Features

Stories that showcase the student-focused, experience-driven and values-centered people, advances and accolades defining the Graziadio School.

Pepperdine University Will Host Healthcare Forum on Wellness Programs at RAND, May 30

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An increasing number of employers are embracing the idea of at-work wellness programs to encourage healthier behaviors among employees. Successful programs are proving a benefit to both employees and employers.

Kaiser Permanente, The Coca-Cola Company, Yamaha Music & Wellness Institute and the RAND Corporation will analyze wellness programs at the 4th Annual Pepperdine University Healthcare Forum on Thursday, May 30, 2013 from 6 – 9 p.m. at RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, California.

General admission is $55, alumni admission is  $45 and students are admitted free. Pre-registration is required. Admission at the door will not be permitted. To register, please visit http://bschool.pepperdine.edu/2013healthcareforum. Continue reading →

[VIDEO] MBA Graduation Speaker Tommy Mitchell Issues Challenge to Fellow Grads – Focus and Commit

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Selected by faculty and fellow classmates for the honor, Full-time MBA student Thomas “Tommy” L. Mitchell III delivered a masterful and elevating message in his graduation speech at the April 2013 commencement ceremony for the Graziadio School of Business and Management. “The bonds we have formed here during our time at Graziadio are those without bounds,” he said. “These bonds can only be maintained through focus and commitment. I ask all of you here to make a promise to yourselves and fellow graduates to always do your best.”

Mitchell went on to say, “Don’t lose the opportunities today has given you, because tomorrow cannot be taken for granted.” Watch his speech.

Online MBA Program Off To A Smashing Start

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Just three short months after the Graziadio School’s Online MBA program launched, students are giving it rave reviews.

According to David Smith, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, eleven women and eleven men are part of the inaugural class, which includes students from five states and a military officer stationed in Japan.  One weekend in January, seventeen members of the first cohort of students met in Malibu for the Fully Employed MBA program’s perennial Personal and Leadership Development Workshop.  The workshop allowed students to meet face-to-face with faculty and each other to find support and develop partnerships as they continue their MBA journey.

jennifer.phamJennifer Pham, a staff accountant with Gaikai, a Sony Computer Entertainment company and current Online MBA student, said the workshop was a great opportunity to meet and network with fellow students and professors.  “I feel more comfortable talking to my cohort members online now that I can put a face to their names.  There is more cohesion and trust after the workshop.” Continue reading →

STUDY: Individuals Are Largest Buyer Group for Businesses Under $5 Million; Significant Increase in International Buyers

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78 percent of Respondents Say It Is A “Buyer’s Market” for Business Deals Under $500,000

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — For the first time individuals were the largest buyer group for businesses that were valued under $5 million, according to the first quarter 2013 Market Pulse Quarterly Survey Report, a study of businesses sold in the Main Street market and lower middle market. Released today by Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management, International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) and M&A Source, these findings differ from the third quarter 2012 report that found existing companies were the top buyers for all deals of $1 million and greater.

“As our economy picks up steam, more high-net worth individuals are transitioning from employees to business owners,” said George Lanza, president of Plethora Businesses. “Many of these individuals are buying businesses for job security or because they anticipate a better ROI than with other investments.”

For deals valued at more than $5 million, the most common buyers were existing companies looking to grow through acquisition (40 percent), followed by private equity platforms (30 percent), and private equity add-ons (20 percent). Continue reading →

Full-time Students Honor Alumni Who Give Back with 2013 Golden Torch Awards

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The Malibu Graduate Business Society (MGBS), the Graziadio School’s full-time student government association for the Full-time MBA program, recognized the outstanding contributions of five extraordinary alumni at the Second Annual Golden Torch Awards, held the day before commencement this spring.  The ceremony was part a pre-graduation barbeque organized by MGBS in partnership with the Full-time Program Office, under leadership of Associate Dean Michael Williams and Executive Director Diane Singel, and the Office of Alumni Relations, led by Director Robin Doty.

“Serving as ambassadors for the Graziadio School, each honoree has lent their time and expertise facilitating the career development of our students and strengthening the alumni network,” remarked MGBS president and MC Nicholas Stankevich (MBA ’13). Continue reading →