The Olin Young Leaders Association is launching onto the Washington University scene with an inaugural event that epitomizes the richness that OYLA brings to the Olin Business School’s MBA program.
The event, “Managing the Changing Face of Business,” will be held Wednesday, Feb. 20 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Knight Center. The evening will feature a panel discussion with three distinguished St. Louis business people and it will offer the opportunity for MBA students to meet and mingle with recruiters from more than 10 local corporations.
The Olin Young Leaders Program is a new initiative that enables mature, focused students to fast-track their management careers. Undergraduates who are admitted into the program pursue their MBAs immediately after, or in combination with their bachelor’s degree. The opportunity has already attracted an outstanding group of students from a variety of disciplines.
“Through the OYLA, we’ve embarked on a proactive way of identifying exceptional people and giving them the opportunity to excel in their fields,” said Mahendra Gupta, dean of the Olin Business School. “Bringing the best students directly into the MBA program adds to the diversity of MBA classes. It gives the younger students a chance to learn from their more experienced classmates, and it gives the older students chance to absorb the knowledge and skills that the young leaders have recently acquired.”
The Feb. 20 event is just one way that OYLA provides valuable opportunities for all MBA students. The purpose of “Managing the Changing Face of Business” is to give a panel of high-powered executives a chance to openly discuss the unique challenges corporations are facing when it comes to recruiting techniques and desirable skills for new business graduates that will enable future success.
The featured speakers are Sandra Van Trease, EMBA ’92 and group president at BJC Healthcare; Jim O’Donnell, MBA ’74 and president of Bush O’Donnell; and Larry Thomas, BSBA ’77, partner at Edward Jones. Jackson Nickerson, the Frahm Family Professor of Organization and Strategy, will moderate the discussion.
After the panel discussion, students will have the opportunity to informally speak with corporate recruiters over dinner. Some of the firms that are sending recruiters including Microsoft, Booz Allen Hamilton, Wachovia, Centene, Monstanto, ExxonMobil and Edward Jones.