The YPN May 2009 Newsletter by Brian Gillet, YPN President:
Good day,
This month I have three items to share with you in this NIU Young Professionals Network (YPN) update.
First, thank you to Mig Pascual for speaking at our May 2009 YPN event, Using Technology to Market You and Your Company presentation. Mig provided a comprehensive view into how he leveraged some simple online tools to better market himself to his current employer, Zappos. He then went on to provide attendees with some simple things they could do to better market their skills and build a consistent online brand presence provided you are comfortable putting your information on the internet.
Here are some other key takeaways from Mig's presentation:
Mig provided us with a few slides from his presentation, which list a number of resources you can study and put into action to better market yourself or your company online. The resource slides are available online at: http://migpascual.com/marketing-resources-and-links/. We will have some video from Mig's presentation online in the coming weeks in case you did not get a chance to attend.
Second, we have had a couple new members join the YPN over the last month, which is exciting to see. I regularly get asked how members can get involved. At this time I would encourage our members to come out and attend our events. The discussions and relationships that evolve at our events are one of the main reasons we set out to start the YPN. We see our events as a core competency for the organization and hope that they provide you with value that exceeds alternative offerings.
The events we can offer are based on the dollars we receive for membership, so the 2009 event line up is scheduled and based on your 2009 membership support. We will be holding a session in the next few months to put the proposed 2010 calendar together. An invitation to all YPN members will go out for this meeting. If you are unable to attend, you can email your event ideas to YPNalumni@niu.edu.
We currently do not have formal committees meeting on a regular basis. The YPN is operating on a board structure at this time. Since the start of the YPN we have tried to keep the management layers of the organization very lean. As we look forward and grow the organization we realize that we need to put in place an organizational structure that better facilitates committees. We will keep you posted on this as we move ahead.
Third, we have our Thursday, June 18th Top Golf outing coming up. The event gets started promptly at 6:30PM in Wood Dale, IL. You can find out more info on the YPN website at: https://ssl.niu.edu/EAS/eventDetail.aspx?event=29836&date=6/18/2009. Please remember to RSVP by June 11th. This should prove to be a fun team building experience in a low stress golf environment. If you have never heard of Top Golf you can learn more by visiting their website: http://www.topgolfusa.com/Locations/US/Chicago/Default.aspx.
In closing, it's amazing to see how quickly we have approached the middle of 2009. With spring upon us I am hopeful that we'll see signs of a stabilizing economy. I'm excited to see what blooms in the wake of our economic hardship. A recent article on Time.com got me thinking about some future opportunities and challenges we will face - www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1898024_1898023,00.html. Check out the article and let's discuss it at our next event if you have any comments or thoughts on the article. I think it's interesting to see the trend towards more decentralized work forces along with being more accountable for my own healthcare and retirement funding and the idea that we'll have career "vines" to navigate instead of career ladders.
Thank you to our dedicated members for supporting the YPN and to our new members joining the organization.
Please let me know if you have news to share regarding your work or experiences you had giving back on campus, connecting with other YPN members or feedback regarding your overall YPN experience.
Go Huskies!
Thank you,
Brian Gillet
President, NIU Young Professionals Network
NIU YPN: CONNECT - LEARN - ADVANCE - GIVE BACK
www.cob.niu.edu/ypn
The YPN April 2009 Newsletter by Brian Gillet, YPN President:
Good day,
I hope you have had a chance to get outside and to enjoy a little bit of the spring weather we have had sprinkled throughout the last couple of weeks. It's been nice to be able to step outside, look up at the blue sky and begin to think about a brighter future after spending all winter inside listening to the media prescribe the worse possible outcomes for our global economy. I'm not an economist, but the old saying does state, "Hope springs eternal." Let's hope the saying holds true and that we start to see signs of improvement in the business world.
Coming down out of the clouds and closer to home, spring graduation at NIU is quickly approach and will be held on Saturday, May 9th in DeKalb. I know this year is going to be a little tougher walk across the stage for many graduates as they face one of worst employment markets in a long time. If you know someone that is getting ready to graduate that does not have a job yet, see if you can reach out and help them stay on target with their job search. Reach out to the YPN or NIU Executive Club for help as well. Let's all work together to help each other through these challenging times. It's amazing what a collective force of people can accomplish.
Today I have four items to share with you regarding the NIU Young Professionals Network. One opportunity to help on campus and three event related items. Stick with me; this is a longer than usual note, but well worth it.
