Mays Impacts

By Kiera Merritt ’19

The United States Department of Labor predicts, “Today’s learners will have eight to10 jobs by the age of 38.” A majority of these future jobs do not even exist yet. For instance, people interested in both robotics and law could become robotics ethicists to mitigate issues such as ownership of and culpability for decisions made by machines. Because of modern technological innovation, once unimaginable opportunities are becoming new careers.

On Jan. 25, Christopher Bishop – a nonlinear, multimodal careerist – provided students at Texas A&M University with insight into succeeding in these fields of the future. Throughout his life, Bishop continuously redeveloped his skills and created new jobs for himself.

He toured internationally as a musician with artists such as Robert Palmer and Chuck Berry; wrote advertising jingles, including the original “Gimme a Break” Kit Kat jingle; turned a conversation on a commuter train into a 12-year career at IBM; and now delivers presentations on the future of work around the world.

Each time Bishop switched careers, he focused on three fundamental tools for success:

• Voice. Identify your own brand. Invest in what makes you stand out. Frame your persona on your own uniqueness.
• Antenna. Connect your interests to events in the world. Seek sources based on your values and interests that help you stay informed. These sources include magazines, newspapers, blogs, YouTube videos, podcasts, or other forms of media.
• Mesh. Share yourself with those who value your skills. LinkedIn is a valuable tool. Expand your network by adding at least five people each week. Reach out to others who share your interests and goals, and join groups to expand your connections. This puts you on the radar of people you would otherwise miss.

While creating new jobs can be a daunting process, the trepidation behind progress is nothing new. In fact, in 1589, Queen Elizabeth I refused to issue a patent for a mechanized knitting machine, “for fear it [would] put [her] poor subjects out of work.” However, the new workforce should look to the future without hesitation because, as Bishop stated, “As long as there are problems, there will be jobs.”

The Mays Innovation Research Center hosted this event.

The Mays MasterCast is the flagship podcast of Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. We share insights into how business and business school works, while sharing our culture and lives with listeners. Guests include current students, professors, alumni, and friends of the university who have distinguished themselves in the business world. In every episode, the hope is to find counter–intuitive insight, vulnerability, and humor. Our goal is to be the world’s premier business school podcast.

Richard Castleberry joined Mays Business School in early January 2019 as Program Director for the Full-Time MBA and MS Business programs. He brings a breadth of experience and seemingly boundless energy.

He explained his philosophy for doing his job. “Everything is about relationships, both external and internal, whether it’s a CEO or the person vacuuming my office. I bring my advice, experience, and background into play, and I hope to plug it into the well-oiled machine that is already in place here.”

Castleberry said he looks forward to meeting faculty, staff, and external partners, but most importantly, he wants to get to know the students. “I like to get the class schedules and just pop in to see what’s going on,” he said.

Most recently, Castleberry served as the university-wide head of business development for academic programs for Nazarbayev University (NU) in Astana, Kazakhstan. Prior to this, he served as the Director of Business Development and Assistant Dean of Marketing and Communications for NU’s graduate business school. As a member of the leadership team, he was instrumental in the founding of NU’s business school and worked very closely with its strategic partner – Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. He led recruiting efforts for all master’s and Ph.D. programs. He also cultivated the university’s corporate partnerships across the world and has also taught many business courses at various institutions.

Castleberry earned an MBA degree from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Calif., with a concentration in marketing. He received a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in international business and marketing from Northeastern University in Boston.

On Jan. 17, the Texas A&M Board of Regents discussed and approved two items pertaining to Mays Business School: the adoption of a resolution celebrating the 50th anniversary of Mays and the establishment of the Sales Leadership Institute. Both items were submitted by Texas A&M University President  Michael K. Young.

The board resolved to extend congratulations to the administration, faculty, research, professionals, and staff of Mays in honor of the school’s 50th anniversary. This resolution was included in the minutes of the meeting and will stand as a permanent tribute to the accomplishments and legacy of Mays.

The board also established the Sales Leadership Institute (SLI) as an organizational unit of Texas A&M University within Mays. The SLI will formalize and elevate the activities of the Professional Selling Initiative (PSI) at Mays which was officially launched in 2015 with the goal of attracting and preparing more students for careers in professional selling and sales management.

