0332 Dividends Spring2001

Rochester Institute of Technology Non-profit Org. College of Business U.S. Postage 107 Lomb Memorial Drive PAID Rochester, NY 14623-5608 Rochester, N.Y. Permit 626 Spring DIVIDENDS Keep in Touch Let us know if you have moved or plan to move in the near future. We want to make sure you continue to receive Dividends.! Share your news with us. Tell your fellow alumni about your recent promotion, new additions to the family, travel, retirement, awards, civic and volunteer activities. Send us your press releases, newspaper and magazine articles, and photographs. Name ________________________________________________________________________ Return the form by mail to: Year of Graduation ____________ Degree__________________________________________ Debbie Kingsbury Home Address ________________________________________________________________ RIT College of Business City, State, Zip ________________________________________________________________ 107 Lomb Memorial Drive Home Phone ______________________________ I Check here if this is a new address. Rochester, NY 14623-5608 Employer ______________________________ Job Title ______________________________ Work Address _________________________________________________________________ Work Phone _________________ Fax _________________ E-mail_____________________ I Check here if this is a new job. Class Note Information (to be included in an upcoming issue): Visit the COB home page _____________________________________________________________________ on the Web! _____________________________________________________________________ http://www.cob.rit.edu _____________________________________________________________________ Printed on recycled paper 14M-0332-4/01-UPS © 2001 Rochester Institute of Technology All rights reserved IVIDENDS dA Publication of the College of Business Spring 2001 Alumni Profile: Sean Bratches, ESPN aybe it’s a “guy thing,” but what At the 2000 NCTA guy wouldn’t love working at a Convention in New Orleans, NFL Hall of place where the primary job Famers, Joe Namath focus is sports? Football, baseball, and Tony Dorsett flank M Sean Bratches, ESPN’s hockey, tennis, golf—you name it. It’s all there, 24 hours a day. Senior Vice President, Affiliate Sales and While that may be a dream job Marketing. for some, it’s been a 13-year reality for Sean Bratches. You see, this College of Business alumnus works for ESPN. “This business “This is a perfect marriage,” he says. is one that changes “I’m a huge sports fan.” almost daily,” he Bratches is senior vice president explains. “There of affiliate sales and marketing for the are changes in all-sports network. His role, among technology, regu- other things, is to establish and main- latory changes, tain relationships with cable and satel- operational and lite television product line companies or changes. The any operation enjoyment I get from my job is the is to have our customers look at ESPN in a position to constant challenge of anticipating as a huge cauldron of products by distribute ESPN those changes and seeking out ways to emphasizing all the value we bring content. Despite capitalize on them.” to affiliates through our combination the recreational One of the greatest challenges of assets.” nature of that facing any network executive is the Bratches works primarily in New programming, increasing cost of programming. York City, but he occasionally splits the activity Ultimately, some of that cost has to time between that office and ESPN’s behind the be passed along to customers. While world headquarters in Bristol, Conn. scenes is hardly Bratches concedes that ESPN pro- As you might expect, the position does gramming is expensive, he argues that have fringe benefits, whether that Sean Bratches just fun and games. ESPN the product’s price-value relationship involves lunch with popular ESPN and its companion networks (ESPN2, is in check. sportscaster Chris Berman or hobnob- ESPNEWS and ESPN Classic) are “I leverage everything we have to bing with celebrity athletes such as Joe among hundreds of other program- support that value equation. For exam- Namath and Ted Williams at promo- ming choices available to customers. ple, our customers have been rolling tional events. With all these networks fighting for out digital products. I’ll take ESPN “Our product is very conducive their piece of the pie, Bratches says he The Magazine to them and offer viewers to supporting relationships with our thrives on the opportunity to stay one a free subscription if they sign up for customers in a fun and engaging step ahead of the competition. digital cable. In the end, my objective environment,” states Bratches. (Continued on page 2) Alumni Profiles continued . Dean’s Message (Continued from page 1) This may all seem like a long way from his days as a business student in Rochester, but Bratches credits his pring is often referred to as a time of “new beginnings,” a saying that education for helping to make it all is currently very relevant for the College of Business. Not