Greetings SVMP Alumni,

 

Welcome to our first Alumni Beat of 2013!

 

We hope this edition finds you all in good health, happy, and at a place of impact and inspiration.

 

Over the past six months the SVMP Alumni Association (SVMP AA) Board of Directors’ have been working intensely and intently to re-shape our efforts to better serve our alumni base.

 

We have started development of the first ever SVMP Alumni Database to better track where our Alumni are living, studying, and working.  This tool will help us engage more effectively in the years ahead.  If interested in supporting this effort please reach to Long.Phan@svmp.org.

 

We are expanding how we view events and welcome our alumni to be a part of the process! Some notable events over the last six months include Regional Alumni Mixers in DC, New York, Berkley, Palo Alto, and Seattle; Also, the first ever alumni-initiated trip to Vegas was a success in January 2013. Check out the re-caps of each event, and catch the latest news by visiting our re-invigorated website here: http://portal.svmp.org/?page_id=923.

 

Mark Your Calendars and Save the Date for our first ever SVMP Ski Trip coming up on March 23rd at the Liberty Mountain Resort, and SVMP Kickoff and Alumni Reunion coming up June 21-23, 2013 in Cambridge.  If interested in planning an event in your city or getting involved with the planning for the SVMP Alumni Reunion, please contact Gloriya.Nedler@svmp.org.

 

Without further ado, please meet your SVMP Board of Directors in this edition of the Alumni Beat (brought to you by our new Director Cydni Williams)! We welcome your feedback, ideas, and questions so please never hesitate to reach out and start a conversation.

 

I hope to hear from you soon.

 

Warm regards,

 

Chelsea Seabron

Chelsea.Seabron@svmp.org

President, SVMP Alumni Association

 

 

Chelsea Seabron is the President of the SVMP Alumni Association and a senior consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton.  As a graduate of New York University, Chelsea’s experience in SVMP served as motivation to get involved.  She explains, “ I got involved with the SVMP AA right after I completed SVMP and have had the opportunity to work under the fantastic leadership of both Victor Collins and Bridgette Adams, first as the Director of Marketing and Communications and then as the Director of Events.” Chelsea believes both positions have helped develop  her leadership skills and remain connected to a cause that she cares deeply about.

 

This year Chelsea is driving the SVMP Alumni Association to raise brand awareness, help alumni connect better with one another, and lay the foundation for strategic and sustainable growth.  She shares with us, “ I’m blessed to be supported by such a dynamic team of intelligent, hard-working, and innovative leaders.   We have made significant strides in each area and have the right team in place to continue moving the SVMP AA train forward.”

 

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Haytham Zohny is a member of the SVMP Class of 2008 and a Sr. Market Analyst at The Travelers Companies. Haytham obtained his BA in Business, Organizations and Society from Franklin & Marshall College.  He became involved with the Alumni Association because he found the SVMP experience to be transformative and he wanted to continue the experience after SVMP.  Haytham also joined to help attract others to SVMP to share the same experience he had. “The SVMP Alumni Association leadership is a talented and fun group of individuals and I knew that I could learn a significant amount from the group while helping the AA grow and reach its mission,” he said.

 

Involvement in the SVMP Alumni Association has allowed Haytham to become a more effective leader. He shares, “It is not a simple process to run a volunteer-based  organization, let alone one that is virtual. I have been further humbled by the experience, and I have developed crucial leadership skills through the experience, skills that I might not have developed through my professional work until much further in my career. I have made strong friendships that I value as well.”   Haytham’s favorite SVMP moment is returning to Harvard Business School for the 30th SVMP Kick Off and having a successful Alumni Reunion. The reunion allowed him to make connections, meet new people, and see the incoming class.