First, if you got your MBA at NIU, are considering getting your MBA at NIU, are currently getting your MBA at NIU or got your MBA from a competing school could you take a moment to help out one of NIU's Experiential Learning Center (ELC) teams by filling out a survey that corresponds with your situation by following a link below. The ELC team appreciates your help providing them with data for this project. The results are being analyzed to help the NIU MBA program understand how its offerings stack up against competing programs in the Chicagoland area.
Prospective MBA Students:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=LpQnSWP8uQ7z2KDWLkuoaA_3d_3d
Competitor MBA Students:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=UsbPalbjgwZNqVgc4bYyAQ_3d_3d
NIU MBA Students:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=qyuam06d8hzGdjLbVXBYIw_3d_3d
Second, thank you to everyone that participated in our Speed Networking event on Thursday, April 16th at The Turf Room in North Aurora. We had twenty people in attendance - many new faces along with strong supporters of the NIU YPN. It was interesting to hear what types of questions participants would ask to get the most out of the experience and to help draw out common links. I saw a few alumni get reconnected after being out of school for a while, which is great to see. I appreciate Sue Braffet and Lia Kizilbash Gillet's help planning and executing the event and Brett Kinsfather's idea for the event. Well done, I hope we do this again in the future.
Third, during March NIU's College of Business hosted an event at the NIU Naperville campus. NIU YPN members attended the event and provided some excellent notes.
"PRACTICAL, REAL WORLD STUFF"
An Evening with Ed Rensi
Written by Brett Kinsfather with additional information contributed by Nick Strozza.
On March 25th retired President and CEO of McDonald's USA, Ed Rensi, came to NIU's Naperville Campus to speak on the topics of leadership and management. For a speaker with more than 40 years of corporate experience, one may have expected to hear about the old clichés of 'teamwork' and the importance of 'being yourself.' But within seconds of Mr. Rensi's presentation, it became obvious why this man led one of the world's most iconic brands through years of unprecedented growth and innovation.
Mr. Rensi began sharing his rich business education with the audience by beginning with his roots - the values that shaped his character and became the foundation of his executive decisions. He spoke about his Social Studies teacher, Danny Carrier, who made sure he learned how to think critically and analyze information. He discussed the small business knowledge he learned first-hand by experiencing every job within a McDonald's restaurant; from cleaning bathrooms, to grilling burgers to managing payroll, Ed Rensi truly learned how to walk before he ran.
The pragmatic lessons Mr. Rensi learned about managing tasks, people and regions eventually took him to McDonald's headquarters in Oak Brook, IL. There he put his values to good use in several managerial and operational roles, eventually culminating in the ultimate strategic role for McDonald's USA - President and CEO.
The profoundness of Mr. Rensi's presentation was not in its subject matter, but rather in its truth.
These are just a sampling of the bold truths spoken throughout the evening. Applicable to all in attendance, these proclamations were skillfully accentuated with meaningful gestures and reinforced with a variety of humorous anecdotes, specific examples and personal experiences.
In the end, we learned a little bit about what it takes to lead a great American brand with dignity and pride. And although Mr. Rensi was only able to scratch the surface in the time allotted, the truths of his presentation are sure to find their way into the practices of his audience members.
Thank you Nick Strozza and Brett Kinsfather for sharing your notes from Ed Rensi's presentation.
Finally, mark your calendar for the next NIU Young Professionals Network event that will take place on Thursday, May 21st at the NIU Naperville campus. The event will start at 6:30 PM with networking followed by a presentation by NIU alum Mig Pascual. Mig's presentation will focus on helping you market brand "you" in the interconnected and always on world we live in now. Official invitations will be sent next week.
In closing, we have some exciting events coming up and we have heard about some of our members on the move along with a number of members giving back by spending time on campus at NIU. I appreciate everyone that is working hard to make the YPN a successful NIU alumni organization.
I would especially like to thank our long-time supporters of the YPN and Brittany Kowalski for helping present the Barsema Future Leader awards at the Management Department Awards banquet.
Welcome all new members and Barsema Future Leader award winners.
Please let me know if you have news to share regarding your work or experiences you had giving back on campus, connecting with other YPN members or feedback regarding your overall YPN experience.
Go Huskies!
Thank you,
Brian Gillet
President, NIU Young Professionals Network
NIU YPN Newsletter March 2009 Update - A call for help
Good day,
I have lots to share with you regarding the NIU Young Professionals Network today. Please find a few minutes to read through this note in its entirety.
