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SPOTLIGHT ON ALUMNI |
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HEATHER ANDERSEN M.S.B.A International Business, 2001 Principle, Executive Coach and Facilitator Globalinsightcoaching Ms. Heather Andersen is an executive coach and facilitator specializing in leadership development and cross-cultural communication. Heather helps leaders leverage their strengths, address their need for change, set goals and supports them to develop competencies and build skills. She assists clients to increase their awareness and communication effectiveness, enabling them to bridge gaps that would otherwise lead to misunderstanding and conflict. She also works with clients to strengthen their leadership presence as well as develop more collaborative, cross border relationships. Clients benefit from her broad perspective and learn to develop their own ability to see situations in a new light, allowing them to better solve problems and challenges. Heather worked as a senior client strategy consultant and executive coach at Aperian Global and the Institute for During her career Heather has worked with a wide range of Fortune 500 client including Bank of America, Cisco Systems, Carlsberg, Dell, Gap Inc., Eaton Corporation, Estee Lauder, John Deere, KLA Tencor, Microsoft, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Texas Instruments, and UnitedHealth Group. According to Heather: “I believe that when we approach challenges in a global business environment, we need to address the business issue and also take into account the layer of complexity added by culture and style differences.” |
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SONG WOO B.S. Business Analysis and Finance, 1998 Founder, president and chief executive, Lighthouse Management Group, Inc. Song Woo was recognized in 2007 for his leadership of Lighthouse Management Group's thriving staffing and recruiting business, and praised as a "star" for developing his emerging company from a start- up to a multi-million dollar firm virtually overnight. Since his company’s inception in 2006, his firm has assisted virtually every industry that exists locally in the Bay Area ranging from high-tech, healthcare, financial services, education, and non-profits and many others. Song attributes a lot of his success to the time he spent at San Francisco State.“The foundation for my success was laid at SF State and the tools I received there empowered me to be able to maximize my full potential,” states Song. “The education I received both in and out of the classroom helped develop the skills I needed to be successful in the real business world.” Song’s desire to help and guide people was also a byproduct of San Francisco State. “Through the urging of some professors, I became a tutor for the Decision Science department—then known as the BACS department," says Song. “I never would have known how much I would enjoy helping someone be more successful if it wasn’t for that experience.” According to Song: Song especially credits Decision Sciences Professor Robert Saltzman, “The hands-on approach to learning and the advice I received from professors like him helped shape my future.” |
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B.A. Managing Director Barclays Global Investors A love for education led Leona Bridges to create an endowed scholarship in the College of Business to support economically and educationally disadvantaged students. Once a hard working SF State commuter student, Leona put herself through school working evenings at Crocker Bank in San Francisco. Today Leona is managing director of the Global Index and Markets Group of Barclays Global Investors, one of the world’s largest asset managers. Based in San Francisco, Leona has not forgotten her undergraduate years in the College of Business, the friends she made at State, and the foundation her first business classes gave her as she moved up the ladder of business success. "I care passionately about education," Leona says. "Financial concerns eliminate many students from the educational process, and this scholarship is a tool to offer assistance to help needy students.” The scholarship will benefit students who may one day follow Leona's remarkable career path. According to Leona: “It's important to offer resources to those with ambition.” |
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VIVIANA QUIROGA CLONINGER B.S. International Business, 1983 In the past 17 years, I have successfully created, turned around, or redirected early stage businesses as an active board member while developing the implementation of long range planning and market positioning in global markets. A secondary role has been in direct placement of private capital through my boutique investment banking firm created in 1989 with a focus in biotech and the agriculture and mining sectors worldwide. Most recently, I have observed that globalization has assumed an unforeseen characteristic, and as a result, tolerance of cultural mores is vital in achieving leadership success in business. My personal contributions in international business include using compassionate judgment where decisions have rippling effects on future generations and magnifying consequences for our world in terms of management and preservation of finite resources. According to Viviana: “International business studies can adequately prepare one for the subtle understanding of global integration and the unifying effect upon markets” |
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JEFF FRANCO B.S. Accounting, 1983 Office Managing Partner Jeff Franco joined Ernst & Young as an auditor in the San Francisco office, directly upon graduation from SF State. Although he learned a lot about financial accounting and people skills as an auditor, Jeff desired to be a tax professional where he could be more aligned with his clients and able to proactively assist them in achieving their operational and financial goals. When the Tax Reform Act of 1986 passed, Jeff took advantage of this opportunity to transfer to the E&Y tax practice. He was proud to find that SF State's College of Business had provided him with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed. He came to appreciate that his accounting education was thorough and practical and this background assisted him to move ahead quickly. Since becoming a tax
professional, Jeff has focused on Jeff was recently appointed the Office Managing Partner for the Ernst & Young San Francisco office. In his new role, Jeff is responsible for over 600 professionals from a multitude of different practices such as audit, risk advisory services, tax and transaction advisory. According to Jeff: “It was the SF State professors who made the difference. They were experienced, personable and accessible to the students. One early recommendation I received from a faculty advisor was to consider adding a night class to my schedule each semester to achieve a more diverse classroom experience. This turned out to be sound advice. I found the insights from working professionals to be especially insightful and helpful in learning the related subject matter.” |
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ERIC KELLY M.B.A., 1982 President and CEO Snap Appliance™ When asked what single piece of advice he would give to current MBA students, his message is one he learned on campus more than 20 years ago—“Always be a student of your own profession. Once you believe you know everything, it’s time to retire. And make sure you have integrity. Everyone is smart. Everyone is ambitious. Integrity is what separates.” |
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BILL MAGILL M.B.A., 1989 Bill is a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. He’s also been a dishwasher, musician, engineer, consultant, and investment banker. He has lived in Europe and across the U.S., but the diversity of San Francisco always brings him back home to his favorite city. Bill received his MBA from SF State in 1989, adding to a bachelor in economics and an associate degree in lasers and optics. |
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PEDRAM PAKNESHAN B.S. Hospitality Management, 2003 Conference Sales Manager Pedram credits his education at SF State in allowing him to gain a diverse background within the hospitality industry, and as a result, it will enable him to achieve his ultimate goal of general manager, and eventually partner, of a mega-resort. In February 2005, Pedram joined the sales & marketing opening team as a conference sales manger of the Wynn Las Vegas Resort and Casino, a Mobile Five Star and AAA Five Diamond destination. |
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RAPHAEL SAMBOU M.B.A., 1998 Senior Manager, Reporting & Analysis Schwab Investor Services Charles Schwab & Co. “I liked the diversity I found at SF State. I met people of different nationalities, different ages, and from different walks of life. In this increasingly global marketplace, the diversity of the student population at the business school helped me realize the importance for businesses to capitalize on their employees' differences.” |
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