Columbia Business School alumni clubs around the world hosted receptions last week as part of the School’s first-ever Worldwide Alumni Club Event. More than 1,000 alumni, current and newly admitted students participated in the weeklong celebration of the School's 36,000 strong alumni network. T
he Columbia Business School Alumni Club of New York — the largest club with more than 1,600 members — kicked off the event on Monday, June 11, when nearly 150 alumni, current and newly admitted students gathered for a membership drive and networking event. On Tuesday, 27 clubs hosted events in Athens, Atlanta, Beirut, Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Milan, Rio di Janeiro, San Francisco, Sao Paolo, Singapore, Tokyo, Vienna and Washington, D.C. The Alumni Club of Boston held a reception on Thursday welcoming newly admitted students. On Friday, June 15, clubs in Tel Aviv and Moscow hosted gatherings. The worldwide event concluded last night in Dubai, where a newly formed club hosted its inaugural reception.
"Regional alumni clubs play an integral role in enhancing the interconnectedness of our network," Dean Glenn Hubbard said in a taped message that was sent to participating clubs. "Together, we can raise awareness — and by extension the value — of the School’s brand, our shared asset, around the world."
Many faculty members attended club events. Elke Weber, the Jerome A. Chazen Professor of International Business, joined the alumni gathering in Frankfurt, for example, and Vice Dean Amir Ziv, a professor in the Accounting Division, met with alumni at a reception in London. Ray Horton, the Frank R. Lautenberg Professor of Ethics and Corporate Governance and director of the School’s Social Enterprise Program, was a guest speaker at an event organized by the Alumni Club of Korea.