interterm intensive - mendoza.nd.edu · consumer-centric branding: the case of under armour..... 10...

mba programspring 2015

INTERTERM INTENSIVE SESSION

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Introduction The course offerings for the spring of 2015 Interterm Intensive session fulfill several objectives. These classes provide learning opportunities that are not easily available in the standard course format. Some workshop-style classes focus on specific capabili-ties students can add to their business “tool kits.” Others, such as the deep-dive corporate opportunities, give students hands-on opportunities to apply, test, and extend what they have learned in previous courses. In other courses, students expand their learning by using their time and talents to assist a not-for-profit organiza-tion. All of the courses develop skills and perspectives that will be beneficial in summer internships and full-time jobs.

All courses require a high degree of student participation and involvement. (All MBA students are expected to participate in the full Monday–Thursday Interterm Intensive Session.)

The courses offered to MBA students provide opportunities to extend and apply skills and knowledge learned in the core and elective classes. They provide direct, practical experience using simulations, projects, or live problems. The classes add to students’ experience base, helping prepare them for a strong start as they begin their full-time jobs following graduation.

All Interterm Intensive courses will be graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory scale.

Successful completion of an Interterm Intensive course during each session is a graduation requirement.

Table of ContentsIntroduction ..................................................................................................... 1

General Information ...................................................................................... 1

D E E P - D I V E C O U R S E S

Strategic Product & Market Development: The Case of General Electric Oil & Gas ................................................. 2

FliteSupport Services (FSS): Boeing & Jeppesen ............................. 3

Transformation of AT&T and the Telecommunications Industry: AT&T ...................................................... 4

Strategic Relationships in a Shifting Marketplace Group: The Case of the CME Group ......................................................... 5

Developing a Better Socially Responsible and Catholic Investing Model: Dana Investment Advisors .................... 7

Developing Strategies to Enhance the Fan Experience for an NFL Franchise: Phoenix Cardinals ...................... 9

Consumer-Centric Branding: The Case of Under Armour ........... 10

Rebuilding Community Banking with BancVue: New Product Development and Brand Strategy in Financial Technology ......... 12

S O C I A L I M PA C T C O U R S E S

Developing Strategies to Assist Returning Veterans to Come, Create, and Conquer Their Careers: The Case of The Bunker .... 15

A Management Consulting Engagement—Solving the Revenue Challenge: The Case of WNIT Public Television ............. 18

S T U DY - A B R O A D P R O G R A M S

South America Immersion ....................................................................... 21

China Immersion ......................................................................................... 22

Registering for Interterm Intensive Courses .................................... 24

General InformationThe Interterm Intensive courses are offered in both the fall and spring semesters.

In the spring, Interterm Intensives occur between Module 3 and spring break. All MBA students are required to take one credit hour during Interterm.

Alternatively, students may meet this requirement by taking the one-credit-hour South America or China study-abroad options offered in the same time frame.

The Interterm Intensive week includes the full Monday through Thursday period. Students are required to attend all class sessions.

Classes will vary in the number of hours or days they meet. For example, some classes may involve a blending of outside work time and classroom sessions. Others may require small-group meetings or one-on-one sessions in lieu of class time. mendoza.nd.edu/interterm

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Strategic Product & Market Development: The Case of General Electric Oil & Gas(1 credit hour)

Liquid natural gas (LNG) has been a critical fuel source globally for decades, but only in the past few years has a submarket been active in using this energy source as diesel displacement. This course will explore the various market verticals where local use LNG is being considered as a fuel option, including marine, mining, remote/backup power generation and rail. The discussion and content will be technical in nature at times but primarily focus on the supply/demand balance and building a “make” market, profitably.

Students will learn the basics of the infrastructure used in creating the product, the supply side of the equation, focusing on GE Oil & Gas Distributed Gas Solutions suite. Each individual vertical will be discussed high-level, the demand side, to explore unique circumstances impacting investment. Various examples will then be utilized to explore all aspects of strategic product and market development to drive industry growth. The course will progress in a team environment by assigned verticals. The issues presented will provide a forum for students to understand all aspects of the challenge, including value chain mapping, market sizing, product value propositions, market positioning, and potential business models to ensure risk/reward sharing. The issue, materials, and examples presented during this course are not hypothetical, but rather are actual live opportunities being considered by GE Oil & Gas.

Presentations will be judged in large part on “practical creativity” in addressing the growth market.

STUDENTS TAKING THIS COURSE CAN EXPECT TO GAIN SKILLS INCLUDING:• Oil and gas industry overview• Market development considerations and models• Product development and partnerships for “make” markets• Financial implication of various product and/or business models

all students enrolled in this course will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

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FliteSupport Services (FSS):Boeing & Jeppesen(1 credit hour)

The world of business aviation and corporate jets is a fascinating marketplace serving VIP passengers demanding nothing less than perfection from the timeliness of the operation as well as the entire flight experience. Boeing’s Jeppesen FliteSupport Services subsidiary has been a provider of concierge services including flight planning, dispatch, international trip planning, and fuel uploading for over 30 years. For the last 10 years, FSS was imbedded in NetJets fractional business jet operation producing 99.9 percent “perfect flights.” Military, government, and commercial airlines also use these services for special unscheduled flights/missions including the president of the United States on Air Force One and other VIPs. Technology and market changes are calling for a new strategy.

