University at Buffalo School of Management

Buffalo Business - Spring 2013

The magazine for alumni and friends of the UB School of Management

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Alumni Impact Corporate Champions Plant the Seeds of Opportunity It started with a challenge: find a way to bring School of Management MBA students and businesses closer together. That idea, which began with a single person, has blossomed into Corporate Champions, a program that has had an exponential impact on the School of Management, our students and businesses they work with across Western New York. Through the Corporate Champions, representatives from businesses in the Buffalo Niagara region meet with teams of first-semester MBAs from day one to participate in a series of activities, including MBA Advantage, a company site visit, a community service activity, a company analysis that brings textbook work to the real world and an end-ofsemester reception. These distinctive interactions allow students to build relationships that enhance their careers for years. The program was the brainchild of Ezra Staley, JD/MBA ���09, who came up with the idea during MBA Advantage, the professional development program that runs throughout the MBA experience. He noticed that classmates were missing opportunities to make valuable connections with alumni at networking events and worked with School of Management staff to bring the program to life. Through his work with Corporate Champions, Staley landed internships that led to multiple job offers and a fulltime position at M&T Bank. Today, as CFO of Buffalo Promise Neighborhood, M&T���s nonprofit education foundation, he says it���s been fascinating to see the growth of Corporate Champions and the impact the program has had on students and organizations. ���I���m impressed with how the Corporate Champions companies have responded,��� says Staley. ���In just five years, more than 50 companies have been a part of it, with more lining up all the time. When I talk to current students, they say it���s great real-world experience that they use to expand their networks.��� About 20 companies serve as Corporate Champions each year, a mix of nonprofits and corporations from a variety of industries. Nearly all of the company connections are made through alumni. Based on feedback from MBAs who have completed the program, it���s clear that Corporate Champions is achieving what Staley had envisioned. ���Corporate Champions has been one of the highlights of our MBA experience,��� says Emily Clark, MBA ���14, on behalf of 2012 Team Cameron. ���Working with an outside company on a real issue has given us a learning opportunity that no case study could have accomplished.��� Vincent Shutt, MBA ���14, says, ���We met the entire United Way leadership team in a roundtable discussion and we were blown away at the level of skill and professionalism Ezra Staley, JD/MBA ���09, with Michael Weiner, MBA ���90, president of United Way of Buffalo & Erie County. Photo: Tom Wolf Team New Era 2009 visits the plant in Derby. 24 Buffalo Business Spring 2013

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