A record-breaking number of alumni and guests – nearly 2,200 – returned to campus the weekend of April 15-17 to celebrate Reunion 2011. Friday night featured a reception at Cipriani 42nd Street and a workshop on "The Science of Personal Leadership," led by Hitendra Wadwha, associate professor of professorial practice. Narv Narvekar, president, CEO, and CIO, Columbia Investment Management Company, presented information on the state of the Columbia University Endowment.
On Saturday, faculty members moderated seven industry-specific panels with 22 alumni speakers, including Sarah Green '01, founder and executive director, Art for Refugees in Transition; Ben Grossman '06, co-president, Grossman Marketing Group; Jerry Keiser '61, president, Keyser Marston Associates; Yuzaboro Mogi '61, chairman and CEO, Kikkoman Corporation; and Fawzi Kyriakos-Saad '86, CEO, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Credit Suisse. A career workshop dedicated to salary negotiation was also held.
Hill Country, a New York City barbeque restaurant owned by Marc Glosserman '06 catered lunch on Saturday, while Sunday's family brunch at Gustavino's was popular among alumni children, who joined their parents for a meal, face painting, and a magic show.
"Reunion Weekend, along with the Annual Dinner, is one my favorite events of the year," said Dean Glenn Hubbard. "It is invigorating to see so many alumni come back to renew their connection to their network and the School. And we again experienced a tremendous outpouring of support from reunion-year alumni, whose contributions to our fundraising efforts provide critical unrestricted funding to support financial aid and programming innovations."
Other weekend highlights included a presentation by Professor Michael Feiner '66, who will be retiring later this year, on his book, Feiner Points of Leadership (Warner Business Books, 2004); a lively presentation by Joe Ienuso '01, executive vice president of Columbia University Facilities, on the School's Manhattanville expansion plans; and alumni class dinners on Saturday night.
Pictures and presentation videos from the weekend will be posted on the Reunion website in May. To learn more about the event, visit www.gsb.columbia.edu/reunion.