In Case You Missed It: Mason Homecoming @ Home
In lieu of a traditional, in-person homecoming celebration, William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business held a virtual event in October which brought alumni, faculty, and partners together with executives from some of the world’s leading organizations for an interactive four-day program.
The Mason Alumni Engagement team has made each of the live sessions available to watch online for free. Catch up on all of the highlights you may have missed including the full list of speakers by visiting Mason Homecoming @ Home.
Marketing in a Disrupted World
Visiting Clinical Professor of Marketing Matt Williams is joined by executives from Red Lobster, J.M. Smucker Company, and Bed Bath & Beyond for a moderated discussion about marketing to customers in a post-pandemic world.
Learn how each organization responded to the rapidly changing environment and adapted their marketing strategies to meet evolving customer demands.
Key Highlights:
- How the need for innovation, nimble action, and quantitative insight drove change for three of the country’s most recognizable brands in a dynamic landscape;
- Red Lobster’s dramatic pivot from a limited-time only event model to meet guests’ needs for safety on and off-premise using digital marketing tactics and targeted messaging;
- J.M. Smucker Company refocused operations to meet an accelerated demand for ecommerce and previously developed marketing campaigns to reach customers in an unpredictable environment;
- and how Bed Bath & Beyond leveraged new partnerships, captured their evolving customer profile, and shifted from omnichannel to online using technology, data, and creative marketing strategies
Alumni Founders Series: Founding The St. James
William & Mary alumni and entrepreneurs Kendrick Ashton and Craig Dixon reflect on their 25+ year friendship and business partnership as co-founders of The St. James: a 450,00 square foot, 28-acre sports and wellness venue in Northern Virginia.
Key Highlights:
- Ashton and Dixon discuss their outlook for the health and wellness industry amidst a global pandemic
- How they met a supply-demand imbalance by founding The St. James for people wanting access to quality content, instruction, equipment, and sports and wellness venues to pursue their passions
- Whether race affected their ability to raise capital and the role of race in The St. James story
- Their plans to elevate The St. James to a globally recognized brand known for providing a comprehensive in-person and digital active lifestyle and premium entertainment experience
Transitioning Principled Leadership from the Military to Business
Assistant Professor Bill Skimmyhorn leads a discussion among active duty and retired United States servicemembers and leading business executives about their transition from military service to civilian life. Learn more about the values and skills that helped them to succeed in their own careers as well as common challenges and obstacles that servicemembers face during this pivotal point of their professional careers.
Key Highlights:
- The common obstacles, challenges, and fears that servicemembers face during their transition from military to civilian life
- The importance of using networking and the upscaling of skills to ensure success in the business world
- The role of leadership development and the adaptability of the military experience in the civilian sector
Diversity and Inclusion: A Business Perspective
Stephanie Appiah, JD/MBA ’15 and VP of Financial Affairs for the Mason Alumni of Color Network guides a conversation between business diversity and executive leaders from Google, Intel, and Amazon. Learn more about how these leading tech organizations are addressing diversity, inclusion, and equity, and the initiatives they’re leveraging to drive change and bring value to their employees.
Key Highlights:
- A closer look at what panelists consider the biggest challenge to be for D&I efforts and how they’re addressing it with their current work
- How to encourage business leaders to value and promote D&I initiatives and inclusivity within their organizations
- Ways members of the William & Mary Tribe can contribute to the growth of D&I efforts personally and professionally within their own companies or places of work
