Posts from — March 2009

Join us on Wednesday, April 1st as John Whalen, a partner at Blu Skye Sustainability Consultants talks about his career, his company, and how Blu Skye is helping to transform business models to address today’s societal and environmental issues.

Wednesday, April 1st
6pm – SHDH 350 (Steinberg-Dietrich Hall)

John Whalen is a Principal at Blu Skye Sustainability Consulting, where he focuses on helping companies use the lens of sustainability to discover new sources of business value. Corporations today exist in a fast-changing world where environmental and social factors increasingly shape the basis of competition, and Blu Skye believes that this matrix of factors – broadly defined as “sustainability” – represents the single biggest business opportunity of the 21st century. But taking advantage of this opportunity requires seeing the world, seeing business, and seeing opportunity through an entirely new lens. It requires a “whole systems view” that is very different from the traditional view of business. Blu Skye’s specialty is bringing together business executives, their value chain partners, and a broad range of social and environmental stakeholders to create a “whole system” perspective that illuminates new opportunities for collaborative innovation that creates value for the business and value for society. Applying these tools, John and his colleagues at Blu Skye have helped companies realize radical efficiency improvements in materials and energy use, ensure sustainable supply of essential resources, build more transparent and responsible supply chains, and create better, healthier products that differentiate them in the marketplace. Integrating this perspective into the company’s strategy and operating model creates multiple benefits, including attracting and retaining top talent, building a more resilient and efficient supply chain, and creating brand value. As part of the Blu Skye team, John has worked for four years with Wal-Mart on their pioneering sustainability effort, is supporting the US dairy industry in developing a 10 year sustainability plan, and has supported the Applied Sustainability Center at the University of Arkansas in becoming one of the preeminent academic centers of applied research in sustainability. Prior to working with Blu Skye John was a founding partner of Sustainable Value Partners. He has over 20 years of management consulting experience in strategy, operations, and organizational change, working with dozens of companies across a variety of industries, including Verizon, American Express, Pfizer, Lucent Technologies, Cable & Wireless, and Target.

WUCC is proud to present Ricci Luken — founder of Luken Advisors with more than eight years of recruiting experience at McKinsey & Company and Citadel Investment Group, LLC., where she was the Vice President of College Recruiting. Ms. Luken is a skilled resume coach, interview coach, and career advisor. This Wednesday, Ms. Luken will be presenting two special events:

1) “An Insider’s Guide to Recruiting” with Ricci Luken

Ricci Luken will talk about getting a job at the top firms. Ricci Luken is the best in the business and can show you how to ace the recruiting process! Freshmen & sophomores looking to get an early start are welcome to attend.
Time: Wednesday March 25th at 6pm
Location: Steinberg-Dietrich Hall 209.
** A FREE Dinner will be provided **

2) “One-on-one Resume Reviews” with Ricci Luken

Ms. Luken has agreed to conduct “One-on-One Resume Reviews” with a limited number of Penn undergraduates!

If you are interested in getting your resume polished by Wall Street’s finest, please email wucc.cr@gmail.com. Please use the subject line “Luken – FirstName LastName” and include ALL available times on 1) Wed March 25 from 3:30-5:30pm and 2) Thurs March 26 from 8:30-11:30am.

Slots are limited, so sign up today!

Presented by WUCC and WUFC
Thursday March 19th in G50 at 7pm.

Where are YOU going after graduation? At Penn, two common responses are “investment banking” or “consulting” — but what one is right for you? Join the Wharton Undergraduate Consulting Club (WUCC) and the Wharton Finance Club (WUFC) as we chat with a panel of bankers and consultants to explore both options.

Featuring bankers and consultants from the following firms:
- Bain
- BCG
- Credit Suisse
- Deloitte
- Deutsche Bank
- ZS Associates

All students are welcome to attend, especially freshmen and sophomores. A FREE dinner from FORK will be provided.

WUCC would like to invite you to sign-up for Coffee Chats – informal group meetings with a Bain representative to learn more about their work.

Coffee Chats will be held *THIS* Friday March 20, 2009. Dress is casual, and location is Cosi. Space is limited, so all slots are on a first-come, first-serve basis. To sign up for a coffee chat, please forward your resume to wucc.cr@gmail.com along with your availability between 11am to 3pm on Friday March 20th.