Internally, Boeing’s Digital Aviation (DA) organization combines information management solutions that provide operational efficiency for aviation customers in all segments. Profitable growth has become the highest priority in this business. The vast majority of DA portfolios are traditional information management solutions. A self-service tool is under development within DA that will cannibalize some FSS concierge business. Strategies to leverage that offering to increase FSS market share are under consideration. FSS business model uses low margin concierge service planners to set up complex international trips requiring special flight permits which drive two higher margin components of the service: Re-Bill Admin Fees and Fuel uploading.

Imagine using a travel agency that arranges every detail of your family vacation to an international destination—airline tickets, rental car, gas, hotel expenses, tours and excursions, meals out—any expense. You pay nothing before the trip. When you return home you receive a single itemized invoice that imbeds an administrative fee for providing the credit and arranging/executing with the network of service providers the agency uses. This is the FSS business model. FSS’s fuel partner is the leading fuel logistics and distribution provider in the world. A fuel commission is received by FSS from this fuel provider when they provide fuel on FSS planned trips. Many competitors are fuel companies that use their trip planning services to enable fuel sales.

FSS’s vision is to become the market leader in the industry.

THIS CLASS WILL FOCUS ON NEW FSS STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES THAT WERE RECENTLY DEVELOPED AND ASKED TO REVIEW AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND:

• The current capabilities and strategic objectives for FSS• Assessment of competitors and capabilities in this space• Go to market strategies for business, commercial and military/

government aviation• Profitable growth strategic objectives


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Transformation of AT&T and the Telecommunications Industry: AT&T(1 credit hour)

AT&T has been a telecommunications leader since the invention of the telephone in 1876, but changes in technology and customer demands have significantly altered the industry from the days of selling telephone services. Today AT&T is a technology company that provides services ranging from traditional phone service to “Cloud” technologies. AT&T is also constantly changing the markets that they compete in with the introduction of U-verse (home broadband television and Internet services via Internet Protocol), wireless telephone service, mobile payments, VoIP, Connected Car technologies, and Digital Life (home security and automation). With these additions, the company competes with media, mobile technologies, banking, and home security and automation providers as well as their traditional competitors in the telecommunications markets.

The Challenge

AT&T is undergoing a major transformation from a traditional telephone company to a technology company. This transformation includes massive changes to the current network moving it to an all IP platform and a greater focus on software development, big data, and virtualization instead of specialized hardware. AT&T is now in the unique position of maintaining current services while competing against small, agile start-up companies. In order to compete, AT&T will need to make changes to their culture, technologies, and workforce.

In this course participants will act as a team of consultants and will be asked to provide a plan that includes analysis of current and future competitive challenges and recommendations for a strategy to respond to the challenges.

STUDENTS WILL:• Recommend a strategy for AT&T• Identify AT&T’s challenges• Highlight the capabilities, assets, and technologies that AT&T

will need in the future• Propose a timeline for the recommendations that the team

has madeStudents are encouraged to look beyond the technologies and business parameters discussed in the case. Research will be an essential part of the course work and project.


STUDENTS TAKING THIS COURSE WILL GAIN:• An understanding of the current technologies and trends

in the marketplace• Skills in the development of corporate strategy and

strategic leadership• Experience in risk identification and mitigation• Abilities in the research of market trends• Presentation and consulting skills


Strategic Relationships in a Shifting Marketplace Group: The Case of the CME Group(1 credit hour)CME Group Overview

CME Group, Inc. (CME) is the largest and most diverse derivatives exchange group globally. The group, based in Chicago, was formed in 2007 as a result of the merger of the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and it has grown with the subsequent acquisition of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and the Commodities Exchange (COMEX). These exchanges, which date back to as early as the 1840s, are an integral part of the global financial system, providing buyers and sellers with access to the most liquid markets in which to hedge positions, take exposures, and manage risks.

CME Group provides the widest range of benchmark futures and options products available on any exchange, covering all major asset classes, including interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, agricultural commodities, metals, and energy products. In today’s global economy, where exchange-traded futures and options are considered essential tools for managing risk, CME Group offers transparent pricing in a regulated, centralized marketplace that provides equal access to all participants. Over the past decade, exchanges have transitioned from largely being floor, open outcry trading to predominantly electronic trading. This transition has enabled trading to take place virtually 24 hours a day, and for traders located in many countries to have access to the exchanges.

The Challenge

The U.S. over-the-counter (OTC) marketplace is estimated to exceed $600 trillion in notional outstanding value. The OTC market primarily consists of banks trading among themselves or banks trading with their customers. Profits from OTC trading often make up a significant portion of banks’ annual earnings.

As part of the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 (CFMA), the OTC markets were left largely unregulated. However, after the market failures of 2008–09, a number of new regulations were introduced. The OTC marketplace is currently undergoing a series of transformations, largely driven by these regulations, which include changes to global banking rules (e.g., Basel III), regulatory changes in the United State (e.g., Dodd-Frank), and regulatory changes in Europe (e.g., EMIR).

IN RESPONSE TO THIS REGULATION, THE MARKETPLACE FOR OTC TRADES IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING NUMEROUS CHANGES, INCLUDING:

• Trades now have to be transparently reported• A larger percent of trades are cleared (i.e., a central

counterparty matches and settles all trades and guarantees the creditworthiness of those transactions)

• Some OTC trades need to be sent through a transparent execution facility called a Swap Execution Facility (SEF)

All of these changes will cause the OTC market to look more and more like the futures market. These changes have the potential to create both challenges and opportunities for the companies that have traditionally participated in this marketplace, and for potential new entrants.

