What is the role of the CEO?

Getting the best possible talent is high on the list.


You have to have the best people. Can I upgrade the firm? That is the role of the CEO:

A Different Kind of Teacher Cheating - Freakonomics Blog - NYTimes.com

A Different Kind of Teacher Cheating - Freakonomics Blog - NYTimes.com:

"PowerPoint makes lecturing easy, boring, and forgettable, the Chronicle of Higher Education reports. That’s exactly why lazy students like it: if their teacher isn’t truly engaging with the material, they don’t have to either."

Kevin J. McCue: Using the written word in tribute to a teacher : Opinion : The Buffalo News

From an SBU grad.

Kevin J. McCue: Using the written word in tribute to a teacher : Opinion : The Buffalo News:

"I suggest three ways to immediately improving your writing:

1. Be concise, avoid wordiness.

2. Use short sentences whenever possible.

3. Always proofread your writing, and then read out loud to prevent mistakes.

Simple, effective, and easy-to-incorporate tips!"

Do Elite Colleges Produce the Best-Paid Graduates? - Economix Blog - NYTimes.com

Do Elite Colleges Produce the Best-Paid Graduates? - Economix Blog - NYTimes.com:

Yes. At least somewhat. But even at small schools, many make more than their large school counterparts.

"Majors matter. Quantitative-oriented degrees – like engineering, science, mathematics and economics — filled most of the top 20 slots in both highest starting median salaries and highest mid-career median salaries."

and later:

"There’s a lot of variation within each school, which means the lowest-paid graduates of a very elite school may earn less than the highest-paid graduates of a much less elite school.

For example, Mr. Lee suggests comparing Black Hills State University (B.H.S.U.), the school with lowest median pay, to Dartmouth College. The 75th percentile mid-career pay of B.H.S.U. is comparable to the 10th percentile mid-career pay of Dartmouth grads.

In other words, one in four B.H.S.U. grads earns more at mid-career than one in 10 Dartmouth grads.

This variation within a school is called a “spread.”"

Book Review — “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith (2007) | Perfection Consulting

How many do you have?

Book Review — “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith (2007) | Perfection Consulting:

"In his book, Marshall Goldsmith, a well-known executive coach, identifies 20 negative characteristics commonly found in corporate America. These are habits that he believes hinders many successful executives from reaching the next level of achievement. Goldsmith then follows up by offering strategies for transforming these bad traits into positive behavior."

The Best Cover Letter I Ever Received - David Silverman - HarvardBusiness.org

The Best Cover Letter I Ever Received - David Silverman - HarvardBusiness.org:

"Here's what I like about this cover letter: It's short. It sums up the résumé as it relates to the job. It asks for the job.

The writer of this letter took the time to think through what would be relevant to me. Instead of scattering lots of facts in hopes that one was relevant, the candidate offered up an opinion as to which experiences I should focus on.

And that means the writer isn't just showing me skills related to the job, he's showing me he'll be the kind of employee who offers up solutions — instead of just laying problems on my desk."

Three Reasons Why Your Resume Ends Up in the Discard Pile | The View from Harvard Business | BNET

Three Reasons Why Your Resume Ends Up in the Discard Pile | The View from Harvard Business | BNET:

"Fact is every hiring officer probably has his or her own unique set of prejudices that set off little alarm bells as they read through job applications. But David’s post is also a very strong reminder of resume blunders that will probably matter to any number of potential employers."

1. Get the formatting right.....
2. Choose verbs that mean something...
3. Rewrite your résumé for each job application...

Free Money Finance: The One Thing that Makes a Winning Resume

Good advice!

Free Money Finance: The One Thing that Makes a Winning Resume:

"Your resume needs to scream RESULTS!!!!! You need to have a large number of quantifiable accomplishments documented concisely on your resume (in bullet points so they are easy to read). They also need to be written correctly to deliver maximum impact. And even if you 'only' have minor accomplishments, there are ways to make them sound impressive, so take the time and effort to do so."

Writing revisions

Well worth the time! (To read the article and to revise frequently :) )

The Age of the Both/And CEO - Conversation Starter - HarvardBusiness.org:

"1 to 5 recipients = 2 to 4 revisions
5 to 10 recipients = 8 to 12 revisions
Company-wide or to Executive Committee = 30 to 50 revisions

Even the simplest missive to one person benefits from a couple of extra passes, and if it's going to the management committee, expect everyone to have changes (and changes to those changes).

Here's a checklist to consider when revising:"

Cheat sheets

All classes are allowed the front and the back of a page as a "cheat" sheet

Nation Ready To Be Lied To About Economy Again | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Nation Ready To Be Lied To About Economy Again | The Onion - America's Finest News Source:

"'I thought I wanted a new era of transparency and accountability, but honestly, I just can't handle it,' Ohio resident Nathan Pletcher said. ...'From now on, ....' Pletcher added. 'Tell me my savings are okay, everybody has a job, and we're No. 1 again. Please, just lie to my face.'

Oh wait it is from the Onion ;) Thought you needed a study break!

Good job Tennis Teams!!

Congrats to the tennis teams!

Bona hoops avoids academic penalties : Sports : The Buffalo News:

"Several Big 4 athletic programs were recognized for academic excellence: UB’s women’s cross country and swimming teams, Niagara’s women’s basketball and volleyball teams, and St. Bonaventure’s men’s tennis and women’s tennis teams were awarded Public Recognition Awards for the 2008-09 school year."

Final schedule

Finance 402: Murphy 107 Monday 3:45
SIMM (Finance 410): SIMM room 2:30 Tuesday
MBA 610 WED section: Wed 5/6/09 in class room
MBA 610 Tues Section: Tues 5/12/09 in class room

Week 13--MBA 610

Derivatives and governance

Bill's Presentation on risk management (Insurance emphasis)

Bill Hammond's Presentation on risk management (Insurance emphasis) and career choices/tips

Submit your questions here!

AS I just started making the exams, reminder: you can submit your questions here. If they are selected, you get points added to your final! Last test one student had 8% (not 8 points!) added to her test.

FinanceTestquestions - home

The presentation On Career Choices and Insurance

Bill Hammond's presentation



Watch Bill Hammond's presentation at SBU School of Business in Educational & How-To  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Corner Office - He Wants Subjects, Verbs and Objects - Question - NYTimes.com

An interesting article on interviews.

Corner Office - He Wants Subjects, Verbs and Objects - Question - NYTimes.com:

"And so what you’re trying to find out about are the intangibles of leadership, communication style and the ability to, today, really adapt to change.

And there are a lot of ways to go at that. I like to ask people what they’ve read, what are the last three or four books they’ve read, and what did they enjoy about those. And to really understand them as individuals because, you know, the résumés you get are wonderful résumés. Wonderful education, great work history. So you have to probe a little bit deeper into the human intangibles, because we’ve all seen many instances where people had perfect résumés, but weren’t effective"

What your interviewers are likely reading

While I am sure you are all up to date on "recent" books, knowing what your interviewers are reading may help you get a job (or may help you do better at your job!) so here are some links you may want to check out:

On Long Tails:





On Nissim Taleb on what is a Black Swan:





Thomas Friedman on the World is Flat (long but very good):



Thomas Friedman on Hot, Flat, and Crowded:



Jim Collins on "from Good to Great" and "Built to Last"



Malcolm Gladwell author of Blink and The Tipping Point:




What is "Peak Oil"


NOVA on "The Wisdom of Crowds"


Made to Stick:

MBA 610 Week 11

Derivatives (after looking at the Blog for a while)