only have happen. As a high school student, the we seen the establishment of several new alumni initiatives but also downstate native was already looking the addition of a new dean for the U.S. Business School in Prague at RIT when the university recruited him to play ice hockey. He graduated and a renewed excitement for and affirmation of our EMBA program. with a BS degree in 1984 and says S On the alumni front, our new COBRA the RIT experience provided him with (College of Business Recent Alumni) an outstanding foundation. initiative has been extremely well received, “As I progressed through my career, my education became invaluable in the first event drawing close to 40 alumni. terms of everyday business dealings. The College of Business Women’s Network, The degree provided me with the right now in its initial stages, promises to be ability to consider things from a an important and exciting venue for alumnae business perspective coming right out of school, and I believe that gave me to become reconnected and involved. Both a competitive advantage.” programs will officially kick-off next fall. In Bratches and his wife, Patty, were the meantime, watch your mail for details on married 10 years ago, and they now upcoming events and activities. live in New Canaan, Conn. He says much of his spare time is spent with Our MBA program in the Czech Republic their four sons, Reed, Todd, Jack, and welcomed a new leader on February 14th at Clay. “My wife’s convinced the reason Tom Hopkins a reception held in Prague at the residence we had all boys is because I work at of the ambassador of the United States. Jana Ryslinkova replaced retiring ESPN,” he says. Even though it’s been nearly 17 dean Vaclav Prosser, who has held that position since the U.S. Business years since leaving Rochester, Bratches School in Prague was established in 1990. Dean Ryslinkova will be an excel- maintains his ties to RIT and the lent advocate and leader for the school as it continues to strengthen its College of Business. Last fall in New presence and reputation in Eastern and Central Europe. York City, he represented ESPN at a career fair held exclusively for a group The EMBA program recently received a resounding endorsement from its of MBA students from RIT. He called graduates. The results of an AACSB exit survey evaluating student satisfaction it a great experience and couldn’t indicate that our program outperforms those offered by the nation’s other help but be impressed with the caliber top business schools. Our program was among those from 38 universities of students he met. “I’m committed to hiring the best nationally to participate in the survey, which rated perceptions regarding people possible, and this was an oppor- curriculum, teaching methods, faculty, and administration. In nearly every tunity to put me in front of some smart, category, our program scored well above the overall average and received a qualified individuals. These students perfect score for course interconnection and class size. In judging overall are a reflection of the new leadership at the College of Business, and I’ve performance, 92 percent of EMBA students rated the program as excellent. been very impressed with that.” This compares to 83 percent of students from the peer programs and 71 Bratches says his advice for today’s percent of students from all participating schools. business students is to look beyond RIT’s College of Business is charting a new course, a new beginning. the horizon and examine where they’d like to be many years down the road. I hope that each of you, in your own way, will join us in our efforts in He tells them to identify the premier becoming one of the best business programs in the country. company in their area of interest and get a job there—at any level. Be passionate, he says, and never lose sight of long-term career objectives. Thomas D. Hopkins “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” Spoken like a true sports fan. 2 40 Under 40 Awards wo alumni from the College of chair of the Health Care Business have received special Financial Managers recognition. Stephen LaSalle and Association and serves on Frederick Borrelli are among the two committees for the T United Way of Wayne most recent recipients of the Rochester Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award, County. He also organizes recognizing professionals under 40 years Mt. Hope Family Center’s old for service to both their employers annual golf tournament and the community at large. and helps to coordinate LaSalle, 39, graduated from RIT girls youth basketball in with an MBA in finance in 1985. Palmyra. On the job and He now serves as vice president of in the community, planning and finance at Celltech Borrelli considers his Medeva Pharmaceuticals, where he’s successes a team effort. been employed for 11 years. As the “I like the contact I father of two sons, LaSalle is actively have with people,” he involved with Fairport’s youth lacrosse reflects.

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