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CME Group launched its OTC clearing and reporting business in 2013 and achieved 40-50 percent market share when the U.S. clearing mandates were implemented in 2014. As this market is transitioning, CME Group must evaluate its strategic relationships and potential relationships with other participants in the shifting marketplace. Specifically, how should CME Group view its opportunities in this changing marketplace and how should it manage relationships with large dealer banks, brokers, and asset managers? How will these participants view their opportunities for strategic partnerships, not only with CME Group but also other potential partners?

On the first day, frameworks for evaluating and developing strategic relationships will be presented and discussed along with some successful relationship examples. This will provide necessary academic background for the CME Group deep dive. Continuing on day one, CME Group executives will provide an overview of the futures and OTC marketplaces and an overview of the changes currently taking place in this market.

The class will be divided into several teams, with each team taking the perspective of a different market participant (e.g., dealer banks, brokers, asset managers, etc.). The teams will consider alternative approaches to expand their positions, business activity, and partnerships in the shifting marketplace. On the second and third days, there will be midday checkpoints and CME executives will be available for consultation. On the final day, the teams will present and discuss their suggestions with the CME Group executive panel.


STUDENTS TAKING THIS COURSE CAN EXPECT TO GAIN EXPOSURE TO:• An understanding of frameworks used in developing

strategic alliances• Challenges facing international banks, asset managers,

clearinghouses, and exchanges• Experience creating business development and alliance

strategies, plans and value propositions • Challenges around relationship “co-opetition” • Advice and experience in presentation skills• Deeper understanding of the global financial markets • An industry that is in fundamental transition that will evolve

over the next decade

This course will be beneficial to all MBA students and particularly to those interested in financial markets, exchanges, relationships, strategies, and financial regulation.

Developing a Better Socially Responsible and Catholic Investing Model: Dana Investment Advisors(1 credit hour)

Dana Investment Advisors is an SEC-registered investment advisor actively managing over $5B of client assets in a variety of equity and fixed-income strategies. Dana is a 100 percent employee-owned firm based in Brookfield, Wisconsin, and for the past three years has been named by Pensions & Investments magazine as one of its Best Places to Work in Money Management. Last May, Investment Advisor magazine named Dana and our flagship Large Cap Equity (LCE) product as recipient of a Separately Managed Account (SMA) Manager of the Year Award in the U.S. Equity Large Cap category. Dana competes for institutional clients in an investment management landscape that includes familiar names such as BlackRock, PIMCO, and AllianceBernstein, among many other firms.

This Interterm offering will focus on Dana’s equity business, which has grown to nearly $3B of firm-wide assets and encompasses the LCE strategy in addition to Large Cap Value and Growth, All Cap, Small Cap, Socially Responsible, and Catholic strategies. Asset growth for these long-only investment products has followed solid historical performance. For example, Dana’s LCE product—a large cap “core” or “blend” strategy—has outperformed its S&P 500 benchmark 12 of the last 14 years, and investment alpha since inception is 3.45 percent annualized. Dana employs the same “relative value” investment process across each of its equity strategies. Utilizing a proprietary quantitative model and subsequent fundamental research, Dana seeks to identify stocks with attractive valuations relative to underlying fundamentals (e.g., earnings growth and quality, free cash generation, balance sheet strength, etc.).

This course will focus specifically on Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) and Catholic investment strategies. Dana has managed both types of strategies since January 2000, and interest in these offerings has been accelerating. Dana’s SRI and Catholic strategies have each exhibited strong investment alpha since inception—4.97 percent and 5.07 percent, respectively—with returns exceeding not just the relevant benchmark, but Dana’s LCE product as well. Socially responsible investing incorporates into the stock selection process factors that go beyond traditional financial considerations. Social investing has many names (SRI, ESG integration, sustainability investing, impact investing, etc.), reflecting the myriad ways investors can think about the topic.

Social investing has existed for decades, starting with investors excluding certain product producers (e.g., tobacco) from portfolios. It has evolved into a holistic approach of integrating environmental, social, corporate governance, policy, and sustainability considerations into security selection. The social criteria for Dana’s Catholic strategy are guided by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) guidelines. Excluding pro-life issues, these guidelines are quite broad and tend to match non-faith-based SRI considerations. Examples of social considerations include a company’s exposure to environmentally hazardous materials, fair labor issues, engagement in related-party transactions, or—specific to the Catholic investor—involvement in the support of contraceptives or abortifacients.

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Developing Strategies to Enhance the Fan Experience for an NFL Franchise: Phoenix Cardinals(1 credit hour)

The Cardinals were founded in 1898, and in 1920 became a charter member of the National Football League. The club holds the distinction of being the United States’ oldest profes-sional football franchise still in existence. Charles W. Bidwill Sr. purchased the Cardinals in 1932 for $50,000, beginning a continuous period of family ownership in place to this day. The 2014 roster includes former Fighting Irish players Michael Floyd, John Carlson, Troy Niklas, and Robert Hughes.

The year 2006 marked the team’s first season at University of Phoenix Stadium, recognized by BusinessWeek as one of the 10 most impressive sports facilities in the world. The world-class venue hosted its first Super Bowl in 2008 and will once again host the Super Bowl, as well as the Pro Bowl, in 2015. In addi-tion, the stadium has hosted the BCS National Championship in 2011 and will host the College Football Playoff Championship in 2016, as well as the NCAA Final Four in 2017.