 

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With a dual role of Resource Manager and Research Analyst at MDRC, Eskedar Getahun works with the SVMP Alumni Association as the Director of Strategic Development.  Eskedar, a member of the SVMP Class of 2005, received her undergraduate degree from Barnard College and Masters from Hunter College.  She notes her SVMP experience as playing a very influential role in her career and personal life. Not only did the SVMP program introduce her to the MBA experience but also reinforced the power of networking.  While making lifelong friends, Eskedar was inspired by the talent and diversity of her fellow classmates. She has kept in touch with her SVMP classmates and attended the SVMP Reunion in 2012.

 

Remaining involved with SVMP through the SVMP Alumni Association is key for Eskedar. As Director of Strategic Development, she is charged with helping to consider short and long-term goals for the organization. Eskedar is also working on how the organization’s multiple initiatives can be aligned with the overall mission, which is to encourage and promote the empowerment of SVMP Alumni through information sharing, strategic relationship development and social activities.

 

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Moises Numa is a member of the SVMP class of 2009 and works for the Analysis Group. As a student at Babson College studying Business Management with an Accounting and Finance concentration, Moises applied to SVMP after hearing about a friend’s wonderful experience the year prior.  He describes SVMP as being, “…the highlight of my summer.” Shortly after, he decided to join the  SVMP Alumni Association’s recruiting committee to increase awareness by encouraging other students to partake in the same experience. He has continued to help with the SVMP Alumni Association’s recruiting efforts and is now serving as the current Treasurer. Moises explains, “I decided that taking on this position was another way I could help the association grow, so that more great candidates can have a similar experience as me.”

 

Moises believes he has benefited from SVMP mainly due to the great people that the association is composed of. “Regardless of whether I am helping welcome a new SVMP class, or I am in a meeting with fellow SVMP alumni, everyone’s ambition is always contagious. By being part of the SVMP Alumni Association, I am continuously motivated to keep pushing the bar higher and working towards all of my goals.” he said.

 

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Lori Manning is a member of the SVMP Class of 2001.  As a graduate of  the Stern School of Business at New York University with a dual major in Information Systems and Marketing, Lori is the Director of Technology and attributes her involvement to the SVMP experience. She shares with us, “I cherished my SVMP experience, wanted to stay involved, felt compelled to give back and appreciated the alumni presence…I was impressed that they would take the time to return to HBS to induct the newest class and attend the annual reunion.  The alumni involvement heavily influenced by decision to become involved and that decision has benefited me beyond measure.”

 

 During SVMP, Lori made lifelong friends and associates while learning from the experiences of others, from career choices and personal relationships to business ventures and business school choices.  She also remembers learning how to effectively work within a global cross-functional team.  Currently, Lori’s biggest initiative is to effectively utilize technology and metrics to meet the needs of the SVMP Alumni Association.

 

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Kevin Ko is a member of the SVMP class of ‘09  and is currently a Consultant at Deloitte Consulting.  He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics with concentrations in Finance, Management & Legal Studies, and Business Ethics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

During SVMP, Kevin was especially impacted by the Harvard Business School case method.  He found that not only did participating in SVMP confirm his desire to pursue a career in management consulting, but it also reinforced his interest in tackling complex issues from the perspective of the protagonist. He states, “Since each case was based on a real-world situation, the ‘right’ answer was often ambiguous…a truly eye-opening experience. In addition to being incredibly stimulating from an intellectual standpoint, this exercise helped prepare me for my current role wherein I advise organization leaders, across numerous industries, on addressing their most pressing strategic issues.”

 

As an active member of the SVMP Alumni Association Board of Directors for the past two years, Kevin has found his involvement incredibly rewarding.  He believes it has allowed him to work closely with a network of, “…extremely talented and passionate individuals.” Kevin finds uniting as a board with common goals allows for the opportunity to foster a robust community for SVMP alumni and spread the valuable learning opportunity to future generations of SVMP participants.

