For the 3rd consecutive year, the MBA Veterans Network is pleased to announce the latest expansion of the MBA Veterans Career Conference. This event will be held on Friday, October 15th 2010 in Chicago, IL and will connect over 200 current MBA students (all military veterans) with many of the world’s leading employers. This year’s lead sponsors include Google and Procter & Gamble, that latter of which will be represented by Bob McDonald, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO. Bob is an inspirational business leader who’s committment to values-based leadership is laudable. A former US Army officer and Utah MBA, Mr. McDonald shares much in common with the attendees. We’re absolutely thrilled that he’s taking time out of his busy schedule to join our event. Other sponsors include AAR Corporation, Accenture, Apple, Booz Allen Hamilton, Citi, Credit Suisse, Fidelity, General Electric, IBM, Kraft, Nike, PepsiCo, and UBS. We, admittedly, haven’t been very diligent with regards to updating the blog regularly, but be prepared to see regular posts over the next few weeks.

This week Fortune Magazine ran a feature story entitled Battled Tested: From Soldier to Business Leader. It primarily discusses how JMO (Junior Military Officers) have picked up a slew of skills from their years of leading soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, that are coveted by corporate America. Ultimately, it argues that people who share this background are really poised to take strong leadership positions in the business community in the coming years. The article briefly mentions that some veterans are attending top- MBA programs to build their business acumen before embarking on private sector careers, but it fails to explore the topic in its entirety. Ultimately, its a well-written article that makes many strong points and is certain to attract the attention of corporate leaders, but we would be interested in Brian O’Keefe doing a companion piece on the impact that MBA-trained veterans specifically will have in the coming years – particularly as the world seeks disciplined leaders to help the global economy avoid future economic crises.

We recently discovered the book Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle, a fascinating story co-authored by Dan Senor and Saul Singer. When the global markets essentially disintegrated in 2008, these gentlemen noticed that Israel’s economy had remained remarkably unscathed.  Fascinated by this development, they decided to research the key elements that have turned the country into into a hotbed of entrepreneurship and economic atability and growth. While their research identified eight features that directly contribute to the success of its business community one features stands out – the impact that national military service has on Israel’s business culture. Basically, their thesis posits that military service provides an excellent network from which its former members can draw upon during their civilian careers, teaches raw entrepreneurial skills to young people, and helps them develop a sense of maturity at an earlier point in their lives than many of their peers in other nations. All key traits that make them successful in business. Sound familiar? Check it out.

Jane Porter, a journalist for the WSJ recently contacted us to learn more about the MBA Veterans Network and the services that we provide to the MBAVeteran community. It just so happened to be that we were on the cusp of launching MBAVeterans Connect, a business networking platform exclusively for this demographic. She wrote a great article that really speaks to our vision of helping people who share this background connect with each other. Visit the article here http://tiny.cc/WYTQj If you like it, please make sure to add a comment at the bottom!

On February 17, 2010 the MBA Veterans Network launched MBA Veterans Connect, a business networking platform for military veterans who possess top-ranked MBA degrees. Please visit http://mbaveterans.com and register today

Earlier this week we were invited by Dan Grant, the Illinois Director of Veterans Affairs, to attend a veterans education bill signing at the University of Illinois-Chicago and we, of course, accepted. All in all, it was an excellent event. Representatives from the Student Veterans Association, VFW, university officials, and State Rep. Mark Walker (a Vietnam Vet and co-sponsor of the bill) attended as well. Governor Quinn has long been an advocate for veterans, and we appreciate his efforts. Essentially, the bill requires all of Illinois’ public universities and community colleges to designate (or hire) a person to be a one-stop-shop for all veterans seeking information about all of their education entitlements.

Chris (l) and Dave (r) with Illinois Governor Pat Quinn

As anyone who has been extended on active duty due to the US Army’s “Stop Loss” policy over the past few years understands  that the Army needs more officers. According to this article from the NY Times, McCann Worldwide (the Army’s new advertising agency) has launched a new campaign aimed at enticing college students to pursue a career in the Army as an officer. What’s very interesting is how the campaign is presented. The tv ads do not portray images of stoic leaders on the battlefield, but rather corporate executives (like Joe DePinto, CEO of 7-Eleven and an MBA Veteran from Kellogg) and implies that a few years of service as an Army officer will lay the foundation for a successful corporate career.

Here is a link to the video referenced in the article (featuring ex-military corporate execs)

City: Chicago, IL

Date: October 16, 2009

Location: Holiday Inn Mart Plaza (in Loop)

This exclusive event is expected to connect over 200+ former and current military personnel who are either currently students or recent graduates of the nation’s top 40 MBA programs with 30 leading employers from around the world.

Visit http://mbaveterans.com for details