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THE LAUNCH ISSUE:BRANDING

BRANDING AND THEBUSINESS SCHOOL

AN INTERVIEW WITHFLORIS MALJERS

REPUTATION MANAGEMENT:CEES VAN RIEL

CORPORATE BRANDING INPRACTICE: BERRY OONK

SPOTLIGHT ON‘LIVING MANAGEMENT’

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

“This year, we have seen the

culmination of something which has

been preoccupying our thoughts

for some time: the creation of

RSM Erasmus University.

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN 03

BRANDING AND THE BUSINESS SCHOOL 04An interview with Han van Dissel.

REPUTATION MANAGEMENT 08An Interview with Cees van Riel.

BUSINESS AND THE BUSINESS SCHOOL 10An Interview with Floris Maljers.

SPOTLIGHT ON: ‘LIVING MANAGEMENT’ 14Mike Page explains the new initiative.

OPENING OF THE T-BUILDING 1835th anniversary and days events.

THE RE-BRANDING ROTTERDAM 20Frans Nesselaar tells all.

EXECUTIVE EDUCATION 22Anna Pehar explains individual, tailored training.

35TH ANNIVERSARY FOR ALUMNI 23

WINE TASTING 24

CORPORATE BRANDING IN PRACTICE 25An interview with Berry Oonk.

“SHOW THEM THE BRAND IS FOR REAL” 26Alexander Ribbink, the Dutch 2005 marketeer of the year.

ERASMUS UNIVERSITY 92ND BIRTHDAY 28Professor Richard H. Thaler receives honorary doctorate.

MBA ANNIVERSARY 29With Tarek Heggy

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 30

INTRODUCING OUR ADVISORY BOARD 31

Han van Dissel, Dean

“As professionals who teach the valueof effective branding, our priority was toestablish not just the largest businessschool in the Netherlands but a brandwhich could use its unique situation andresources to emerge as a leadingworldwide force in business education.

We think we have achieved that, andwe hope to expand on our brand valuesover the coming months in RSM Outlook,our new magazine for which I am pleasedto write this foreword.

While the visible face of our brand isour new building, which has transformedthe Rotterdam skyline, the real heart ofthe brand is our people and thecomprehensive range of programmes.Created to provide people with the rightmanagement skills and insights at allstages of their career, those programmesand the people who participate in themembody the brand values that makeRSM unique.

Like all world-class business schools,we have a good reputation, a top group ofresearchers and a body of talented andambitious students. Yet what distinguishesour brand is our vision of how businesseducation should impact individual people,international organisations and societyas a whole.

The RSM brand is rooted in the way itcombines academic excellence with real-life commercial understanding andbusiness partnerships with the world’sleading corporations. It is equally rootedin the fact that we have an undeniablyEuropean mentality, a brand whichembodies what I call the ‘European dream’.

Like our host country – which hasalways been a centre of internationalcommerce – we are naturally inquisitiveand open to new ideas. We embrace andlearn from other cultures and other pointsof view and have learned to enjoycomplexity and diversity. We look to the

future with optimism, embracing thefresh business models emerging fromAsia, while developing further into theestablished market of the USA.

While we delight in the fact that manystudents choose to study business, weare not interested in growth alone. Asserious academics, we want to developour own clear programmes of academicresearch and management, and toillustrate their relevance to the businesscommunity. That is the future for businesseducation – and the future for the brandwhich is RSM Erasmus University”.

RSMOutlook 32 RSMOutlook

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

“This year, we have seen the

culmination of something which has

been preoccupying our thoughts

for some time: the creation of

RSM Erasmus University.

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN 03

BRANDING AND THE BUSINESS SCHOOL 04An interview with Han van Dissel.

REPUTATION MANAGEMENT 08An Interview with Cees van Riel.

BUSINESS AND THE BUSINESS SCHOOL 10An Interview with Floris Maljers.

SPOTLIGHT ON: ‘LIVING MANAGEMENT’ 14Mike Page explains the new initiative.

OPENING OF THE T-BUILDING 1835th anniversary and days events.

THE RE-BRANDING ROTTERDAM 20Frans Nesselaar tells all.

EXECUTIVE EDUCATION 22Anna Pehar explains individual, tailored training.

35TH ANNIVERSARY FOR ALUMNI 23

WINE TASTING 24

CORPORATE BRANDING IN PRACTICE 25An interview with Berry Oonk.

“SHOW THEM THE BRAND IS FOR REAL” 26Alexander Ribbink, the Dutch 2005 marketeer of the year.

ERASMUS UNIVERSITY 92ND BIRTHDAY 28Professor Richard H. Thaler receives honorary doctorate.

MBA ANNIVERSARY 29With Tarek Heggy

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 30

INTRODUCING OUR ADVISORY BOARD 31

Han van Dissel, Dean

“As professionals who teach the valueof effective branding, our priority was toestablish not just the largest businessschool in the Netherlands but a brandwhich could use its unique situation andresources to emerge as a leadingworldwide force in business education.

We think we have achieved that, andwe hope to expand on our brand valuesover the coming months in RSM Outlook,our new magazine for which I am pleasedto write this foreword.

While the visible face of our brand isour new building, which has transformedthe Rotterdam skyline, the real heart ofthe brand is our people and thecomprehensive range of programmes.Created to provide people with the rightmanagement skills and insights at allstages of their career, those programmesand the people who participate in themembody the brand values that makeRSM unique.

Like all world-class business schools,we have a good reputation, a top group ofresearchers and a body of talented andambitious students. Yet what distinguishesour brand is our vision of how businesseducation should impact individual people,international organisations and societyas a whole.

The RSM brand is rooted in the way itcombines academic excellence with real-life commercial understanding andbusiness partnerships with the world’sleading corporations. It is equally rootedin the fact that we have an undeniablyEuropean mentality, a brand whichembodies what I call the ‘European dream’.

Like our host country – which hasalways been a centre of internationalcommerce – we are naturally inquisitiveand open to new ideas. We embrace andlearn from other cultures and other pointsof view and have learned to enjoycomplexity and diversity. We look to the

future with optimism, embracing thefresh business models emerging fromAsia, while developing further into theestablished market of the USA.

While we delight in the fact that manystudents choose to study business, weare not interested in growth alone. Asserious academics, we want to developour own clear programmes of academicresearch and management, and toillustrate their relevance to the businesscommunity. That is the future for businesseducation – and the future for the brandwhich is RSM Erasmus University”.

RSMOutlook 32 RSMOutlook

There is no doubt that the unification(between the Faculty for BusinessAdministration and the Rotterdam Schoolof Management) was both necessary andsuccessful. Yet as the man who steeredthe unification and who is now Dean, VanDissel knows that a lot of work still liesahead:

“Both parts of the unified organisationcan learn a great deal from each other –and it is my job to make sure that happens.We can only ensure our long-termsurvival by connecting the developmentof content with the dissemination ofcontent. We must make sure that ouracademics and our work remaininteresting to our key constituent – thebusiness world”.

RSM is now run as a matrixorganisation with business units servingdifferent segments – Bachelor, MSc andMBA programmes as well as ExecutiveEducation and the Research Institute.

Yet although Van Dissel believesthat “for a business school, the brand isvery important”, he admits that therebranding exercise was not totallypainless (“It’s challenging for both sideswhen you have marketing professionalsdealing with marketing professors!”).

But he is happy with what has beenachieved: “We needed to unify behind acommonly-held vision, which is why wecommissioned studies before developingour new logo and our new positioning”.➜

BRANDING AND THE BUSINESS SCHOOL AN INTERVIEW WITH HAN VAN DISSEL, DEAN

With 7000 students, RSM Erasmus University is now thelargest business school in the Netherlands and one of thetop university-based international business schools in Europe.

It is the end of a long process but Han van Dissel

is finally in his new office, in the new RSM Erasmus

University building, celebrating the birth of a

revitalised organisation.

RSMOutlook 54 RSMOutlook

There is no doubt that the unification(between the Faculty for BusinessAdministration and the Rotterdam Schoolof Management) was both necessary andsuccessful. Yet as the man who steeredthe unification and who is now Dean, VanDissel knows that a lot of work still liesahead:

“Both parts of the unified organisationcan learn a great deal from each other –and it is my job to make sure that happens.We can only ensure our long-termsurvival by connecting the developmentof content with the dissemination ofcontent. We must make sure that ouracademics and our work remaininteresting to our key constituent – thebusiness world”.

RSM is now run as a matrixorganisation with business units servingdifferent segments – Bachelor, MSc andMBA programmes as well as ExecutiveEducation and the Research Institute.

Yet although Van Dissel believesthat “for a business school, the brand isvery important”, he admits that therebranding exercise was not totallypainless (“It’s challenging for both sideswhen you have marketing professionalsdealing with marketing professors!”).

But he is happy with what has beenachieved: “We needed to unify behind acommonly-held vision, which is why wecommissioned studies before developingour new logo and our new positioning”.➜

BRANDING AND THE BUSINESS SCHOOL AN INTERVIEW WITH HAN VAN DISSEL, DEAN

With 7000 students, RSM Erasmus University is now thelargest business school in the Netherlands and one of thetop university-based international business schools in Europe.

It is the end of a long process but Han van Dissel

is finally in his new office, in the new RSM Erasmus

University building, celebrating the birth of a

revitalised organisation.

RSMOutlook 54 RSMOutlook

BRANDING AND THE BUSINESS SCHOOL CONT.

Like for-profit organisations, RSMsurvives by managing change. And theschool is now investing a great deal ofenergy in exploring emerging businessmodels.

Some things, however, remain thesame. Van Dissel has never wavered inhis understanding of the sort of student

he wants to attract: “Ambitious. Well-motivated. Entrepreneurial. We don’tconsider our programmes as the shortestroute to the biggest company car. Theyare a route to a fruitful life, to being ableto participate in business, to developreflective capabilities and contribute atboard level to a company’s future”. ■

By Gail Kemp

Van Dissel has never wavered in his

understanding of the sort of student he

wants to attract: Ambitious. Well-motivated.

Entrepreneurial. We don’t consider our

programmes as the shortest route to the

biggest company car.

“People come to a business schoolto start or to further their careers, andthere are many places they can find abusiness education. But in acompetitive market it’s not easy to findbrand values that make you unique.

“We market ourselves as aninternational school through attendingfairs, through our website and throughadvertising in international businessmagazines. But we maintain ourintegrity by selling ourselves along thelines of content and thought leadership.It is much better for the professors tobe visible in public debates than for theDean to be on the front pages with somesort of empty claim”.

RSM’s studies show that a quarter ofits own alumni become entrepreneurs atsome stage in their careers.

And as more people choose to studybusiness, all international businessschools wrestle with the need to providea service culture which has nottraditionally been part of academic life.Van Dissel spends a lot of time developingservice capabilities that are essential foran international school. This involveseverything from dealing with governmentbodies and immigration controls so thatvisas can be processed efficiently, touniversity accommodation and socialactivities.

He explains: “International studentsrequire a different set of social activitieswhich place different demands on studentstudy associations. And whereas wecould reasonably expect a Dutch studentto take an active role in finding their ownaccommodation, if an 18 year old girlarrives from Brazil, she expects us toprovide her with safe and decent housing”.

RSMOutlook 76 RSMOutlook

BRANDING AND THE BUSINESS SCHOOL CONT.

Like for-profit organisations, RSMsurvives by managing change. And theschool is now investing a great deal ofenergy in exploring emerging businessmodels.

Some things, however, remain thesame. Van Dissel has never wavered inhis understanding of the sort of student

he wants to attract: “Ambitious. Well-motivated. Entrepreneurial. We don’tconsider our programmes as the shortestroute to the biggest company car. Theyare a route to a fruitful life, to being ableto participate in business, to developreflective capabilities and contribute atboard level to a company’s future”. ■

By Gail Kemp

Van Dissel has never wavered in his

understanding of the sort of student he

wants to attract: Ambitious. Well-motivated.

Entrepreneurial. We don’t consider our

programmes as the shortest route to the

biggest company car.

“People come to a business schoolto start or to further their careers, andthere are many places they can find abusiness education. But in acompetitive market it’s not easy to findbrand values that make you unique.

“We market ourselves as aninternational school through attendingfairs, through our website and throughadvertising in international businessmagazines. But we maintain ourintegrity by selling ourselves along thelines of content and thought leadership.It is much better for the professors tobe visible in public debates than for theDean to be on the front pages with somesort of empty claim”.

RSM’s studies show that a quarter ofits own alumni become entrepreneurs atsome stage in their careers.

And as more people choose to studybusiness, all international businessschools wrestle with the need to providea service culture which has nottraditionally been part of academic life.Van Dissel spends a lot of time developingservice capabilities that are essential foran international school. This involveseverything from dealing with governmentbodies and immigration controls so thatvisas can be processed efficiently, touniversity accommodation and socialactivities.

He explains: “International studentsrequire a different set of social activitieswhich place different demands on studentstudy associations. And whereas wecould reasonably expect a Dutch studentto take an active role in finding their ownaccommodation, if an 18 year old girlarrives from Brazil, she expects us toprovide her with safe and decent housing”.

RSMOutlook 76 RSMOutlook

‘REPUTATION MANAGEMENT’ AN INTERVIEW WITH CEES VAN RI EL, PROFESSOR OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

Fortis and IBM have used his skills andexperience, and he is has been a memberof the Branding Steering Committee ofING Group.

In the academic world, he foundedthe International Master Programme,Corporate Communications, a jointventure of five European business schoolsoffering a degree programme topractitioners with five years experience.

One of the five participating schools,naturally, is RSM where Van Riel’sBusiness-Society Department runsMaster programmes tackling businessethics, corporate communication andinternational management. Van Riel’spersonal focus is the Master of CorporateCommunications programme whichprepares students for positions as ChiefReputation Officers in major companies.

Commercial giants like FedEx, ING,J&J and Philips supply students andvisiting professors, and participate in theMaster programmes, while the departmentundertakes reputation research for thecompanies and gets involved in theirreputation management strategies. Thenit uses the research to enrich its PhDprogrammes, while writing up the casestudies for business journals. An interesting

illustration of the interaction betweenapplied and fundamental research is arecent Journal of Marketing (July 2005)article, linking the consultancy work ofthe Corporate Communication Centre(CCC) for ING with the academicresearch of the CCC.

It epitomises the way the School actsas – in Van Riels’s own words – a ‘linkingpin’ between topflight research and solution-focused attitudes: “We do not do researchout of pure academic interest – our focusis always on research that will help solveproblems in the real business world”.

As part of his problem-solving strategy,Van Riel has developed a ‘triangle ofcorporate branding’ incorporating three‘points’: the visual carrier, the rationalcarrier and the emotional carrier, all ofwhich are relevant to the sort ofrepositioning exercise in which RSMitself is now engaged.