 

Kevin is currently collaborating with Victor, Cathy, and the Corporate Relations Team to revamp the corporate outreach strategy and refresh the SVMP Alumni Association resume bank.  This would serve as a valuable resource to connect our talented alumni base, which has been pre-screened by Harvard Business School, with top-tier corporate partners.

 

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Victor Chen, member of the SVMP Class of 2011, is currently a Consultant for Protiviti.  A graduate of Colby College, Victor has a BA in Economics, Mathematics, and East Asian Studies.

 

As a Corporate Relations Coordinator, Victor believes his experiences in SVMP had a major impact on his career choices.  He explains, “I started looking into a wider range of careers and functions after the program. I felt the importance of general management. I realized that there is so much to learn if I want to be in general management in the future, and thus I wanted to explore many things in my early career.”  Due to the positive impression SVMP left with Victor, he decided to get involved with the SVMP Alumni Association.  His experience in external affairs in undergraduate studies, provided him with the foundation necessary to give back to the SVMP community.

 

The SVMP Alumni Association’s Corporate Relations committee is currently working on including alumni in corporate partnership projects. This initiative will allow alumni to highlight impacts they have made to partners. Though this is a new approach, the Corporate Relations committee has strong faith and have made it a part of their long-term relationship management strategy.

 

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Gloriya Nedler is a member of the SVMP Class of 2011 and works for the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  As the Director of Events, Gloriya remembers her initial interest in SVMP and how it stemmed from a desire to explore ways the business field could supplement her professional pursuit of medicine. “I never could have predicted the extent of the impact that the SVMP experience would have on my career interests moving forward,” she said. Having been granted exposure to Harvard Business School faculty and other SVMP students, she began to consider how the methodologies frequently employed in the business sector could benefit the healthcare arena, especially when paired with medicine and the basic sciences. Following her participation in SVMP, she planned to pursue an MD/MBA with her understanding of the novelty and flexibility of the business realm, and with an unyielding excitement to continue exploring the interdependence of business and healthcare.

 

The relationship between Gloriya’s current position in healthcare and career goals moving forward have led her to develop a strong interest in applying “healthy practice” to the working world. Having worked on a national health movement to battle cardiovascular disease, she intends to expand and cater this venture to the SVMP Alumni Association.  This would educate alumni and provide an opportunity to better incorporate health and wellness into their career pursuits and personal lives, thereby maximizing performance in both.

 

Gloriya believes her involvement in the SVMP Alumni Association has been beneficial in exposing her to diverse management styles and practices, allowing her to improve her own. She shares, “…working closely with other board members and alumni provides a unique opportunity to develop as a leader by forcing you to consistently maintain a malleable approach in working as a team of diverse minds aimed at a common set of goals.”

 

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Andrea Giraudo is a member of the SVMP Class of 2010 and is currently a Marketing Coordinator at IPPOLITA.  As a graduate of the University of Georgia, Andrea plans to attend business school with Harvard Business School as her top choice.  Andrea’s love for Harvard Business School stemmed from her participation in SVMP.  Through participation in the SVMP Alumni Association she has found she can give back and be a long-term participant of the program.  She shares, “Not only did I join to remain in contact with some of the brightest young people out there but to know all I can in preparation for B-school, about careers, and… to have a support group.  I hope the SVMP AA can be that for SVMP participants once they graduate.”

 

Andrea’s involvement has motivated her to reach out to other board members and SVMP alumni to maintain in contact while working toward goals for the organization. Andrea believes if it was not for her involvement, she may have lost touch with her SVMP class and  missed the opportunity to meet members of other class years.

 

Andrea recounts her favorite SVMP moment, “They sang Happy Birthday to three of us, [SVMP participants], who apparently were birthday kids that June, it turns out someone thought I was included, but my birthday is actually in DECEMBER. So here I am with a cake with my name included on it. The funny part was that even though it was a mistake, technically, it was actually my half birthday. Oddly enough, …it all worked out and getting sung Happy Birthday in a HBS classroom, right at the front, was priceless!”

 

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