News@MITSloan
Volume XIX Issue 23
April 12, 2010
http://mitsloan.mit.edu/newsatmitsloan/
Schoolwide News
Carlo Salmini, MBA ’11, Competes with the Best
Inside This Issue MIT Sloan student Carlo Salmini created ski goggle technology used in this year’s
3
Graham Rong
Interview
6
13th Latin American
Conference
7
MIT Sloan Business
in Gaming (BiG)
Conference
9 April Town Hall
11 Movies: Pocahontas
12 Conan O’Brien
in Town this June
winter Olympics
Q. Did you come up with the ‘technology’ behind Shred Optics and Slytech
Protection?
A. I did come up with the technology behind Slytech and I did come up with the
designs behind Shred (together with Ted Ligety for the latter). All of the R&D and
marketing is done inside our company, collecting ideas and basing our designs
on our deep knowledge of the snowsport industry. I would say that our passion for
the sport and knowledge of the industry are the real competitive advantage. We
outsource manufacturing and logistics.
Slytech is a high performance protectors brand. It solves issues and gives
customers the solutions they need, in order to make them improve their
performance or improve their safety.
Shred has a wave of innovation in the designs that is getting exponential exposure
and attention globally from consumers and media. The style is what is making the
brand successful.
Continued on page 2
News@MITSloan is a
weekly student newsletter
that updates you about
what is happening on
campus.
Carlo Salmini, MBA ’11, wearing the first model pair of his goggles on the ski
slope. (Photo courtesy of Carlo Salmini)
News@MITSloan
Continued from page 1
Q. Can you very briefly tell News@MITSloan readers what differentiates your brands from others?
A. Slytech is ahead in the choice of materials and shapes. For the action sports line, we decided to avoid any
rigid piece of plastic in our protectors, as they are always a cause of injuries, even though they should protect
from them. We are using instead a memory cell foam that is soft when it needs to be soft (movements), and it
hardens when it needs to be hard (protect from an impact).
Shred is ahead in the choice of colors and designs of its line of products. It brings together the best quality
available (that everyone needs to perform, both Olympic athletes and general public) with the freshest product
design in the industry. With Alpine skiing brands focusing only on quality, and Snowboard brands focusing only
to “the look,” Shred has been able to bridge that gap and provide an innovative mix of quality and design.
Q. What events in this past winter’s Olympics used your brand?
A. The events that used my brands were:
•
Alpine Skiing. Shred supplies Goggles and Helmets; Slytech supplies Backprotectors, Armguards,
Shinguards, Protective Jackets
•
Skiercross: Shred supplies Goggles and Helmets; Slytech supplies Backprotectors
•
Snowboard: Slytech supplies Backprotectors
•
Freestyle Skiing: Shred supplies Goggles and Helmets; Slytech supplies Backprotectors
Q. Can the general public buy your brands?
Who would most benefit from it?
A. Of course. Except for Shinguards and
Armguards that are specifically designed for
racing, all the rest of the products in the line of
both brands are available and used by recreational
skiers around the world.
Q. When did you launch the brands?
A. I registered the Slytech trademark in the
summer of 2005 and the Shred trademark in the
fall of 2006
Q. When did you start the company with Ted Ligety (and when and in what did he win his gold medal?)
A. We started our partnership in September 2006 and launched our goggle brand at a press conference in
Levi, Finland in November of the same year. We then expanded the line adding sunglasses and helmets.
Ted Ligety won the Gold Medal in Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games in the Alpine Skiing (the event was
combined). He then won the Giant Slalom Overall World Cup title in 2008, as well as a Bronze Medal in Giant
Slalom at the Val d’Isere 2009 World Championships. He is considered one of the best five skiers in the world.
Q. When did you start at MIT Sloan? And what is your focus of study here?
A. I started my MBA at MIT Sloan in September 2009. MIT Sloan is giving me the tools I will need to take
my company to the next level. I initially signed up for the E&I track and I thought that it would have been my
focus here at MIT Sloan. After the first week, and after consulting with Maura Herson of the SAO, I decided to
drop it in order to tailor my experience here according to my needs. I was not in the startup phase anymore
and I thought I needed a solid and rigorous foundation of finance and operations (taking amazing classes like
Finance Theory 2 taught by Professor Paul Asquith, as well as learn and use from classes and methods that
make MIT unique.
