Chicago Women in Business Alumnae Network (CWIBAN)
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Chicago Booth alumnae in the London area are invited to an organizational meeting on February 1 at 5:30 p.m. at the Booth campus. All alumnae interested in shaping the agenda for 2012 are encouraged to attend. The agenda will include discussion of goals for the year, schedule of events, and designation of project leaders and next steps. Event in London will include Women's Week for prospective students, an alumnae summer brunch, representation at the fall Forte forums, and the annual holiday tea, among others. The group will also discuss opportunities for networking with senior alumnae and other career development initiatives. Please RSVP to Zina Markevicius, '02, CWIBAN president.
The Graduate Women in Business (GWB), the student group for female Booth students in the Evening and Weekend Programs, invites CWIBAN alumnae to its quarterly mentoring event in Chicago. The luncheon event is Saturday, January 28, 2012, from 12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the Gleacher Center. Participants will change tables during the event to maximize opportunities for networking. Alumnae of all industries are encouraged to attend. To participate or with questions, please contact Danielle Voyles, '12, VP of Mentoring - GWB, by January 16.
Mothers at Booth (MaB) host this panel discussion, second in its series "How Do You Juggle It All?" The event will be held January 13, 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. at Room C03 at the Harper Center. The panelists from McKinsey, Kraft Foods, ISM Capital, and more will share their strategies for balancing motherhood and career, as well as how their companies have supported them along the way.
The event is open to all Booth women, including those who are mothers or are considering motherhood. Lunch will be provided. Suggested $15 donation for alumnae. Register online. Contact MaB co-chair Sari Goldstein with questions.
Mothers at Booth was also featured in the December 11 article in The Economist, "Of MBAs and Motherhood." Co-chair Sari Goldstein's tactic of scheduling time for school and time for family was cited as an effective strategy, while the article's author criticized the concept of multi-tasking and suggested dropping the guilt some have with hiring childcare help. Read more >
The Chicago Booth Business Book Roundtable (BBRT) hosts exciting authors, from entrepreneurs to business analysts and professors, for special events open to alumni and the public in Chicago. The group has invited CWIBAN alumnae to join its leadership team to take the BBRT to the next level. Specific needs are in the following areas: Strategic planning and execution, Treasurer, Marketing/Event Promotion, Social Media, and Event Production. Interested University of Chicago alumni and students, please contact Dana Damyen, '02.
Mothers@Booth is an organization for Booth alumnae and students who became moms before, during, or after business school. The group recently hosted a panel discussion, "How Do You Juggle It All." Read a summary of the event online.
Also, connect with the group via LinkedIn, Mothers@Booth. In addition, check out their blog. With questions, contact co-chair Sari Goldstein.
Alumnae are invited to shape the incoming class at Booth by connecting with newly admitted students and prospective applicants.
Thanks to all of the alumnae volunteers who are reaching out to prospective students once again this season!
Join us for the final tea of the year in London at the classic Brown's Hotel on January 29! A popular annual tradition, CWIBAN hosts holiday teas in cities around the world. These special gatherings feature delicious treats and an opportunity to meet up with other local Booth alumnae. This year, events begin December 3 and continue through January 29. Join us in Singapore, Tokyo, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC, Boston, Hong Kong, and London.
To host a holiday tea or other event in your hometown, please contact Demetra Paguio, '02. For event details and registration, please visit our Events page. View photos >
View photos from Women's Week 2011 >
Chicago Booth alumnae met with prospective students at 37 events around the world at the seventh annual Booth Women's Week in May 2011. Alumnae volunteers hosted these informal events which provided a unique opportunity for women considering business school to get their questions answered in a relaxed atmosphere.
"I think it is very important to give people the opportunity to meet face to face," said Alex Camp, '10, host of the Dallas event. I do think the one-on-one made a big impact," added Nora Patino, '06, in Mexico City.
"We had a really great, positive discussion as a group - everyone seemed to find it valuable," reported Rachel Leonard, '06, from Atlanta.
"Thank you so much for giving me the chance to do something for Booth," wrote Nancy Liang, '10, from Shanghai.
