The Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship and the Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises (EEE) in the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University announce a call for submissions for the 2010 Panasci Business Plan Competition. The competition accepts business plan ideas from students in any college at SU including SUNY-ESF, at both graduate and undergraduate levels.

The 2010 Panasci Business Plan Competition will take place from April 23-24, 2010. The competition is made possible through support from Henry A. Panasci, founder of Fay’s Drugs and former chairman of Cygnus Management Group, a venture capital and management consulting firm.

The top three teams in the competition are awarded prizes of $25,000, $10,000, and $5,000 respectively, based on potential for growth and the attraction of outside financing. The Fetner Prize in Sustainable Enterprise awards $5,000 to the team whose plan would have the greatest positive impact on society and the natural environment.

Throughout the spring semester, teams will work to write a comprehensive business plan. The EEE faculty work with students to improve their business plans for the competition in a weekly Business Plan Laboratory. The Falcone Center also offers special sessions with partnering accounting and law firms, providing financial presentations and critical guidance in areas such as intellectual property.

Sixteen semi-finalist teams will present to a panel of expert judges on April 23, and finalists compete on April 24. To register, visit whitman.syr.edu/Centers/Falcone/Student/Panasci/Register.asp.

The “Intent to Compete” and the “Entrant Certification” forms are both due by January 1. Hard copies of the forms are available at the Falcone Center in the Whitman School, Suite 116. To learn more about the competition, visit whitman.syr.edu/Centers/Falcone/Student/Panasci/.

For more information, contact Lindsay Wickham, Falcone Center events coordinator, at (315) 443-3550 or lwickham@syr.edu.

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The Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University will host a guest lecture by Sean Hagerty, principal of retail marketing and communications for Vanguard, on Nov. 12 starting at 4 p.m. in the Lender Auditorium, located on the concourse level of the Whitman School building. The lecture, titled “Vanguard - The Case for Low Costs and Investor Advocacy,” is free and open to the public.

Prior to assuming his current position, Hagerty served in various capacities in Vanguard’s institutional businesses, including management of the client services organization and the participant services group. Before joining Vanguard, Hagerty held positions with PNC Bank and Peat, Marwick, Mitchell, & Co. He holds a master’s in communication from Villanova University and a bachelor’s in accounting from St. Bonaventure University. He recently completed the advanced management program at the Harvard Business School.

His lecture is part of the Martin and Phyllis Berman Distinguished Lecture Series, which brings prominent business leaders to Whitman to share their expertise and perspectives with the University community and Central New York executives.

Media queries can be directed to Amy Schmitz, director of communications in the Whitman School, at (315) 443-3834 or aemehrin@syr.edu.

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The Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University will host “International Week” starting Nov. 16, sponsored by the Kiebach Center for International Business Studies and organized by the Whitman Graduate Student Organization (WGSO). To celebrate the diversity of Whitman students, faculty, and staff, the week will include festive events including:

• “Under 1 Sky: Music and Dance Festival” on Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. The festival will take place in the Goldstein Auditorium and costs $3.
• “Cultural Understanding” presentations on Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. The presentations will take place in Hall of Languages 500; they are free and open to the public.
• “International Short Film Screening” on Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Schine Underground; this event is free and open to the public.
• “International Dance Party” on Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Skybarn; this event is free and open to the public.
• “Flavors of the World,” the 14th Annual International Day on Nov. 20 in the Flaum Grand Hall at Whitman beginning at 12 p.m.; the event is free and open to the public

Countries from all over the world will be represented as students showcase their countries of origin through music, dance, singing, films, and food.

For more information, contact Chinyarai Hamilton ’10 MBA at whitmaninternationalweek@gmail.com or the Whitman Graduate Programs Office at (315) 443-4327. Media queries can be directed to Amy Schmitz, Whitman director of communications, at (315) 443-3834.

