Management Society News
Posted on November 1, 2007
Filed Under Management Society News
[FinlandChapter]Management Society Establishes Helsinki, Finland, Chapter
The influence of the BYU Management Society continues to grow throughout the world with the establishment of a chapter in Helsinki, Finland. The chapter held its inaugural meeting on 31 July 2007.
Helena Hannonen, an associate professor of international business management at BYU–Hawaii and a member of the society’s international steering committee, spoke about global networking. Customarily, Finland has had less emphasis on networking, and attendees were pleasantly surprised as they discovered valuable connections.
More than thirty people attended the meeting, despite the event’s timing during a traditional vacation period. “It was a pleasure to see so much interest in the Management Society from the general audience,” says Jussi Kemppainen, chapter president. “It emphasized the importance of opening our doors even wider to all who are interested in the beliefs and values we represent.”
The chapter is only one step in the society’s plans for expansion. “We hope this will be the pioneering chapter in this region, influencing the establishment of chapters in neighboring countries,” says Jonni Junkkari, chapter secretary. “There is a need for this sort of organization in this region, especially for networking.”
[MexicoMentoring]Program Provides Mentors for Perpetual Education Fund Graduates
Management Society members in the Mexico City, Mexico, Chapter are providing mentors for recent graduates who have received assistance from the Perpetual Education Fund.
Named Lograr, a Spanish word denoting success and accomplishment, the program pairs businesspeople from the United States, where mentoring is more common, with those who’ve received assistance from the Perpetual Education Fund. Mentors use email, Internet phone calls, and Internet video chat to connect across nations with those receiving mentoring. The chapter coordinates the program’s work in Mexico, arranging events and pairing graduates.
“These students finish classes and need to repay the fund but don’t yet have any way,” says Marco Flores, chapter president and Perpetual Education Fund coordinator in Mexico. “They need help to get established and be successful.”
The mentoring program was organized, in part, by Scott McDonough, an American businessman who currently lives and works in Mexico City as managing director with Alta Growth Capital. “We share the concerns that President Gordon B. Hinckley has expressed about opportunities for young people in developing economies,” he says. “The Perpetual Education Fund is an important component in trying to help them, but we were concerned about the next step: how that education might translate into jobs.”
John Richards, associate director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, mentors two Perpetual Education Fund alumni who are starting their own businesses. His service combines his Spanish language abilities, which he developed while serving a mission in Paraguay, with his passion and skill for entrepreneurship. “I guide them through the steps of entrepreneurship,” he explains. “They don’t have a lot, but they really want to do better in their lives.”
While more people want mentors than the program’s current capacity, organizers are carefully selecting the right mentors to ensure that Lograr will remain a success for years to come.
In chapters throughout the Management Society, regular luncheons and other events provide opportunities for members to gather, hear speakers, and network.
Whether a chapter is established and flourishing or just starting out, these events help the society achieve its vision of “growing moral and ethical leadership throughout the world,” and leaders have found several ways to make such events successful.
Leaders of the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Chapter come from a wide variety of businesses and backgrounds. Their different interests and connections have helped to ensure diversity of luncheon topics. “The key has been the selection of speakers we invite to luncheons,” says Julie Ledbetter, a member of the chapter’s executive board. “We try to address the needs of different sections of the community with a broad base of different topics.”
Having a variety of interesting speakers provides an opportunity for members to invite their associates, says Keith Mortensen, past chapter president and a member of the executive board. “We’ve tried to be clear that everyone’s invited, because we want to contribute to the local community.”
Finding appropriate speakers can be a matter of personal contacts, good networking, or simple perseverance. Chapter President Doug Thomas had no connections to renowned author and speaker Stephen Covey when he heard Covey was going to be in town, but Thomas cold-called Covey’s corporate office and was able to arrange for him to speak to the chapter. “Sometimes it’s just a matter of asking,” Thomas says. “People are willing to speak because they have a message to share and they want to influence people for good.”
Having well-known guest speakers can draw a crowd, but including local leaders in the mix has advantages as well. It can be less expensive to host a local presenter, and attendees are likely to be more closely connected with the presenter and his or her organization, says Kara Francis, president of the Minneapolis, Minnesota, Chapter. “Having speakers from our area increases the sense of community while bringing local leaders together.”
Knowing the audience is another key to speaker selection. When the Paris, France, Chapter invited former Dell CEO Kevin Rollins to speak, the morning event was successful because of Dell’s presence and name recognition in the country. “To attract attendees, we need speakers who are influential, but they also have to work for companies that are known in France,” says Bruno Grenier, chapter president.
When leaders work to hold well-planned events with the right speakers, communities respond. “People are looking for opportunities to come together,” says Kent Clay, president of the Atlanta, Georgia, Chapter “And quality speakers draw people.”
[HoustonBallpark]Houston Chapter Celebrates Pioneer Day at the Ballpark, Expands Luncheons
Members of the Houston, Texas, Chapter recently gathered for an evening of family, fellowship, and fun at the Houston Astros’ “LDS Family and Friends Day,” co-sponsored by the Management Society and the BYU Alumni Association.
The event drew more than seven hundred people, and a portion of ticket proceeds was divided between the organizations. This is the third year the Management Society and the BYU Alumni Association have held such an event. They’ve also collaborated for similar events with other sports teams, including the NBA’s Houston Rockets.
The matchup between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Minute Maid Park on 24 July drew members with their families as well as church youth groups. “These events are a great way for people to get out and connect,” says chapter president Morton Large. “Sports can be enjoyed together by the entire family.”
Promotion of events and other cooperation with the alumni association as well as the J. Reuben Clark Law Society has helped the chapter grow. Additionally, the chapter recently began expanding its active membership by holding regular luncheons at two additional locations outside downtown Houston, allowing those in outlying areas to participle more readily.
“Businesspeople in outlying areas previously had to travel up to an hour each way, and many couldn’t find enough time to attend,” Large says. “Holding luncheons in these locations allows people to participate who might not have been able to otherwise, which lets them network and share in our vision of moral and ethical leadership.”
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This is an awesome article! I like the many quotes and report of activities from various chapters worldwide. Two questions:
1. Who is Serena Buss (the author)?
2. How can we market the blog so that all chapters know these posts are being made and can help them with ideas by reading what others are doing around the world?
Bill (& everyone),
1. I am the Admin of this site. I work with Robert and Rixa at the Marriott School.
2. Marketing? I think a mass email should be sent out to all the chapter members informing them of the blog and its contents and resources.