Topics ranged from the personal to the professional. Prospective applicants got real-life answers on the Booth curriculum, interaction with faculty, career development resources, student body culture, the social environment, financing the MBA, opportunities for partners and spouses within the Booth community, getting settled in the city of Chicago, and more. They also discussed life after business school, including work-life balance and alumni communities around the world.
Here is some feedback from prospective students:
"Not only did I get the opportunity to connect with the alumni and hear about their career paths and their experiences at Booth, but I was also able to build a relationship with the other prospective students and candidates. I was particularly interested in speaking to some entrepreneurs, and learned that the entrepreneurship program is continuously growing at Chicago Booth." -- A.A., attended New York event
"I loved the cozy and intimate feel of the event. Your enthusiasm for Booth was very infectious. It’s great to meet alumni like yourself despite being thousands of miles away. You definitely had an inspiring story going in with no business background and leaving a full-out business woman. Women’s Week is a great idea since we’re typically underrepresented in the MBA world. The food was delicious, I had to go for seconds!" -- H.M., attended Los Angeles event
"I had a great time and met a ton of fantastic women in the Bay area. It was great to learn more about the education, culture, and opportunities at Booth. I’m very excited to apply." -- M.F., attended San Francisco event
Women's Week is an events series unique to Chicago Booth. No other business school in the world hosts such an extensive offering for women to connect with alumnae in their hometowns across the globe. In 2011, alumnae organized events in:
The event series is also an opportunity for alumnae to get together and make new connections. "It was wonderful to meet so many fun alumnae in London," said Stephanie Bruckner, '10. Alejandra Corredor, '10, added from Bogota, "I really hope we get to organize many more events like this one and I will be more than happy to collaborate with CWIBAN and the school."
"Let's keep up the good work," wrote Sofie Cammers, '02, from Bangkok.
Women's Week is a partnership between the alumnae of CWIBAN and the Chicago Booth Office of Admissions. With questions or comments, please contact CWIBAN President Zina Markevicius, '02.
Adis Vila, '97, is the most recent alumna to be honored as an industry leader. She was selected as one of Diversity Journal's "Women Worth Watching" for 2012. Dr. Vila is the Chief Diversity Officer for the United States Air Force Academy, which was also selected as a diversity leader for 2012 and is based in Colorado Springs.
A lawyer as well as an MBA, Adis advises on building relationships as the foundation for success in the public or private sector. In the September/October 2011 issue of the journal, she says, "Getting to know colleagues, appreciating their contributions and challenges, and adapting to the organizational culture, even as you work to improve it, are key to developing vision and implementing strategy."
Dr. Vila's federal government experience includes positions as the assistant secretary of administration for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, director for the Department of Commerce's Office of Mexico and the Caribbean Basin, and special assistant to the assistant secretary for Latin American Affairs at the State Department. She is a long-time CWIBAN volunteer supporting alumnae networking and women's recruitment, and we wish her our sincere congratulations for this award.
"Managing Your Career: Strategies from Successful Booth Women" featured accomplished alumnae and brought together alums and students for an engaging discussion in August at the Gleacher Center. Panelists included Mariya Akmal '09, who focuses on corporate strategy and development with BCG; Vilma Y. Chan '99, Market Diversity Leader with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC); Jill Maine '00, marketing consultant specializing in new product development in consumer packaged goods; Maya Mehta '05, medical director at BetterCME, which specializes in physician education; Vinita Ramnani '09, Engagement Manager in Capgemini Consulting's Strategy and Transformation group; Rissa Welcker Reddan '00, Marketing & Sales Director for Consulting, Tax, and Assurance lines of service at PwC.
"Everyone appreciated receiving a candid opinion and being able to connect with more experienced women whom they could feel comfortable contacting again in the future for advice as needed," reported Shaelyn Otikor, '12. The discussion included pursuing promotions, negotiating pay raises, competition among women in the workplace, decisions on when to have children, and other issues.
Thanks to our panelists, as well as panel organizers Shaelyn Otikor, '12, Danielle Voyles, '12, and Zina Markevicius, '02, and support from Joanne Legler of Booth Admissions.
