By Aaron Klein, EMBA Class of 2018
When I look at the group gathered today, it is quite an amazing site. And what amazes me most is not the faculty, or the administration, or even the 23 members of the graduating class. What amazes me most is the sacrifice made by the family members, loved ones, and friends who supported all of us through this 21-month long journey.
Words cannot describe the sense of gratitude we feel.
I would like for all of you to stand for just a moment so that we can recognize you.
If ever an award was truly a team effort, this is it.
I would also like to personally take the opportunity to recognize my truly amazing wife, Lauren, and my three beautiful daughters, Sarah, Allison, and Emily. There is no way I could be standing here today without their support and sacrifice.
I also want to thank the faculty for your wisdom and guidance.
And most importantly, for letting all of us share our ideas, experiences, and stories.
One of the virtues of this program is that it represents the very best of education. Skilled teachers, with deep and meaningful real-world experience…..engaging in lively discussion and debate with eager students and emerging leaders.
I hope that you all learned from us as much as we learned from you.
I do know that we helped you confirm one valuable life lesson. Don’t ask a group of overworked people to take a 5-minute break. It will always be at least 10 minutes.
And finally, I want to thank Jason, Tara, and the rest of the team that makes all of this happen. You did a remarkable job in allowing us to focus entirely on class and played a big part in helping all of us navigate the past 21 months.
To the Class of 2018. We did it. And boy did we do it well.
Now all of you have spent the past couple weeks basking in the sun and enjoying your re-found freedom. Meanwhile, I had to give up one more Saturday.
We learned from Denny that “what gets rewarded gets done”. What he forgot to tell us is “don’t be the sucker that gets more work as the reward”.
In all seriousness, it is truly an honor to speak on behalf of such a great group of people.
Oh, and for the record, and since we have all earned our degrees, I plan on plagiarizing from a number of professors throughout this speech……especially Denny.
And, no, I will not be reciting the honor code at the end. If anyone is interested in reading the honor code, just walk around the building….you will run into about 50 times.
When I learned from Tara that this speech needed to be at least 20 minutes long, two thoughts immediately came into my mind.
First, are you serious?
And then I thought, wow, what a great opportunity to apply what Andy and Nancy taught us in Communications class. So, I went back to our class materials….all excited to dive back into WIFM and residual messages.
But then it hit me. I didn’t need to sell an idea. The individuals that made up this class…their personalities, their experiences and the journey we undertook together provided everything I needed.
So, rather than a cliché filled speech, I am going to spend the next several minutes giving you some insight into this group and explain how such a diverse group of individuals achieved great things:
By working together;
By dealing with uncertainty,
And by simply being comfortable being themselves.
At Penn State, we all know that football is king….and queen. We also know that the key to building a great college football team is to recruit the right players. The same principle applies in business. For you entrepreneurs out there, you know that you need the right players in the right position at the right time.
What better way to describe the Class of 2018 then by building the ultimate management team.
A typical football recruiting class has around 20 recruits. However, only a few are 5-star recruits. The EMBA Class of 2018 was filled with twenty-three 5 star recruits, each who could play a unique position on the field.
Now in business school, you learn all about organization structure and design. However, in the real world, we all know that standard titles don’t really describe what people do. So, we are going to scrap traditionalism in building this Company.
- To start any business, you need vision. That brings us to our first recruit….Elias. His role will be “Director of Really Big Ideas”.
If you spend just a few minutes with Elias, not only do you think we are going to land on Mars, you think we are going to land on the Sun. No challenge or idea is too big for him.
He also is the life of any party, so what a great guy to pitch our ideas. We’ll just need to make sure he has a personal assistant to get him home.
- Big ideas are a great start, but most of them remain ideas. So, for our next recruit, we need someone who can make an idea a reality. That leads us to Doug. His role will be “Director of Innovation that Will Result in A Real Product”.
Let’s be honest, most Company’s have innovators that can talk a big game but don’t really do anything. In class, Doug was masterful in being the voice of reason. He can take a big idea and explain it clearly and in layman’s terms.
