- Gained thorough understanding for marketing principles and how they relate to other business functions. Focused on applying principles, such as the 4 P's, in analyzing case studies. Developed and presented a business and marketing plan which included market analysis and financial projections for a service business providing consulting services in the areas of engineering, information technology, finance, legal, sales and marketing.
- Reviewed case studies for various companies to compare and contrast successful marketing strategies with those that were ineffective. Developed competitive analysis report for cases including Kodak, Snapple and Travelocity. As part of a team, created and presented competitive strategy for a new business which would serve as a Value Added Reseller to the storage networking industry.
- Developed product launch plan for a PDA accessory to serve a $1B horizontal market segment addressing mobile professionals. The product concept was developed through a collaboration with two other MBA students. The plan focused on all phases of a typical technology product launch including market research, segmentation, conceptualization and product proposal.
- Worked with a cross-functional team to outline, draft, complete and present a comprehensive business plan for a new venture based on developing a winter recreation facility to serve the neglected San Francisco bay area. The business plan comprised all aspects of business planning including pro-forma revenue and cash flow projections, market research, competitive analysis, development plan, operations management, promotion and pricing strategy.
Studied the different techniques to sales: stimulus-response, formula-sell and the consultative sales process (need-satisfaction). Covered the consultative sales process in depth including the process of developing rapport, uncovering needs, creating customer awareness, presenting solutions and closing the sale. Also examined types of compensation and incentives for teams utilizing the consultative sales process.
- Evaluated two projects competing for financing within ACME corporation, a hypothetical manufacturing firm. Evaluated both projects on the basis of risk and internal rate of return (IRR). Utilized three forms of financing to determine the weighted average cost of capital (WACC): cash reserves, stock offering and bond offering. Studied various forms of tax and depreciation treatment for project cash flow.
- Studied market entry barriers and issues such as switching costs, network effect and disruptive technologies in evaluating case studies of emerging companies such as Amazon. Applied two approaches in valuing Texas Tea, a mobile auto service center for busy professionals. One approach determined valuation based on using bank loans to finance the business while the other determined valuation based on using venture capital.
- Gained understanding of investment principles, financial markets and modern portfolio theory. Reviewed and applied market valuation techniques based on : Efficient Market Hypothesis, PEG ratio, Sharpe ratio, Market Capitalization Line and Efficient Frontier. Earned third place ranking for 6-week investment contest utilizing market timing, hedging and sector rotation.
- Studied and applied valuation techniques such as, discounted cash flow, enterprise value and performance multiples to case studies. As part of a team, developed a comprehensive report detailing a strategy for Cisco Systems to acquire Riverstone Networks based on product synergy and value added from the acquisition. Analyzed and critiqued the approach management took in utilizing a leveraged buyout to make Safeway more competitive.
- Studied and applied GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) for debits and credits to the Sun Microsystems annual report for 2000. These included investigation of the balance, cash flow and income statements. Also considered issues in the areas of managerial accounting, such as, cost-volume-profit analysis, job-order costing and ABC (activity based costing).
- Developed a proposal and presentation regarding a performance based measurement system for Applied Materials. The recommendation utilized a balanced scorecard and incentives driven organizational management system to improve operational efficiency and reward employees. Utilized the Dupont Model to analyze the components of ROA for Montclair Paper Mill and determined the best approach for product manufacturing and distribution. Designed a balanced scorecard for Montclair's organization.
- Performed sensitivity analysis using a MS Excel model developed by our team to determine savings needed to reach retirement using the following inputs: inflation rate, savings rate, income, current age, age at retirement, taxation rate and social security income. Utilized linear programming techniques and MS Excel to find the optimal production scheduling to minimize cost and product inventory for a hypothetical aircraft company that has a variable demand for its product.
- Analyzed the effects of variability in manufacturing including uncertainty in demand, lead times, lost sales and cost functions to determine the optimum levels of production for various hypothetical cases. Compared the strengths and weaknesses of MRP (manufacturing resource planning) to those of JIT (Just-in-time planning) in order to gain an understanding of where each system can be utilized most appropriately.
- Worked with a team to analyze the competitive forces behind convergence of voice, video and data in the telecom industry. Developed a detailed report and presentation which set forth our vision for the direction of the industry and how market players are impacted based on the effect of disruptive technologies and Michael Porter's market forces framework.
- Focused on studying the forces that drive the US economic engine including: aggregate income, GDP, inflation, unemployment and interest rates. Also considered the effects of money supply, fiscal policy and monetary policy on national output. Reviewed how the exchange rate, trade deficit and budget deficit affect economic output and investment in the Unites States.
- Studied cases to determine optimum levels of production at the firm level in order to maximize profit and minimalize marginal cost. Considered the effects of market demand, market supply, firm supply and elasticity for demand on pricing and profitability. Used statistical measures such as regression (R2) and the T-statistic to perform analysis of economic trends. Performed a break-even analysis to determine the minimum quantity required to reach profitability.
- Considered how game theory and Nash equilibrium (John Nash) can be applied to strategic situations, such as, business strategic direction to arrive at unintuitive, optimal outcomes. Performed experiments using canonical games to reinforce the strategies that can be applied in various situations: prisoner's dilemma, ultimatum, stag hunt and chicken. Studied the various forms of auctions and bidding styles and designs including English Auction, Dutch Auction, Open Outcry and Sealed Bid.
- Participated in day-long corporate simulation in an effort to apply concepts learned throughout the course and to demonstrate the issues prevalent in working with and leading cross-functional groups. The simulation highlighted some of problems ( group-think, individual preferences and perception) and opportunities (team development, decision-making, and applying power and social influence) that can be encountered in these situations.
- Applied the concepts of organizational theory and design in analyzing actual and hypothetical cases of organizational behavior. Proposed quantitative alternatives necessary to overturn the findings in the article “CEO Leadership Attributes and Profitability under Conditions of Perceived Environmental Uncertainty”. Proposed a method of improving organizational efficiency (as measured by net profit margin) by reducing the management function by 90%. This approach relied on mimicking much of the natural forces of a market within the organization.
- Studied the effects of incorporating one's spiritual life with his daily business routine. Considered how the great business, political and spiritual leaders recommend we make business decisions which are cognizant of the additional power and sense of balance we can derive by tapping into our spiritual inner being. Participated in all-day spiritual retreat to study and apply the teachings of one spiritual master and perform a comparative religion study. This event allowed one to gain a better understanding of how a spiritually enlightened business leader can be a better business leader.
- Applied the case study approach in a team environment to consider the legal and ethical issues experienced by senior managers at public and private companies. Focused on scope of employment (express and implied employment contracts), at-will employment, negligence (assumption of risk and contributory negligence) and liability. Developed a legal and political framework which detailed the issues and recommendations necessary to appropriately institute an Internet Taxation policy. Addressed the legal and ethical responsibility of senior managers at Enron due to the conflict of interest from off-balance sheet financing.
- Recommended divesting Kodak into four separate companies. Lead a cross-functional team which created a business strategy for Kodak to reorganize its business units into separate legal entities to promote innovation and force each entity to become more competitive. Showed through DCF (Discounted Cash Flow) and EVA (Economic Value Added) analysis how shareholders benefit and overall competitiveness improves. Won the Belotti award for best capstone project.