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News@MITSloan
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As an example, System Dynamics (class that I started to take at the beginning of February), is the most
exciting class I have ever taken in my life. After playing the beer game during orientation I felt like this class
was going to be one of the most important assets I would have gained at MIT. It is now even exceeding my
expectations and I will take all the rest of the classes of the system dynamics group before my graduation. I
couldn’t have ever asked for a better way to look, analyze, and solve complex situations and issues. I will then
take advanced finance classes in order to build further knowledge and support all the important decisions that I
hopefully will have to take during the rest of my career.
Q. Where are you originally from and where are you living at present?
A. I am Italian and I lived in Venice my whole life (even though I have been traveling quite a lot) since I moved
to Boston last August. I now live in Beacon Hill in Boston.
An Interview With Graham Rong: The 2010 MIT Sloan CIO Event Chair
By Nancy O’Hare, SF ’06
The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium will be held May 19, from 7:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m., MIT Kresge Auditorium,
Cambridge.
Q. Tell me about yourself.
A. I grew up in a beautiful city, Wuxi, near Shanghai,
China. It is a well developed city famous for fish and
rice. People travel there to sightsee and spend time on
the beautiful lake. These days movies are being made
there.
I was educated in China, and learned English in
school. During my college years, the age range of my
fellow classmates was very wide. In some cases, my
classmates were twice as old as other students. At the
time, the “Cultural Revolution,” was over and people
were coming back to the universities.
I began my career as a university faculty member at
Jiangnan University. I met my wife – to – be, Sharon,
during these years. She was a faculty member in
mathematics. We exchanged ideas and discussed
formulas in addition to our future life.
In 1989, we moved to Canada so that I could pursue
a PhD degree in Numerical Computing. Right after my
PhD, I won a post-doctoral research fellowship, funded
by EU, at the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland. It
was during this time that I learned more about global
leadership. The fellowship was for two years. I led a
collaborative research project of a dozen world class
Graham Rong
Continued on page 4
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News@MITSloan
research groups on numerical modeling and simulation. This research first started in Europe and eventually
spread globally. The research was published in a series of articles in a top technology journal. My advisor told
me I was in the “Ring of World Experts.” This was the beginning of my global leadership experience.
After completing this fellowship, I went to work on business strategy and technology. I developed the first event
driven marketing system with distributed intelligent agents and artificial intelligence, something I am quite
proud of. The formal name for this system is “Allink Agent.” It is widely used and has become a billion dollar
business.
I consider myself a web architect and evangelist. I enjoy leading innovation and inspiring others to do the
same. Since the year I started at MIT, I have been working with W3C and CSAIL on semantic web research.
I am currently leading a team developing a novel financial and social analytics model using innovative
technologies and business models.
Q. What got you interested in the MIT CIO Symposium?
A. I became involved with the MIT CIO Symposium as a Sloan Fellow in 2006. I attended the symposium that
year and then took on a Co-Chair role.
This symposium is important to the MIT community because the CIO’s office is a hotbed for innovative ideas
including research and technology. Just having a symposium like this at MIT increases the speed of exchange
between the educational community and CIOs.
Working with the volunteer group who gather to lead this symposium is an honor. The group has decades of
combined experience across the globe and they are a pleasure to work with and know.
When I went to MIT as a Sloan Fellow, I was so taken with the title of the program, “Innovation and Global
Leadership.” This title is so inspiring to me and I believe by working together we can both shape and share the
benefits with the world.
Participating with the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium team has allowed me to transfer my knowledge to executives
I meet, boards I participate on, and to share knowledge gained in many ways. I am glad to see many of my
team members of last year continue to stay on the team this year.
Q. What is the purpose of the symposium and how do you see it influencing the MIT community and
the global IT community?