Last week I hope you saw the email from Roy Schultz, the NIU Executive Club President arrive in your inbox. The email talked about a big step the Executive Club is taking to support NIU's College of Business during these tough economic times. This year, we will not be awarding a new NIU Young Professionals Network scholarship. Funds from the Executive Club will continue to support Nicholas Pikor, our scholarship recipient during his four years at NIU.
Beginning the fall 2009 semester the scholarship award will double the size of the annual scholarship award from $2,000 to $4,000. Existing scholarship recipients will also be included in this program and they will be doubling the size of their annual award from $2,000 to $4,000 beginning with the fall 2009 semester as well. The fall 2009 scholarship will be rebranded as the NIU Executive Club and Young Professionals Network scholarship. I am extremely happy to see the continued support the NIU Executive Club has provided to the YPN and would encourage you to thank them for their support at upcoming events.
You will notice a common theme amongst the rest of these items is helping give some of your time to the YPN, Executive Club and NIU. Please read on to see if any of these opportunities to help interests you.
Please contact me if you graduated from one of these programs and are available to attend the banquet to present the Barsema Future Leaders Awards on behalf of the NIU Young Professionals Network. The YPN will cover any admission costs for you to attend the banquet. Professional attire is required for these events. We can provide you with some more background about the awards upon signing up to help. We will assign members on a first-come-first signed up basis. Email me for more info at brian.gillet@otrglobal.com - please put in your email subject line: NIU YPN awards banquet.
I wanted to extend a word of congratulations to YPN member Robert Heck on his new position as Senior Account Executive at ISP, America's Home for College Sports. Robert will be managing the Northern Illinois University Athletics account. Robert previously worked for the Schaumburg Flyers baseball organization. It's great to see Robert taking on a new challenge, especially so close to his alma mater.
Finally, don't forget to sign up to attend the NIU College of Business Keynote Speaker event featuring Edward H. Rensi, Retired President and Chief Executive Officer of McDonald's USA & Owner, Team Rensi Motorsports. The event is taking place on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 6:15PM at the NIU Naperville Campus. Space is limited. You can find more info here: http://www.cob.niu.edu/alumni/EdRensi.pdf.
I apologize for this long email, but I hope that you will find the time to help the YPN and the Executive Club. Getting involved is critical to making your YPN membership as beneficial to you as possible.
Have a great rest of the week.
Go Huskies!
Thank you,
Brian Gillet
President, NIU Young Professionals Network
The YPN February 2009 Newsletter by Brian Gillet, YPN President:
Good day,
Three items to touch upon this month related to NIU and the Young Professionals Network.
We hope to provide more regular monthly updates regarding NIU Young Professionals Network and NIU College of Business happenings via these emails. Let us know if there is something you want highlighted here down the road by emailing us at YPNAlumni@niu.edu.
Go Huskies!
Best regards,
Brian Gillet
President, NIU Young Professionals Network
The YPN March 2007 Newsletter by Brian Gillet, YPN President:
The NIU Young Professionals Network was established with the goal of reconnecting NIU COB alumni while also helping to foster and track the rising success of NIU's young alumni within the business community.
We have primarily relied on word-of-mouth marketing to date and we are happy with the results. We do envision word-of-mouth continuing as the primary facet for our membership growth, but we are also developing marketing material, which we should be available by the end of April 2007 and then we will be using this to target recent graduates from the COB. It’s not too late to get involved with the process and I would encourage you to lend a hand where you can within the organization. Chris Barnes and Brett Kinsfather work together on developing our marketing material and our event invitations.
Speaking of getting involved, we are working on plans for our May 2007 event, which we are targeting to have at the end of the month at the Chicago Indoor Racing facility in Buffalo Grove or attending a Chicago Cubs game. Either one will be a great time! We’ll either see who the most skilled racer is amongst the group or, we will head to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field to watch the world famous Cubs. Let us know if you are interested in helping with the planning of this event and making calls to members and prospects for the event. Matt Kirch heads up our event planning and I encourage you to email or reach out to Matt if event planning is your forte.
This April 17th we have an exciting event that we are sponsoring. The Apprentice’s Nicole D’Ambrosio will be at Barsema Hall (Rm 300) on April 17th and following her presentation all YPN members and prospective members are invited to O’Leary’s Pub and Grill in DeKalb for a private reception. A copy of the invitation is available on our website. If you have questions about the event please contact Sue Braffet (YPNalumni@niu.edu).