The rational carrier, which focuses onthe rationality of the messaging, isreasonably straightforward for academicinstitutions, but the visual and emotionalcarriers are more problematic. The visualcarrier involves the visible part of anorganisation’s branding – logo, brandcolours, presentational style. In an ➜13

In continental Europe at that time, not one

financial institution had a marketing

department. 20 years later, it has

exploded and they all have massive

marketing departments.

As Professor of Corporate Communications,Van Riel specialises in reputationmanagement, an area on which heregularly advises a string of Dutch,Belgian, British and Norwegiancompanies. In addition, he is Editor inChief of the Corporate Reputation Reviewand a respected author – in both Englishand Spanish – whose views regularlyinform some of the world’s top companies.

So was Van Riel in charge of therepositioning exercise for RSM? “Ipurposely stayed out of it!” he laughs.“Employing a world-class agency todevelop a positioning was the best way wecould implement the necessary changes.

“JWT Education knows that consistencyand continuity are more important than alogo or a slogan. Now, after years of havinga divided approach to communicationsand, in a sense, competing with ourselves,we are presenting one face towards theoutside world. It’s an achievement weshould really celebrate”.

He speaks with the authority of a manwhose expertise is developing positioningstrategies for companies involved in anintense period of change through mergers,increasing competition orinternationalisation. Companies all overthe world, including Dutch Telecom, TPG,Siemens Belgium, Norwegian Railroads,

Nobody is more familiar with branding than Cees van Riel, who after two decades at the

Erasmus University, Rotterdam, brings a wealth of academic and real-life business

expertise to the unified RSM Erasmus University.

RSMOutlook 98 RSMOutlook

‘REPUTATION MANAGEMENT’ AN INTERVIEW WITH CEES VAN RI EL, PROFESSOR OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

Fortis and IBM have used his skills andexperience, and he is has been a memberof the Branding Steering Committee ofING Group.

In the academic world, he foundedthe International Master Programme,Corporate Communications, a jointventure of five European business schoolsoffering a degree programme topractitioners with five years experience.

One of the five participating schools,naturally, is RSM where Van Riel’sBusiness-Society Department runsMaster programmes tackling businessethics, corporate communication andinternational management. Van Riel’spersonal focus is the Master of CorporateCommunications programme whichprepares students for positions as ChiefReputation Officers in major companies.

Commercial giants like FedEx, ING,J&J and Philips supply students andvisiting professors, and participate in theMaster programmes, while the departmentundertakes reputation research for thecompanies and gets involved in theirreputation management strategies. Thenit uses the research to enrich its PhDprogrammes, while writing up the casestudies for business journals. An interesting

illustration of the interaction betweenapplied and fundamental research is arecent Journal of Marketing (July 2005)article, linking the consultancy work ofthe Corporate Communication Centre(CCC) for ING with the academicresearch of the CCC.

It epitomises the way the School actsas – in Van Riels’s own words – a ‘linkingpin’ between topflight research and solution-focused attitudes: “We do not do researchout of pure academic interest – our focusis always on research that will help solveproblems in the real business world”.

As part of his problem-solving strategy,Van Riel has developed a ‘triangle ofcorporate branding’ incorporating three‘points’: the visual carrier, the rationalcarrier and the emotional carrier, all ofwhich are relevant to the sort ofrepositioning exercise in which RSMitself is now engaged.

The rational carrier, which focuses onthe rationality of the messaging, isreasonably straightforward for academicinstitutions, but the visual and emotionalcarriers are more problematic. The visualcarrier involves the visible part of anorganisation’s branding – logo, brandcolours, presentational style. In an ➜13

In continental Europe at that time, not one

financial institution had a marketing

department. 20 years later, it has

exploded and they all have massive

marketing departments.

As Professor of Corporate Communications,Van Riel specialises in reputationmanagement, an area on which heregularly advises a string of Dutch,Belgian, British and Norwegiancompanies. In addition, he is Editor inChief of the Corporate Reputation Reviewand a respected author – in both Englishand Spanish – whose views regularlyinform some of the world’s top companies.

So was Van Riel in charge of therepositioning exercise for RSM? “Ipurposely stayed out of it!” he laughs.“Employing a world-class agency todevelop a positioning was the best way wecould implement the necessary changes.

“JWT Education knows that consistencyand continuity are more important than alogo or a slogan. Now, after years of havinga divided approach to communicationsand, in a sense, competing with ourselves,we are presenting one face towards theoutside world. It’s an achievement weshould really celebrate”.

He speaks with the authority of a manwhose expertise is developing positioningstrategies for companies involved in anintense period of change through mergers,increasing competition orinternationalisation. Companies all overthe world, including Dutch Telecom, TPG,Siemens Belgium, Norwegian Railroads,

Nobody is more familiar with branding than Cees van Riel, who after two decades at the

Erasmus University, Rotterdam, brings a wealth of academic and real-life business

expertise to the unified RSM Erasmus University.

RSMOutlook 98 RSMOutlook

LORIS MALJERS, Chairman of the AdvisoryBoard for RSM Erasmus University, speakswith an authority rooted in four decadesof successful business experience. And ifhis theory about the Full-Time MBA iscorrect, RSM must be a very good businessschool indeed.

The School’s 15-month, Full-Time MBAis not only the best in the Netherlands,but is also regarded as one of the top 20in the world. It attracts the very beststudents, the ones with the drive anddetermination to reach the summit of thebusiness world… students like Maljershimself.

Maljers joined Unilever in 1959 afterstudying economics in Amsterdam. Hestayed with the company for 35 years,joining the board in 1974, becoming CEOin 1984 and eventually retiring in 1994.

On his retirement, he became professorof management at the StrategyDepartment of RSM Erasmus University,

while using his business skills andcontacts to help companies such asPhilips, KLM, Guinness and BP in a seriesof non-executive roles.

He admits that the transition from thebusiness world to academia can bringday-to-day frustrations, “While theindependence of academic institutions isstimulating, the general efficiency inbusiness is far better. It is not necessarilya bad thing to have professors doing theirown photocopying, but if those professorscan’t find the photocopiers or can’t workthe photocopiers, then it’s a questionableuse of a highly-paid individual”.

He concludes, “I don’t think I wouldhave been a very good academicmanager – although maybe that’s justbecause I have been in a very differentenvironment for a very long time”.

‘BUSINESS AND THE BUSINESS SCHOOL’ AN INTERVIEW WITH FLORIS MALJERS

“There are several things that

make a good business school, but

the Full-Time MBA is your flagship…

if you’ve got a good one, you’ve got

a good school”.

Different indeed… Maljers began hisUnilever career working first in detergentsand then in edible fats, but during hislengthy stint with the corporation all overthe world, he became familiar with itsentire product range. A cultured man,who chaired the Advisory Board of theAmsterdam Concertgebouw and theNational Museum of Antiquities and whohas developed a reputation as an authorityon environmental regulation, he is abusiness leader and writer who merits anentry in International Who’s Who.

Having worked with Unilever all overthe world, Maljers was ideally placed towrite Inside Unilever: The EvolvingTransnational Company, the highly-regarded Harvard Business Review articlepublished in 1992. The article examinedUnilever’s evolution, focusing on twoconsistent practices: developing high-quality managers and linkingdecentralised units through the

‘Unileverisation’ of those same managers.It is a solid piece of writing, reflectingMaljers’s own preoccupations withstrategic management, particularly theinternational aspects, organisation andstructure of multinational companies.

His concern with developing qualitymanagement practices has dominatedhis time at RSM, where he has been anenthusiastic supporter of the unification –although his primary commitmentremains to the postgraduate school. Withno relationship to the University itself, heis the ‘independent’ member of thethree-man Advisory Board and works as aguest lecturer on an occasional basis.

Maljers feels that, while the businessclimate has undoubtedly changed overthe past ten years, companies are stilllooking for the same things from abusiness school, “Industrial structureschange and we have to follow that – and,by necessity, the business school

understands business issues. But thefocus should continue to be trainingpeople to think differently from before –it’s more about attitudes than knowledge.Students need case studies, interactionwith teachers and with each other –because they often learn more from eachother than from third parties”.

He applauds the steps RSM has takento ensure its postgraduate reputationand programmes remain topflight. Yetalthough the business school enjoys aworld-class reputation and although ithas strong and effective links with the‘real’ business world, it suffers from thegeneric problem afflicting all Europeanbusiness schools: funding. ➜

F

RSMOutlook 1110 RSMOutlook

LORIS MALJERS, Chairman of the AdvisoryBoard for RSM Erasmus University, speakswith an authority rooted in four decadesof successful business experience. And ifhis theory about the Full-Time MBA iscorrect, RSM must be a very good businessschool indeed.

The School’s 15-month, Full-Time MBAis not only the best in the Netherlands,but is also regarded as one of the top 20in the world. It attracts the very beststudents, the ones with the drive anddetermination to reach the summit of thebusiness world… students like Maljershimself.

Maljers joined Unilever in 1959 afterstudying economics in Amsterdam. Hestayed with the company for 35 years,joining the board in 1974, becoming CEOin 1984 and eventually retiring in 1994.

On his retirement, he became professorof management at the StrategyDepartment of RSM Erasmus University,

while using his business skills andcontacts to help companies such asPhilips, KLM, Guinness and BP in a seriesof non-executive roles.

He admits that the transition from thebusiness world to academia can bringday-to-day frustrations, “While theindependence of academic institutions isstimulating, the general efficiency inbusiness is far better. It is not necessarilya bad thing to have professors doing theirown photocopying, but if those professorscan’t find the photocopiers or can’t workthe photocopiers, then it’s a questionableuse of a highly-paid individual”.

He concludes, “I don’t think I wouldhave been a very good academicmanager – although maybe that’s justbecause I have been in a very differentenvironment for a very long time”.

‘BUSINESS AND THE BUSINESS SCHOOL’ AN INTERVIEW WITH FLORIS MALJERS

“There are several things that

make a good business school, but

the Full-Time MBA is your flagship…

if you’ve got a good one, you’ve got

a good school”.

Different indeed… Maljers began hisUnilever career working first in detergentsand then in edible fats, but during hislengthy stint with the corporation all overthe world, he became familiar with itsentire product range. A cultured man,who chaired the Advisory Board of theAmsterdam Concertgebouw and theNational Museum of Antiquities and whohas developed a reputation as an authorityon environmental regulation, he is abusiness leader and writer who merits anentry in International Who’s Who.

Having worked with Unilever all overthe world, Maljers was ideally placed towrite Inside Unilever: The EvolvingTransnational Company, the highly-regarded Harvard Business Review articlepublished in 1992. The article examinedUnilever’s evolution, focusing on twoconsistent practices: developing high-quality managers and linkingdecentralised units through the

‘Unileverisation’ of those same managers.It is a solid piece of writing, reflectingMaljers’s own preoccupations withstrategic management, particularly theinternational aspects, organisation andstructure of multinational companies.

His concern with developing qualitymanagement practices has dominatedhis time at RSM, where he has been anenthusiastic supporter of the unification –although his primary commitmentremains to the postgraduate school. Withno relationship to the University itself, heis the ‘independent’ member of thethree-man Advisory Board and works as aguest lecturer on an occasional basis.

Maljers feels that, while the businessclimate has undoubtedly changed overthe past ten years, companies are stilllooking for the same things from abusiness school, “Industrial structureschange and we have to follow that – and,by necessity, the business school

understands business issues. But thefocus should continue to be trainingpeople to think differently from before –it’s more about attitudes than knowledge.Students need case studies, interactionwith teachers and with each other –because they often learn more from eachother than from third parties”.

He applauds the steps RSM has takento ensure its postgraduate reputationand programmes remain topflight. Yetalthough the business school enjoys aworld-class reputation and although ithas strong and effective links with the‘real’ business world, it suffers from thegeneric problem afflicting all Europeanbusiness schools: funding. ➜

F

RSMOutlook 1110 RSMOutlook

ith no government subsidy, thepostgraduate school has been trying toencourage contributions from industryand from alumni, in the way that manyAmerican schools receive outside funding.But Maljers admits it is proving hard work:

“I have spoken to many contacts withvery limited success – and I have toconfess that when I was approachedduring my years in business, I also didn’trecognise the importance of outsidefunding. But it is something I will continueto address because it’s an attitude thatneeds to change”.

An eminent Rotterdam businessmanand one of the town’s favourite – and mostsuccessful – sons, Maljers is proud of thewarm relations between ‘town and gown’.“A business school is always a good thingto have in a community, particularly if itis an acknowledged commercial centre.Even though Rotterdam is a big city, thereis a clear interaction with RSM”.

To Maljers, precision and accuracy areimportant indicators of professionalism.When he became Chairman of theAdrvisory Board at Philips, localheadlines ran: “Ice-Cream Man Now Headof Philips’. It is typical that he objectednot to the somewhat snide ‘ice-cream’reference to his Unilever career, but tothe inaccuracy about his role at Philips.

And despite his international businesscareer, Maljers believes strongly in localdifferences, quoting real-world businessexamples to illustrate the policy of‘thinking global, acting local’. If McDonald’sputs more onions on its burgers in Francethan it does in Germany and if Unilevermakes different flavoured ice-cream fordifferent European countries, Maljersbelieves that RSM should continue todifferentiate its undergraduate andpostgraduate offerings.

As a veteran of some very significantcorporate mergers, most notably Air France

and KLM, Maljers feels that theUniversity itself can learn fromcommercial mergers. “Lessons can bedrawn from the way Air France/KLM runsas one global entity and two airlines. It isprobably best summed up by theGerman General who advised ‘marchingseparately, fighting together’. That, for me,is the way we should move forward”. ■

Interview by Gail Kemp.

institution full of egos accustomed toautonomy, the imperative to conform toone visual carrier can be difficult.

The hardest of all, says Van Riel, isthe emotional carrier because academicinstitutions find it difficult to determinewhat emotional message they want toconvey: “In an environment where peopleare learning and taking exams, humouror cynicism are not appropriate vehicles.And in Northern Europe, where peopleare often afraid to show emotion, theemotional carriers in corporatecommunications can be very dull”.

Yet Van Riel believes that organisationsintent on efficient branding must payattention to all three carriers and, withhis students, he uses real-worldexamples to illustrate the possibilities ofthe emotional carrier.

One of his favourite case studies isthe way J&J has repositioned itself awayfrom its ‘baby products’ roots by tacklingthe shortage of nurses throughestablishing schools and sponsorshipprogrammes all over America.

“It is”, says Van Riel, “a greatexample of a warm, empatheticcampaign. But when you show this toDutch students, they laugh because welack the ability to show emotion in theway we communicate. Agencies shouldreally be pushing clients to addressthese emotional carriers in the interestsof branding”.

Van Riel’s books and articles aboutcorporate identity, reputation managementand corporate branding have driven hisinvolvement with international networks ofacademics. One of his most productivepartnerships is with Charles Frombrun ofthe New York University with whom hefounded the Reputation Institute. Thepair have also co-written the book Fame& Fortune (How Successful CompaniesBuild Winning Reputation) and will

publish a new book together in 2006. Yet while he naturally espouses the

notion of effective branding, Van Rielagrees that it is possible to ‘over-brand’ anorganisation, particularly an educationalestablishment:

“In 1988, I did a corporatecommunications study comparingfinancial institutions in various Americanand European markets. In continentalEurope at that time, not one financialinstitution had a marketing department.20 years later, it has exploded and theyall have massive marketing departments.But has it improved the reputation offinancial institutions? I don’t think so.