A. I really want to contribute back to the MIT Sloan community. My participation in the MIT Sloan CIO
Symposium as well as on the MIT Sloan Alumni Club of Boston Board allows me to serve the alumni
community.
Personally, I am so glad to see members of the MIT faculty and research community exchanging ideas with
global executives. These two communities enrich each other.
Continued on page 5
Q“
uote of the Week
Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk
boldly through them.” —Orison Swett Marden
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Continued from page 4
News@MITSloan
The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium serves to connect the MIT academic and research communities with those
leading IT companies or IT aspects of business around the world. MIT benefits by seeing how practical
challenges are addressed as CIOs from around the world share best practices and solutions to those
challenges. The network effect and its potential are enormous.
Recently, I was at a board meeting of a cyber security research center. One of the executives mentioned that
he is facing a challenge in building a more secure data center. He wanted to learn about best practices from
the experts. I was immediately able to suggest that he attend the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium on May 19, 2010,
as we will have a panel on security.
I am told by participants that they love to visit the MIT campus, to interact within the community and to
be a part of a cutting edge symposium. What they bring back home and to the office goes beyond one’s
imagination. I have been told that the experience is top notch and the information provided directly impacts
CIO decision making and network development.
Q. What is your role in the symposium and what is your leadership style? How has your Sloan
education helped you lead?
A. I have been the Event Chair since 2009. My MIT Sloan experience helped me to strategize symposium
planning and build a robust team.
Now we have a real marketing team, speaker team, and project management infrastructure in place. The team
as a whole is bigger and team members keep coming back each year.
Q. What are the next challenges you would like to take on?
A. Every year, we introduce new components into the symposium. Last year we introduced a CEO keynote
panel to discuss the CIO role and how CEOs can help their CIOs with career development.
For more information about the CIO Symposium visit: http://www.mitcio.com/.
Spring is finally here!
(Photo by Sarah Foote)
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MIT SLOAN
FELLOWS
NEWS
News@MITSloan
Professor Heifetz to Speak on Leadership
The MIT Sloan Fellows invite you to attend a Leadership Seminar by Professor
Ron Heifetz on the subject Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the
Dangers of Leading, on April 29, in the Wong Auditorium.
Heifetz is to leadership what Professor Clay Christensen is to innovation, or
Professor Andrew Lo is to finance. He is considered an absolute authority in his
field and changed the lives and thinking styles of business executives, generals,
priests, politicians, and religious scholars across the world.
Please take your seat before 3:55 p.m. as the talk will run from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
For more information on Heifetz visit: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/news-events/
publications/insight/management/ronald-heifetz. For questions please contact
Shabahat Ali Shah, SF ‘10, shabahat@mit.edu.
Professor Ron Heifetz
CLUB
NEWS
13th MIT Latin American Conference
Save the Date – April 24
We would like to invite you to the Thirteenth MIT Latin American Conference. The conference will take place
on Saturday, April 24, in 10-250, under MIT’s iconic dome. Last year, more than 500 people attended the
event! This year influential leaders in Latin America will gather to discuss regional integration and development
through five panels.
For more information about the conference or the speakers, please visit: http://www.mitlac.com/. Registration is
already open. To register visit: http://mitlac.eventbrite.com/.
Please save the date and join us to be inspired to contribute in building the bridges to a sustainable future!
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News@MITSloan
MIT Sloan Business in Gaming Conference: Red Sox’s Curt Schilling,
MMORPG Pioneer Gordon Walton, and Diverse Panels to Explore The
Business Side of the Video Game Industry
New business plan competition open to video game startup and interactive media companies
From the MIT Sloan Media Relations Office
What’s the Next Big Thing in store for the video game industry? What will generate the most revenue? What is
destined to flop and why?
On Friday, April 16, the second Annual MIT Sloan Business in Gaming (BiG) Conference, whose theme
this year is “Competing on Analytics,” will bring together industry leaders, game developers and designers,
academics, and MBAs from leading business schools for an in-depth exploration of the business side of the
video game industry.