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On Nov. 11, the Real Estate Club in the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University will host a guest lecture by David Contis, president of real estate for Equity Group Investments (EGI). EGI is a privately held company founded by real estate mogul Sam Zell, whose investments span industries and continents, including real estate, finance, energy, transportation, and communications. The lecture, titled “Syracuse Real Estate Club Presents an Evening with David Contis,” will be held at 7 p.m. in Room 001 in the Whitman School. The lecture is free and open to the public. Paid parking is available at the University Avenue Garage.

Contis has built a career of broad-based leadership experience in domestic and international commercial real estate. He began working at EGI as an internal auditor in 1980, working his way up to executive vice president, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer by 1992. In 1997, Contis became the chief operating officer and executive vice president of the Macerich Company before returning to EGI as the president of real estate in 2006, where he works daily with Zell.

Contis has served on several boards including Equity Lifestyle Properties, BR Malls, Dundee Realty, Thousand Trails, and Southern California Amateur Hockey Association, as well as serving as chairman of the International Shopping Center Council and the Junior Prep Hockey Camp. He also did consulting work for Broadway Stores and Revco Drug Stores. He is a graduate from DePaul University, Colleges of Law and Commerce where he earned a JD and a bachelor’s degree.

For more information, contact Amy Schmitz, director of communications in the Whitman School, at (315) 443-3834 or aemehrin@syr.edu.

On Nov. 5, the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University will host a guest lecture by Walter Baker, an expert in pricing policy, and a principal at McKinsey & Company. The lecture, titled “Driving Performance Improvement Through Superior Pricing” will be held at 5 p.m. in the Lender Auditorium, located on the concourse level of the Whitman School. The lecture is free and open to the public. Paid parking is available at the University Avenue Garage.

Baker leads knowledge development initiatives (e.g., micro-market management; product/solution lifecycle pricing; capturing the value of innovation; value-based segmentation and pricing) and has published articles in CMO Magazine, McKinsey Quarterly, and Harvard Business Review. He is a co-author of the soon to be released book “The Price Advantage.” Before joining McKinsey, Baker worked in the industrial and high tech sectors. He earned a PhD and master’s degree from Harvard University and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from MIT.

His lecture is part of the Marketing Fall Speaker Series in the Whitman School, co-sponsored by the Marketing Department and the Whitman student chapter of the American Marketing Association.

Media queries can be directed to Amy Schmitz, director of communications in the Whitman School, at (315) 443-3834 or aemehrin@syr.edu.

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As part of its Africa Business Program, the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University will host the second annual “Africa: The World’s Next Investment Frontier” on Nov. 9, beginning at 11 a.m. with a screening of “Africa: Investment Horizons,” produced by director and producer Carol Pineau.

At 11:30 a.m., the program continues with a guest lecture by Thierry Tanoh, vice president of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in the Milton Room, located on the 4^th floor of the Whitman School building. Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Tanoh’s responsibilities include Sub-Saharan Africa, Western Europe, International Development Association (IDA) countries and conflict-affected states, and an industry cluster of departments consisting of agribusiness; general manufacturing and services; and health and education.

Prior to this assignment, Tanoh was IFC associate director and became director for Sub-Saharan Africa, where he was a key player in the expansion of IFC's activities in the region. With the Africa team, he helped drive the ten-fold increase in investment activity—from $140 million in 2003 to $1.4 billion in 2007. As part of the regional management team, he was responsible for integrating IFC's investment and advisory business lines in the region. He also led the Africa team's initiative to scale up activities in conflict-affected countries.

Tanoh joined IFC in 1994 through the Young Professionals Program. He initially worked in the Asia Department and then specialized in the chemicals and petrochemicals sector, handling transactions in Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. He moved to Brazil in 2001 to focus on transactions in Latin America. Before becoming a manager, Tanoh was involved in business development, deal structuring, and processing of some of IFC's largest transactions. Prior to joining IFC, he worked for a consulting firm in Paris and with the banking commission of the West African Central Bank in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. He holds earned his MBA from the Harvard Business School.

