Skip to main content

Individual Assignment 05

Cassandra Pan was the CEO of Fenner Dunlop Americas from April 2009-September 2016. She is currently a business consultant. Pan recevied her Bachelor's Degree in International Relations from Mount Holyoke College and her Master's Degree in Business Administration from Washington University. Pan is currently a board member of WQED and a mentor at AlphaLab Gear. She can be found on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-pan-075613107/. 

Pan's talk was titled "Leading a Publicly Traded Company." She discussed the challenges faced by CEOs and CFOs on a daily basis, as well as her path to becoming the CEO of Fenner Dunlop Americas. The textbook defines a publicly traded company as a company whose shares are traded on the stock exchange. Such a company must report to the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC. The textbook states that CEOs often have to make difficult decisions or address ethical dilemmas. Pan discussed how two days were never the same in the job of CEO, but that they were always busy. She said that operating a business in the Americas is very different from operating elsewhere in the world as the legal team needs to be consulted before every decision. Pan worked closely with Bill Mooney, who was her CFO, and they would both consult legal frequently. 

In this article, the Harvard Business Review (HBR) analyzes a study that collected data over 10 years to determine the fastest path to being a CEO. Pan discussed her many different business steps, as she went from owning her own business for many years, to working for a conveyer-making business, to CEO. According to the textbook and HBR article, it takes the average person 24 years to become a CEO. That was in-line with the experience of Pan, as she had many steps on her way to becoming a CEO. However, some people, termed "CEO sprinters," made the job in as little as 10 years. According to the study, these sprinters "don’t accelerate to the top by acquiring the perfect pedigree. They do it by making bold career moves over the course of their career that catapult them to the top" (Botelho et. al.). This analysis coincides with advice given by Pan. Pan stated multiple times throughout her lecture that it is not necessary to have a business degree or the perfect resume, but by being a well-rounded and well-prepared leader. 



References
Lytkina Botelho, E., Wong, N., & Rosenkoetter Powell, K. (2018, January 31). The Fastest Path to the CEO Job, According to a 10-Year Study. Retrieved April 25, 2018, from https://hbr.org/2018/01/the-fastest-path-to-the-ceo-job-according-to-a-10-year-study

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Individual Assignment 03: Create a Personal Business Plan

Personal Business Plan At Emma Engle Design, we provide big agency thinking without the big agency costs. As an experienced creative team, we strive to present creative solutions to any graphic design problems. Business Environment Emma Engle Design will be competing in the graphic design industry. The global graphic design industry has grown 3.0% from 2012-2017, with about 570,000 employees employed by 390,000 businesses ("Global Graphic Designers - Global Market Research Report", 2017). However, with the advent of sites like Fiverr that let people outsource cheap, plagiarized design for $5, the industry has suffered. In the United States, growth for the industry is projected to be slower than average from 2016-2026 at 2-4% ("27-1024.00 - Graphic Designers", 2018). Nationally, there are 26,000 projected annual job openings, but in Pennsylvania there are only 260 projected job openings, which leaves the percent change for PA at -1% ("27-1024...

Individual Assignment 02: Find a role model

For this assignment, I found a graduate business student through the Chatham University Business and Entrepreneurship Department Network on LinkedIn who agreed to an interview. We conversed through email, where they answered the interview questions described in the IA02 assignment parameters. They did not agree to have their name released.  What were your major, interests, clubs, etc., in college? “My major was Business Management.  I received my MBA [Master’s Degree in Business Administration] from Chatham University. I supported supported charities like Big Brothers and Big Sisters. I was involved in the Business and Entrepreneurship Club. I had a lot of close relationships on campus but in hindsight, I wish that I had explored more on-campus clubs and activities.” What is your best advice on how to study or gain studying strategies? “Being organized is the best study advice. This includes making sure that not only are due dates on your calendar but also study...