“The lesson seems to be that if youshout too loud, you risk being killed.People need to know what you are doingbut they need to respect you, not just tohear your voice – particularly in anacademic institution. A school like oursneeds to mix traditional ways ofcommunicating (publishing books,writing articles and speaking atconferences) with demonstrating successin analysing and solving specificproblems in the business world”. ■

Interview by Gail Kemp.

‘BUSINESS AND THE BUSINESS SCHOOL’ CONT. ‘REPUTATION MANAGEMENT’ CONT. FROM P9

W

RSMOutlook 1312 RSMOutlook

ith no government subsidy, thepostgraduate school has been trying toencourage contributions from industryand from alumni, in the way that manyAmerican schools receive outside funding.But Maljers admits it is proving hard work:

“I have spoken to many contacts withvery limited success – and I have toconfess that when I was approachedduring my years in business, I also didn’trecognise the importance of outsidefunding. But it is something I will continueto address because it’s an attitude thatneeds to change”.

An eminent Rotterdam businessmanand one of the town’s favourite – and mostsuccessful – sons, Maljers is proud of thewarm relations between ‘town and gown’.“A business school is always a good thingto have in a community, particularly if itis an acknowledged commercial centre.Even though Rotterdam is a big city, thereis a clear interaction with RSM”.

To Maljers, precision and accuracy areimportant indicators of professionalism.When he became Chairman of theAdrvisory Board at Philips, localheadlines ran: “Ice-Cream Man Now Headof Philips’. It is typical that he objectednot to the somewhat snide ‘ice-cream’reference to his Unilever career, but tothe inaccuracy about his role at Philips.

And despite his international businesscareer, Maljers believes strongly in localdifferences, quoting real-world businessexamples to illustrate the policy of‘thinking global, acting local’. If McDonald’sputs more onions on its burgers in Francethan it does in Germany and if Unilevermakes different flavoured ice-cream fordifferent European countries, Maljersbelieves that RSM should continue todifferentiate its undergraduate andpostgraduate offerings.

As a veteran of some very significantcorporate mergers, most notably Air France

and KLM, Maljers feels that theUniversity itself can learn fromcommercial mergers. “Lessons can bedrawn from the way Air France/KLM runsas one global entity and two airlines. It isprobably best summed up by theGerman General who advised ‘marchingseparately, fighting together’. That, for me,is the way we should move forward”. ■

Interview by Gail Kemp.

institution full of egos accustomed toautonomy, the imperative to conform toone visual carrier can be difficult.

The hardest of all, says Van Riel, isthe emotional carrier because academicinstitutions find it difficult to determinewhat emotional message they want toconvey: “In an environment where peopleare learning and taking exams, humouror cynicism are not appropriate vehicles.And in Northern Europe, where peopleare often afraid to show emotion, theemotional carriers in corporatecommunications can be very dull”.

Yet Van Riel believes that organisationsintent on efficient branding must payattention to all three carriers and, withhis students, he uses real-worldexamples to illustrate the possibilities ofthe emotional carrier.

One of his favourite case studies isthe way J&J has repositioned itself awayfrom its ‘baby products’ roots by tacklingthe shortage of nurses throughestablishing schools and sponsorshipprogrammes all over America.

“It is”, says Van Riel, “a greatexample of a warm, empatheticcampaign. But when you show this toDutch students, they laugh because welack the ability to show emotion in theway we communicate. Agencies shouldreally be pushing clients to addressthese emotional carriers in the interestsof branding”.

Van Riel’s books and articles aboutcorporate identity, reputation managementand corporate branding have driven hisinvolvement with international networks ofacademics. One of his most productivepartnerships is with Charles Frombrun ofthe New York University with whom hefounded the Reputation Institute. Thepair have also co-written the book Fame& Fortune (How Successful CompaniesBuild Winning Reputation) and will

publish a new book together in 2006. Yet while he naturally espouses the

notion of effective branding, Van Rielagrees that it is possible to ‘over-brand’ anorganisation, particularly an educationalestablishment:

“In 1988, I did a corporatecommunications study comparingfinancial institutions in various Americanand European markets. In continentalEurope at that time, not one financialinstitution had a marketing department.20 years later, it has exploded and theyall have massive marketing departments.But has it improved the reputation offinancial institutions? I don’t think so.

“The lesson seems to be that if youshout too loud, you risk being killed.People need to know what you are doingbut they need to respect you, not just tohear your voice – particularly in anacademic institution. A school like oursneeds to mix traditional ways ofcommunicating (publishing books,writing articles and speaking atconferences) with demonstrating successin analysing and solving specificproblems in the business world”. ■

Interview by Gail Kemp.

‘BUSINESS AND THE BUSINESS SCHOOL’ CONT. ‘REPUTATION MANAGEMENT’ CONT. FROM P9

W

RSMOutlook 1312 RSMOutlook

SPOTLIGHT ON: ‘LIVING MANAGEMENT’ WITH MIKE PAGE DE AN, POST EXPERIENCE PROGRAMMES

Here at RSM Erasmus University weachieve this understanding and capacity byplacing our students and executives insituations where they are forced to deliverboth individually and collectively on statedobjectives in an environment of significantdiversity”.

Mike Page, Dean of Post-ExperienceProgrammes at RSM, is refreshingly directabout the sort of students and executiveshe wants to attract, the sort of learningexperience he wants to provide and – mostimportantly – the sort of graduates hewants to produce.

“We are very fortunate in our abilityto attract the brightest and the best tothe School. Leveraging this talent pooldemands that we encourage our studentsand executives to think long and hardabout their principles, about their personalresponsibilities, about business and itsrole in society and, most importantly, abouttheir capacity to engage with others.After all, effective business leadershiprequires more than just making the rightdecisions; you have to be able to ensurethey are implemented”.

Successful implementationincreasingly requires managers who candeal with diversity and complexity in their

workforce, whether this results fromgender, nationality or psychographics –or a combination of all three.

Page explains: “You need to be ableto induce people with very different lifeexperiences from your own to co-operateand work together to achieve the statedgoal. This is particularly the case in today’sknowledge economies”.

It is, perhaps, an obvious truth – butone which few business schools tackle asdirectly as RSM. The School embedselements of implementation in complexenvironments in all the programmes itoffers, how it does this is perhaps bestillustrated by what it seeks to do through‘living management’.

A critical element of the MBAcurriculum innovations currentlyoccurring at the School, ‘living management’is designed to force students to confrontworkplace diversity in a real settingdemanding a business deliverable.

The concept is rooted in the School’sown views of business schools. RSMacknowledges that all legitimate businessschools teach decision frameworks – allclaim to provide a box of tools that canbe usefully applied under certaincircumstances. Good business schools

have the academic and thoughtleadership necessary to develop critical,conceptual and creative thinking.Thinking processes vital in understandingwhen to apply these frameworks and, moreimportantly, when naïve application wouldbe ill considered – when the tools shouldbe left in the box. Exceptional businessschools go even further. They realise thatthe lives of managers and leaders are allabout execution. “In addition to theobvious cost of poor decisions wellimplemented – something that is onlyavoided when decision makers understandthe frameworks they apply – these schoolsrecognise that the capacity for makinggood decisions has no real value if notaccompanied by an ability to get peopleto execute”.

‘Living management’ is designed tothis with the recognition that there arethree elements to successful managementand leadership: the capacity for critical,conceptual and creative thinking; theability to make informed decisions; and,the capacity to execute with and throughothers. It exploits the rich diversity presentat the School to develop individualsunderstanding of the power of diversenetworks and how to use them creatively.

RSMOutlook 1514 RSMOutlook

“In today’s increasingly complex world, management and

leadership development is all about dialogue! Although content

knowledge remains as important as ever, it is insufficient. To be

truly successful, managers need to understand context and

process. They must have a capacity to engage others who, quite

probably, have very different world views.

Exposure to real experiences underchallenging circumstances encouragesan understanding that network value andimplementation requires a lot more thaninsight of those who are ‘different fromyou’. As importantly, it requiresknowledge of self.

While a French student or executivemight consider it helpful learn to howChinese and South African people behavein the workplace – assuming such simplestereotyping is possible – true learningcomes from working with difference whilesimultaneously confronting one’s ownpremises. Exposure to alternativeperspectives and approaches providesthe greatest opportunity for learning whenaccompanied by the demand to reflecton one’s own response and capacity tochange behaviour if this is necessary toachieve the desired outcome.

Page says: “It’s not just aboutnationalities of course, but about themyriad manifestations of diversity –gender, personality types, religious beliefetc… it is about enabling students toobserve how different people behave andthen – crucially – to assess how torespond to such behaviour… it’s aboutunderstanding how frames of reference

and tightly held beliefs are developed –ones own as much as anybody else’s. Itis also about group dynamics”.

‘Living management’ makes studentsreflect on what RSM calls “the capacity forimplementation in complex environments”.It requires that team members reflect onthemselves and on the broader contextwithin which they and the firm operates.Student groups are required to deal witha substantial and complex real worldbusiness problem under conditions oftime constraint and data insufficiency.Faculty members, business executivesand coaches are all engaged in a processdesigned specifically to teach studentsthat leadership and management is aboutbeing able to work with and inspire otherswhile recognising one’s own personalstyle and way of engaging with people.Iterative feedback processes are alsoused to support students understandingof how to use networking in social, task-related and knowledge accumulating ways.The processes also develop their under-standing of the challenge of managingand sustaining one’s own networks.

“As a leading university-based School,we design and run programmes that havesubstantial content because we believe

that decisions must be grounded oninformed thinking, not gut feel. But wealso recognise that firms that employ mostof our graduates do far more than makethan create wealth for shareholders. Theyimpact hugely on people’s lives and onconditions around the globe. Tomorrow’sleaders and managers need to recogniseand deal with this reality to a muchgreater extent than their predecessors.

“As lecturers, we talk about whatbusiness leaders should do, but we areoften in the fortunate position where wedo not have to actually step up to theplate. Our graduates do, and the bestway we can develop and position themfor their future responsibilities is bygetting them to confront and live thiscomplexity during their time with us”.

SPOTLIGHT ON: ‘LIVING MANAGEMENT’ WITH MIKE PAGE DE AN, POST EXPERIENCE PROGRAMMES

Here at RSM Erasmus University weachieve this understanding and capacity byplacing our students and executives insituations where they are forced to deliverboth individually and collectively on statedobjectives in an environment of significantdiversity”.

Mike Page, Dean of Post-ExperienceProgrammes at RSM, is refreshingly directabout the sort of students and executiveshe wants to attract, the sort of learningexperience he wants to provide and – mostimportantly – the sort of graduates hewants to produce.

“We are very fortunate in our abilityto attract the brightest and the best tothe School. Leveraging this talent pooldemands that we encourage our studentsand executives to think long and hardabout their principles, about their personalresponsibilities, about business and itsrole in society and, most importantly, abouttheir capacity to engage with others.After all, effective business leadershiprequires more than just making the rightdecisions; you have to be able to ensurethey are implemented”.

Successful implementationincreasingly requires managers who candeal with diversity and complexity in their

workforce, whether this results fromgender, nationality or psychographics –or a combination of all three.

Page explains: “You need to be ableto induce people with very different lifeexperiences from your own to co-operateand work together to achieve the statedgoal. This is particularly the case in today’sknowledge economies”.

It is, perhaps, an obvious truth – butone which few business schools tackle asdirectly as RSM. The School embedselements of implementation in complexenvironments in all the programmes itoffers, how it does this is perhaps bestillustrated by what it seeks to do through‘living management’.

A critical element of the MBAcurriculum innovations currentlyoccurring at the School, ‘living management’is designed to force students to confrontworkplace diversity in a real settingdemanding a business deliverable.

The concept is rooted in the School’sown views of business schools. RSMacknowledges that all legitimate businessschools teach decision frameworks – allclaim to provide a box of tools that canbe usefully applied under certaincircumstances. Good business schools

have the academic and thoughtleadership necessary to develop critical,conceptual and creative thinking.Thinking processes vital in understandingwhen to apply these frameworks and, moreimportantly, when naïve application wouldbe ill considered – when the tools shouldbe left in the box. Exceptional businessschools go even further. They realise thatthe lives of managers and leaders are allabout execution. “In addition to theobvious cost of poor decisions wellimplemented – something that is onlyavoided when decision makers understandthe frameworks they apply – these schoolsrecognise that the capacity for makinggood decisions has no real value if notaccompanied by an ability to get peopleto execute”.

‘Living management’ is designed tothis with the recognition that there arethree elements to successful managementand leadership: the capacity for critical,conceptual and creative thinking; theability to make informed decisions; and,the capacity to execute with and throughothers. It exploits the rich diversity presentat the School to develop individualsunderstanding of the power of diversenetworks and how to use them creatively.

RSMOutlook 1514 RSMOutlook

“In today’s increasingly complex world, management and

leadership development is all about dialogue! Although content

knowledge remains as important as ever, it is insufficient. To be

truly successful, managers need to understand context and

process. They must have a capacity to engage others who, quite

probably, have very different world views.

Exposure to real experiences underchallenging circumstances encouragesan understanding that network value andimplementation requires a lot more thaninsight of those who are ‘different fromyou’. As importantly, it requiresknowledge of self.

While a French student or executivemight consider it helpful learn to howChinese and South African people behavein the workplace – assuming such simplestereotyping is possible – true learningcomes from working with difference whilesimultaneously confronting one’s ownpremises. Exposure to alternativeperspectives and approaches providesthe greatest opportunity for learning whenaccompanied by the demand to reflecton one’s own response and capacity tochange behaviour if this is necessary toachieve the desired outcome.

Page says: “It’s not just aboutnationalities of course, but about themyriad manifestations of diversity –gender, personality types, religious beliefetc… it is about enabling students toobserve how different people behave andthen – crucially – to assess how torespond to such behaviour… it’s aboutunderstanding how frames of reference

and tightly held beliefs are developed –ones own as much as anybody else’s. Itis also about group dynamics”.

‘Living management’ makes studentsreflect on what RSM calls “the capacity forimplementation in complex environments”.It requires that team members reflect onthemselves and on the broader contextwithin which they and the firm operates.Student groups are required to deal witha substantial and complex real worldbusiness problem under conditions oftime constraint and data insufficiency.Faculty members, business executivesand coaches are all engaged in a processdesigned specifically to teach studentsthat leadership and management is aboutbeing able to work with and inspire otherswhile recognising one’s own personalstyle and way of engaging with people.Iterative feedback processes are alsoused to support students understandingof how to use networking in social, task-related and knowledge accumulating ways.The processes also develop their under-standing of the challenge of managingand sustaining one’s own networks.

