Olin Business School

A team of distinguished judges read through dozens of entries from leading business publications around the world to name the first recipients of the Olin Corporate Strategy Prize. The competition’s goal is to expand awareness of the importance of strategic change in maintaining vital and competitive businesses. $10,000 will be awarded to the winning authors and students and faculty use their reporting as case studies.

The second annual Leaders in Business Summit sponsored by Deloitte and the Olin Business School was held at Washington University in St. Louis Sept. 28. Sustainability, energy policy, corporate social responsibility and management strategies to navigate volatile times were among the topics on the day-long agenda which included a presentation by St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President and CEO James Bullard and an address by renowned pollster John Zogby.

An entrepreneur who has helped thousands of people in poverty-stricken countries throughout Africa says she couldn’t have done it without the help of students and professors at Washington University. The Blessing Basket Project bestows its annual World Changer award on WUSTL. Video history and thank you from artisans in Africa included.

Olin Business School’s Executive MBA program was ranked No. 2 worldwide in the Wall Street Journal’s 2010 survey published Sept. 30. The ranking is based on survey data collected on 64 business schools and responses from corporate human resource officers and recent EMBA alumni. Olin’s extensive career services were cited as an advantage of the program designed for professionals with 10 years or more corporate experience.

WUSTL’s campus-wide entrepreneurship curriculum has been recognized as one of the best in the country by The Princeton Review survey published in Entrepreneur magazine today.  WUSTL’s undergrad and graduate programs placed in the top ten out of more than 2000 schools. A venture started by three WUSTL students also is featured in the October magazine on newsstands and online Sept. 21.

A search is under way to fill a new vice provost position in the Office of the Provost whose initial focus will be on diversity and faculty development, among other areas of university-wide importance. An advisory committee has been formed that will identify and recommend candidates from within the Washington University community.

The financial crisis and recession have changed the global economy and the way business works. Figuring out the “new normal” economy is challenging managers everywhere to develop new strategies and initiatives. Olin Business School is offering three new programs to sharpen professionals’ skills as they navigate the uncharted waters of the “new normal” economy.

Calling all entrepreneurs! WUSTL’s two annual business plan competitions are ready to get underway. The kick off event for commercial and nonprofit business plans takes place September 16 in conjunction with an Assembly Series speaker, Matthew Bishop who will talk about capitalism and philanthropy.

In its 15th year, the “Work, Families and Public Policy” series, a schedule of Monday brown-bag seminars presented on campus biweekly through Dec. 6 will give faculty and graduate students of St. Louis-area universities an array of opportunities to lunch and learn. The series features one-hour seminars on research interests including labor, households, health care, law and social welfare by faculty from local and national universities.

First year MBA students at Olin get a head start on the school year with a two week boot camp that involves serious academic work, team building exercises, career counseling and socializing. Jackson Nickerson, PhD, the Frahm Family Professor of Organization & Strategy, greeted the class with this challenge: “I dare you to take full responsibility to transform your thinking and change your life forever.”  Nickerson teaches a course in critical thinking custom-designed for Olin students.