Finally, I am excited to tell you that with a donation from Dennis and Stacy Barsema along with nominations from the Chairs of each department at the COB, the YPN is going to be awarding 14 YPN Student Leader Awards this year. We will be providing each award winner with a one year membership to the YPN. We look forward to welcoming the 14 new members as they have time to join us at future events.
It has been a busy first quarter of 2007 for the YPN, we have had two successful events and some of our members even attended a Business House event at Barsema Hall in February, which gave us a chance to meet some NIU students and visit with some of our favorite professors on campus.
I am really looking forward to the coming months as we congratulate the spring 2007 College of Business graduates on their accomplishments and at the same time wish them luck in their new business endeavors. I encourage all of our members to keep us abreast of what you are up to and any accomplishments or awards you may have recently received. If you have moved, started a new job, got married or you have a suggestion for how the YPN can provide more value, please send us a note and we will spread the word or take into consideration how we can add more value.
Thank you,
Brian Gillet
Go Huskies!
December 2006 YPN Newsletter
December is time to reflect on the year that has passed. We all must realize that 2006 was a major success for the NIU Young Professionals Network, which got its formal start half-way through the year. We could not have arrived at this point without the support of our members, the NIU Executive Club and the College of Business. Thank you!
During December we held our event planning meeting and developed our website. After receiving key member insight, the Executive Board constructed and reviewed the objectives for the YPN in 2007. The main goals for the organization in 2007 include: hosting 12 YPN events, increasing the market awareness of the YPN and growing the member base to include at least 50 members.
Below is a look at our progress made during December and a glimpse of what’s to come in 2007.
2007 Events Schedule
The YPN’s event planning meeting on December 14, 2006 was a huge success! We had almost all of our smart and energetic members in attendance, which led to the construction of a full calendar of events for 2007. The events discussed focus on three themes, which will rotate each quarter and we will do our best to have each monthly event on or around the same time of the month to help you plan ahead to attend.
The three themes are:
Skill Development – Provide NIU YPN members with information that will expand and hone your skill set, helping you succeed in your work and life. Open to NIU YPN members and invited potential YPN members.
Team Building – Events that offer an opportunity to learn more about your fellow NIU alumni while having fun. Open to NIU YPN members and NIU alumni on a per event basis.
Business Insights – A chance to learn about the industries and companies NIU YPN members work within. Open to NIU YPN members and invited potential YPN members.
You can find a copy of our preliminary 2007 NIU YPN events calendar on our website that also includes NIU College of Business events and NIU Executive Club events that our members are invited to attend. If you would like to assist with the execution of these events please contact Matt Kirch by email: matt.kirch at trizetto.com to express your interest to help out.
NIU Business Careers House Reception
At the YPN meeting in December 2006, we mentioned that the NIU Business Careers House had inquired whether some of our members could attend an event in DeKalb the first week of February 2007. The NIU Business Careers House occupies “the 5 floors of Lincoln Hall, wing B, designed to facilitate greater awareness of business topics and to provide opportunities for interaction between residents and faculty. A variety of activities involving College of Business faculty augment the course work and enhance the floor living environment,” according to their website.
Dr. Lynn Neely, COB management professor, works with the Business Careers House and invited us to join students living in this facility to discuss our experiences at NIU and after graduation. The final day and time during the final week of February 2007 is still being discussed, but if you are interested in helping out by attending this event please contact Brian Gillet, by email: brian.gillet at otaotr.com to express your interest to attend.
NIU YPN Website
Furthermore, the NIU YPN website is up and running at www.cob.niu.edu/ypn and there are links on the NIU and COB websites leading back to the YPN. We are still working on developing enhancements for the site such as member profiles, a member directory and a section highlighting member successes. The website will be one of the major areas our Marketing Committee will need help with in 2007. If you are interested in helping out with content creation, graphic design and web development please contact Chris Barnes, VP of Marketing, by email: barnesc at lilly.com to express your interest to help out.
New Members
Finally, during 2006 the NIU YPN quickly became an organization with 16 members who are all driven to succeed in business and life. For 2007, we are going to be targeting a larger audience of NIU alumni and looking to our new and existing members for their recommendations for alumni who can add value to the organization. The Membership Committee is focused on helping to build and maintain a healthy YPN membership base, serve as ambassadors to new members, and shape our future offerings to YPN constituents. If you are interested in helping grow the member base of the YPN please contact Brian Wodarski by email: bwodarski at uhy-us.com to express your interest to assist the Membership Committee.
