University at Buffalo School of Management

Autumn 2015 Buffalo Business 3 Ghosen honored with Chancellor's Award Jacqueline Molik Ghosen was one of eight staff members at UB to receive the prestigious SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service in May. Ghosen has served the School of Management for near- ly 20 years. As assistant dean and director of communi- cations, she works to enhance and expand the school's reputation as a world-class business school through the strategic implementation of public and media relations, communications and marketing to a diverse audience of students, faculty, alumni, university friends and employ- ers. Her projects have earned her more than 40 awards of excellence from a variety of professional groups. In her previous role as assistant director of the Career Resource Center, she was part of the leadership team that earned the office the Wall Street Journal's designation as "No. 1 Business School Career Office in the U.S." "Jackie's sustained commitment to excellence and superlative quality makes her especially deserving of this award," said Dean Arjang Assad. x Ferranti named DAC chair Richard M. Ferranti, EMBA '97, has been named chair of the School of Management Dean's Advisory Council (DAC), a group of exceptional alumni and leaders who assist the dean and the school by providing external perspective, advocacy and financial support for the school's programs and strategic priorities. Ferranti is executive vice president and COO of Rich Products Corp. and has served on the DAC since 2007, most recently as vice chair. He succeeds Sharon Randaccio '76, MBA '81, president and CEO of Perfor- mance Management Partners Inc., who was chair from 2012 to 2014. x UB MBAs victorious in prestigious Whitman Competition A team of four first-year MBA students from the School of Management won the annual Whitman Case Compe- tition in March at Syracuse University. Rohit Sallagundla, Erin Dings, Ryan Fogle and Seong Hee (Luke) Kim were awarded $2,000 for taking first place. This is the fifth consecutive year a School of Management team has finished in the top two at the prestigious case competition. In earning first place, the UB squad bested teams from Case Western Reserve University, Syracuse Univer- sity and Binghamton University. Another School of Management team nabbed third place and collected $750. Ashith Shetty, MBA '15; Frank Koel- bel, MBA '15; Alison Lee Williams, JD/MBA '16; and Aditya Yellapantula, MBA '15, made up the third-place squad. Several MBA programs from across the country were invited to enter the competition, sponsored by the Whitman Graduate Student Organization, and eight teams made the final round. Competitors analyzed a business case about Spencer's Retail, a chain of stores in India that changed brand positions from a high-quality retailer to a high-value, low-price outlet. The winning UB team devised a new merchandising mix and promotional strategy that would improve store traffic and profit margins without tar- nishing the chain's well-established reputation. Registration and travel expenses for the UB teams were funded through a donation by Steven C. Verney '80, MBA '81, executive vice president and chief risk officer at Allstate Insurance Co., and a matching grant from Allstate. x Ghosen Ferranti

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