“Our goal is to pull back the curtain on creative ways innovators are using analysis to raise funds, shorten
development time, maximize marketing budgets, retain players, and learn from analogs in other industries,”
said Christine Kenney, MBA Class ’10, and a conference organizer.
In response to the success of the inaugural conference, organizers have doubled the number of speakers and
tripled its seating capacity by moving the event to the Microsoft New England Research and Development
Center, One Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Panel discussions will include such topics as:
•
The Next Big Thing
•
The Changing Face of Social Games
•
Game Communities for Fun and Profit
•
Hollywood, Music, and Gaming
•
Non-Traditional Marketing Strategies for the Games Industry
•
How to Build and Finance a Gaming Startup
•
Gaming Company Financial Analytics
•
Mass Effect: The State of the Video Gaming Industry in
Massachusetts
The Boston Red Sox’s three-time World Series Champion Curt Schilling, whose
passion for baseball fueled his winning performances, is equally passionate about video games. Schilling
will speak about access to talent, capital, and regulatory support for early stage development studios in the
Commonwealth. He became involved on the business end of the games industry more than a decade ago in
a relationship with Sony Online Entertainment, and, later, as the official spokesperson for the 3DO Company’s
High Heat Baseball. In 2006, Schilling brought his passion for games to life with the inception of 38 Studios, a
video game development and publishing company.
Gordon Walton, a Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) and current Co-studio Director
of BioWare–Austin will serve as the key note. One of Walton and BioWare’s current projects is the hotly
anticipated “Star Wars: The Old Republic” MMORPG.
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News@MITSloan
New this year is a business plan competition sponsored by the MIT Business in Gaming Conference and
Foley Hoag LLP. This competition is geared toward startup companies in the video game, interactive media
and related industries. Two winning entries will be eligible to receive up to $5,000 in free legal services from
Foley Hoag relating to their new ventures. Those interested should visit http://www.mitbig.com/wp-content/
uploads/2010/03/BPC.pdf for details.
“The MIT Sloan BiG Conference is the only unscripted forum for industry professionals to focus on the
business opportunities and pitfalls that make or break a game on its path from development to market,” said
Kenney. “We hope other professionals and enthusiasts alike will join us.”
For more information please contact Jason Domina, jason.domina.mitbig@gmail.com, or 857-222-6581. To
register, please visit www.mitbig.com.
The 7th Annual MIT Sloan Private Equity Symposium
This year’s symposium, “Exploring New Realities in Private Equity Investing,” will examine the evolution of
investment strategies given the changing economic and financing environment.
Slated keynote speakers are:
•
Steve Miller, Chairman, MidOcean Partners
•
James B. Lee, Jr., Vice Chairman, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
•
Scott M. Sperling, Co-President, Thomas H. Lee Partners
•
Richard H. Frank, Chief Executive Officer, Darby Private Equity
Panels will include:
•
Turnaround and Distressed Investing
•
Growth Equity
•
Limited Partners
•
Energy
•
Adding Value to the Portfolio Company
•
Middle Markets
•
Mega Funds
•
Financing Across the Capital Structure
•
Emerging Markets
The MIT Sloan Private Equity Symposium is one of the leading student-run private equity conferences in the
country, with approximately 300-400 industry professionals and students attending each year. The symposium
will be held Friday, April 16, at The Boston Copley Marriott, Boston.
For more information, please visit: www.mitpesymposium.com.
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News@MITSloan
MBA
NEWS
Brazilian C-Function Wednesday April 14!
Come and join us for an awesome
experience with the Brazilian culture and
traditions! Enjoy Brazilian food and drinks
(Caipirinha and Guaraná), traditional dancing
performances (Samba, Gafieira and Forró),
soccer, Capoeira and much more!
This event will take place Wednesday, April
14 from 8:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m., 288 Green
Street, Cambridge, and is close to Central
Square T Station.
The Brazilian C-Function is always a good time! (Photo by Jeremy
Only 21+ Must have ID. No international IDs. Gilbert, MBA ’08)
International attendees must bring passport or
local ID.