“As a leading university-based School,we design and run programmes that havesubstantial content because we believe

that decisions must be grounded oninformed thinking, not gut feel. But wealso recognise that firms that employ mostof our graduates do far more than makethan create wealth for shareholders. Theyimpact hugely on people’s lives and onconditions around the globe. Tomorrow’sleaders and managers need to recogniseand deal with this reality to a muchgreater extent than their predecessors.

“As lecturers, we talk about whatbusiness leaders should do, but we areoften in the fortunate position where wedo not have to actually step up to theplate. Our graduates do, and the bestway we can develop and position themfor their future responsibilities is bygetting them to confront and live thiscomplexity during their time with us”.

RSMOutlook 1716 RSMOutlook

‘LIVING MANAGEMENT’ CONT.

Capitalising on the diversity within the School and on the

newly introduced ‘living management’ initiative, RSM

Erasmus University really makes developing network

understanding and capacity central to what it does.

he School goes far beyond puttingMBA students into small groups andrequiring that they work together. Itactively manages this essential processfrom the day the students arrive to thepoint where they are required to deliveran outcome only achievable throughmutual dependence, commitment andunderstanding! From the start of the firstsemester, groups constructed to containas much diversity as possible areassigned coaches to support theirprocess and help them reflect on whatPage describes as their ‘social networks’,their ‘task networks’ and their ‘knowledgeor innovation networks’.

Experience shows that studentsgenerally form social networks with thosefrom their own culture early in theprogramme and that these are verydistinct from the ‘task or business

networks’ formed with their fellow smallgroup members. While this may mirror‘real life’, where we all tend to convenesocially with people who are ‘like us’ andform business relationships with peoplein our work vicinity with whom we sharea common goal, the outcome is oftensub-optimal for the students.

RSM MBA students are thereforeencouraged to expand their socialnetworks across diversity boundaries andto see the benefits of doing so, the valueof increasing the number of strong andweak ties that they have. The coachesalso look at the dynamics of each group,helping members examine whether theyare really working together or simplydividing tasks in a way which, whilesuperficially efficient, does not increaseunderstanding in a sustainable way.Coaches help the groups to develop an

understanding of the value of goingoutside their narrow task constructedgroups to increase their ‘knowledgenetworks’ and gain access to innovativeideas through being open to outsiders.After all, it is these outsiders who oftensow the seeds of innovation!

At the end of the first semester,students analyse how their networkshave performed for them and how theymay have supported the development ofothers. They are asked to reflect on howtheir own behaviour is impacting on theircapacity to be effective leaders.

At the start of the second semester,students are assigned to new, equallydiverse groups, and introduced to the fullconcept of ‘living management’. Theybecome fully aware of the nature andcomplexity of the business problem thatis used to bind and integrate the more

academic content of the programme. Thedemands placed on the group during thesemester become apparent as does theirunderstanding of the need for oneanother and the importance of expandingand deepening their networks.

Executives and alumni who haveexperience relevant to the (as yetunrevealed) complex business relatedproblem engage with the students throughthe semester. Their interventions arespecifically designed to illustrate whereincomplete understanding of thedimensions of the problem have led tosignificant loss or failure in the ‘real world’.Once the groups are given the assignment,the executives make themselves

available to be interviewed. Each groupis given the opportunity to ask relevantquestions to get insights which will helpthem make the appropriate decision andestablish an appropriate execution plan.

Within about a week of receiving the‘living management’ assignment, groupsmust present their response to a ‘board’comprising faculty members, alumni of theSchool and the business speakers whoseexperience informed the assignment.Producing the quality of output that isdesired in the time permitted, requiresthat each group is internally effectiveand that each ‘crosses boundaries’ todevelop broader insight, success will inlarge part rest upon the capacity to

leverage knowledge gained through thecourses using one’s networks.

A critical part of the review is thatanyone in the group can be asked aboutany aspect of the group’s perspective,conclusions and implementation plan.This will further develop the understandingthat group members are jointly andseverally liable for the outcome.

While the faculty members assesscontent, other members of the ‘board’review the group on the basis of their ownexperience. At the end of the assignment,students reflect on what they havelearned about building an effectivenetwork working together to achieve amanagement outcome. ■ By Mike Page

T

RSMOutlook 1716 RSMOutlook

‘LIVING MANAGEMENT’ CONT.

Capitalising on the diversity within the School and on the

newly introduced ‘living management’ initiative, RSM

Erasmus University really makes developing network

understanding and capacity central to what it does.

he School goes far beyond puttingMBA students into small groups andrequiring that they work together. Itactively manages this essential processfrom the day the students arrive to thepoint where they are required to deliveran outcome only achievable throughmutual dependence, commitment andunderstanding! From the start of the firstsemester, groups constructed to containas much diversity as possible areassigned coaches to support theirprocess and help them reflect on whatPage describes as their ‘social networks’,their ‘task networks’ and their ‘knowledgeor innovation networks’.

Experience shows that studentsgenerally form social networks with thosefrom their own culture early in theprogramme and that these are verydistinct from the ‘task or business

networks’ formed with their fellow smallgroup members. While this may mirror‘real life’, where we all tend to convenesocially with people who are ‘like us’ andform business relationships with peoplein our work vicinity with whom we sharea common goal, the outcome is oftensub-optimal for the students.

RSM MBA students are thereforeencouraged to expand their socialnetworks across diversity boundaries andto see the benefits of doing so, the valueof increasing the number of strong andweak ties that they have. The coachesalso look at the dynamics of each group,helping members examine whether theyare really working together or simplydividing tasks in a way which, whilesuperficially efficient, does not increaseunderstanding in a sustainable way.Coaches help the groups to develop an

understanding of the value of goingoutside their narrow task constructedgroups to increase their ‘knowledgenetworks’ and gain access to innovativeideas through being open to outsiders.After all, it is these outsiders who oftensow the seeds of innovation!

At the end of the first semester,students analyse how their networkshave performed for them and how theymay have supported the development ofothers. They are asked to reflect on howtheir own behaviour is impacting on theircapacity to be effective leaders.

At the start of the second semester,students are assigned to new, equallydiverse groups, and introduced to the fullconcept of ‘living management’. Theybecome fully aware of the nature andcomplexity of the business problem thatis used to bind and integrate the more

academic content of the programme. Thedemands placed on the group during thesemester become apparent as does theirunderstanding of the need for oneanother and the importance of expandingand deepening their networks.

Executives and alumni who haveexperience relevant to the (as yetunrevealed) complex business relatedproblem engage with the students throughthe semester. Their interventions arespecifically designed to illustrate whereincomplete understanding of thedimensions of the problem have led tosignificant loss or failure in the ‘real world’.Once the groups are given the assignment,the executives make themselves

available to be interviewed. Each groupis given the opportunity to ask relevantquestions to get insights which will helpthem make the appropriate decision andestablish an appropriate execution plan.

Within about a week of receiving the‘living management’ assignment, groupsmust present their response to a ‘board’comprising faculty members, alumni of theSchool and the business speakers whoseexperience informed the assignment.Producing the quality of output that isdesired in the time permitted, requiresthat each group is internally effectiveand that each ‘crosses boundaries’ todevelop broader insight, success will inlarge part rest upon the capacity to

leverage knowledge gained through thecourses using one’s networks.

A critical part of the review is thatanyone in the group can be asked aboutany aspect of the group’s perspective,conclusions and implementation plan.This will further develop the understandingthat group members are jointly andseverally liable for the outcome.

While the faculty members assesscontent, other members of the ‘board’review the group on the basis of their ownexperience. At the end of the assignment,students reflect on what they havelearned about building an effectivenetwork working together to achieve amanagement outcome. ■ By Mike Page

T

OPENING OF THE T-BUILDING

Rotterdam had never seen anythinglike it – RSM Erasmus University’s newlandmark T-building was wrapped in agiant red ribbon for its official opening.And although it poured with rain formost of the day, nothing could dampenthe spirits of the crowd of 1500students, staff and alumni who turnedup to enjoy the celebrations.

The ceremonies kicked off at four inthe afternoon, with welcome speechesfrom Josée C.M. van Eijndhoven,Chairman of the Executive Board ofErasmus University, Wim Hafkamp, Dean ofthe Faculty of Social Sciences, and Hanvan Dissel, Dean of RSM who said, “In acomparatively short period of time wehave become one of the most successfulbusiness schools in Europe, and thisnew building signifies what we haveaccomplished and the progress wecontinue to make”.

Between the speeches, a troupe oftoga-wearing dancers performed a seriesof puddle-dodging routines in the newTinbergen Plaza, which was later officially

opened by Erasmus University’s NobelPrize laureate, Jan Tinbergen’s granddaughter, Janine Lorie.

The celebrations stepped up a gearwhen the Outdoor Valley climbing teamscaled the building to cut the 100 metrelong ribbon and Mayor Ivo Opstelten ofRotterdam gave a speech through aloudspeaker while wielding a pair of huge

scissors. As a finale, a dare-devil basejumper leapt from the top of the buildingto applause and gasps of amazementfrom the crowds below.

The day concluded with a party andbarbecue to celebrate the 35th anniversaryof RSM. Popular Dutch band Di-Rectentertained the crowds, who enjoyed asumptuous array of food and drink whilerenewing old friendships and catching upon university news.

”It was a fantastic event”, said LarissaWiltenburg, one of the organisers. “There

was a really superb atmosphere and agreat mix of students, staff and guests”.

The state-of-the-art T-building willaccommodate around 350 staff and6000 students, and is equipped with thelatest ICT infrastructure and world-classtechnology. The third floor computerrooms can accommodate almost 300people, while the restaurant and café/bar provides students and staff withcomfortable areas in which to meet andrelax over a drink or meal.

By Peter Benson

RSMOutlook 1918 RSMOutlook

OPENING OF THE T-BUILDING

Rotterdam had never seen anythinglike it – RSM Erasmus University’s newlandmark T-building was wrapped in agiant red ribbon for its official opening.And although it poured with rain formost of the day, nothing could dampenthe spirits of the crowd of 1500students, staff and alumni who turnedup to enjoy the celebrations.

The ceremonies kicked off at four inthe afternoon, with welcome speechesfrom Josée C.M. van Eijndhoven,Chairman of the Executive Board ofErasmus University, Wim Hafkamp, Dean ofthe Faculty of Social Sciences, and Hanvan Dissel, Dean of RSM who said, “In acomparatively short period of time wehave become one of the most successfulbusiness schools in Europe, and thisnew building signifies what we haveaccomplished and the progress wecontinue to make”.

Between the speeches, a troupe oftoga-wearing dancers performed a seriesof puddle-dodging routines in the newTinbergen Plaza, which was later officially

opened by Erasmus University’s NobelPrize laureate, Jan Tinbergen’s granddaughter, Janine Lorie.

The celebrations stepped up a gearwhen the Outdoor Valley climbing teamscaled the building to cut the 100 metrelong ribbon and Mayor Ivo Opstelten ofRotterdam gave a speech through aloudspeaker while wielding a pair of huge

scissors. As a finale, a dare-devil basejumper leapt from the top of the buildingto applause and gasps of amazementfrom the crowds below.

The day concluded with a party andbarbecue to celebrate the 35th anniversaryof RSM. Popular Dutch band Di-Rectentertained the crowds, who enjoyed asumptuous array of food and drink whilerenewing old friendships and catching upon university news.

”It was a fantastic event”, said LarissaWiltenburg, one of the organisers. “There

was a really superb atmosphere and agreat mix of students, staff and guests”.

The state-of-the-art T-building willaccommodate around 350 staff and6000 students, and is equipped with thelatest ICT infrastructure and world-classtechnology. The third floor computerrooms can accommodate almost 300people, while the restaurant and café/bar provides students and staff withcomfortable areas in which to meet andrelax over a drink or meal.

By Peter Benson

RSMOutlook 1918 RSMOutlook

THE RE-BRANDING OF ROTTERDAM: FRANS NESSELAAR

“In the late 1980’s, we felt it wasnecessary to re-brand Rotterdam becausethe city was known first and foremost asa port, and the local government realisedthat if we were going to succeed and growas an international city, we should broadenour economic base. So after a few yearsof intensive discussion between a numberof interested parties, RotterdamMarketing was set up. This organisationfocused on putting the city on the touristmap. We quickly discovered that ourimage was not particularly attractive totourists – they thought of us as a portcity, a city of workers and a businesscity, a place where there was very little todo and nowhere to have fun.

“These ideas were based on the factthat during the Second World War,Rotterdam was almost completelydestroyed by bombs and fire-storms, andit took us many years to rebuild. Ofcourse, by the time we’d finished theconstruction work, there were plenty ofplaces to go out and have fun – greatrestaurants, lively bars, world-classtheatres and concert halls, as well assome of the most breathtaking newarchitecture in Europe – but we hadforgotten to tell the world.

“We were quick to put this right, andwithin a few years, tourists were flockingto the city. However, improving ourtourist image was only one part of thestory – it was also vital to improve thecity’s economic image. So in 2001, Istarted working on this area. We wantedto encourage the businesses that werealready operating successfully in the city,especially those in the film andmedical/care sectors, but we also wantedto attract other industries. Over the nexteighteen months, we spoke to hundredsof different people from various groups,and as a result of our discussions,decided on a line that summed up thecorporate identity of the city: ‘Rotterdamis a young, international city on the water,with a down-to-earth, dynamic identity’.This led us on to a discussion about ourbrand values, which were eventuallynarrowed down to three: Ambition,Change and Involvement.

“Our ambition is best symbolised bythe magnificent new buildings thatdominate the city’s landscape, andespecially the Erasmus Bridge. Built in1996, this spectacular piece ofarchitectural engineering links the northand south of the city, and for manypeople sums up everything we stand for– we want to get things done in aninspirational and challenging way.

What does our city mean to us? How can we stand out from other international cities? What are our brandvalues? These were some of the questions asked when the decision was made

to re-brand the city of Rotterdam. Frans Nesselaar, the city’s Marketing and Brand

Consultant takes up the story:

“Change has always been a part ofRotterdam – throughout history we havenever been afraid to embrace it.Sometimes we instigated it ourselves, forexample when we pulled down the oldtown hall in 1920 and built a brand newone. Of course the destruction during thewar forced us to confront change in wayswe could never have anticipated, but werose to the challenge, and I think theresults speak for themselves.

“When it comes to the third value –involvement – business people will alwaystell you that there’s a great sense of co-operation in the city. It’s easy to getthings done, and as our reputation fordecisiveness and organisation grows, moreand more international companies arestaging events and festivals in the city”.

