By Nathaniel Luce
Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management announced the formation of a new corporate partnership program designed to broaden and deepen ties with MBA employers at a Nov. 4 meeting of its Board of Visitors.
The initiative brings a new level of formality to the longstanding hiring relationships between the Owen School and top companies in a multitude of industries, expanding collaboration in areas like leadership-in-residence programs, student case competitions, speaker events, executive education and academic research. So far, 16 companies have joined the invitation-only program.
“We are proud to have built enduring relationships with some of the top employers around the world,” said Eric Johnson, the Ralph Owen Dean of the Owen School. “The impetus for creating the corporate partnership program stemmed from our desire to leverage and formalize those ties in ways that mutually benefit students, faculty, alumni and of course the companies themselves.”
In terms of hiring relationships, this new program will help build a more secure pipeline of top MBA talent for employers and offer Owen students opportunities with a critical mass of premier companies, says Read McNamara, assistant dean of corporate partnerships.
“This is a model that has been successfully implemented at other top-tier business schools,” McNamara said. “We have taken what we think are the best elements of those programs and created a unique offering that provides stability for both employers and students who are exploring career options. At the same time, our partnership program facilitates a more open dialogue between the business world and academia.”
McNamara said the types of companies joining Owen’s corporate partnership program share several key traits: A history of employing Vanderbilt MBA graduates; MBA-level openings across several different business functions (e.g., finance, operations, marketing); a global presence; and internal Vanderbilt MBA alumni who help drive partnership efforts.
Companies that have joined the Owen School’s corporate partnership program include:
Amazon.com
AT&T
Cardinal Health
Deloitte Consulting
ECG Management Consultants
Emerson
Goldman Sachs Private Wealth
Hanesbrands
Houlihan Lokey
Infosys Consulting
KPMG Consulting
Mars Petcare
Nissan North America
North Highland Consulting
Procter & Gamble
SunTrust
Contact Person: Ryan Underwood Business News & Communication Office Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management
Contact Phone: 615.322.1003
Contact Email: ryan.underwood@vanderbilt.edu
