Usc Ibear Business Class

Bob Zukis wants people to understand the digital transformation. He wants people to understand that a successful business needs a trained technologist in the C-Suite. With social technologies showing their power in events such as the manipulation of the US election, he reflects, “Bad preceeds the good, until we learn how to control it.” His view is that we are just at the beginning of building the regulations and controls needed to bring the good side of social technology to the forefront. He points out education is needed to deliver the promise of the digital transformation to companies, “Only 14% of boardroom directors have any technology training.” He continues, “And even if someone on the board asks the right questions, they have a very low probability of understanding the answers.” Bob runs the USC IBEAR MBA International Business Consulting Project and is CEO of the Digital Directors Network.

Chris Darnell likes risk and has “a high capacity for ambiguity.” Good traits for an executive whose career path includes being CFO of the Microsoft Cloud as well as an entrepreneur in Sub-Saharan Africa. Always looking to blend the worlds of the executive and creative, Chris’ current company ‘The Human Baton” will burst onto the media scene soon with race cars, horses, high speed boats and more. In this Business Class interview, we hear how Chris has taken the skills from his USC IBEAR MBA and applied them to a unique career. Chris spoke with Business Class when he returned to USC, to serve as Commencement Speaker for the IBEAR MBA’s 40th class.

Kazu Yozawa is the Global CTO of NTT Security and thinks we live in a scary world. This is the world of network security, where threats can range from a teenager forging a user code on a piece of software, to state sponsored hackers that target specific industries around the globe. He said that more education in how computer networks operate will help, but at this time, “only a few executives understand this situation.” Mr. Yozawa keeps a positive view saying that although the threats are coming faster now than before, he feels that in the long term the ‘Good Guys’ can prevail.

“What’s the difference between this U.S. president and others” -QiWei Chen There is a question inside China about how this president is different from other U.S. presidents. Dr. QiWei Chen, the Founder of ABC Capital of Shanghai considered this and other questions in an interview with Business Class. Noting that China has benefited greatly from trade with the U.S. - he feels that China will respond to tariffs set by the U.S., but would do it carefully. Is talk from President Trump a provocative threat, or a negotiating tactic? He notes that this may be the case as Trump is known more as a businessman than a politician. Listen in to hear this analysis, as well as a look into the world of equity investment in China. Interview by Richard Drobnick, Director of the USC Marshall IBEAR MBA Program. Dr. QiWei Chen is the Founding Partner and Chairman of ABC Capital and Chairman of ABC Corporation.

Wendy Cutler spends a lot of time thinking about trade. She was the Chief Negotiator on the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement and the Lead Negotiator on the TPP Agreement. We spoke with her just as the US announced that tariffs were going to be placed on China and other US trading partners. She commented on what trading partners might feel, “Well it’s China today, but maybe tomorrow the president will impose tariffs on us as well.” In this conversation, we look at the ripples and shock waves that are created within the trading world when a country the size of the US throws a stone. Wendy Cutler is the Vice President of the Asia Society’s Policy Institute. Interview by Richard Drobnick, Director of the USC Marshall IBEAR MBA Program.

In the first year of his presidency Donald Trump largely avoided trade issues with China. As the second year unfolded, Clay Dube notes that the President seems to have returned to the attack mode promised in the campaign. As policies shift daily, Business Class asked Clayton Dube, the Director of the USC US – China Institute, to take a look at the Trump playbook and bring his insight to the Administration’s game plan. Clayton Dube, is the Director of the USC U.S - China Institute

Economics is front page news around the world as trade pacts are dismantled, tariffs are threatened and trade wars suddenly appear on the horizon. Baizhu Chen, noted USC China expert takes us inside the threatened US / China tariffs to see what is at play. In the complex trade relationship between the US and China, it seems that the main issues in this trade war are explained in every Econ 101 text book. Baizhu Chen is professor of Clinical Finance and Business Economics at the USC Marshall School of Business.

Gary Locke, former US Ambassador to China, Secretary of Commerce and Governor of Washington has experienced trade issues from all angles. He sees threatening tariffs more as a political gesture, than a well thought out strategy. Tariffs on steel for example would hurt Canada more than it would China. He asks, “Why would we want to anger our allies?” Locke brings insight to questions ranging from tariffs and technology transfers, to strategic exemptions and North Korea. Interviewed by Dick Drobnick, Director of the USC IBEAR MBA Program.

How do you align a career with your own motivations? When do you pivot your career? How does extra training such as an MBA impact your strategy? In Part 2 of the Constructing a Career series, Grant Ingersoll, President of Integrated Oncology Network and Ana Maria Stringi Guemáraes, Audit Director at MUFG US Bank, discuss when and how to make a move. Ana Maria and Grant are both graduates of the USC IBEAR MBA program.

Where does an MBA fit in a career plan? How do you plan a career? How many steps does it take to reach your goal? In this episode of Business class we begin a series that will take a deep look into careers. We will talk with MBA grads at all stages of their career. We’ll hear what steps they took, mistakes they made and insights they have gained. In Part 1, Doug Montgomery, VP of Customer Insight at Warner Brothers and Regina Leung, Founder of Mayflower Health Consulting analyze the steps that brought them to where they are today. Regina Leung and Doug Montgomery are both graduates of the USC IBEAR MBA program.

In this episode of Business Class, Bill Zarit, the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, describes the monumental economic shifts that are taking place. He sees Chinese investment in the U.S. doubling, while U.S. investment in China is drifting downward. He notes that China is making strategic purchases in sectors aimed at challenging current U.S. global leadership and questions the long term benefits of letting that happen. In a wide ranging conversation held at the USC Marshall/ U.S. Department of Commerce annual Asia Pacific Business Outlook Conference, he and Dick Drobnick dig in to bring Mr. Zarit’s unique insight to the Business Class audience. Bill Zarit is the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in China. Interviewed by Dick Drobnick, Director of the USC IBEAR MBA Program.