At 12:30 p.m., the Africa Business event continues with a keynote address by Josefina P. Diakité, ambassador of the Republic of Angola. Diakité was previously the ambassadorto Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. She is the third Angolan ambassador to the U.S. since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1993. She holds a law degree from the Agostinho Neto University in Angola. She began her professional career in the Secretariat of State for Cooperation, becoming national director of technical assistance before moving to the Ministry of External Affairs. She has spent the last decade working on issues related to Europe and North America.

Following Diakité ‘s keynote address, there will be a roundtable discussion featuring Diakité, Tanoh, and representatives from both the New York State government and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“Now in its second year, the Africa Business Program at Whitman has demonstrated tremendous progress in exploring the quantity and quality of business opportunities in Africa,” says Melvin T. Stith, dean of the Whitman School. “As an emerging global market, business in Africa offers potential for growth and high rates of return on investment. We’re delighted to host these distinguished guests, who will shed light on the business and financial developments of emerging economies.”

Whitman’s Africa Business program works with businesses in Central New York to make a significant connection to the business possibilities in African countries, and works with Whitman faculty and students to explore the marketplace potential in Africa. The Africa Business Program is administered by the Kiebach Center, which is the recipient of a two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s International Business and Education program to promote doing business with Sub-Saharan Africa. The program is the joint responsibility of the Kiebach Center, the Central New York Technology Development Organization (CNYTDO), and the Central New York International Business Alliance (CNYIBA). It is also supported by the County of Onondaga Division of Economic Development and the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce.

“Africa: The World’s Next Investment Frontier” is free and open to the public. Reservations are required. Paid public parking is available in the University Avenue Garage.

To RSVP, contact Agnes H. Magnarelli, research center administrator, at ahmagnar@syr.edu or (315) 443-1383. Media queries can be directed to Amy Schmitz, director of communications in the Whitman School, at (315) 443-3834 or aemehrin@syr.edu.

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The Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University has launched two new student clubs to meet growing trends in business education and to address the diverse interests of Whitman students.

The Case Study Club (CSC) provides programs that can enhance students' business strategy thinking skills, including current issue discussions; case analysis practices; interview questions practices; and local business consulting.

The new Whitman Women in Business Club seeks to foster women’s involvement in the business community. The club will provide a forum for the Whitman community to engage in a dialogue about women’s involvement in business and leadership, as well as seeking engagement in essential networking and mentoring opportunities.

For more information on Whitman student clubs, or to get involved, visit Whitman.syr.edu/clubs.

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The Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University is hosting Management Major Awareness Week, Oct. 26-30, in honor of the new management major available for undergraduate students. Guest speakers will lecture throughout the week to help showcase the new management major.

Patrick Mannion ’80 MBA is president and CEO of Unity Mutual Life Insurance and will be presenting on Oct. 28, at 12:45 p.m. in Room 011. Mannion is a member of the Whitman School’s Corporate Advisory Council and the National Association of Life Underwriters. He also serves as the director of United Way of Central New York, the Rosamond Gifford Charitable Trust, Leadership Greater Syracuse Policy Planning Council, and the Onondaga Lake Cleanup Corporation.

Scott Davis, chief concept officer and a senior vice president for Panera Bread, will speak in the Lender Auditorium at 2:15 p.m. on Oct. 28. Davis spearheaded the creation of a new prototype bakery-cafe for Saint Louis Bread Co. in 1996 and is now working on the next generation bakery-café for Panera Bread. Following his lecture, refreshments and bakery items from Panera Bread will be served outside the Lender Auditorium.

Christopher Casinella ’83 BS, ’02 MBA, vice president of managed print services (MPS) for Hewlett Packard, will lecture on Oct. 29 at 9:30 a.m. in Room 102. Previously, Casinella held leadership positions with Lexmark International in MPS and Danka Services International and was one of the initial leaders of the Lexmark Services team in 2000. Casinella also spent 13 years in the high tech, capital equipment leasing industry with Continental Information Systems.

Media queries can be directed to Amy Schmitz, director of communications in the Whitman School, at (315) 443-3834 or aemehrin@syr.edu.

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