April Town Meeting Held
On the hottest day of the year so far, (89 degrees Fahrenheit) many students opted to attend the Town Meeting
instead of sitting outside in the sun. Out-going Senate Co-President Ariel Santos, MBA ’10, thanked all in
attendance for joining him at the meeting on such a gorgeous day.
With a jam-packed schedule to get through in just 50 minutes, Ariel began the meeting by reminding students
that the MIT Sloan Follies will be held on May 13 – right before the Achievement Awards are given out to
second-year MBA students. This event will be held in Kresge Auditorium and is just one of many the end-ofsemester events going on over the next few weeks. Check SloanPoint for more details.
Erin O’Hare, MBA ’10, told students about the many events centered around Convocation and
Commencement. Second-year students may nominate a classmate to give the Convocation speech.
Nominations are accepted until April 14 (form is on SloanPoint) – the student speaker will be announced May
5. Professor Ed Roberts will also address students and their families at the event. Ariel also reminded students
that they need to rent their graduation caps and gowns from The Coop by April 17.
The MIT Sloan Sales Conference will be held May 7, at the Hyatt in Cambridge. IBM General Manager Bob
Hoey is the guest speaker. Tickets for sales club members are just $25; and $40 for non-members. Volunteers
get in free. For information on how to get involved contact Orit Beitler: orit.beitler@gmail.com. To register visit:
www.sloansalesconference.com.
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News@MITSloan
The next MBA AdMIT Weekend is April 29 - May 1, and volunteers are still needed. If you would like to
volunteer, host an AdMIT, or provide a tour of your neighborhood, contact either Michelle Bernardini,
mbernard@mit.edu; Deirdre Hatfield, deirdreh@mit.edu; or Irina Kogan, ikogan@mit.edu.
Students interested in meeting members of the MBA Class of 2012 should become a Pilot for Orientation.
Students can nominate any member of the MBA Class of 2011, including LGO, BEP, and HKS students or
themselves. The nomination form can be found on Sloanpoint: https://sloanpoint.mit.edu/progs/mba/pilots/
Pages/default.aspx.
James Harland, MBA ’11, announced April’s Peer Recognition Award winners. This month they are Marta
Bezoari and Nabil Laoudji, both members of the MBA Class of 2011. Marta and Nabil brought a brand new
competition and idea to MIT Sloan, “The Bold Sell,” and helped build the MIT Sloan brand in an area where the
School does not have a strong reputation.
Second-year students should look for an e-mail with further information on how they can donate to the Class
Gift. A class photo of the MBA Class of 2010 is scheduled for April 14, at 11:30 a.m., on the MIT Sloan Plaza.
Lastly, Jeff Shames, SM ’83, and current MIT Sloan Executive in Residence, spoke to students about
leadership styles. Just four years after starting his job with Massachusetts Financial Services (MFS), Jeff
was asked to run the company. He said his training at
MIT Sloan made him confident that he could run the
300-person organization, where many of the employees
were much older than him. “Imagine supervising your
parents,” he laughed, adding, “Or, trying to fire them.”
Jeff warned students that eventually at some point in
their life they will lead, even if they don’t want to. “You
may become a parent, coach a team, or work on a group
project, but you will lead,” he said. “It is important to
understand what type of leader you are.”
He noted that there are six categories of leaders:
1. Imperial leader – “It’s my way or the highwaytype.” Jeff noted that this way is only works in a
time of crisis.
2. Visionary leader – Where company and
industry go
3. Pace setter – Follow by example
4. Create best company – Motivate people to
work for a great company
5. Consensus leader – Make group decisions
6. Delegator – Coach people
Jeff Shames, SM ’83
Shames noted that, “As a leader, you can never have a bad day. As the saying goes, ‘Never let them see you
sweat.’ Leaders must be positive, and must inspire confidence in people. If you have negative people in your
organization, you must get rid of them. A leader fixes what is wrong, and they must be part of the solution.”