He also had an uncanny way of disappearing from the group for hours at a time but still delivering. That is the perfect skill for product innovation.
- To take an idea off the ground requires passion. Which brings us to Brian Zorger, who will be our “Director of Passion”. Brian truly personifies passion. Whether it was Johnson Controls or Penn State Football, Brian brought passion to everything.
Brian really needed that passion to get through the program as his wife gave birth to not one, but two children during the program. I believe there should be some sort of honorary degree for Brian’s wife. Lou, can we work on that?
Anyway, Brian has so much passion, that he clearly brings it home after work.
- So, now we have the ideas and the passion, but we need to market this Company. That brings us to Mark, who will serve as “Director of Coolness”.
Mark earned this role by simply being cooler than everyone in the group without actually trying to act cool. He just is. Maybe it’s the California thing.
Regardless, Mark is the perfect choice to represent our brand. And on the side, he will also be our resident cryptocurrency expert.
- Ok, we now need to develop an actual product and that leads us to Russ. He will be our “Director of Common Sense”. Russ would typically take complex situations in class and suggest a solution that just made sense. His experience at Pfizer will pay big dividends, as product development is kind of a big deal there.
Also, he is from New York and New Yorkers are good at getting stuff done. He will make sure all product development stays on task. In his spare time, he can also lead all of our tax issues, which could really use a dose of common sense.
- With our product developed, we now need a full-blown strategy to take it to market. This is the perfect role for Christy, who will serve as Director of Focus Like a Freaking Laser.
Christy has several years of experience in healthcare strategy and will bring a ton of energy to this role. She is so focused on the strategy that I think she strategizes about strategy.
In our last class, we had to come up with a marketing strategy for a device that would keep eggs from breaking. In about 30 minutes she had a 5-page powerpoint that was ready for the boardroom. She will make Ralph proud and keep this Company focused like a freaking laser.
- Ok, it’s now time to sell our product. This may have been the easiest pick to make. Brian Carlisle will serve as “Director of We Can Sell Anything to Anyone at any time”
The minute you meet Brian, you swear you saw him on an infomercial or that he was hawking encyclopedias back in the 80’s.
Actually, he is much better than that. He negotiated and closed several big deals for the class, including convincing Al to make our final paper an in-class assignment.
He also sold his wife on the idea of doing the first August week two years in a row. If you can sell that, you can sell anything. Salespeople need to close and Brian is the ultimate closer. And because sales people really don’t work that hard, we will ask him to MC all company events.
- With all these great people leading the way, our products are flying off the shelf and we need somebody to make the sure our employees are connected. That brings us Chris Stout, who will serve as “Director of Teambuilding and Really anything that Needs Built”
Chris is an engineer who likes to build things, including team events. He coordinated pretty much everything from sightseeing tours and getting all the answers for take-home exams. Just kidding.
Beyond all this team building, Chris will also make sure the Friday beer cart is well stocked with any craft beer you could imagine.
- So now things are getting a bit out of control, so we need to regain some order. This brings us Sam, who will be our “Director of Keeping Everything Organized (and I mean Everything)”
Sam was on my first team and his organizational skills were a sight to see. In fact, when he went on a ski trip and had to miss one of our weekly meetings……it took us about 20 minutes to figure out what the heck we were meeting about.
He showed all of us the way and I’m pretty sure he’d be giving this speech, but he decided to go to the Super Bowl was a way better idea.
Also, Sam will teach all employees how to travel between meetings on a skateboard….because why not.
- Now that we are organized, we need to make sure that we are getting things are done efficiently and the right way. This is the perfect job for Crystal, who will be our “Director of Making Sure Things Get Done On Time and Legally”.
In class, she was great at making sure the professors gave clear instructions on deliverables….and believe me that wasn’t easy. She also was the resident “timekeeper” and ensured that our breaks were timely. This may have been the most important role anyone had. Break time was sacred.
Also, she has a strong background in civil rights and will make sure we do things the right way. She also makes a mean cupcake and her business will cater to all of our Company celebrations.