Since 2006, the Cardinals have sold out all games played at University of Phoenix Stadium. The franchise surpassed the five million mark in total attendance during the 2013 season. Arizona has accumulated a 48-25 record at home since University of Phoenix Stadium opened. University of Phoenix Stadium holds the NFL record for most false start penalties by an opponent since 2006. Maintaining a home field advantage is a key to the success of the franchise on and off the field.

Numerous strategies are in place to ensure a positive fan experience, thus maintaining a home field advantage. For example, prior to the start of the 2014 season, the franchise spent approximately $20 million to upgrade the stadium video boards and wi-fi system. The high-definition video boards are the fifth largest in the NFL, and the new wi-fi system allows fans to enjoy their wireless devices as if they were in a home environment.

Sports franchises are continually exploring new strategies to enhance the fan experience. The game-day fan experience can be generally broken down into seven areas: ingress, safety and security, game-day staff, in-game enhancements and technology, game entertainment, concessions, and egress. Students will be presented with information on areas of focus for the franchise. Students will then be asked to evaluate, research, and recom-mend analytical conclusions on how to affect positive change in the areas of focus.

STUDENTS IN THIS COURSE CAN EXPECT TO:• Build knowledge, skills, and a deeper understanding of the

fundamentals of sports business and consumer behavior• Observe the practical application of real-world strategies to

enhance the fan experience• Develop an appreciation for and understanding of the

methodology used to study and improve the fan experience• Develop the skills necessary to identify, assess and present

new strategies for an organization



Presently, Dana employs a two-phase social screening process, with Phase I defining the SRI universe through a proprietary quantitative model, and Phase II layering in holistic considerations. For this course, Dana would like to challenge student teams to refine, and perhaps completely overhaul, its proprietary quantitative social scoring (Phase I). In Phase I, the model ranks a universe of over 3,000 U.S. stocks across six relatively broad factors: (1) exclusions; (2) environmental; (3) social; (4) corporate governance; (5) a third-party composite ESG score; and (6) a third-party accounting and governance score. Each of the first four factors encompasses over 100 sub-factors made available through a third-party data vendor. Several questions can be addressed. Are the factors composed of the right data items? What additional data items could be incorporated? Are the sub-factors correctly weighted? Are the six broad factors correctly weighted in the final score? What factors might be most relevant to generating alpha?

Student teams will be assigned an identical list of stocks. Some stocks may be held in Dana’s SRI or Catholic portfolios and require reassessment, while others may be replacement candidates. Teams will develop and apply their proprietary models to these companies and rank them accordingly. In a presentation to Dana Portfolio Managers, students will describe their models and explain the advantages thereof over Dana’s current model. Dana will supply its own social rankings and challenge students to defend differences. Additionally, Dana will provide students with its evaluation of non-social investment considerations for companies. Ultimately, students will weigh both social and non-social issues—as Dana Portfolio Managers must do—and recommend stocks for inclusion in Dana’s SRI and Catholic portfolios.

While we hope that students with an interest in investments will benefit from and enjoy this course, we also anticipate that non-investment MBA candidates will offer a unique perspective, particularly in light of the Notre Dame MBA Program’s focus on ethics, sustainability, and faith-based issues.


STUDENTS TAKING THIS COURSE CAN EXPECT TO GAIN:• An overview of Dana, its position within the investment

management industry, and the presenters’ individual roles at the firm

• An introduction to socially responsible investing—its history, recent outsized growth, and distinguishing characteristics from mainstream investing

• An understanding of the decisions faced by investors who wish to incorporate social considerations into their portfolio, and how unique every investor’s approach is likely to be

• An introduction to information available for socially conscious investors, and how the availability of relevant information, and quantitative data in particular, is enhancing the stock selection of investors

• An understanding of Dana’s SRI and Catholic equity strategies, which integrate social considerations with a robust institutional investment process

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Consumer-Centric Brand Development: The Case of Under Armour (1 credit hour )

We are excited to offer this extraordinary course during the spring 2015 Interterm Intensive. John Gleason partnered with Notre Dame’s MBA program previously to create a truly unique experience for Notre Dame’s MBA students, as well as for the brand partners who are just as excited to participate—and is back with another passionate and engaged brand partner. In addition to bringing real business challenges from such brand partners as ConAgra Foods, Procter & Gamble, Hillshire Brands, and PNC Bank, we are equally excited to have Under Armour join us as a brand partner for this class.

Since its founding in 1996, Under Armour has been a driving force for passion, performance, and innovation in the athletic apparel and footwear space. The company prides itself as a brand and a business with great pride in its origins in innovation and disruption. And fosters a culture that is incredibly focused on the athlete, and more broadly the “user” or consumer of their products, their innovation, and development efforts.

Under Armour’s corporate mission is:

TO MAKE ALL ATHLETES BETTER THROUGH PASSION, DESIGN, AND THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF INNOVATION.

One of the ways that Under Armour delivers this mission is through this extraordinary focus on the athlete, and they strive to deliver meaningful solutions for THEIR needs and their ambitions.

This user-centric approach even played critical roles in Under Armour’s efforts to partner with Notre Dame—a partnership deal announced in January 2014. Under Armour’s deep understanding of the traditions and passions so deeply rooted through Notre Dame, its expectations of extraordinary performance on AND off the field—through unparalleled athletic traditions and success, as well as its expectations of academic excellence, its ethical standards, its passionate network of alumni and fans, and even it architecture. It was this deep understanding of Notre Dame that helped them build the compelling case to partner with Notre Dame.

