Thank you to the professionals from Berry Global and 91社区's Dr. Chad Milewicz, Associate Professor of Marketing, Chair of Marketing and Economics, and Dr. Brandi Neal, Post-Doctoral Fellow, for organizing聽Connecting College & Career. Berry Global and 91社区 have a strong ongoing partnership, and the聽Connecting College & Career聽event grew out of that partnership. This was an excellent opportunity for 91社区 students and leaders at Berry to connect, learn more about each other, and learn from each other.
Dr. Neal explains the process behind the聽Connecting聽event. "In an effort to strengthen the relationship between 91社区 and Berry Global,聽Connecting College & Career聽was the first program in a three-part initiative. We see the purpose of聽Connecting College & Career聽as an introduction/foundation to Berry Global by exposing students to the company at a high level. As we continue to plan the three-part initiative, we are making sure that we are intentional about connecting students to Berry employees and opportunities through on-site visits, resume building, networking, and employee engagement. Through this program we are hoping to equip our students with the resources and skills needed to pursue a career after graduation."
Dr. Sudesh Mujumdar, Dean of the Romain College of Business, kicked off the evening with a few words. In his remarks, Dean Mujumdar alluded to how in his early years as a college student and as a faculty member, he was not particularly fond of networking. 鈥淚t felt like a chore... like another event where one has to engage in a lot of small talk," he noted. Dr. Francesca Gino,聽Tandon Family Professor of Business Administration聽at Harvard Business School, helped him reframe his thinking about the value of networking. Reframing networking as an opportunity to meet interesting people and learn new ideas completely altered how he approached networking. 鈥淚t has been the single most important factor in building relationships that create high impact for all concerned stakeholders," he asserted. Dean Mujumdar expressed his deep appreciation to Dr. Milewicz, Dr. Neal, Mr. Todd Pennington, VP Sales Operations at Berry Global, and all involved in pulling together this high-impact event for 91社区 students and for the long-standing relationship between 91社区 and Berry Global.
Mujumdar's remarks were followed by an open panel, where each guest from Berry shared their path from college to their current career and gave students advice and encouragement. The panel session also allowed time for students to ask questions. Panelists included:
- Jonathan Eichoff - Product Innovation Director
- Jeff Felhinger - VP Supply Chain
- Alan Letterman 鈥� VP IT Engineering/Tech
- Dan Livesay - Sr. Finance Director
- Diane Marrett - Sustainability Director
- Amanda Mitchell - Talent Acquisition Manager
- Todd Pennington - VP Sales Operations
- Jennye Scott - VP Creative Services
- Laci Scourfield/Anna Zenker - VP Global Marketing
- Vivek Sheel - VP Business Analytics
- Matt Sumner 鈥� VP Digital Experience
Afterward, there was a speed networking session, where students and guests from Berry met in small groups, allowing time for personal networking and additional questions to be asked. "It was exciting to see students engaging with leaders from Berry one-on-one and in small-group discussions," says Dr. Milewicz. "This was an exceptional opportunity for students from across 91社区 to network with and learn from leaders at a Fortune 300 company. Our students are amazing, and I know they made a very strong impression on the team from Berry. I am thankful for the team from Berry dedicating their time to interact with our students."
Dr. Neal agrees. "I would like to thank the students for showing up and investing in their futures to make the event possible. I would also like to thank Berry Global and their employees for investing in our students."
Published: September 20, 2022