance generally, have to offer women.

The Admissions team sat down this week with female MBA candidates to discuss the MBA experience for women at Vanderbilt, offer advice for applicants, and chat about the Forte Foundation.

The world of work is changing rapidly, and the skills and attitudes needed to succeed are as well. Dean Eric Johnson sat down with Mike Dallas, SVP of HR at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, to talk about the role of HR, leadership development, what he looks for in MBAs, and the workforce of 2025.

Cleon Rice is a second-year MBA student and the outgoing president of the Owen Student Government Association. With graduation only a few weeks away, Cleon reflects on his time at Vanderbilt, discussing his travels and the role that student organizations play in a student's life. He also offers advice to applicants making decisions on schools and talks candidly about growing personally and professionally through difficult circumstances.

We're looking at public accounting this week from the recruiter's perspective. James Powell is the Managing Partner of KPMG's Nashville office and the National Partner in Charge of Campus Recruiting and University Relations. He talked with Vanderbilt MAcc's Lindsay Donald about the opportunities that life in the industry offers, how careers in public accounting develop, and what KPMG looks for in the recruiting process.

Public Accounting doesn't have the most exciting or glamorous reputation, but there's a lot more to the field than it gets credit for. Mary Hsu (MAcc'09), VP at Goldman Sachs, and Margaret Ross (MAcc'14), National Office - Economic and Valuation Services at KPMG, talk about the opportunities, challenges, and career trajectories that come with a career in the field.

To celebrate Valentines Day, we talked with four Vanderbilt couples about finding love at Owen and how they balanced school, career searches, and relationships.

We conclude our International podcast series with a bonus episode, featuring 1st year MBA student Christian Zavatti, a former semi-professional soccer player from Venezuela. He talks about why he chose Vanderbilt, the impact of the leadership development program, and his internship search.

Our international series continues this week with students from China and India. The gregarious first-year MBA and Forte fellow Cecile Zhu talks about her career path, what led her to Owen and an internship in HR, and more. First-year MBA Kartik Ramakrishnan talks about how admissions ambassadors connect international prospects with Vanderbilt from thousands of miles away, and how he pursues his consulting aspirations at school. Finally, second-year Shanshan Zhang discusses her pursuit of a career in finance and operations, and why she found Vanderbilt to be the best fit for her.

We continue our international series this week with a look at students from the Americas. Rafael Pina (MBA'19), Mabel Gomes (MBA'18), and Jacqueline Lim (MBA'19)discuss why they chose Vanderbilt over other top programs, the application process, and their biggest surprises on the job search.

Akihiro Ota and Hwanchul Kang, sponsored by Daiwa and Samsung, respectively, talk about why they chose Vanderbilt, acclimating to life on campus and in the US, the benefits of Nashville, and more.

In recent years, social enterprise has assumed a greater role in the academic lives of students at Owen and across Vanderbilt’s campus, due in large part to Turner Family Center for Social Ventures, founded in 2015. We spoke with second-year MBAs Tori Samples and Kayla Armgardt, as well as MBA alum and current VU law student Nat Robinson, about their social venture startups, opportunities on and off campus, and how students can get involved. For more information on the Turner Family Center, please visit their website at www.turnerfamilycenter.com