University at Buffalo School of Management

The School of Management's 37,000 alumni enjoy tremendous success in nearly 80 countries around the world. These alumni are driven to give back to the school in many ways, including mentoring, in-class presentations, recruitment, financial gifts and more — even from afar. "School of Management alumni have a passion for helping students from the university they graduated from," says Wei-Loon Leong, MBA '05, UB's director of international alumni relations. "We see the difference it makes for our students to get an inside look at the com- panies and countries they visit." Teaching finance from 10,000 miles away Toshiya Kuroda, MBA '88, studied at UB 30 years ago and has worked in real estate investment ever since. Today, he's managing director at Oaktree Capital Man- agement, an LA-based private equity firm in Tokyo. This spring, Kuroda worked with the School of Management Finance Academy, meeting with Master of Science in finance students every two weeks via Skype to teach them to manage equity investments and navigate the risks involved. Kuroda helped them develop pitches to convince judges to invest in their projects. He even spent a week- end in Buffalo to help refine the presentations in person. "I didn't want this to be strictly academic," says Kuroda. "I wanted them to think and act like investment professionals and convince me to entrust them with my money." There can be some challenges collaborating over a 13-hour time difference, such as pointing out specific examples in a spreadsheet file, but Kuroda says it's just another day in the life of the global economy. "I find investment opportunities and present them to my boss in Los Angeles, so this is the same thing I deal with all the time," he says. Kuroda says it was the right time to share what he's learned during his career with students from his alma mater. "I've realized that knowledge is something to share, not just to make money for yourself," he says. "It would be gratifying if I could help the next generation succeed and achieve their dreams." Mentor links When Gayatri Dhumal, BS '12, was an accounting student looking for a job, she used the school's Mentor- Link program to connect with School of Management graduates at the Big Four accounting firms. MentorLink helps School of Management students contact alumni and friends of the school, who assist in career exploration and planning. "It was amazing that all these places had a UB con- nection," says Dhumal. "I got great insight on how to present myself in interviews." After graduation, Dhumal spent three months as an intern in the Advisory Department at Ernst & Young in Mumbai, India. She is now senior auditor in the Fi- nancial Services Office at the firm's New York office, and offers her international perspective on the mentor side of the MentorLink program. She says that as an interna- 24 Buffalo Business Autumn 2016 Toshiya Kuroda, MBA '88, works with Master of Science in finance students during his spring visit to Buffalo. Cross-continental connections Alumni Impact

• Cover