Re-branding is always going to be acomplicated operation, and whether theclient is a fashion house, a carmanufacturer or a city, there can be ahuge number of unexpected pitfalls. AsFrans Nesselaar explains: “One of thehardest jobs we faced was getting peopleto agree on a unified strategy anddirection – everyone we spoke to haddifferent ideas about how they saw thefuture of the city. Obviously, if you’re inbusiness, you want a business focus, butif you’re in the tourist industry, tourismis your first priority. But as I said before,the sense of co-operation in the city isone of its strengths, and by using a numberof different tools to support our brandstrategy – a road show, a film and a book– we managed to convince everyone thatstrength comes from unity of purpose.

“Now that the strategy is in place,we’ve started to promote the city as aplace where you can get things done,and where there’s room for initiative andsuccess. To begin with, we’re concentratingon a national advertising campaign toattract various types of industry –we’ve been particularly successful inattracting film animators to the city,and we’re fast building a reputation as being one of the most importantcentres for animation in Europe”.

Partnerships are a vital part of anyre-branding exercise, and FransNesselaar was instrumental inorganising the collaborativerelationships that are now playing suchan important part in Rotterdam’ssuccess. Business men and women fromsome of the most important companiesin the city have joined together to formThe Economic Development Board, andare spreading the word about the city’sattractions and benefits both nationallyand internationally.

“Overall”, says Frans Nesselaar, “theexercise has been a great success. Wealways knew we were a very ‘un-Dutch’city, and this has been one of our mostvaluable assets. The post-war regenerationof our city means that we don’t havemany of the things people associate withthe Netherlands – we don’t havewindmills or a great deal of oldarchitecture – but what we do have issome of the most spectacular newbuildings in Europe, a population drawnfrom the four corners of the world, and ahighly cosmopolitan atmosphere. Peopleoften say to me that Rotterdam feelsmore like an international city than aDutch city – and I think this proves thatwe’ve done a successful job”. ■

By Martyn Rochester

RSMOutlook 2120 RSMOutlook

THE RE-BRANDING OF ROTTERDAM: FRANS NESSELAAR

“In the late 1980’s, we felt it wasnecessary to re-brand Rotterdam becausethe city was known first and foremost asa port, and the local government realisedthat if we were going to succeed and growas an international city, we should broadenour economic base. So after a few yearsof intensive discussion between a numberof interested parties, RotterdamMarketing was set up. This organisationfocused on putting the city on the touristmap. We quickly discovered that ourimage was not particularly attractive totourists – they thought of us as a portcity, a city of workers and a businesscity, a place where there was very little todo and nowhere to have fun.

“These ideas were based on the factthat during the Second World War,Rotterdam was almost completelydestroyed by bombs and fire-storms, andit took us many years to rebuild. Ofcourse, by the time we’d finished theconstruction work, there were plenty ofplaces to go out and have fun – greatrestaurants, lively bars, world-classtheatres and concert halls, as well assome of the most breathtaking newarchitecture in Europe – but we hadforgotten to tell the world.

“We were quick to put this right, andwithin a few years, tourists were flockingto the city. However, improving ourtourist image was only one part of thestory – it was also vital to improve thecity’s economic image. So in 2001, Istarted working on this area. We wantedto encourage the businesses that werealready operating successfully in the city,especially those in the film andmedical/care sectors, but we also wantedto attract other industries. Over the nexteighteen months, we spoke to hundredsof different people from various groups,and as a result of our discussions,decided on a line that summed up thecorporate identity of the city: ‘Rotterdamis a young, international city on the water,with a down-to-earth, dynamic identity’.This led us on to a discussion about ourbrand values, which were eventuallynarrowed down to three: Ambition,Change and Involvement.

“Our ambition is best symbolised bythe magnificent new buildings thatdominate the city’s landscape, andespecially the Erasmus Bridge. Built in1996, this spectacular piece ofarchitectural engineering links the northand south of the city, and for manypeople sums up everything we stand for– we want to get things done in aninspirational and challenging way.

What does our city mean to us? How can we stand out from other international cities? What are our brandvalues? These were some of the questions asked when the decision was made

to re-brand the city of Rotterdam. Frans Nesselaar, the city’s Marketing and Brand

Consultant takes up the story:

“Change has always been a part ofRotterdam – throughout history we havenever been afraid to embrace it.Sometimes we instigated it ourselves, forexample when we pulled down the oldtown hall in 1920 and built a brand newone. Of course the destruction during thewar forced us to confront change in wayswe could never have anticipated, but werose to the challenge, and I think theresults speak for themselves.

“When it comes to the third value –involvement – business people will alwaystell you that there’s a great sense of co-operation in the city. It’s easy to getthings done, and as our reputation fordecisiveness and organisation grows, moreand more international companies arestaging events and festivals in the city”.

Re-branding is always going to be acomplicated operation, and whether theclient is a fashion house, a carmanufacturer or a city, there can be ahuge number of unexpected pitfalls. AsFrans Nesselaar explains: “One of thehardest jobs we faced was getting peopleto agree on a unified strategy anddirection – everyone we spoke to haddifferent ideas about how they saw thefuture of the city. Obviously, if you’re inbusiness, you want a business focus, butif you’re in the tourist industry, tourismis your first priority. But as I said before,the sense of co-operation in the city isone of its strengths, and by using a numberof different tools to support our brandstrategy – a road show, a film and a book– we managed to convince everyone thatstrength comes from unity of purpose.

“Now that the strategy is in place,we’ve started to promote the city as aplace where you can get things done,and where there’s room for initiative andsuccess. To begin with, we’re concentratingon a national advertising campaign toattract various types of industry –we’ve been particularly successful inattracting film animators to the city,and we’re fast building a reputation as being one of the most importantcentres for animation in Europe”.

Partnerships are a vital part of anyre-branding exercise, and FransNesselaar was instrumental inorganising the collaborativerelationships that are now playing suchan important part in Rotterdam’ssuccess. Business men and women fromsome of the most important companiesin the city have joined together to formThe Economic Development Board, andare spreading the word about the city’sattractions and benefits both nationallyand internationally.

“Overall”, says Frans Nesselaar, “theexercise has been a great success. Wealways knew we were a very ‘un-Dutch’city, and this has been one of our mostvaluable assets. The post-war regenerationof our city means that we don’t havemany of the things people associate withthe Netherlands – we don’t havewindmills or a great deal of oldarchitecture – but what we do have issome of the most spectacular newbuildings in Europe, a population drawnfrom the four corners of the world, and ahighly cosmopolitan atmosphere. Peopleoften say to me that Rotterdam feelsmore like an international city than aDutch city – and I think this proves thatwe’ve done a successful job”. ■

By Martyn Rochester

RSMOutlook 2120 RSMOutlook

EXECUTIVE EDUCATION AT RSM ERASMUS UNIVERSITY

s Director of RSM ErasmusUniversity’s Executive Educationand Development Office,

Anna Pehar focuses primarily on long-term client relationships. ExecutiveEducation is the youngest RSMdepartment, having emerged from theMBA course in the mid-1980’s. Thedepartment made it’s mark by devisingtailored programmes for Dutch multi-nationals and then by acquiring clientsfrom other countries.

Now, with the trend towards moreindividual, tailored training, the ExecutiveEducation Department has never beenbusier. And while more companies areattracted to the way the department buildsongoing partnerships, former clients keepcoming back for more.

The department’s oldest client is theDSM chemical company for which, aswell as introducing a host of new courses,the School continues to run an updatedversion of the first programme it created15 years ago (see case study).

Unlike most schools, RSM’sExecutive Education Department has nodefault programmes; every course istailored individually for every client.State-of-the-art content is guaranteed aseach course is monitored by a facultymember, and the content is presented ina way which encourages delegates to putlearning into practice.

The growth of the Executive EducationDepartment is carefully planned andnurtured. Pehar joined to head the

department five years ago and has nowestablished a unit dedicated to businessdevelopment, which ensures that thedepartment sustains its growth and thequality of its delivery.

Her unit, unusual in the academicworld, reflects the fact that although itsprimary focus is maintaining the excellentacademic standards of RSM, thedepartment has a contemporary, business-like approach to its disciplines reflectingthe needs and demands of its clients.

A former business person herself,Pehar is one of several managers whorun the postgraduate part of thebusiness school, allowing academics tofocus on teaching. She explains: “It’sunusual to have a school run bymanagers, but the combination ofacademic input and real-life businessexperience works really well. Everyonedoes what they’re good at”.

Pehar’s business development unitworks closely with a dedicated designfunction, headed by her colleague KlaasWassens, which identifies content andstyle for every course, and with a ‘deliveryfunction’ which ensures that theprogrammes are run efficiently. It is asystem carefully calculated to guaranteethat the department reacts quickly andflexibly to client demands.

Because flexibility is critical, thedepartment has 25 programme stafforganising and managing courses,frequently flying over the world to facilitateon-site programmes.

With the trend towards tailoredprogrammes, RSM even finds itselfworking with other business schools toinclude different specialities and brandsin one programme or to conduct the sameprogramme on multiple global locations.

Pehar knows that in today’s climate,every single programme must achieve itsobjective – and, she stresses, the objectiveis not necessarily a financial return oninvestment:

“Clients are just as likely to want toimprove their supply and demand chain,or to help their Human Resources (HR)people become HR consultants. As longas our programmes have a genuineimpact on the organisation, then we havedone our job”. By Gail Kemp

A

L“ eadership programmes for youngexecutives from many providers usuallyhave a mix of content, competence andbusiness information. In our experiencethese programmes are at the most a pot-pourri of different approaches and topics.Providers find it hard to really integratecontent and competence into one newlearning experience. However, day-to-daypractice at work is integrated and thereforean integral approach in the programmeand the transfer of learning to practiceneeds to be at the heart of each programme.

This is exactly what we seek toaccomplish with the partnership of theDSM Business Academy with RSM for thedevelopment of our new ‘ManagementProgramme’ that is aimed at graduates intheir second or third position in DSM.Together we wrote an extensive‘storyline’ that describes the process ofthe programme from the eyes of theparticipant as if he/she is keeping a diaryof what happened. It is a great tool fortaking care that content and competenceare included and weaved into one.

We work with faculty that are very goodin both their own area and in personalcompetence development and that alsoare willing to act as a team. This requiresflexibility and an entrepreneurial spirit offaculty and a business school that under-stands that corporate programmes are morethen yet another teaching engagement”.

Jan Peter de Vries, DevelopmentManager, DSM Business Academy

“Clients are just as likely to want to improve their supply

and demand chain, or to help their HR people become

HR consultants. As long as our programs have a genuine

impact on the organisation, then we have done our job”.

Anna Pehar

On 8th October, RSM ErasmusUniversity’s Alumni Office (MSc/drs/PhDalumni) marked the School’s 35thanniversary with an event thatacknowledged the past, celebrated thepresent and looked forward to the futureof one of the largest and most dynamicbusiness schools in Europe.

Over the years, the alumni office hasprovided Business Administrationgraduates and PhD’s with the opportunityto keep in touch, share experiences andin many cases build lasting andprofitable commercial relationships.

The office organises a wide range ofactivities, including master classes,

themed meetings, workshops, site visits,and the publication of online yearbooks.An e-newsletter and website enablesalumni to keep in touch with each other,and also informs them of the many socialevents organised by RSM.

The 35th anniversary events wereheld in the School’s new home, thelandmark T-Building on ErasmusUniversity’s Woudestein Campus.

All members of the BusinessAdministration’s Alumni network wereinvited to join the celebrations, and staffwere on hand to show them around thenew building and its state-of-the-artfacilities.

After an introductory speech of dean(and Alumnus) Han van Dissel, in whichhe focused on the School’s vision andstrategy, futurologist Adjiedj Bakas tookthe 400 participants on a trip throughEurope in the 2050’s. Very instructiveand inspirational! After lunch, alumnitook the chance to attend two mini-lectures,provided by some of their favouriteprofessors and new talent.

During the drinks, alumni had the chanceto renew old friendships – and make newones – over a glass or two of wine.

By Peter Benson

Big Business

Administration Reunion.

School Celebrates 35th

Anniversary for Alumni

CASE STUDY: JAN PETER DE VRIES

RSMOutlook 2322 RSMOutlook

EXECUTIVE EDUCATION AT RSM ERASMUS UNIVERSITY

s Director of RSM ErasmusUniversity’s Executive Educationand Development Office,

Anna Pehar focuses primarily on long-term client relationships. ExecutiveEducation is the youngest RSMdepartment, having emerged from theMBA course in the mid-1980’s. Thedepartment made it’s mark by devisingtailored programmes for Dutch multi-nationals and then by acquiring clientsfrom other countries.

Now, with the trend towards moreindividual, tailored training, the ExecutiveEducation Department has never beenbusier. And while more companies areattracted to the way the department buildsongoing partnerships, former clients keepcoming back for more.

The department’s oldest client is theDSM chemical company for which, aswell as introducing a host of new courses,the School continues to run an updatedversion of the first programme it created15 years ago (see case study).

Unlike most schools, RSM’sExecutive Education Department has nodefault programmes; every course istailored individually for every client.State-of-the-art content is guaranteed aseach course is monitored by a facultymember, and the content is presented ina way which encourages delegates to putlearning into practice.

The growth of the Executive EducationDepartment is carefully planned andnurtured. Pehar joined to head the

department five years ago and has nowestablished a unit dedicated to businessdevelopment, which ensures that thedepartment sustains its growth and thequality of its delivery.

Her unit, unusual in the academicworld, reflects the fact that although itsprimary focus is maintaining the excellentacademic standards of RSM, thedepartment has a contemporary, business-like approach to its disciplines reflectingthe needs and demands of its clients.

A former business person herself,Pehar is one of several managers whorun the postgraduate part of thebusiness school, allowing academics tofocus on teaching. She explains: “It’sunusual to have a school run bymanagers, but the combination ofacademic input and real-life businessexperience works really well. Everyonedoes what they’re good at”.

Pehar’s business development unitworks closely with a dedicated designfunction, headed by her colleague KlaasWassens, which identifies content andstyle for every course, and with a ‘deliveryfunction’ which ensures that theprogrammes are run efficiently. It is asystem carefully calculated to guaranteethat the department reacts quickly andflexibly to client demands.

Because flexibility is critical, thedepartment has 25 programme stafforganising and managing courses,frequently flying over the world to facilitateon-site programmes.

With the trend towards tailoredprogrammes, RSM even finds itselfworking with other business schools toinclude different specialities and brandsin one programme or to conduct the sameprogramme on multiple global locations.

Pehar knows that in today’s climate,every single programme must achieve itsobjective – and, she stresses, the objectiveis not necessarily a financial return oninvestment:

“Clients are just as likely to want toimprove their supply and demand chain,or to help their Human Resources (HR)people become HR consultants. As longas our programmes have a genuineimpact on the organisation, then we havedone our job”. By Gail Kemp

A

L“ eadership programmes for youngexecutives from many providers usuallyhave a mix of content, competence andbusiness information. In our experiencethese programmes are at the most a pot-pourri of different approaches and topics.Providers find it hard to really integratecontent and competence into one newlearning experience. However, day-to-daypractice at work is integrated and thereforean integral approach in the programmeand the transfer of learning to practiceneeds to be at the heart of each programme.