Now that Under Armour has secured a game-changing alliance with Notre Dame for “on the field” performance and presence— we invited them to join us to help shape the performance in the classroom, as well. And they enthusiastically agreed to partner in this endeavor.

Their laser focus on the consumer and “user” of their products, innovations, and services makes Under Armour a well-aligned brand partner for this highly experiential course in the Notre Dame’s MBA program, and this Interterm Intensive session.

Under Armour will challenge and leverage the experiences and talents of Notre Dame MBA students to evaluate, research, and ultimately recommend strategies to build their business. Under Armour’s challenge to student teams will focus largely on brand development, brand positioning, identifying market gaps, enhancing consumer experiences, innovation, and retail presence.

This course will offer students an inside look at the complex realities of a brand in a competitive business environment—from inside brand and innovation leaders at Under Armour. It will challenge student teams to develop their own recommendations supported by consumer insights.

Perception Research Services (PRS), a world-class consumer research firm, will provide an overview of various consumer research methods, as well as help prepare the students for their in-home and in-market research activities that are central to the experiences and outcomes of this course. One of the unique aspects of this class is the live, immersive, ethnographic exercise, which student teams will have the opportunity to lead directly with consumers, as well as observational research in the appropriate marketplaces for the challenge posed to them. This consumer research exercise will provide the foundation, the inspiration, and the fuel for their recommended actions for the challenge that Under Armour poses to the students.


STUDENTS TAKING THIS CLASS CAN EXPECT TO:• Better understand the key drivers of consumer choices and

behaviors–in-market, in-store, in-home, and in-use. And experience these choice patterns and considerations through live, direct consumer research exercises

• Explore and utilize consumer-centric rationale to drive and inspire brand development

• Balance these consumer-initiated insights with the realities of a complex, competitive marketplace, including operations, financial goals/targets, retailer considerations, etc.

• Question and challenge assumptions, break from the “norms” that typically provide barriers and constraints—instead drive new “norms” that provide differentiation and real consumer value

• Develop a new, distinctive, and relevant brand positioning, with supporting communication, marketing, and retail/shopper strategies—connecting consumer insights with business and operational requirements

• Create and defend the business recommendation, with compelling rationale, highlighting choices made (and not made), and the supporting drivers of recommended action

This course will be beneficial to students interested in marketing, brand management, strategy, management, consulting, innovation, consumer-experiences, or consumer insights.

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Rebuilding Community Banking with BancVue: New Product Development and Brand Strategy in Financial Technology(1 credit hour)

Overview of BancVue and its Industry

Once the backbone of American business, community banks and credit unions are in steep decline. The number of community banks in the United States has fallen more than 50 percent in just 20 years. Yet community financial institutions remain vital to small business and community investment—key economic growth engines often neglected by large banks. The community banking sector offers national-scale market opportunities for up-and-coming leaders in strategy and finance.

BancVue is spearheading the fight to revitalize the community financial sector in the United States. Based in Austin, Texas, BancVue is a marketing, consulting, and technology firm with more than 600 bank and credit union clients. The company is part of American Banker’s FinTech 100, has been twice listed by Inc. 500 among the Fastest Growing Private Companies in the United States, and was named by Fast Company as one of the most innovative companies in American finance. BancVue’s mission-driven performance has also been recognized by the Ethics in Business Awards, and the company’s products have received acclaim from Finovate, the MarCom Awards, and Apple’s App Store.

BancVue’s strategy is powered by Kasasa, its national consumer brand for community bank and credit union products. Kasasa by BancVue represents the 10th largest U.S. branch network, and BancVue’s five-year strategy aims for the top of that list.

The Interterm Challenge

Students will analyze live product opportunities competing for scarce resources, to build a roadmap toward 1000 Kasasa institutions by 2019. This challenge will require immersion in an industry characterized by rapidly-changing technology, shifting consumer behavior, product commoditization, regulatory hurdles, and heavy technological dependencies.

Evaluating product P&Ls, pro formas, and business cases, students will translate financial and market insights into enterprise product strategy. Each team will rank-order BancVue’s product opportunities in the evolving financial technology market; support their analysis with a compelling ROI justification; build a high-level roadmap for their selected priority; and adapt BancVue’s product development templates to pitch company leaders on the right play for the next five years.

This interterm will be led by BancVue’s CFO and Product Portfolio Manager, both graduates of Notre Dame’s full-time MBA program. Presentation judges will also include BancVue’s CEO, president, or another member of the senior executive team, and participants will have remote access to the company’s C-level executives and product leads.


The course will be beneficial to MBA students interested in corporate finance, consulting, marketing and brand strategy, and new product development.

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Developing Strategies to Assist Returning Veterans to Come, Create, and Conquer Their Careers: The Case of The Bunker(1 credit hour)

Introduction

It is estimated that there are 7,000 or so business incubators around the world. Most of them fail. Why? For one thing, there is a very real knowledge gap in the early stage start-up game, on both sides of the table. First-time entrepreneurs lack the seasoning to captain a steady ship through turbulent waters. Inexperienced friends and family (and, increasingly, crowdsourced investors) lack the ability to gauge the viability of a business, or to mentor naïve entrepreneurs. Should and can business incubators really fill this experience and knowledge gap?

In the last couple of years, there has been a renaissance in the incubator business. For example, Y Combinator (YC), Silicon Valley’s flagship incubator led by Paul Graham, has seen some significant successes, including Airbnb, Dropbox, and Heroku by using a “different” business model reducing the reliance on funding attraction as a success metric.

