VOLUME 32, FALL 2017 business.uc.edu Record enrollments lead to new Carl III and Craig business school building in 2019 Cincinnati MBA earns nation’s biggest four-year rankings jump LINDNER in U.S. News & World Report Brothers lead Fortune 500 company as Co-CEOs of American Financial Group Message from the Dean The University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business has undergone quite a transformation over the past few years. We’ve set new all-time records in terms of student applications, student enrollment, student professional experiences and student quality at both the undergraduate and graduate level and our programs have received national acclaim from a wide variety of sources. This past year was no different. Once again, we set records for incoming freshman enrollment and student quality. Our full-time MBA program was again ranked one of the Top 50 public MBA programs in the country by both U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek and our part-time MBA program earned the largest rankings jump of any MBA program in the United States over the past four years in U.S. News & World Report. Additionally, CEO Magazine ranked our online MBA one of the Top 20 programs in North America. While it’s certainly been rewarding to be a part of the Lindner College of Business’ recent figurative transformation, this past year it has been especially gratifying to see a matching physical transformation begin to take place. We announced plans for the construction of a new home for the University of Cincinnati’s business school a little more than a year ago and now the construction phase is in full effect. Our new facility will be a state-of- the-art building that will bring new and innovative technologies to our students, faculty and partners. The building We’ve set new all- is the first project in the United States for world-renowned, Copenhagen-based time records in terms Henning Larsen Architects so they’re making sure the new home of the Lindner “ College of Business is a showcase piece for both them and for the University of of student applications, Cincinnati. The new building will open in the fall of 2019 and our current and student enrollment future students are already counting down the days. and student quality I, and all of the faculty and staff at the University of Cincinnati Lindner College of Business, are proud of our recent accomplishments, but we continue to and our programs strive higher and higher as we venture on our path toward becoming one of the nation’s preeminent business schools. With the continued support of our have received national alumni, partners and supporters, I know that we can and will achieve our lofty acclaim from a wide goal because that is the Lindner way. variety of sources." Thank you, David M. Szymanski, PhD Dean 2 portfolio | FALL 2017 portfolio VOLUME 32, FALL 2017 Alumni Spotlight 14 Siblings and co-CEOs Craig Lindner, left, and Carl Lindner III utilize their unique relationship and leadership structure to make an impact at American Financial Group and in the Cincinnati community Features Portfolio Magazine University of Cincinnati Building Lindner Carl H. Lindner College of Business 4 Construction is underway on the Carl H. Lindner Portfolio magazine is published College of Business’ new state-of-the-art, annually for Carl H. Lindner College 225,000-square-foot facility that will open in fall 2019 of Business alumni, donors, faculty, staff and supporters. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without Executive Summary prior permission of the editor. 26 Jude Schramm leads GE Aviation’s transformation ©2017 University of Cincinnati from a capital business to a digital industrial company as the firm’s Chief Information Officer Editors Judy Ashton Trent Hershenson Leighanne Toole Cool Co-ops Design Each year, more than 1,000 Lindner College of 28 Judy Ashton Business undergraduate students gain real- Leighanne Toole world experience working for leading companies throughout the United States Contributors Lee Armstrong Matt Koesters Undergraduate Spotlight Karen Manning 32 Raised in rural Nigeria, Gika Okonji followed an Julie Menchen unexpected path to the University of Cincinnati Shelly Reese Wendy Reinhart and has set her sights on giving back and paying it Steve Rosfeld forward on her way to join Google in California UC Photographic Services Caitlin Whitehurst Graduate Spotlight Molly Zweig 34 Jenna Hagglund spent years playing for Team USA Editorial Office before she enrolled in the Lindner MBA program and Portfolio Magazine volleyed to a new career at Procter & Gamble University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business PO Box 210020 Cincinnati, OH 45221-0020 INSIDE Website 30 | Lindner Abroad business.uc.edu 12 | Speakers & Visitors 33 | Program News Email [email protected] 19 | Faculty Spotlight 36 | Business Advisory Council Connect With Us 20 | Faculty Research 38 | Development Update BY LEIGHANNE TOOLE Construction is underway on the new $120-million Building home of the Carl H. Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati. LINDNER The 225,000-square-foot facility is one of the most ambitious construction projects ever undertaken by the university and promises to firmly position Lindner among the best business schools in the nation. View of South Facade From Main Street Over the past four years, the Carl H. multiple consecutive years of record- set to open in fall 2019, will help propel Lindner College of Business has earned breaking student applications, student Lindner’s growth as well as spur further national acclaim from multiple media enrollments and student quality met- national and international recognition. sources including earning the largest rics at both the graduate and under- “Our students are at the core of four-year MBA rankings jump in the graduate level. Graduate enrollment has everything we do at Lindner,” said nation in U.S. News & World Report, increased 200 percent and undergradu- Lindner College of Business Dean David being named the No. 1 best value MBA ate enrollment has increased 50 percent Szymanski. “The new world-class facil- program in the United States by College since 2010. The school’s current building ity will redefine the student experience Atlas, and being ranked one of the Top is unable to accommodate the college’s for years to come, while providing the 40 public MBA programs in the country rapid growth as more than one-third necessary space for faculty to engage by Bloomberg Businessweek. of business classes are now taught in cutting-edge research and create in- Such national acclaim has led to outside Lindner Hall. The new building, novative teaching pedagogies.” 4 portfolio | FALL 2017 Designed by internationally renowned Henning Larsen Architects and Cincin- nati-based KZF Design as the architect of record, the four-story, 225,000-square- foot facility will feature an expansive floor plan with more than 160 faculty office spaces, a 250-seat, two-story audi- torium, a 150-seat lecture hall, research labs, student organization meeting spaces, huddle and breakout rooms and plenty of open workspaces. The build- ing’s novel design will support new ways to learn and teach. “The new facility will be a 21st century hub for our students, faculty and Greater Pictured left to right: University of Cincinnati Trustee William Portman III, American Financial Group Co-CEO Carl H. Lindner III, UC Lindner College of Business Dean David Szymanski, Cincinnati business community, provid- American Financial Group Co-CEO S. Craig Lindner and UC President Neville Pinto. ing a collaborative space for education, research and innovation to thrive,” said The family of the late Carl H. Lindner Jr. (the college’s namesake) and Fortune 500 UC President Neville G. Pinto. “As an company American Financial Group donated $11 million to support construction of urban university, we have a commit- the new building, the largest gift in the history of the business school. ment to not only educate the future workforce, but to partner in ways that FAST FACTS advance the entire community. This building will provide space to do that.” $120-MILLION Specifically, he pointed out that the Budget Estimate new facility will include workspaces where students can come together to FALL 2019 think about entrepreneurial activities. Opening “The student that’s coming today, that ARCHITECTS 18-year-old, is thinking about how can Henning Larsen Architects (CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE) (Copenhagen, Denmark) & Atrium KZF Design (Cincinnati) LOCATION Former Site of the Russell C. Myers Alumni Center and Faculty Club 4 Floors 225,000 Square Footage +160 Faculty Office Spaces Construction Site 250 Seating Capacity in Two-story Auditorium 150 Seating Capacity in Lecture Hall All renderings produced by Henning Larsen Architects. Images courtesy of the University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business in collaboration with Division Auditorium Courtyard of Administration & Finance Planning+Design+Construction. #LINDNERPRIDE | portfolio 5 BUILDING LINDNER BUILDING I create my own business," Szymanski for our father, the trajectory of the Uni- noted. "They’re also thinking about how versity of Cincinnati, and our longstand- can I work across colleges? We’re going ing relationship with UC.” said Carl H. BUZZ to create a space that will allow those Lindner III, Co-CEO of AFG, BBA '75. students to come and work together.” “We are excited about the tremendous Our family is proud A ceremonial groundbreaking was held success of the Carl H. Lindner College “of the progress being May 15, 2017, to celebrate the beginning of Business and are proud to support made on the innovative of construction with President Pinto, fundraising efforts for the innovative Dean Szymanski and about 300 alumni, new building that continues our father’s new building, which will donors and members of the Cincinnati legacy,” said S.