Business by Emma

The position of CEO is considered one of authority, leadership, and vision but also implies long hours and important decisions. Understanding the magnitude of the CEO role as a first-time college student can be difficult but students in the School of Business and Economics have that opportunity. Professor Dana Johnson’s Operations Strategy class experienced upper-level company management through an internet-based, interactive business simulation.

This spring six, two-person teams competed against over 1,000 other groups from internationally in the simulation, part of Capsim Management Simulations, an internet-based approach to decision making. Covering eight years of company management over the time span of 6.5 weeks, students make every decision ranging from research and development, production planning, marketing, finance, total quality management, sustainability, and human resources.

“Michigan Tech students have participated in this simulation over the past ten years and have done very well each time. Usually we have 1 – 2 teams consistently placing in the top ten results standing each week,” said Dr. Johnson.

Team Baldwin, composed of Bret Kilpela of Atlantic Mine and Ross Kinnunen of Atlantic Mine, appeared in the top ten for weekly standings and even secured the coveted first place position during the course of the simulation.

“Adjusting our products to what the customer wanted, based on the criteria provided to everybody was really our key to success.  In doing so, our demand was high, making our revenue and profits high,” said Kinnunen.  With this we were able to buy back stock, pay dividends and raise our stock price.”

“The students are getting an overall look of how each part of business plays a key part in the success or failure of a company,” said Dr. Johnson.

That’s a valuable experience to have as a college student.

This article is republished from the LSGI April 2011 Advisors Report. Visit the LSGI Fund website.

Annette Felton, 2011 LSGI Fund Scholarship Recipient

We are pleased to announce that Michigan Technological University senior Annette Felton is the 2011 LSGI Scholarship award winner. The scholarship is awarded to a student who displays excellent academic achievement, expresses an interest in finance or applied mathematics, and demonstrates high moral and ethical characteristics.

Ms. Felton is from Chesterton, Indiana, and attended Michigan Technological University because of its unique Applied Portfolio Management Program (APMP). The undergraduate APMP students actively manage, under guidance, $1.5 million of the school’s endowment fund.

This unique program is comprised of Michigan Tech finance students from various countries around the globe. Historical returns of the student managed APMP portfolio have exceeded the S&P 500 index. While the program is small (14 students this year), graduates of the program are
working across the globe for various financial institutions, money management firms, and hedge funds.

From a statistical standpoint, the students in the program have provided the portfolio with positive ‘alpha’ (excess returns) for the level of risk they have incurred. The students’ portfolio is managed as an ‘enhanced index’ portfolio, split between student selected exchange traded
funds, stocks, and bonds. This year, students have also developed strategies to effectively trade options which has enhanced the learning experience.

APMP students were recently interviewed by a local television station on the impact of global unrest on investment strategy and the markets, and were interviewed live by Bloomberg radio at the recent University of Dayton investment symposium.

Annette is the co-founder and Vice President of the MTU Finance Club and is an active member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council. Last year as part of the APMP team she attended the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting in Omaha and met Warren Buffett and Charles Munger. Graduating in Finance with a minor in International Business and the German language, she has an interest in foreign currency and cash management. She has been offered a position as a financial analyst from the global mining powerhouse ArcelorMittal.

In her free time she enjoys backpacking, volunteering at the humane society, water sports, and traveling both domestically and abroad. We are proud to have Annette Felton as the 2011 recipient of the LSGI Scholarship.

To learn more about the LSGI Fund, please visit their website.

I think people should understand how to taste the high quality flavor for their comfortable feeling so they know how to find something special and easy in the middle of the world. People should understand how easy to find information about getting the great quality for tasting new thing in their life to increase their luxury condition so they can embrace nice thing from the provider. You can find the best cheap cigarettes from your internet service and get the relevant product easily that is good for your delicious. It is important to know how to find information about getting financial solution for our life and because of that reason we need to know where to get this kind of help. You can find nice product about cheap bond from relevant site and I love to get information from online source because of its easiness in taking something great in the middle of the world. It is important to know how to check the cheap camel for our tasting and delicious activity for our fun and pleasure. People should know how to consume a great quality of product. I am sure they should understand how easy to find information about this product immediately.