For incubators to live up to their full economic potential, they need to overcome two pitfalls:

1. They need to provide real value, not just office space; and

2. They need to measure success in more than just outside funding

Effective incubators provide business counseling and management assistance to their client firms, not just cheap real estate, co-working spaces, used furniture, plus a phone and Internet connectivity. Success is more than funding. Two things determine whether a business can get off the ground successfully and sustainably:

1. A validated market opportunity with customers willing to pay for a product or a service; and

2. A product or service that addresses such an opportunity.

YC has mitigated its reliance on funding by partnering with venture capital firms like Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, and General Catalyst, such that every single company in their portfolio gets $80k in seed financing as they graduate from the incubation program. But most incubators in the world do not have that luxury. Nor do they have the deal flow deserving of such guaranteed financing.

Will the new generation of incubators like YC perform better than the previous ones? It remains to be seen. It may be that incubators operate best when focused on trying to find the less than one percent of start-ups that are fundable rather than financing.

The Bunker Incubator

The Bunker was set up as a program built by veteran entrepreneurs, for veteran entrepreneurs, in the fall of 2014 as a part of 1871 which is a tech hub located in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. The incubator, which is veteran-operated, is the first of its kind in the country. The Bunker targets existing veteran-owned tech start-ups and aspiring entrepreneurs to come, create, and conquer the business world through their ideas, hard work, and strategy.

• adidas

• AT&T

• BancVue

• Boeing

• Brown-Forman

• Chicago Mercantile Exchange

• Citi

• Coca-Cola

• ConAgra Foods

• Dana Investments

• Deloitte

• Domino’s Pizza

• Dreyer’s Ice Cream

• Equity International

• Follow Productions (Food Network Shows)

• GE (Energy)

• GE (Oil & Gas)

• General Electric (Aviation)

• General Electric (Capital)

• Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

• Hewlett-Packard

• Hillshire Brands

• IBM

• Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation

• International Paper

• Keurig

• Lowe’s

• McDonald’s

• Morningstar

• National Football League (NFL)

• Nestlé Waters

• Ocean Tomo

• OfficeMax

• Ogilvy & Mather

• Pace Global (a division of Siemens)

• Patagonia, Inc.

• PepsiCo

• Phoenix Cardinals (NFL)

• PNC Bank

• Procter & Gamble

• Proforma, Inc.

• Radio Flyer

• Sears

• Sprint

• Starbucks

• Under Armour

• (DMI) U.S. Dairy Industry

• Walgreens

• Western & Southern Financial

• Whirlpool Corporation

• Xerox

mba interterm intensive Deep-Dive Partners

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The three founders of The Bunker are Todd Connor, Brandon Bodor, and Thomas Day. All three are decorated veterans. Todd Connor is The Bunker’s CEO; and a big part of his job is connecting The Bunker’s entrepreneurs with city and state resources for veterans. The Chief Operating Officer of The Bunker, Brandon Bodor, leads the recruitment of companies and aspiring veteran entrepreneurs. Thomas Day is senior advisor to The Bunker and leads all communications and outreach efforts.

Todd Connor believes that one of the strengths of The Bunker idea is that, “Great start-up businesses need great leaders who know how to get it done amid uncertain and challenging circumstances. This is what veterans bring. This represents a truly different model for the veteran community that is not about defining the veteran population as a group that needs help but rather capitalizing on the talent pool of some of the highest performing veterans.”

Companies In Residence (CiR)

Early-stage veteran-owned companies can apply to join The Bunker, be provided space at 1871 for six months, access to great talent, an exclusive network of fellow entrepreneurs, mentorship and professional development, and access to capital. CiR companies participate in roundtable conversations, networking events, and a speakers series designed around their working needs and current state challenges. Businesses have the option to continue their businesses at The Bunker.

Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Aspiring entrepreneurs are invited to apply to become Entrepreneurs in Residence at The Bunker, and intern at one of its portfolio companies. This is based on the belief that the best way of learning is by doing. Working in The Bunker gives aspiring veteran entrepreneurs with the chance to support actual businesses, expand their network, and learn how to translate their skills into becoming an entrepreneur or working at a start-up.

Mentors

The Bunker views mentorship as critical to the success of their start-up businesses. It invites veterans and non-veterans to consider serving as mentors. The Bunker’s mentor pool allows resident companies to learn from established and experienced managers. It also enables them to tap the right expertise when they need, expand their business reach, identify new customers, and share lessons learned. A diverse and wide network helps expand the reach of The Bunker’s companies, and gives mentors the chance to get involved and support interesting and exciting veteran-owned startup enterprises, and to become a part of the broader Bunker community.

In June 2014, Chicago approved a veteran’s preference bid incentive program for all city contracts meaning that contracts between veteran-owned businesses and other small local businesses would be incentivized with a 5 percent discount.

On November 1, 2014, the first cohort of 19 companies began operating with The Bunker.

The Bunker’s Strategic Questions

The strategic questions which are germane to The Bunker’s development are:

1. How would you characterize and measure success for The Bunker? How can The Bunker be the most effective it can be in terms of its mission? What reputational descriptors would be the most appropriate for The Bunker to develop? To adhere to?

2. What are the competitive sets (strategic groupings) of incubators and/or accelerators that currently exist? What competitive positioning should The Bunker develop in the short term? In the long term? Should The Bunker focus on mentoring or helping to source funding, or both? Should it consider taking equity stakes in its portfolio companies? If so, which companies under what conditions? What strategic growth issues and challenges would you anticipate for The Bunker?