Pictured (from left) are Ervin Bryant, Student Regent; Regents Morris Foster, Cliff Thomas, Phil Adams, Chairman Charles W. Schwartz, Mays Dean Eli Jones, Texas A&M President Michael Young, Vice Chairman Elaine Mendoza, Regents Bill Mahomes and Tim Leach, and Chancellor John Sharp.

By Anton Cordes ’20, Business honors

“Never say no.”

This was one of the key takeaways from a meeting with MIS graduate Jamie Duke McClain ’97. Jamie is currently a Senior Security Manager at Samsung Electronics America — but she never planned on working in security. Jamie started her career as a consultant and worked for companies including Accenture, EDS, and McKesson Pharmaceuticals with a focus on process innovation.

…Read more

Originally published in Texas A&M Foundation

Over the last few decades, a familiar scene has emerged: A dozen or so undergraduates from the Mays Business Honors program sitting around a conference table, listening with rapt attention as Wayne Roberts ’85 shares some of the life lessons he’s gained over his 30-plus-year career in the technology industry.

A recognized leader in his field, Wayne has spoken to business honors students at Texas A&M on numerous occasions. “If there’s one nugget I can leave with students, one lesson learned or one insight that helps them, then it’s worth it,” he said. “I just want to make a difference in the lives of others.”

Coming back to campus to speak with current students is just one way Wayne and his wife Shannon ’86 give back to their alma mater. Recently, the Roberts served as lead donors for the men’s basketball team’s new student athlete center, now named in their honor. In 2014, the couple also established an endowed business honors scholarship for Mays undergrads. They’ve also contributed to the renovation of Kyle Field, the Bright Football Complex and the R.C. Slocum Nutrition Center. …Read more

Originally published in Texas A&M Foundation

Inspired by his mother’s journey from a share-cropping farm in Georgia to running a business in Houston, Barnett “Barney” Gershen ’69 knew he could go anywhere in life if he put forth the effort. “When my mom Margie was 17, she took every penny she had and bought a one-way bus ticket to Houston for $18.50,” Barney said. “She wanted to escape the poor life she had lived in Georgia, and when she left, she knew she was never going back.”

Once she arrived in Houston, Margie found a job, rented a garage apartment and began building a better life for herself and her future family. She eventually met and married Louis Gershen, and the two started a family. Louis worked full-time selling cleaning chemicals while developing his business, XGI Janitor Services, named for his service in the United States Army.

…Read more

Marketing Professor Paul S. Busch got the surprise and honor of his career when Texas A&M University President Michael K. Young showed up in his classroom to present the Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence Award.

Busch was caught speechless momentarily as he looked around at the group assembled in his Advertising and Creative Marketing Communications class: Young, Dean of Faculties John August, Mays Dean Eli Jones, Marketing Department Head David Griffith, and members of Texas A&M’s Division of Marketing and Communications.

Once he regained his composure, he said, “What a wonderful surprise and honor. I tell my students, ‘I hope you are as fortunate as I have been – to do something you love to do.’ It will be 33 years in June that I have been teaching at Texas A&M, and then to get recognized like this. It doesn’t get any better.” …Read more

Many hospitality, retail, repair, and other businesses offer their customers service guarantees. If the service is substandard, the customer doesn’t pay.

In his article “Service Guarantees Have a Place in Healthcare,” appearing in the Jan. 15 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, Marketing Professor Leonard Berry proposes that healthcare organizations should consider guaranteeing the quality of services they provide that are important to patients and controllable to the organization.

Well-designed and executed service guarantees will strengthen the organization’s culture of service excellence while bolstering its reputation with patients and other stakeholders. Healthcare organizations can—and should—commit to being good enough to guarantee the quality of its services.

This is the first time the concept of service guarantees will be featured in a top medical journal. Annals of Internal Medicine is ranked in the top five of all general medical journals in the world.

Berry is University Distinguished Professor of Marketing, a Regents Professor, the M.B. Zale Chair in Retailing and Marketing Leadership, Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence, and Senior Fellow of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. He has been at Texas A&M since 1982, is a guest lecturer internationally, and has written 10 books, including Management Lessons from Mayo Clinic; Discovering the Soul of Service; On Great Service; Marketing Services: Competing Through Quality; and Delivering Quality Service. He is a pioneer in the field of services marketing and is making a significant mark on the healthcare industry.