Meet the Alumni
Erin Reindl
After receiving her MBA from CIMBA in 1998, Erin started her career in marketing working with top international companies including Estee Lauder and Lancôme. She now works for JWT, an international marketing firm.
Give as update since you left CIMBA. What are the biggest changes?
Well, I live in Vienna with my husband and twins daughters. In addition to general work in Central and Eastern Europe, I work a lot with the JWT Knowledge Center in New York, which facilitates knowledge transfer from all of our areas of business all over the world. Also, I've taught marketing classes at the FH Vienna, the applied sciences university in Vienna for four years.
What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far?
Definitely having the twins has been the biggest challenge for me. Balancing work, the children and husband has been very difficult, but I'm lucky, too. I've been able to work flex hours, which means I can have the afternoons with the kids, and then finish work. That's been wonderful.
What's the most applicable aspect of CIMBA that has helped you in your professional life?
The international aspect of the program really makes a difference. Working with students from Slovenia, Italy, all over - that's what makes this program so special. Sure, I could have studied at other programs and then spent eight weeks at an international session, but that doesn't give the full experience and the harder lessons wouldn't be learned.
What's your best memory of your time at CIMBA?
I'd say the best memories are from spending time with my Italian friends - being invited to parties, meals and eventually weddings. Being with locals and feeling like I was part of it all, not just a visitor. Those are the ones that stick out.
How do you keep a work/life balance? Any tips?
I guess the first thing is to find a job that you really love and that makes you happy. Then you have to set priorities - but really sit down and focus on them, or you won't follow them at all. For me, I make sure the afternoons really are for the kids, even if that means waking up earlier and then working later, it's so important to me to spend that time with them.
Do you have any advice for our 2009 class that's about to graduate in July?
This really is a tough period, but don't let that stop you from setting goals and working toward them. Network through your professors as much as you possibly can and don't be shy about it. The job market is tough, so you must be able to sell yourself as a multi-talent - don't be narrow in how you describe yourself or how you look for jobs, because right now especially, companies are looking for someone who can be effective in a broad range of skill areas, so don't start the search saying "I am this and only this."
Even though it's going to be harder to find a job, it's a great time to be creative about job hunting. Find a niche that you are passionate about, that makes you happy, even if it seems like a tangent. I never thought I would be in marketing, and I'm happy to be where I am today. I never thought I would teach marketing, and that turned out to be excellent.
That's probably my best advice: be open to all the opportunities, and then be selective. Good luck!
Want to stay in our loop and share your story? Be our next featured alumnus/alumna! Send an e-mail to montano@cimba.it. |
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Greetings!
Moving quickly from spring straight into summer, both CIMBA campuses have been bustling with summer session students and professors.
On the MBA side, the part-time students wrapped up their spring semesters and will reconvene at the University of Iowa in June to finish their two-year programs, while the full-time students are joined with summer session students for summer session I in Asolo before they leave for Iowa in June.
The undergraduate campus swelled with more than 200 students and professors, keeping a fast pace with company tours, city tours and travel opportunities.
The executive program is busy wrapping up current programs and planning ahead - check out the executive feature for upcoming educational opportunities!
We'll be back next month with more news and updates from our campuses - give us your news for our alumni updates section! Please send your news items to montano@cimba.it for publication next month.
Have a great month!
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CIMBA MBA
 Summer Session in Full Swing!
Summer session I started on May 17, and it's going by quickly! Thirty-two students from consortium schools moved into the Asolo campus and are taking part in either International Process Consulting classes or Managing and Preventing Conflict and Strategic Digital and Service Business Management with the full-time MBA  students. As part of IPC, the summer students took a Six Sigma green belt training course with Roger Green, pictured above at left, for the week of May 25-28. It was his first visit to CIMBA and we enjoyed having him here!But CIMBA's summer session is not all about academic coursework, of course. Summer session students will enjoy dining all over our area, pizza-making classes, a formal gourmet dinner, company tours, opportunities for travel and other activities.Get Six Sigma Certified This Summer!
CIMBA alumni
Lee Campe (class of 1998), an industry-leading six sigma master black belt, will be offering
Design For Lean Six Sigma (DFSS) and Innovation Training July 12th (all day)
through July 18th (Monday through Thursday from 1-6 p.m.) at the University of Iowa campus. This course qualifies as
the remaining week needed for Black Belt certification for all those already
trained in Green Belt either by CIMBA or by an outside provider (Lee would need
to review the curriculum of anyone not trained by CIMBA).
If you have not
received Green Belt training but are interested in attending, you will receive
credit for Green Belt training in Design For Six Sigma upon completion of the
course. Lee is offering a dramatic discount to CIMBA students at a cost for
the week of $750. The normal market cost for this course is
$3500.Join Us in Iowa!
We
encourage you to contact members of your class or program and make your
way to Iowa City and the beautiful University of Iowa campus for CIMBA's first graduation  ceremony held at the University of Iowa. The graduation awards dinner will be held Friday
evening, July 17th, and the graduation ceremony will be the morning of
the 18th. For more information, times, details and reservations, we
encourage you to contact Kate Gerken at kate-gerken@uiowa.edu. We look forward to seeing you there! | |
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CIMBA Undergraduate
 CIMBA Blogs!
Keep up with the CIMBA undergraduate students as they explore Europe and settle in to life at CIMBA! CIMBA Student Ambassadors, chosen every semester, keep regularly-updated blogs on our site with stories of their travels, discoveries and experiences while they study abroad.
As always, students are taking advantage of the summer session's travel
breaks to get out of their comfort zones and explore all the
possibilities of Italy and Europe. Here, at right, students  wait for the buses to
take them to the Bassano del Grappa train station, where they'll head
to Rome, Cinque Terra, Paris and many other destinations all over Europe.
Check out the students' profiles and links to their blogs, shown at the top, by pasting http://blogs.chatuniversity.com/cimba/ into your Web browser.
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CIMBA Executive Programs
Getting Ready for Iowa!
Participants in the Executive Certificate in International Management and
Strategy program are taking their final modules here in Italy and preparing for the
final session at the University of Iowa in July. This will be the first executive class to visit and have class in Iowa, and we're looking forward to it!
Guests From Iowa
CIMBA hosted a group
of MBA executives from the University  of Iowa that stayed in Asolo for one week and visited many area companies including Climaveneta,
Osram, Manfrotto, Dotto Trains, Scarpa, Safilo,Geox, and La Gioiosa. We look forward to reconnecting with that group during our stay in Iowa this summer!
Interested in LIFE?
We
are ending the recruiting for the next LIFE edition June 12-14. LIFE participants from the previous edition just finished their final coaching sessions, and the feedback has been very positive! If you are
interested in the program, please send an e-mail to executive@cimba.it for more information or to enroll for upcoming editions. | |
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CIMBA Calendar - Looking ahead to June 2009
MBA
June 4 - MBA End-of-the-Year Dinner
June 11 - End of Summer Session I
June 22 - Iowa Summer Session begins
Undergrad
June 12 - End of CIMBA Undergraduate Summer Session
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Executive
June 12, 13, 14 - LIFE Program: Leadership Development Training.
June 19 - 20 - Executive Certificate Program in International Management and Strategy, Operations Management and Supply Chain Module.
June 25 - Coaching Skills for Managers and Entrepreneurs, One-Day Workshop.
June 25 - Executive Certificate Program in International Management and Strategy Program Presentation
June 24 - Executive Certificate in Business Communication Program Presentation
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