3. To what extend should The Bunker scale its operations? What are the structural options for going about this? What should be the control mechanisms for maintaining the effectiveness and efficiency of its operations?

4. For CiR; How should it manage a high touch experience? How should it build and maintain its mentoring community? Is the stratification of its portfolio into Cohort and Ramp UP appropriate? How should it manage and assess its portfolio of companies?

5. What network relationships should The Bunker develop? Are there decision points at which certain partnerships make sense? What is an appropriate Awareness Program for The Bunker in order to carry out its mandate effectively and efficiently?

The Bunker team looks forward to sharing with you their vision and plans, and hearing your input on its future direction and strategic issues. One or more members of The Bunker team will be available to students through an initial briefing and subsequent Q&A; and will be present at Notre Dame for team presentations.


FOR FAMILIARIZATION ABOUT THE BUNKER SEE:bunkerincubator.com/page_view.aspx?page_no=278facebook.com/bunkerincubatortwitter.com/bunkerincubatorlinkedin.com/company/the-bunker-incubatoryoutube.com/watch?v=6ksI5vbzUoM


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S O C I A L I M PA C T C O U R S E S S O C I A L I M PA C T C O U R S E S

A Management Consulting Engagement—Solving the Revenue Challenge: The Case of WNIT Public Television(1 credit hour)

The Management Consulting market in the United States is nearly $40B. For a new graduates, a career in consulting can be very attractive because it offers an opportunity to gain a base of exceptional business experience with a diverse set of clients in a fast-paced, challenging, and team-oriented environment.

Different consulting firms offer different types of consulting services ranging from high-end strategy to operational consulting and process improvement to implementation services. Yet, certain skills are essential across all types of consulting. These skills include problem solving, interviewing, communication, organizational change management, teamwork, adaptability, and professionalism.

This class is open to all students who are interested in consulting careers across all areas of expertise. However, it will be especially valuable for students considering specialized careers with marketing, finance, media, or nonprofit organizations.

This class will provide a brief and intense consulting engagement. The course will focus on a solving for a live revenue issue facing WNIT Public Television. In order to develop pragmatic options for WNIT, students will need to demonstrate and further develop skills in engaging and understanding client needs, defining and researching problems, and organizing and communicating recommendations in a clear and concise manner.

This course will be facilitated by Sam Awad, a recently retired consulting executive from Accenture. Awad spent 29 year in Accenture where his last responsibility was running Accenture’s North American Financial Services technology organization. In this capacity, he managed a $1.5B P/L and 15,000 professionals worldwide. Awad’s clients included American Express, Chase, Bank of America, TD, Fannie Mae, The Capital Group, Trans Union, State Farm, CNA, AON, and many others. He completed his undergraduate degree at Notre Dame and his MBA from the University of Chicago. He also served as a board member on Accenture’s U.S. Charitable Foundation and is currently serving as an advisory board member for the Kroc Institute of Peace Studies at Notre Dame.

The client for this engagement will be WNIT Public Television. WNIT is a community-based public television station that serves a 50-mile radius of the greater Michiana area. WNIT’s mission is to be a trusted, community-owned public media source that is dedicated to inspire, inform, educate, entertain, and unify the communities it serves.

Like most public television stations, WNIT is largely reliant on local support in the form of sponsorships (e.g., advertising), public funding, and corporate and individual donations. Also like most public television stations of its size, WNIT struggles to make ends meet despite providing a wide-range of interesting educational and entertainment programs that are highly valued by members of the communities it supports.

The president and general manager of WNIT is Greg Giczi. Giczi graduated from Notre Dame and has worked his entire

professional career in the television industry—both private and public. He has spent much of his career in South Bend where he started at WNDU. After spending nearly 10 years in Phoenix, Giczi returned to South Bend two years ago to lead and revitalize WNIT. In his time at WNIT, he has successfully restructured the balance sheet to reduce debt and optimize operating costs. At this point, though, he estimates that WNIT needs to substantially increase revenues if it is to achieve greater financial security and have the funds to invest in its long-term viability.

WNIT’s current operating budget is $3M/year. This budget only allows for absolute essential services. There is no room for staff salary increases, significant new programming investments, new markets, or non-essential infrastructure maintenance. Simply put, WNIT’s budget is as lean as it gets. WNIT must increase revenues by approximately $1M/year (33 percent) to ensure long-term financial viability.

Your job in this class will be to work as a consulting engagement team to help WNIT develop a three-year strategy to increase its revenues. On Day 1 of the class, Giczi and other WNIT leaders will provide you with an overview of WNIT’s financial situation, how they approach programming and marketing today, and the ideas they are currently exploring grow revenues. Awad will then provide you with an overview of how consulting firms usually approach engagements like this and some of the tools that will be helpful as you develop your strategy recommendations. After the overviews, you will spend the majority of the class performing research, interviewing industry experts and potential local partners/customers so that you can develop pragmatic and thoughtful recommendations for WNIT. The class will culminate on Day 4 with you presenting your recommendations to WNIT and some of their executive team.