- All of this success will surely bring some discord. This creates the need for Chris Farrelly. Chris will serve as “Director of Team Unity and Overall Happiness”.
I won’t lie, group projects were not all a “bed of roses” and tempers would occasionally flare. Chris would calm the waters and make sure everyone saw the bigger picture. Maybe it was all that time he spent at sea while serving in the Navy. Or maybe it’s all those years suffering as a Jets fan.
Anyway, Chris was so dedicated to making others happy, that you could always find him stashing away a few desserts from the Chubb for his kids. Though I always wondered if they made their way home on the Saturday evening drive.
Chris will also be in charge of all powerpoint presentations. All of his powerpoints used these little people that had no faces that made everyone laugh.
- After all of this success and feeling happy, we can’t get complacent. It’s time for some Kimchi Power, which brings us Byung. Byung will lead all employee development efforts as “Director of Whipping the Team into Shape”.
Byung is a natural leader who could motivate pretty much anyone in the group to do anything….especially after midnight.
However, Byung backed up his talk with action and led some legendary early morning workouts the following day. As long as Byung is on board complacency will never be an issue. Our Company will beat the competition all day and all night.
Also, Byung will save us plenty of money by doubling as the model for all our print ads. The man can sure dress.
13 A big successful company like this will eventually bite the bullet and bring in a real HR department. That brings us to Natasha, who is perfect for “Director of Ego Management”.
Natasha brings a wealth of HR experience from a number of companies and served passionately as the class HR representative.
When things got a little testy we all knew that Natasha would crack the HR whip and put us in line. Unfortunately, Natasha was unable to join us today.
That reminds me of an important business lesson….the key to having a successful meeting is making sure HR is not needed in the meeting.
- Since its usually best to avoid HR, we need a strong leader to keep everyone doing their job. That’ where Jon steps in. He will be our “Director of No-BS”.
Jon didn’t have to say much, but when the class or a team project started to veer the wrong way, Jon could drop the hammer.
When a certain classmate would try to convince everyone that the Giants were actually good this year, Jon wouldn’t have it. Even Byung and his Kimchi Power could not withstand Jon’s lack of tolerance for BS. This is a key skill that all great companies need.
Also, since John builds buildings, he will also be in charge of designing all of our buildings.
- Alright, enough with all of this conflict and let’s calm things down. Which brings us Savoya, who will be our “Director of Let’s Not Take Ourselves Too Seriously”
As you could imagine, stress levels could run pretty high throughout the program. Deadlines, presentations…….worrying if Sanjay was going to call on you.
It could drive anyone to the brink. However, Savoya was always a calming presence who always took things in stride. Perhaps working for Jeff Bezos made this seem like a walk in the park.
Besides keeping us sane, Savoya will also be in charge of logistics and be ensuring we all get free memberships to Amazon Prime.
- It’s time to take this Company international, which is a perfect segway to Yoav, who will serve as “Director of Making Sure We Love Any Country We Do Business In”
In case you are the only person on the planet to not hear, our class trip was to Israel. I’m not sure who the Israeli ambassador to the United States is, but there is no way they could top Yoav.
Unfortunately, we don’t have the time to go into all of the wonderful things that Yoav and his family did to make our trip the best this program has ever seen.
In addition to this important role, Yoav will also be in charge of security and international travel. His experience in the Israeli Defense Force will keep us safe.
- Now that we have taken our business overseas, we need an international sales force. This leads us to Chris Montalbano, who will be our “Director of Selling Things to Gullable Foreigners”.
Again, due to time constraints, I cannot get into the details, but Chris has some really strong experience selling American goods outside of the country.
Don’t worry it was nothing illegal. The profit margins were a little light, but we can work on that.
Chris also brings significant international experience during his various tours with the Navy. He can speak multiple languages and will be a key driver to our international expansion.
- When you become a global powerhouse, you will become a target. This is where we need Wayne. Wayne will serve as “Director of We Don’t Take Crap from Anyone”.