Wayne Forrest has been President of the American Indonesian Chamber of Commerce through many of the country’s business and political cycles. He’s been integral to Indonesia’s relationship with international energy and mining conglomerates. Now as the nature of business is shifting toward the world of startups and venture capital, the Chamber is deeply involved there as well. So much so that he helped facilitate the first Global Ventures Summit in Bali. In this episode of Business Class, the conversation focuses on how the business and political policies in Indonesia continuously mesh and diverge as people, leaders and technology change. Wayne Forrest is the President of the American Indonesian Chamber of Commerce. Interviewed by Dick Drobnick, Director of the USC IBEAR MBA Program.

Jim Castle, who describes himself as ‘an accidental businessman’ established CastleAsia in 1980 which has given him a unique view of the shifting of economic power from west to east. Through CastleAsia’s Indonesia Country Program executive roundtable, Jim meets weekly with top executives from 140 member companies. This insight is reflected in an interview that discusses his work in Indonesia, and how he sees current politics in Washington is serving to enhance the power of the Chinese economy. Jim Castle is the Chairman & CEO of CastleAsia. Jim has also served two terms as the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia. Interview by Dick Drobnick, Director of the USC IBEAR MBA Program.

Ito En sells over $4 Billion USD of tea annually in Japan. In North America Ito En hits $300 million. In this classic international brand building story, Yosuke Honjo, CEO and President of Ito En North America, describes how his company pushed by a shrinking population and growing competition domestically, “Must go out from Japan and find a new market internationally.” His plan includes continually fighting a dual battle with the beverage Goliaths, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. He not only must carve out space with retailers for his tea, but also respond to merger questions from these competitors, “We always say no”. Then beyond building a market, sits the major complexity of selling FDA regulated food products - that are made in Japan, China and Taiwan - into the US. Yosuke Honjo is a graduate of the USC IBEAR MBA program. Interview by Dick Drobnick, Director of the USC IBEAR MBA Program.

There is book learning and then there is taking your knocks on the street. The students who enroll in the USC IBEAR MBA take their knocks all around the world. The International Business Consulting Project is an extreme version of experiential learning. The class is literally turned into an international consulting firm, where clients contract for consulting services and then the students get on planes and fly out to find a solution to their customers problems. These aren’t virtual clients either. Names such as Sony, Hitachi, Warner Brothers in countries from Indonesia, to Mexico, to China fill the roster. The goal? Find a real business solution to a real business problem. Bob Kiddoo – USC Professor of Accounting and Enterprise Systems managed the consulting teams for the past two years.

Alfred Fung starts speaking about his gaming with the absolute that it must be fun. He traces his love for gaming to his childhood, but credits his entry into the business to the MBA he received from the USC IBEAR program. His facility with big data, business analytics, monetization and his ability to connect the dots put him ahead of a flood of applicants for his first job in the cutting edge game industry. Now deep into his entrepreneurial career as the CEO of fun-gi, he still pulls on these skills to guide the creation of the company’s soon to be released high-profile branded game, House Flip – with Chip and Jo. Alfred Fung is a graduate of the USC IBEAR MBA program and is a member of the IBEAR 31 class.

Dan Ping Mu faces challenges for her consulting clients in China head on – and then looks at them from all angles to find the right solution. Her goal is to keep things moving ahead by presenting both sides of an issue with a clear win. She finds that many issues with ventures in China can be solved by sending the team with the not only the rights skills, but also the correct attitude. She says, “ Many people feel it is difficult to do business in China, but it’s difficult to do any place in you don’t understand it.” Dan Ping Mu is a graduate of the USC IBEAR MBA program and is a member of the IBEAR 10 class. She is the Executive Director, UNESCO Foundation and a Business Consultant

Marcus Lyu runs hard commodities trading in Asia for the 100 billion USD, Swiss head-quartered energy trading firm Mercuria. In this interview in Shanghai, Business Class again looks at a changing China. Marcus explains how the coal and iron ore commodities markets, give insight into Chinese policy. He also describes how the 2008 global crash has shifted many heavy industries in China from private to predominately State Owned Enterprises. We see that commodity prices serve as a canary in a coal mine. Marcus Lyu is an alumni of the USC IBEAR MBA program. Interview by Dick Drobnick, Director of the USC IBEAR MBA Program.

Jim McGregor engages in a spirited interview on issues facing foreign companies doing business in China. Speaking with Dick Drobnick in Shanghai, they cover topics from finding employees, to product dumping, to the impact of politics. McGregor states that, “This is China’s day,” and companies need to constantly re-evaluate their position as China itself is constantly changing. With thirty years experience in China and seeing it move “from bicycles to Bentleys” McGregor brings powerful and pointed observations to the table. Interview by Dick Drobnick, Director of the USC IBEAR MBA Program.

Nat Rothschild has a storied family name that defined banking for centuries. Nat spoke with Dick Drobnick while taking part in the USC IBEAR MBA 40th anniversary two day seminar. The conversation ranged from his starting of one of the 90’s most lucrative hedge funds, to losing millions in a Indonesian coal mining venture. Now in the business of ‘staying rich’ he also gives us the politics and background story of the Rothschild family fortune. He lets us know that even while a name like Rothschild helps, there is no sure thing. Interviewed by Richard Drobnick, Director of the USC IBEAR MBA Program.