In closing, 2006 has been an exciting year as interest and momentum has built up for the NIU Young Professionals Network. We look forward to our upcoming events and to meeting and hearing how our fellow NIU alumni are succeeding. We hope you all have a safe and relaxing holiday break and a prosperous 2007!
Go Huskies!
Best Regards,
Brian Gillet – brian.gillet at otaotr.com
President
Matthew Kirch – matt.kirch at trizetto.com
VP, Development and Programs
Brian Wodarski – bwodarski at uhy-us.com
VP, Finance and Membership
Chris Barnes – barnesc at lilly.com
VP, Marketing
Brett Kinsfather – BrettK at knfilters.com
Co-Chair, Marketing
November 2006 YPN Newsletter
The purpose this month's newsletter is to provide an update on the NIU’s Young Professionals Network as we head towards the close of 2006. We mentioned at our wine tasting event that our member numbers continue to climb and that we starting to set our course for 2007. We recently had a number of our current members in attendance at our NIU football game viewing event and received some important feedback that will help us shape the organization. Based upon some of the feedback it is our intention to provide a monthly update on the accomplishments of the YPN and to highlight future opportunities.
The NIU Young Professionals Network’s first few months in operation has met the expectations of the Board, which was to establish an interest for the organization and to assemble a core group of members. The YPN kicked off its existence on August 10, 2006 at a Schaumburg Flyers game, which had over 25 attendees. That event was followed by the Wine Tasting at Tasting DeVine in Naperville with over 20 attendees. These focused events gained a lot of praise and should be a model for future events based upon feedback.
Looking ahead, it is our goal to increase the total number of members to improve our knowledge base and to offer interesting events that benefit our members. There are lots of opportunities for members to get involved to help us grow the YPN and organize engaging events in 2007. We have assembled three key committees to help us support our growth, which I welcome you to join.
The Membership Committee is looking for individuals who would like to help build and maintain a healthy membership base, serve as ambassadors to new members, and shape our future offerings to YPN constituents. Tentatively, the Membership Committee will meet on a bi-weekly basis via a conference call. Beyond that, you can make your time commitment as large or small as you would like. Members of the committee will brainstorm and implement new ideas for services that we can offer to the YPN, assist in growing our member base, and hopefully serve as an ambassador (or buddy) to new YPN members to make sure they are smoothly integrated into the group. Please contact Brian Wodarski if you are interested in joining the Membership Committee.
As highlighted above, we have already had some successful events in 2006 and are looking forward to offering networking and educational programming that will benefit our members in 2007. The 2007 calendar has not been set in place yet. Matt Kirch is our VP of Events. He and his committee will be engaged with Sue Braffet, the College of Business ’ Alumni Director, during the month of December to build a schedule of events for 2007. If you have an interest in helping plan events or have ideas for future YPN events please contact Matt Kirch.
Finally, we have been spreading the word about the YPN via emails and word of mouth. To help grow the organization we need more of an integrated marketing approach. Chris Barnes is our VP of Marketing and the Co-Chair of Marketing is Brett Kinsfather. The Marketing Committee is seeking motivated members who would like to spread the word of the YPN to current and prospective members. Members of the Marketing Committee will participate in the creation of event invitations, website content and design, and general marketing materials. If you have a taste for marketing or graphic design please contact Chris Barnes to join the Marketing Committee.
There will also be increasing opportunities to give back in new and innovative ways at the College of Business . Aaron Feinblatt and Brian Gillet spoke to Ms. Alvarado’s Management 395 class about their surprises and successes upon graduating from NIU in October. They were very happy to have the opportunity to help answer students’ questions and gain insight into the changing landscape for future college graduates.
In closing, we hope everyone is able to gain something by joining the YPN. If you have any questions or announcements feel free to contact any of the board members listed below.
Thank you,
Brian Gillet – brian.gillet at otaotr.com
President
Matthew Kirch – matt.kirch at trizetto.com
VP, Development and Programs
Brian Wodarski – bwodarski at uhy-us.com
VP, Finance and Membership
Chris Barnes – barnesc at lilly.com
VP, Marketing
Brett Kinsfather – BrettK at knfilters.com
Co-Chair, Marketing