This is exactly what we seek toaccomplish with the partnership of theDSM Business Academy with RSM for thedevelopment of our new ‘ManagementProgramme’ that is aimed at graduates intheir second or third position in DSM.Together we wrote an extensive‘storyline’ that describes the process ofthe programme from the eyes of theparticipant as if he/she is keeping a diaryof what happened. It is a great tool fortaking care that content and competenceare included and weaved into one.

We work with faculty that are very goodin both their own area and in personalcompetence development and that alsoare willing to act as a team. This requiresflexibility and an entrepreneurial spirit offaculty and a business school that under-stands that corporate programmes are morethen yet another teaching engagement”.

Jan Peter de Vries, DevelopmentManager, DSM Business Academy

“Clients are just as likely to want to improve their supply

and demand chain, or to help their HR people become

HR consultants. As long as our programs have a genuine

impact on the organisation, then we have done our job”.

Anna Pehar

On 8th October, RSM ErasmusUniversity’s Alumni Office (MSc/drs/PhDalumni) marked the School’s 35thanniversary with an event thatacknowledged the past, celebrated thepresent and looked forward to the futureof one of the largest and most dynamicbusiness schools in Europe.

Over the years, the alumni office hasprovided Business Administrationgraduates and PhD’s with the opportunityto keep in touch, share experiences andin many cases build lasting andprofitable commercial relationships.

The office organises a wide range ofactivities, including master classes,

themed meetings, workshops, site visits,and the publication of online yearbooks.An e-newsletter and website enablesalumni to keep in touch with each other,and also informs them of the many socialevents organised by RSM.

The 35th anniversary events wereheld in the School’s new home, thelandmark T-Building on ErasmusUniversity’s Woudestein Campus.

All members of the BusinessAdministration’s Alumni network wereinvited to join the celebrations, and staffwere on hand to show them around thenew building and its state-of-the-artfacilities.

After an introductory speech of dean(and Alumnus) Han van Dissel, in whichhe focused on the School’s vision andstrategy, futurologist Adjiedj Bakas tookthe 400 participants on a trip throughEurope in the 2050’s. Very instructiveand inspirational! After lunch, alumnitook the chance to attend two mini-lectures,provided by some of their favouriteprofessors and new talent.

During the drinks, alumni had the chanceto renew old friendships – and make newones – over a glass or two of wine.

By Peter Benson

Big Business

Administration Reunion.

School Celebrates 35th

Anniversary for Alumni

CASE STUDY: JAN PETER DE VRIES

RSMOutlook 2322 RSMOutlook

CORPORATE BRANDING IN PRACTICE: BERRY OONK

In August 2005, Oonk was appointedAkzo Nobel’s Head of Corporate BrandManagement as part of a revitalisation ofthe Corporate Communications Department,which was designed to further strengthenthe company’s international image. Therole of his brand management unit (oneof five departments within Akzo NobelCorporate Communications) is to updateand clarify the positioning for the AkzoNobel corporate brand and, moreimportantly, to build on it.

It is a challenging brief. Akzo Nobelis a diversified, multi-cultural group ofcompanies with global activities spanninghuman and animal healthcare, coatingsand chemicals. It is not, as Oonk freelyadmits, like working for Coca-Cola orBMW, which have quite (narrow) focusedbusiness areas and strong corporate brands.

“Strong corporate branding has some-times been neglected and is not alwayssufficiently valued in some industries.We are evolving as a company and weneed to find enough common groundacross our different businesses, culturesand product portfolio to create a strongcorporate brand”.

Ultimately, Oonk envisages the updatedAkzo Nobel brand positioning as a beacon,streamlining all company initiatives andactivities, creating a frame of referencefor internal and external stakeholdersand setting the organisation apart fromits competitors.

He is currently talking to consultantsand is engaged in internal and externalresearch, with a view towards clarifying abrand strategy and brand positioning.Furthermore in 2006, new corporateidentity guidelines will be introduced andimplemented. Then, his department willstart building the brand with tools suchas (internal) branding activities, corporate

identity, in-house magazines, promotionalmarketing and advertising, while a newcorporate sponsorship programme willalso be launched.

As a company ranked 278th in theFortune 500, Akzo Nobel knows thevalue of corporate communications –but it admits that it has been ‘punchingbelow its weight’. It also admits that thestakeholder perspective will be a majorfocus of the current repositioning andOonk is ensuring that existing internaland external stakeholders are consultedthroughout and included in the exercise.

One of his biggest challenges will bemaking sure that the positioning is relevantto Akzo Nobel’s 62000 employees acrossthe world: “It has to start internally – ifour employees don’t think the positioningfits with their experience, then it’s afailure. They are the first and by far themost important ambassadors of our AkzoNobel brand”.

“We need to build the positioning andthen ‘live the brand’ internally becausepositioning has to work from the bottomup, as well as from the top down. Thatis why branding and Human Resources(HR) need to be interlinked because ifthere is not a fit internally, it is nevergoing to work externally. We have tomake sure that both internal andexternal stakeholders are clear aboutwhat we stand for”.

Oonk’s heritage, both as an RSMalumnus and as corporate brand managerin his former company Royal DSM N.V.,will stand him in good stead for the taskahead. At RSM, he completed a Masterof Science in Business Administrationand studied for the CEMS pan-EuropeanMaster Degree in InternationalManagement, a programme taught jointlyby 17 leading European management

schools. He is currently completing hisMaster degree in Brand Management.

While at DSM, Oonk played animportant role in the repositioningexercise, which helped turn the companyinto a highly successful brand in thechemical industry with a share pricewhich doubled in just a few years.

Oonk believes that bottom line impactis a key factor in the current boardroompreoccupation with corporate branding.“Many companies have realised howeffective corporate branding can boostprofits. But its value is greater than that,both in the short-term and the long-term.

“Of course it can impact on share priceand profitability. It also helps attractinvestors as well as the best talent, andmakes a huge difference if a companyintends to launch new products inemerging markets. New products areaccepted far faster and much morereadily if you have a strong corporatebrand than if you are an unknown company.And your workforce is happier, morefocused; it is an enormous advantage tohave proud and motivated employees.

He continues to be guided by theRotterdam motto ‘Stop talking, start acting’which, he says, is embodied in the practicalbusiness education he received at RSM:“Corporate branding is not an academicexercise – it has to be rooted in the realexperience and the real expectations ofthe brand among all its internal andexternal stakeholders.” By Gail Kemp

Corporate branding might not be as well understood and as straightforward

as product branding, but it is a discipline which has definitely come of

age. And Berry Oonk, an alumnus from RSM Erasmus University, is

determined to be at the forefront of its development.

Some of the participants were well versedin the arts of wine tasting while others wereless experienced, but all were united bya love of the grape.

Held on 2nd September, the eventstarted with a tour of the University’ssuperb new T-Building and its state-of-the-art facilities. Non-alcoholic drinksand snacks were served before RSMUniversity’s Dean, Han van Dissel, gave ashort speech on 35 years of the BusinessSchool. This was followed by a welcomingintroduction from chairman and wineconnoisseur Paul Verhaegen (also DeanInternational Affairs of Erasmus andChairman of CEMS) who talked about theidea behind the event, and his hopes thatthe wine chosen would reflect the qualitiesfor which the School is justifiably famous.

The wine tasting competition itself wasa lively affair, with a delicious tapas buffetand seven very different wines to chosefrom. Two came from France, three were

Spanish and the final two were from Italy.The mediocre bottles were quicklyeliminated, but when it came to choosingthe favourites, the discussion became morepassionate. Two wines emerged as possiblewinners – The Alba de los Infantes Crianza2000 is a Spanish red, and won theprestigious Golden Bacchus award in 2004.With a powerful nose and a warm, richtaste, this wine was considered by manyto represent the professional aspects ofthe School.

However, The DOC Leverano Rosso2002 also had its supporters, who enjoyedits light, easy drinking characteristicsand the distinct sparkle – many peoplebelieved that this mirrored the livelyatmosphere of the School. At this point,with a final decision deadlocked, it wasdecided to insert an extra ballot – afterthis was held, the Alba was announcedas the winner.

However, there is a possibility that theLeverano may enjoy its time in the spotlight,as the School’s specially selected aperitif fordrinks parties, dinners and buffets, whilethe Alba will be kept in reserve for use asa special gift to staff, visitors and guests.

As a social event, the wine tastingcompetition was a great success, withopportunities for informal chat andnetworking, and at the end of the evening,participants left secure in the knowledgethat they had provided the School with aliquid ambassador of the highest quality.

By Peter Benson

WINE TASTING EVENT

Palates were challenged and thirsts quenched at the recent RSM Erasmus University wine tasting

competition. Organised to select a wine that best represents the University’s Business School,

the event was attended by alumni, students, staff and two members of the University Board.

RSMOutlook 2524 RSMOutlook

CORPORATE BRANDING IN PRACTICE: BERRY OONK

In August 2005, Oonk was appointedAkzo Nobel’s Head of Corporate BrandManagement as part of a revitalisation ofthe Corporate Communications Department,which was designed to further strengthenthe company’s international image. Therole of his brand management unit (oneof five departments within Akzo NobelCorporate Communications) is to updateand clarify the positioning for the AkzoNobel corporate brand and, moreimportantly, to build on it.

It is a challenging brief. Akzo Nobelis a diversified, multi-cultural group ofcompanies with global activities spanninghuman and animal healthcare, coatingsand chemicals. It is not, as Oonk freelyadmits, like working for Coca-Cola orBMW, which have quite (narrow) focusedbusiness areas and strong corporate brands.

“Strong corporate branding has some-times been neglected and is not alwayssufficiently valued in some industries.We are evolving as a company and weneed to find enough common groundacross our different businesses, culturesand product portfolio to create a strongcorporate brand”.

Ultimately, Oonk envisages the updatedAkzo Nobel brand positioning as a beacon,streamlining all company initiatives andactivities, creating a frame of referencefor internal and external stakeholdersand setting the organisation apart fromits competitors.

He is currently talking to consultantsand is engaged in internal and externalresearch, with a view towards clarifying abrand strategy and brand positioning.Furthermore in 2006, new corporateidentity guidelines will be introduced andimplemented. Then, his department willstart building the brand with tools suchas (internal) branding activities, corporate

identity, in-house magazines, promotionalmarketing and advertising, while a newcorporate sponsorship programme willalso be launched.

As a company ranked 278th in theFortune 500, Akzo Nobel knows thevalue of corporate communications –but it admits that it has been ‘punchingbelow its weight’. It also admits that thestakeholder perspective will be a majorfocus of the current repositioning andOonk is ensuring that existing internaland external stakeholders are consultedthroughout and included in the exercise.

One of his biggest challenges will bemaking sure that the positioning is relevantto Akzo Nobel’s 62000 employees acrossthe world: “It has to start internally – ifour employees don’t think the positioningfits with their experience, then it’s afailure. They are the first and by far themost important ambassadors of our AkzoNobel brand”.

“We need to build the positioning andthen ‘live the brand’ internally becausepositioning has to work from the bottomup, as well as from the top down. Thatis why branding and Human Resources(HR) need to be interlinked because ifthere is not a fit internally, it is nevergoing to work externally. We have tomake sure that both internal andexternal stakeholders are clear aboutwhat we stand for”.

Oonk’s heritage, both as an RSMalumnus and as corporate brand managerin his former company Royal DSM N.V.,will stand him in good stead for the taskahead. At RSM, he completed a Masterof Science in Business Administrationand studied for the CEMS pan-EuropeanMaster Degree in InternationalManagement, a programme taught jointlyby 17 leading European management

schools. He is currently completing hisMaster degree in Brand Management.

While at DSM, Oonk played animportant role in the repositioningexercise, which helped turn the companyinto a highly successful brand in thechemical industry with a share pricewhich doubled in just a few years.

Oonk believes that bottom line impactis a key factor in the current boardroompreoccupation with corporate branding.“Many companies have realised howeffective corporate branding can boostprofits. But its value is greater than that,both in the short-term and the long-term.

“Of course it can impact on share priceand profitability. It also helps attractinvestors as well as the best talent, andmakes a huge difference if a companyintends to launch new products inemerging markets. New products areaccepted far faster and much morereadily if you have a strong corporatebrand than if you are an unknown company.And your workforce is happier, morefocused; it is an enormous advantage tohave proud and motivated employees.

He continues to be guided by theRotterdam motto ‘Stop talking, start acting’which, he says, is embodied in the practicalbusiness education he received at RSM:“Corporate branding is not an academicexercise – it has to be rooted in the realexperience and the real expectations ofthe brand among all its internal andexternal stakeholders.” By Gail Kemp

Corporate branding might not be as well understood and as straightforward

as product branding, but it is a discipline which has definitely come of

age. And Berry Oonk, an alumnus from RSM Erasmus University, is

determined to be at the forefront of its development.

Some of the participants were well versedin the arts of wine tasting while others wereless experienced, but all were united bya love of the grape.

Held on 2nd September, the eventstarted with a tour of the University’ssuperb new T-Building and its state-of-the-art facilities. Non-alcoholic drinksand snacks were served before RSMUniversity’s Dean, Han van Dissel, gave ashort speech on 35 years of the BusinessSchool. This was followed by a welcomingintroduction from chairman and wineconnoisseur Paul Verhaegen (also DeanInternational Affairs of Erasmus andChairman of CEMS) who talked about theidea behind the event, and his hopes thatthe wine chosen would reflect the qualitiesfor which the School is justifiably famous.

The wine tasting competition itself wasa lively affair, with a delicious tapas buffetand seven very different wines to chosefrom. Two came from France, three were

Spanish and the final two were from Italy.The mediocre bottles were quicklyeliminated, but when it came to choosingthe favourites, the discussion became morepassionate. Two wines emerged as possiblewinners – The Alba de los Infantes Crianza2000 is a Spanish red, and won theprestigious Golden Bacchus award in 2004.With a powerful nose and a warm, richtaste, this wine was considered by manyto represent the professional aspects ofthe School.

However, The DOC Leverano Rosso2002 also had its supporters, who enjoyedits light, easy drinking characteristicsand the distinct sparkle – many peoplebelieved that this mirrored the livelyatmosphere of the School. At this point,with a final decision deadlocked, it wasdecided to insert an extra ballot – afterthis was held, the Alba was announcedas the winner.

However, there is a possibility that theLeverano may enjoy its time in the spotlight,as the School’s specially selected aperitif fordrinks parties, dinners and buffets, whilethe Alba will be kept in reserve for use asa special gift to staff, visitors and guests.

As a social event, the wine tastingcompetition was a great success, withopportunities for informal chat andnetworking, and at the end of the evening,participants left secure in the knowledgethat they had provided the School with aliquid ambassador of the highest quality.

By Peter Benson

WINE TASTING EVENT

Palates were challenged and thirsts quenched at the recent RSM Erasmus University wine tasting

competition. Organised to select a wine that best represents the University’s Business School,

the event was attended by alumni, students, staff and two members of the University Board.