Shames also gave some advice to graduating students who are still looking for a job. “The best way to get
ahead, is not to work for the McKinseys of the world. Work for a mediocre company and change it. Make it
better, and you will move up the ladder,” he said.
He also advised students that when they become leaders that they must “be consistent” especially when it
comes to what you say as a leader, what you do, and what you pay your employees. Employees will always
note these things first, he warned.
The next Town Meeting will be held Wednesday, May 5, in E51-345.
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CAMPUS
CORNER
News@MITSloan
SMARTPower: Climate Change, the Smart Grid, and the Future of
Electric Utilities
Speaker: Dr. Peter Fox-Penner
Dr. Peter Fox-Penner will provide attendees with an overview of the rapidly changing landscape of the utility
industry and how current challenges will shape its transformation. The potential for a national policy to address
the impact of climate change is pressuring utilities to shift their focus to the development and acquisition of new
sources of renewable energy and low-carbon power. Meanwhile, a technical revolution known as the Smart
Grid is underway in the electric power sector, providing dramatic new opportunities for customers to control
their power usage and for utilities to change the way they operate. In addition, interest in renewable energy
infrastructure has exploded and the electric industry is planning significant expansion of transmission lines and
the creation a national transmission superhighway.
This talk will take place Wednesday, April 14, 3:00 p.m., in E51-325, Tang Center, book signing and reception
to follow. This talk is open to the general public. This event is sponsored by the MIT Energy Initiative and the
MIT Energy Club. For more information contact: Rebecca Marshall-Howarth, rhowarth@mit.edu, or 617-7155382.
Movies
Now Playing on Campus...
LSC Classics Presents: Pocahontas (1995)
Pocahontas (Irene Bedard) is the daughter of Algonquin Chief Powhatan
(Russell Means), who promises her in marriage to Kocoum, a brave whom she
doesn’t love. Pocahontas would rather be paddling in her canoe or wandering in
the forest, communing with nature and her animal pals, Meeko, a raccoon, and
the hummingbird Flit. When European settlers arrive, she becomes enamored
of handsome John Smith (Mel Gibson). Their attraction is encouraged by
Grandmother Willow (Linda Hunt), a talking tree. The situation between their
peoples is tense, however, as the settlers, led by Governor Ratcliffe (David
Ogden Stiers) desperately want the gold that they’re sure the natives are
concealing. When a dutiful sentry, Thomas (Christian Bale) follows Smith into
the woods on one of his secret meetings with Pocahontas, a tragic mistake
leads both groups to the brink of war. Only the love of Pocahontas and Smith
can prevent bloodshed. Pocahontas was awarded two Oscars, for Best Original
Musical or Comedy Score and Best Original Song for Colors of the Wind.
(Courtesy of Google Images)
Playing on April 17, at 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. in 26-100 and again on April 18, at 10:00 p.m. in 26-100.
From the Lecture Series Committee website. All movies are just $4.
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News@MITSloan
AROUND
TOWN
Things to do in Boston & Cambridge
Conan O’Brien “Prohibited” Tour
His contract stated he couldn’t be on television, but it didn’t say anything about live performances! Conan
O’Brien presents “The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour,” a night of music, comedy,
hugging, and the occasional awkward silence.
This event will take place Friday, June 4, 8:00 p.m., at the Citi Performing Arts Center, Wang Theatre, Boston.
For more information visit: http://www.teamcoco.com/.
From the events section of Boston.com.
SUSTAINABILITY
@SLOAN
Ink Friendly
Be kind to your ink cartridges and use fewer of them. Sometimes, all it takes is
switching fonts, according to a recent Associated Press article. Different fonts
require different amounts of ink to print. For example, serif fonts, which have
short horizontal lines at the top and bottom of characters, use thinner lines and
less ink than a sans serif font. Ink-friendly fonts include: Century Gothic and
Times New Roman. Specifically, Century Gothic uses about 30 percent less ink
than Arial. Of course, if you really want to be green, don’t print at all.
Spring Break in Angkor Wat,
Cambodia. (Photo courtesy of
Brian Liu, MBA ’11)
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