If you don’t think he is the right guy for this job, just ask our professors.
Wayne is the ultimate teammate, and you knew you were in good hands when he was around. That’s why I sat behind him in class.
Wayne is another military veteran who will represent our Company with pride and honor. Also, all of our employees’ pets will get the best medical care possible from Wayne’s “Cool Vets” business.
- No company is perfect and eventually, we will fall on tough times. That’s when you need a positive influence and where Rachel steps in. She will be “Director of We Will Love our Jobs No Matter How Much Money We Are Losing”.
No matter how bleak things got. No matter how exhausted we were…..we could always count on Rachel to make it all seem fine.
Just imagine it is midnight and we are trying to answer one of Lou’s 78 step excel questions. Rachel would be the one to say “isn’t this fun”.
Besides keeping morale at world-class levels, Rachel will also bring expert analyst skills to the Company.
- In today’s world, big, successful companies need to connect with and support their local communities. This is where Susan will serve as “Director of Making Sure We Give Back”
Susan has a long history of working for not-for-profit organizations who do really important work in the community. This includes 10 years at Director of Finance the Calcutta House, supporting homeless individuals in the greater Philadelphia region.
Throughout the program, you could always count on Susan to ask about your family and talk with pride about hers.
Every company needs leaders who value community service and family relationships. However, since she is now an MBA, Susan now realizes that we don’t want to give away all of our profits.
- Ok, we are almost finished. Now is the perfect time to reveal our ace in the hole. While the rest of the world is asleep at the wheel our Company will be ready for the next big disruptive technology….. Blockchain.
That is where Colin arrives as “Director of All Things Blockchain”. His significant experience leading Blockchain projects at Bank of America will give us the head start we need to adapt.
Now many of you may be wondering, what is Blockchain? Don’t worry, none of us know what it is either. And neither do the Ph.D.’s in the room.
Actually, I don’t think Colin really understands it either. Regardless, I know one thing. Colin survived being a Patriots fan amongst this group, so he can take on any challenge.
- Finally, we actually need an adult in the room to run this Company. We need someone who can manage all of this craziness. That person would be Cori. She will be our “Director of Making Sure the Company is Actually Successful”
Despite being the youngest of the group, Cori definitely contradicted all of the millennial stereotypes. She was clearly the most mature member of the group and is poised to do big things.
Her consulting experience will serve the Company well. I would fully expect the rest of us to cash in all of our stock options, retire early and leave the Company for Cori to run.
Well, that wraps up the team. Pretty good. Huh?
In case you were wondering where I fit in all of this. I plan to take Denny’s advice and delegate all of my tasks to the rest of the team and empower them to do all of my work.
This all-star team doesn’t need me to meddle. Hopefully. you will find me at one of our Company-owned golf courses working on some serious business development.
You also might be wondering what the Company makes? I have no idea.
But we learned a valuable lesson in Al’s class. It’s more important to know who is going to drive the bus then where the bus is going. Because if you have to change direction you want to be sure the bus driver can get you to the new destination.
I’m pretty sure that the Class of 2018 could take us anywhere.
So, what big lessons can we take away from our EMBA journey? I take away three key themes.
First, find meaning and purpose in whatever you do.
Second, don’t be afraid of uncertainty.
And finally, be yourself, because being yourself allows you to be your “best self”.
The Class of 2018 demonstrated these qualities brilliantly and as a result, we achieved our goals and had a lot of fun doing it.
Our trip to Israel also revealed these themes. Our friends from Israel live with such a great sense of purpose, they thrive in uncertainty and are very comfortable in their own skin. It is no surprise that they continue to beat the odds both politically and in business.
Finally, I will leave you with one final thought.
We are all now MBA’s. But we are different than the traditional MBA.
We are already leaders at our Companies, in our Communities, and in our Homes. Our next big challenge is not to make ourselves better, but rather to lead those around us.
I will end with a simple quote from Ronald Reagan. “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”
Thank you and God Bless
We Are……Penn State