RSMOutlook 2524 RSMOutlook

RSMOutlook 2726 RSMOutlook

TomTom’s navigation solutions helppeople go from A to B in the easiest waypossible. The company believes, “Like amap, or asking a local, it shouldn’t need amanual”. Founded in 1991 in Amsterdam,its products are used by more than amillion customers in 16 countries and it isavailable in 18 languages.

The jury praised TomTom as a Dutchmarketing success in a very difficult market.“The market is difficult for two reasons”,explains Ribbink. “First, although therewere other products in the market at thetime, the product category had not yetbeen created in the mind of the consumer.

Creating a category is hard work bydefinition because it’s unknown. It doesn’thappen very often; however, the processwas made easier by the fact that ‘personalcar navigation’ addresses a real need.

“Secondly,” he continues, “consumerelectronics is a fiendishly difficult area tobe successful in. Philips was the last majorDutch company to have had a largesuccess”. Ribbink believes there is areason why Philips has a ‘sense andsimplicity’ approach. “Consumers wantgood products that are easy to use. AtPhilips they are saying it, and I’m sure theymean it,” Ribbink smiles, “And we weredoing it as they started their campaign”.

Simple but not simplisticTomTom’s marketing strategy begins

with selling products that address real,but unfulfilled, needs. Then, they establishstrong communication with their customers.Ribbink emphasises, “We reallycommunicate with our consumers. We tryto make them understand what ourproducts can do for them and do so in aninformative but distinctive way: simplebut not simplistic”. He says, “For mostpeople, this is a first-time purchase, sowe need to give people confidence andshow them that the brand is for real”.

In addition to their core marketingapproaches, TomTom also made a shiftto address all car drivers, while theircompetitors only focus on new car buyers.Current estimates say that eight percentof Europe’s 192 million cars are new and

less than ten percent, or 1.5 million, ofthese new cars are fitted with a navigationsystem. That means that a Europeanmarket of over 190 million cars couldeasily use a TomTom device.

TomTom asks, “Is a built-in dashboardnavigation system really a big consumerneed?”. Although personal navigation is acar device at this point, they aretransforming it into a personal device.They consider the process similar towhat happened with car phones. Ribbinkexplains, “A decade a go, phones wereinstalled in cars – the product categorywas called a ‘car phone’ – only later didit become ‘mobile phone’. Nowadays, wehave personal mobile phones. Personalnavigation devices can evolve to meetconsumer needs in the same way”.

Ribbink joined TomTom because of thechallenge to address real, but unfulfilledconsumer needs. He explains, “At Mars orUnilever, where the battle is supposed to

“SHOW THEM THE BRAND IS FOR REAL” MBA ALUMNUS ALEXA NDER RIBBINK THE DUTCH 2005 MARKETEER OF THE YEAR

Alexander Ribbink, Chief Operating Officer of TomTom, is the

Dutch 2005 Marketeer of the Year. Former Vice President of

brand development at Mars Inc, Ribbink joined TomTom in

November 2003 to drive the marketing of their growing range

of navigation products.

be about innovation, a lot of time is spenton managing mature markets, whichbecomes more a game of cost-cutting mixedwith a bit of clever marketing”. He feelsthere is very little product differentiationbetween the big eight players. The focusof these ‘marketeers’, who are essentiallydoing trade marketing, is on costs not onnew categories, communication, needsand wants.

“I don’t believe in marketing theory”Ribbink defines a good marketeer as

someone who is curious and modest, inthe sense that he is able to put himself insomeone else’s position, instead of stickingto his own opinion or background. “Andit’s someone who is outward-looking,extroverted and slightly nervous,” Ribbinkadds. He proposes that being a littlenervous enables one to remain agile andto act and react in changing environments.A marketeer should lead because he feels

rather than knows what the consumer wants. Reflecting on all he has learned

about marketing and branding over theyears, Ribbink says, “I have never beenimpressed by marketing theory. Neverever. When I was at University theimpression was given that it is all aboutstatistics and behavioural models. Ithink that’s nonsense. A marketeer issomeone who understands consumers,communication and wants to make money.Marketing is not a science. That’s why Ienjoyed my MBA so much: it had a personaland interactive case study approach.

“I’m not a big collector of marketingliterature”. Ribbink shares his favouritebooks on the subject: a recent work onpositioning by Rositter, Advertising &Promotion Management, and Disruption:Overturning Conventions and Shaking Upthe Marketplace, by a great man in theadvertising world, Jean-Marie Dru. “But”,Ribbink concludes with a smile, “I’d

rather get inspiration from currentaffairs, modern Dutch poetry and visitsto museums.

Why ‘TomTom’? The company name derives from

strong communication links with ancientdrumming. Some experts say thatlanguage may have begun withdrumming, and simple drums like thedouble-headed Native American tom-tomand the talking drums of Africa, havealways been used for signalling,imitating the pitch patterns of languageand transmitting messages over manymiles, just like TomTom.

This article was based on an interviewby Lars Duursma and Job ten Bosch inInterface (the student magazine of RSMErasmus University) ■

RSMOutlook 2726 RSMOutlook

TomTom’s navigation solutions helppeople go from A to B in the easiest waypossible. The company believes, “Like amap, or asking a local, it shouldn’t need amanual”. Founded in 1991 in Amsterdam,its products are used by more than amillion customers in 16 countries and it isavailable in 18 languages.

The jury praised TomTom as a Dutchmarketing success in a very difficult market.“The market is difficult for two reasons”,explains Ribbink. “First, although therewere other products in the market at thetime, the product category had not yetbeen created in the mind of the consumer.

Creating a category is hard work bydefinition because it’s unknown. It doesn’thappen very often; however, the processwas made easier by the fact that ‘personalcar navigation’ addresses a real need.

“Secondly,” he continues, “consumerelectronics is a fiendishly difficult area tobe successful in. Philips was the last majorDutch company to have had a largesuccess”. Ribbink believes there is areason why Philips has a ‘sense andsimplicity’ approach. “Consumers wantgood products that are easy to use. AtPhilips they are saying it, and I’m sure theymean it,” Ribbink smiles, “And we weredoing it as they started their campaign”.

Simple but not simplisticTomTom’s marketing strategy begins

with selling products that address real,but unfulfilled, needs. Then, they establishstrong communication with their customers.Ribbink emphasises, “We reallycommunicate with our consumers. We tryto make them understand what ourproducts can do for them and do so in aninformative but distinctive way: simplebut not simplistic”. He says, “For mostpeople, this is a first-time purchase, sowe need to give people confidence andshow them that the brand is for real”.

In addition to their core marketingapproaches, TomTom also made a shiftto address all car drivers, while theircompetitors only focus on new car buyers.Current estimates say that eight percentof Europe’s 192 million cars are new and

less than ten percent, or 1.5 million, ofthese new cars are fitted with a navigationsystem. That means that a Europeanmarket of over 190 million cars couldeasily use a TomTom device.

TomTom asks, “Is a built-in dashboardnavigation system really a big consumerneed?”. Although personal navigation is acar device at this point, they aretransforming it into a personal device.They consider the process similar towhat happened with car phones. Ribbinkexplains, “A decade a go, phones wereinstalled in cars – the product categorywas called a ‘car phone’ – only later didit become ‘mobile phone’. Nowadays, wehave personal mobile phones. Personalnavigation devices can evolve to meetconsumer needs in the same way”.

Ribbink joined TomTom because of thechallenge to address real, but unfulfilledconsumer needs. He explains, “At Mars orUnilever, where the battle is supposed to

“SHOW THEM THE BRAND IS FOR REAL” MBA ALUMNUS ALEXA NDER RIBBINK THE DUTCH 2005 MARKETEER OF THE YEAR

Alexander Ribbink, Chief Operating Officer of TomTom, is the

Dutch 2005 Marketeer of the Year. Former Vice President of

brand development at Mars Inc, Ribbink joined TomTom in

November 2003 to drive the marketing of their growing range

of navigation products.

be about innovation, a lot of time is spenton managing mature markets, whichbecomes more a game of cost-cutting mixedwith a bit of clever marketing”. He feelsthere is very little product differentiationbetween the big eight players. The focusof these ‘marketeers’, who are essentiallydoing trade marketing, is on costs not onnew categories, communication, needsand wants.

“I don’t believe in marketing theory”Ribbink defines a good marketeer as

someone who is curious and modest, inthe sense that he is able to put himself insomeone else’s position, instead of stickingto his own opinion or background. “Andit’s someone who is outward-looking,extroverted and slightly nervous,” Ribbinkadds. He proposes that being a littlenervous enables one to remain agile andto act and react in changing environments.A marketeer should lead because he feels

rather than knows what the consumer wants. Reflecting on all he has learned

about marketing and branding over theyears, Ribbink says, “I have never beenimpressed by marketing theory. Neverever. When I was at University theimpression was given that it is all aboutstatistics and behavioural models. Ithink that’s nonsense. A marketeer issomeone who understands consumers,communication and wants to make money.Marketing is not a science. That’s why Ienjoyed my MBA so much: it had a personaland interactive case study approach.

“I’m not a big collector of marketingliterature”. Ribbink shares his favouritebooks on the subject: a recent work onpositioning by Rositter, Advertising &Promotion Management, and Disruption:Overturning Conventions and Shaking Upthe Marketplace, by a great man in theadvertising world, Jean-Marie Dru. “But”,Ribbink concludes with a smile, “I’d

rather get inspiration from currentaffairs, modern Dutch poetry and visitsto museums.

Why ‘TomTom’? The company name derives from

strong communication links with ancientdrumming. Some experts say thatlanguage may have begun withdrumming, and simple drums like thedouble-headed Native American tom-tomand the talking drums of Africa, havealways been used for signalling,imitating the pitch patterns of languageand transmitting messages over manymiles, just like TomTom.

This article was based on an interviewby Lars Duursma and Job ten Bosch inInterface (the student magazine of RSMErasmus University) ■

“Networking is the invisible skill thatcapitalises on contacts and expandedsocial ties. Local chapters and alumnimeet around the globe, but what each ofyou needs to ask yourself is: are theselinkages sustained? Do they crossgenerations? Are they valuable andsupportive”.

This was an appropriate subject for aspeech welcoming around 120 MBAalumni to their fifth, tenth and fifteenth-year reunions. For this community ofcompany executives and directors,networking, along with reacquaintingwith staff and colleagues, was no doubthigh on the weekend’s agenda. That andthe keynote speech being delivered byTarek Heggy, an Egyptian political writerof global acclaim on the subjects ofpetroleum and international business inthe Middle East.

The MBA Alumni anniversary event,organised for the MBA classes of ’90,‘95 and ‘00, united alumni from over 20different countries with classmates,friends and RSM staff. Over 150 alumniand their partners flew from as far asChina, Brazil and the United States to

attend the reunion, which mixed socialopportunities like golf, dinners and drinks,with photo sessions and speeches. One ofthe highlights of the event was the keynoteaddress by Tarek Heggy.

Tarek Heggy is a leading liberalpolitical thinker in the Arab world andan International Petroleum Strategist.He is known for advancing the causes ofmodernity, democracy, tolerance, andwomen’s rights as essential for progressin the Middle East. He is also a world-renowned expert on Natural Gas (seewww.heggy.org for more) and highlysought after as an international speaker.

Addressing the matrix of issuessurrounding the subject of internationalbusiness and Islamic culture, Heggy spokeabout corruption, education, religion, andsocial despair as key factors in shapingthe Arab mindset. His talk enlightenedalumni on facets of Middle Easternculture that are having an increasingimpact on everyone, both professionallyand personally.

Heggy offered future solutions via therole of international firms in Arab andMuslim countries, with the goal of

negotiating economically-fair andenvironmentally-sound business venturesin the Middle Eastern region. He alsospoke of changes in the Arabian mindset.

Touching on the question repeatedlyasked by pundits as to whether Arabscan live with democracy and modernsocial values, the answer, he said, is“Undeniably yes”.

The speech was just one of thehighlights of the event. The alumni reunionpresented an opportunity for MBA alumnito reconnect with the MBA community andshare stories, ideas and opportunities inboth life and business. It also providedthe opportunity to network with otherbusiness leaders, an activity which is nowconsidered to be at the core of dynamicbusiness management knowledge.

In concluding the more formal part ofthe reunion, Mike Page further articulatedthat, along with integrating businessmanagement with issues of ethics andsocial responsibility, networking can beseen as at the heart of RSM’s MBAprogrammes. “The MBA programmedepends on powerful networks to developmanagers and leaders. We strive toeducate by ‘living’ rather than observingmanagement, by leveraging the lifeexperiences of our students, alumni andexecutives. It is not about leaving differencesat the door – it is about crossing boundaries,making ties and cherishing differences.It is all about leveraging the invisibleskill of networks”. By Rebecca Morris

MBA ALUMNI ANNIVERSARY WITH TAREK HEGGY

“Networking underpins business knowledge”, Mike Page,

Dean/Executive Director of RSM Erasmus University, told the

MBA alumni at an event hosted at RSM, on 23rd September.

Tarek Heggy & Mike Page

RSMOutlook 2928 RSMOutlook

Thaler was nominated for the honorarydoctorate by RSM Erasmus University, atthe School’s 35th anniversary celebrations.

The ceremony will begin at 3:15 in theafternoon, with a solemn procession ofdignitaries and staff, followed by a welcomeaddress from the university’s RectorMagnificus, Professor Steven W.J.Lamberts. Han van Dissel, Dean will givea short speech about what the futureholds for RSM Erasmus University,before introducing the guest of honour,Professor Thaler.

Professor Thaler’s address, entitled‘From Homo Economicus to Homo Sapiens’will be an interactive tale about reality,perception and behaviour. As one of thepioneers in the field of behaviouraleconomics and finance, his research liesin the gap between psychology andeconomics, and he is the author of a numberof books on the subject, including TheWinner’s Curse and Quasi RationalEconomics, as well as editor of thecollection, Advances in Behavioural Finance.

In his address, Thaler will argue thatstandard economic theories assume peoplehave unlimited cognitive abilities, perfectwillpower and no concern for other peopleexcept – possibly – members of their ownfamilies, while markets are assumed tobe able to quickly discipline and correctdepartures from the norm.

He will then move on to talk about theemerging field of behavioural economics.This revolutionary economic philosophyreplaces unrealistic assumptions with moreaccurate models of human nature in anattempt to make better predictions aboutmarket outcomes, as well as design bettereconomic institutions. We anticipate thatProfessor Thaler’s address will be receivedwith great interest and enthusiasm.

Following a short interval, ProfessorThaler will be conferred with an honorarydegree from RSM. A Laudatio will bedelivered by Professor Kees G. Koedijkfrom RSM’s Department of FinancialManagement, before the ceremony isbought to its conclusion by Josée C.M.van Eijndhoven, Chaiman of theExecutive Board of the University.