STUDENTS TAKING THIS COURSE CAN EXPECT TO DEVELOP SKILLS:• Working in fast-paced team settings• Defining and organizing problems• Performing independent research• Conducting Interviews with clients and subject-matter experts• Developing and testing recommendations• Delivering professional presentations


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• Aspire CoffeeWorks

• BOSCO Uganda

• Catholic Charities (Chicago)

• Catholic Charities (New Orleans)

• Catholic Coalition on Climate Change

• Catholic Relief Services

• Engineering2Empower

• Fair Trade

• Feeding America

• Fig Tree Foundation

• Franciscan Health Alliance

• Great Lakes Commons

• International Rett Syndrome Foundation

• Kelly Cares Foundation

• Let’s Share the Sun Foundation

• PEPY Tours

• Ronald McDonald House Charities (National)

• The Bunker

• Volunteers of America (VOA)

• WNIT (Public Television)

• Wounded Warriors Project

mba interterm intensive Social Impact Partners

S T U DY - A B R O A D P R O G R A M

South America Immersion(1 credit hour)

This one credit hour, 10-day, study-abroad experience is offered to MBA students during the eighth and ninth weeks of the spring semester, coinciding with spring break week. The Santiago, Chile, leg begins Sunday, March 1, through Saturday, March 7, 2015. The São Paulo, Brazil, leg begins Saturday, March 7, and concludes Wednesday, March 11, 2015.

The purpose of this program is to expose students to South American business opportunities and social development understanding in two important financial and cultural centers: Santiago, Chile, and São Paulo, Brazil. MBA students attend seminars and lecture modules in both countries which discuss the rapidly developing economy within many industries and the flourishing trade and import-export market. Understanding the political, economic, and social landscape of these two emerging countries is essential to becoming a global leader.

Chile has recently emerged from a decade of economic reform to become one of Latin America’s leading economies. Santiago is the industrial and financial center of Chile, generating approximately 45 percent of the country’s GDP. Over the last 20 years, this city has transformed itself into one of the most important financial centers in Latin America. The strong growth, stability, and transparency of the Chilean economy facilitate the learning environment through access to high-level meetings and site visits.

São Paulo, the largest city in the southern hemisphere, is the capital city of the state of São Paulo in Brazil. As a state, São Paulo is the economic heart of the country, responsible for more than one-third of national GDP and approximately 40 percent of industrial output. São Paulo continues to be the most important business hub in Latin America and one of the world’s preeminent economic centers. Having historically been characterized by its industrialization, the city is now reinventing itself in the services sector—providing an interesting case study in economic transition. The sheer size of this market continues to be a major attraction for multinational companies, resulting in a broad range of opportunities for site visits in a variety of industries.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:• To learn about the latest political, economic, and social developments

in Chile and Brazil from business leaders in South America • To have a contextual and cultural experience of living and

studying in South America

LECTURES AND SEMINAR MODULES TOPICS: • South American Economy and Business• The Global Economy and The Growth of Chile and Brazil• Political and Economic Crisis in Chile and Brazil• Society and Culture• Guided Tours• Company Visits

Program Costs**Additional costs beyond tuition apply.

S T U DY - A B R O A D P R O G R A M

China Immersion(1 credit hour)

This program is offered during weeks eight and nine of the spring semester. The Beijing portion takes place Sunday, March 1, through Friday, March 6, 2015. The Shanghai portion begins Friday, March 6, and concludes Wednesday, March 11, 2015.

During the 21st century, the rise of China will be the most important single event that will shape and change the world for future generations. This change is unprecedented, both in terms of speed and magnitude; the impact of these changes already is radiating far and wide, radically changing the political, economic, and social order. We can only expect the intensity of such an impact to expand as China gains greater prominence on the world stage. In today’s highly interconnected global economy, happenings in one part of the world inevitably affect other parts. With China returning to the global economy in almost every industry, one of the most important topics on the agenda of board meetings has been the formulation of at least a response to the rise of China, if not a China strategy.

The program is composed of seminars, lectures, and field trips.

OBJECTIVES:• To learn about the latest political, economic, and social

developments in China from experts operating in China• To have a contextual experience of living and studying in China

LECTURES AND SEMINAR MODULES: • The Global Economy and The Rise of China• China Economy and Business• Society and Culture• Guided Tours and Company Visits

Program Costs**Additional costs beyond tuition apply.

Applying for Study-Abroad Programs

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 before the start of the spring

2015 semester• All MBA students are eligible to apply

How To ApplyApplications will be accepted through the MBA Student Services Office, phone: 574.631.8633

The Study-Abroad Program General InformationAndrew W. WendelbornAssistant Director, Student Services276D Mendoza College of BusinessNotre Dame, IN 46556Phone: 574.631.8633Email: [email protected]

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Contact InformationMBA Program Interterm Intensives General Information

Andrew W. WendelbornAssistant Director, Student Services276D Mendoza College of BusinessNotre Dame, IN 46556

[email protected] mendoza.nd.edu/interterm

Registering for Interterm Intensive CoursesLook for an email from MBA Student Services to announce and explain the registration process for Interterm Intensive courses.

For certain courses, the partnering corporation or organization may require that each participating student enter an agreement that would affect the rights the student would otherwise have, pursuant to the University’s Intellectual Property Policy, in the work that the student produces as part of the course. A partnering corporation or organization also may require that each participating student enter a non-disclosure agreement that would limit the student’s ability to share with third parties information provided to the student in connection with the course. Please be aware that certain courses may involve such agreements.

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MBA Student Services 276 Mendoza College of Business Notre Dame, IN 46556

Phone: 574.631.8633Email: [email protected] mendoza.nd.edu/interterm

interterm intensive - mendoza.nd.edu · consumer-centric branding: the case of under armour..... 10...

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