Office of Communications
470C Wohlers Hall
College of Business
|
|
NEWS
ARCHIVE Office of Communications 470C Wohlers Hall College of Business |
May 11, 2002 -- News Brief
A 1977 graduate of CBA, Mary Kay Haben, group vice president of Kraft Foods North America and president of the Kraft Cheese, Meals & Enhancers Group, delivered the convocation address to undergraduates and MBA candidates of the college and their family members and friends. She noted early in her speech that she had fond memories of Illinois. "Not only did I get a great education, I met such wonderful people, many of whom I still am involved with today. In fact, I met my husband, Ed Haben, right here in the business school."
Haben called herself a "voice of the old economy" and told graduates not to lament that they were graduating after the dot-com boom of several years ago. "The boom was fun while it lasted, but it was never going to last. ... I think we are better off that the world has righted itself, and it's possible again to navigate a career for the long run."
She told graduates that she believes business is stronger because of the dot-com revolution and that the "high-powered vehicle called American business is not just built for speed, it's built to last." Career advice included looking for a lifetime of success and not just two or three years of success. In addition she recommended balancing work and personal life, noting that the latter provides her with a source of inspiration that lets her keep innovating at work. Graduates were asked to "be relentless in [their] pursuit of continuous learning."
The college expects more than 700 undergraduates and almost 300 masters and doctoral candidates to be certified for their degrees in May. The college ceremonies were held in the Assembly Hall. The Illinois MBA Program and the Executive MBA Program convocation, held in the Great Hall of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, had more than 200 degree candidates present.