For more information, please visitwww.rsm.nl/thaler By Peter Benson

ERASMUS UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES 92ND BIRTHDAY

On Tuesday 8th November 2005, Erasmus UniversityRotterdam will celebrate the university’s 92nd birthdaywith a ceremony during which an honorary degree willbe conferred on Professor Richard H. Thaler, the Robert P. Gwinn

Distinguished Service Professor of Economics, Finance and Behavioural Science at the

University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business.

Richard H. Thaler, Professor

“Networking is the invisible skill thatcapitalises on contacts and expandedsocial ties. Local chapters and alumnimeet around the globe, but what each ofyou needs to ask yourself is: are theselinkages sustained? Do they crossgenerations? Are they valuable andsupportive”.

This was an appropriate subject for aspeech welcoming around 120 MBAalumni to their fifth, tenth and fifteenth-year reunions. For this community ofcompany executives and directors,networking, along with reacquaintingwith staff and colleagues, was no doubthigh on the weekend’s agenda. That andthe keynote speech being delivered byTarek Heggy, an Egyptian political writerof global acclaim on the subjects ofpetroleum and international business inthe Middle East.

The MBA Alumni anniversary event,organised for the MBA classes of ’90,‘95 and ‘00, united alumni from over 20different countries with classmates,friends and RSM staff. Over 150 alumniand their partners flew from as far asChina, Brazil and the United States to

attend the reunion, which mixed socialopportunities like golf, dinners and drinks,with photo sessions and speeches. One ofthe highlights of the event was the keynoteaddress by Tarek Heggy.

Tarek Heggy is a leading liberalpolitical thinker in the Arab world andan International Petroleum Strategist.He is known for advancing the causes ofmodernity, democracy, tolerance, andwomen’s rights as essential for progressin the Middle East. He is also a world-renowned expert on Natural Gas (seewww.heggy.org for more) and highlysought after as an international speaker.

Addressing the matrix of issuessurrounding the subject of internationalbusiness and Islamic culture, Heggy spokeabout corruption, education, religion, andsocial despair as key factors in shapingthe Arab mindset. His talk enlightenedalumni on facets of Middle Easternculture that are having an increasingimpact on everyone, both professionallyand personally.

Heggy offered future solutions via therole of international firms in Arab andMuslim countries, with the goal of

negotiating economically-fair andenvironmentally-sound business venturesin the Middle Eastern region. He alsospoke of changes in the Arabian mindset.

Touching on the question repeatedlyasked by pundits as to whether Arabscan live with democracy and modernsocial values, the answer, he said, is“Undeniably yes”.

The speech was just one of thehighlights of the event. The alumni reunionpresented an opportunity for MBA alumnito reconnect with the MBA community andshare stories, ideas and opportunities inboth life and business. It also providedthe opportunity to network with otherbusiness leaders, an activity which is nowconsidered to be at the core of dynamicbusiness management knowledge.

In concluding the more formal part ofthe reunion, Mike Page further articulatedthat, along with integrating businessmanagement with issues of ethics andsocial responsibility, networking can beseen as at the heart of RSM’s MBAprogrammes. “The MBA programmedepends on powerful networks to developmanagers and leaders. We strive toeducate by ‘living’ rather than observingmanagement, by leveraging the lifeexperiences of our students, alumni andexecutives. It is not about leaving differencesat the door – it is about crossing boundaries,making ties and cherishing differences.It is all about leveraging the invisibleskill of networks”. By Rebecca Morris

MBA ALUMNI ANNIVERSARY WITH TAREK HEGGY

“Networking underpins business knowledge”, Mike Page,

Dean/Executive Director of RSM Erasmus University, told the

MBA alumni at an event hosted at RSM, on 23rd September.

Tarek Heggy & Mike Page

RSMOutlook 2928 RSMOutlook

Thaler was nominated for the honorarydoctorate by RSM Erasmus University, atthe School’s 35th anniversary celebrations.

The ceremony will begin at 3:15 in theafternoon, with a solemn procession ofdignitaries and staff, followed by a welcomeaddress from the university’s RectorMagnificus, Professor Steven W.J.Lamberts. Han van Dissel, Dean will givea short speech about what the futureholds for RSM Erasmus University,before introducing the guest of honour,Professor Thaler.

Professor Thaler’s address, entitled‘From Homo Economicus to Homo Sapiens’will be an interactive tale about reality,perception and behaviour. As one of thepioneers in the field of behaviouraleconomics and finance, his research liesin the gap between psychology andeconomics, and he is the author of a numberof books on the subject, including TheWinner’s Curse and Quasi RationalEconomics, as well as editor of thecollection, Advances in Behavioural Finance.

In his address, Thaler will argue thatstandard economic theories assume peoplehave unlimited cognitive abilities, perfectwillpower and no concern for other peopleexcept – possibly – members of their ownfamilies, while markets are assumed tobe able to quickly discipline and correctdepartures from the norm.

He will then move on to talk about theemerging field of behavioural economics.This revolutionary economic philosophyreplaces unrealistic assumptions with moreaccurate models of human nature in anattempt to make better predictions aboutmarket outcomes, as well as design bettereconomic institutions. We anticipate thatProfessor Thaler’s address will be receivedwith great interest and enthusiasm.

Following a short interval, ProfessorThaler will be conferred with an honorarydegree from RSM. A Laudatio will bedelivered by Professor Kees G. Koedijkfrom RSM’s Department of FinancialManagement, before the ceremony isbought to its conclusion by Josée C.M.van Eijndhoven, Chaiman of theExecutive Board of the University.

For more information, please visitwww.rsm.nl/thaler By Peter Benson

ERASMUS UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES 92ND BIRTHDAY

On Tuesday 8th November 2005, Erasmus UniversityRotterdam will celebrate the university’s 92nd birthdaywith a ceremony during which an honorary degree willbe conferred on Professor Richard H. Thaler, the Robert P. Gwinn

Distinguished Service Professor of Economics, Finance and Behavioural Science at the

University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business.

Richard H. Thaler, Professor

Mr GerberSenior Vice President,Deutsche Lufthansa Aktiengesellschaft

Mr KiefferChief Financial Officer,Siemens Nederland

Mr HoekChairman Board of Directors, Delta Lloyd Groep

Mr Maljers Chairman of the Advisory Board, former Chief Executive Officer, Unilever

Mr van der MandeleMember Board of Directors, Rand EuropeAlumnus

Mrs MarklandFounding Partner Freshfields

Mrs Molenaar Chief Executive Officer, Kuhne + HeitzAlumnus

Mr MottePresident, EMEA Operations & Polymers,Eastman Chemical

Mr OpsteltenMayor of Rotterdam

Mr van PoeckeMember Executive Board,Petroplus International B.V.Alumnus

Mr Rinnooy KanMember Executive Board, ING GroupFormer Vice Chancellor Erasmus University Rotterdam

Mr RupschManaging Director,Fuji Photo Film Europe

Mr ScheepbouwerChief Executive Officer, Royal KPN

Mr Sharrock Country President, BP Nederland

Mr SmitsChief Executive Officer,Port of RotterdamAlumnus

Mrs StuivelingPresident, National Audit OfficeAlumnus

Mr de SwaanMember Executive Board, and Chief Executive Officer,ABN AMRO Bank

Mr SijbesmaMember Executive Board, Royal DSMAlumnus

Mrs Tammenoms BakkerDirector General, Civil Aviation and Freight TransportMinistry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management

Mr van der VeerChairman Board of Directors, KPMG Holdings Netherlands

In an increasingly competitive commercial environment,it’s vital that leading business schools establish dynamicand on-going relationships with the outside world. Withthis in mind, RSM Erasmus University has establishedan Advisory Board. Reflecting the international outlookof the school, its members hold key positions in corporateindustry, NGO’s and in the political arena.

Members Advisory Board RSM

RSMOutlook 31

INTRODUCING OUR ADVISORY BOARD

30 RSMOutlook

28 October – 6 November – Shanghai, China. An Alumni Study Tour: The AlumniOffice and a group of alumni have organised this first ever study tour to the vibrantand fascinating city of Shanghai. The week will feature lectures, visits to companiesand plenty of fun.

2 November – Dinner, Masterclass and Networking event with INSEAD ProfessorRedding entitled ‘Entrepreneurship in China’. This event is organised by the MSc-BSc-Phd office in cooperation with the STAR study association.

4 November – Shanghai, China. A Panel Discussion entitled ‘Discussing EntryStrategies into China’. The panel will feature Chinese and non-Chinese alumni, and anumber of other experts on the current state of one of the most important emergingmarkets in the world.

7 November – 8 November – ERIM Invitational Conference

8 November – An honorary doctorate will be conferred to Professor Richard H. Thaleras part of the celebration of RSM Erasmus University’s 35th anniversary and ErasmusUniversity’s 92nd Dies Natalis.

10 November – Conference, entitled ‘Smart Managing and Innovating’. ProfessorHenk Volberba will present the Innovation Monitor 2005. This event is organised bythe MSc-BSc-Phd office in cooperation with Eiffel.

12 November – MBA Open Day

17 November – A Network Event for RSM Entrepreneurs, organised by the MSc-BSc-Phd office. This event will focus on the need for coaching and sharing experienceswith an Advisory Board.

17 November – A Network Event organised by the MSc-BSc-PhD office for RSMself-employers. This event will be looking at how you can successfully use networks todevelop your business.

Throughout Oct/Nov/Dec – RSM Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.Discussion day entitled ‘Functional Area Panels’. Alumni are invited back to the schoolto discuss their career paths with current students, with particular emphasis on the do’sand dont’s of life after your MBA.

Throughout Oct/Nov/Dec – Various locations. The university will be hosting aseries of MBA Fairs and Information Sessions where alumni will be invited to assiststaff and provide insights into life at the university. These events will also providegreat opportunities to meet fellow alumni.

Throughout Oct/Nov/Dec – Various locations. Local alumni chapters around theworld will be organising get-togethers at which alumni will be able to catch up withone another, swap experiences and network. These events will be taking place inAmsterdam, New York, Frankfurt, Taipei, Cologne and London.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS, AUTUMN 05 – SPRING 06

Designed and Produced JWT Education Continental EuropePhotography Hannah Anthonysz, CWA Associates, Ronald van den Heerik Fotografie, Tony McConnell Photography, Jan van der Ploeg, Joop Reyngoud

Mr GerberSenior Vice President,Deutsche Lufthansa Aktiengesellschaft

Mr KiefferChief Financial Officer,Siemens Nederland

Mr HoekChairman Board of Directors, Delta Lloyd Groep

Mr Maljers Chairman of the Advisory Board, former Chief Executive Officer, Unilever

Mr van der MandeleMember Board of Directors, Rand EuropeAlumnus

Mrs MarklandFounding Partner Freshfields

Mrs Molenaar Chief Executive Officer, Kuhne + HeitzAlumnus

Mr MottePresident, EMEA Operations & Polymers,Eastman Chemical

Mr OpsteltenMayor of Rotterdam

Mr van PoeckeMember Executive Board,Petroplus International B.V.Alumnus

Mr Rinnooy KanMember Executive Board, ING GroupFormer Vice Chancellor Erasmus University Rotterdam

Mr RupschManaging Director,Fuji Photo Film Europe

Mr ScheepbouwerChief Executive Officer, Royal KPN

Mr Sharrock Country President, BP Nederland

Mr SmitsChief Executive Officer,Port of RotterdamAlumnus

Mrs StuivelingPresident, National Audit OfficeAlumnus

Mr de SwaanMember Executive Board, and Chief Executive Officer,ABN AMRO Bank

Mr SijbesmaMember Executive Board, Royal DSMAlumnus

Mrs Tammenoms BakkerDirector General, Civil Aviation and Freight TransportMinistry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management

Mr van der VeerChairman Board of Directors, KPMG Holdings Netherlands

In an increasingly competitive commercial environment,it’s vital that leading business schools establish dynamicand on-going relationships with the outside world. Withthis in mind, RSM Erasmus University has establishedan Advisory Board. Reflecting the international outlookof the school, its members hold key positions in corporateindustry, NGO’s and in the political arena.

Members Advisory Board RSM

RSMOutlook 31

INTRODUCING OUR ADVISORY BOARD

30 RSMOutlook

28 October – 6 November – Shanghai, China. An Alumni Study Tour: The AlumniOffice and a group of alumni have organised this first ever study tour to the vibrantand fascinating city of Shanghai. The week will feature lectures, visits to companiesand plenty of fun.

2 November – Dinner, Masterclass and Networking event with INSEAD ProfessorRedding entitled ‘Entrepreneurship in China’. This event is organised by the MSc-BSc-Phd office in cooperation with the STAR study association.

4 November – Shanghai, China. A Panel Discussion entitled ‘Discussing EntryStrategies into China’. The panel will feature Chinese and non-Chinese alumni, and anumber of other experts on the current state of one of the most important emergingmarkets in the world.

7 November – 8 November – ERIM Invitational Conference

8 November – An honorary doctorate will be conferred to Professor Richard H. Thaleras part of the celebration of RSM Erasmus University’s 35th anniversary and ErasmusUniversity’s 92nd Dies Natalis.

10 November – Conference, entitled ‘Smart Managing and Innovating’. ProfessorHenk Volberba will present the Innovation Monitor 2005. This event is organised bythe MSc-BSc-Phd office in cooperation with Eiffel.

12 November – MBA Open Day

17 November – A Network Event for RSM Entrepreneurs, organised by the MSc-BSc-Phd office. This event will focus on the need for coaching and sharing experienceswith an Advisory Board.

17 November – A Network Event organised by the MSc-BSc-PhD office for RSMself-employers. This event will be looking at how you can successfully use networks todevelop your business.

Throughout Oct/Nov/Dec – RSM Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.Discussion day entitled ‘Functional Area Panels’. Alumni are invited back to the schoolto discuss their career paths with current students, with particular emphasis on the do’sand dont’s of life after your MBA.

Throughout Oct/Nov/Dec – Various locations. The university will be hosting aseries of MBA Fairs and Information Sessions where alumni will be invited to assiststaff and provide insights into life at the university. These events will also providegreat opportunities to meet fellow alumni.

Throughout Oct/Nov/Dec – Various locations. Local alumni chapters around theworld will be organising get-togethers at which alumni will be able to catch up withone another, swap experiences and network. These events will be taking place inAmsterdam, New York, Frankfurt, Taipei, Cologne and London.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS, AUTUMN 05 – SPRING 06

Designed and Produced JWT Education Continental EuropePhotography Hannah Anthonysz, CWA Associates, Ronald van den Heerik Fotografie, Tony McConnell Photography, Jan van der Ploeg, Joop Reyngoud

www.rsm.nl

RSMOutlook AU

TUM

N 2

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5

THE LAUNCH ISSUE:BRANDING

BRANDING AND THEBUSINESS SCHOOL

AN INTERVIEW WITHFLORIS MALJERS

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CORPORATE BRANDING INPRACTICE: BERRY OONK

SPOTLIGHT ON‘LIVING MANAGEMENT’