Present Value Podcast

The History and Future of AI Jun 08, 2022

From predictive algorithms to machine learning, artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalent in every industry. In this episode, Professor Soumitra Dutta talks about the history of AI and his future predictions on its application worldwide.

The Start-Up Journey: Bringing Ideas To Life Apr 29, 2022

The process of starting a business can be a roller-coaster! Co-Founders of Tangle, Will Mitchell and Nate Koweda talk to us about CornellTech, designing a new venture and the future of remote work.

From Paradox To Paradigm Dec 07, 2021

With declining margins and price increases, hospitals need to deliver low-cost care without sacrificing the quality. Dr. Harry Cho explains how he tackles this task with his work at Mt. Sinai and NYU Health.

To Creativity... And Beyond! Nov 09, 2021

Entrepreneur, tech exec, and best-selling author - Scott Belsky - discusses how his journey through the crossroads of technology and creativity led him to where he is today: Adobe Chief Product Officer. Scott shares his view on why creativity is the new productivity and how we can challenge ourselves to become more creative, no matter what type of work we are doing.

NFLPA President: JC Tretter | From Big Red Football to the Cleveland Browns Sep 23, 2021

NFLPA President and current starting center for the Cleveland Browns, JC TRETTERsat down with us last spring to discuss all things NFL. How do contract negotiations play out? How do you play a contact sport in the midst of a pandemic? How did he get to his position as president of the NFL players association? What was his path from Cornell to the NFL?

After three years at Cornell, JC was drafted in the fourth round by the Green Bay Packers. He played with the Packers from 2013-2016 and then signed with the Cleveland Browns. In March 2020 he was elected by a group of his peers to be the President of the NFL Players Association.

Beyond the Bank's Vault May 24, 2021

What exactly does the FDIC do? Hear from CFO Bret Edwards about the FDIC’s key responsibilities, the future of banking, and tales from his career – from the 2008 financial crisis, to cryptocurrency trends, to GameStop.

Resilience and Reinvention May 14, 2021

An all-American athlete, a cancer survivor, and a consultant, Chris Bordoni has experienced his share of adversity and reinvention. Now, he works with individuals and groups to help them achieve transformational change through the art of building resilience. In this episode, Chris chats about his background as an athlete, as an undergraduate at Cornell, an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, and his time at Boston Consulting Group. He and host Greg Wool discuss the difficulty of defining ‘resilience,’ tools to become more resilient, how to overcome hurdles and reinvent ourselves to achieve post-traumatic growth.

Reefer Craze: When the Madness Subsides and the Science Sets In Apr 20, 2021

In our latest episode, Professor Buckler discusses the inaugural course, cannabis, biology, society, and industry, as well as the historical and current-day context of cannabis. She also discusses her unique journey, from dropping out of high school and touring with a jazz band to teaching viticulture to getting her PhD in Maize genetics.

Victories On & Off the Court | Pro Squash Player, Danielle Letourneau Apr 08, 2021

What does it take to become a top Professional Athlete? Cornell alum & Professional Squash Player, Danielle Letourneau discusses her training methods, practice routines, and what it’s like living and competing in Egypt on the latest episode!

Agility in eCommerce | How Colgate-Palmolive Navigated a Global Pandemic Mar 22, 2021

Thrust into the spotlight as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson alum Liz Riley has helped Colgate-Palmolive navigate the challenges in changing consumer behavior online. Liz sits down with host Paul Witko to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on eCommerce and shopping behaviors, striking the proper brand tone in uncertain times, and the future of marketing in the “new normal”. Along the way, Liz gives a peek behind the scenes of how Colgate pivoted specific strategies to continue serving its consumers during the pandemic.

Liz Riley has over 7 years of experience driving strategic brand growth at Colgate. She holds an MBA from the Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and psychology from SUNY Geneseo.

From Script to Sound Mar 11, 2021

How does a Film Maker and Screenwriter produce an Audio Drama? How did stars, Aaron Paul and Krysten Ritter record their lines? Executive Producers, Ryan and Aaron explain it all.

Cornell’s Legacy Feb 22, 2021

Professor Jon Parmenter is an associate professor at Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences Department of History, where he specializes in the history of indigenous peoples in the Northeast, particularly that of the Haudenosaunee. In addition to his professorship and research, he has served as a legal and historical consultant to several Haudenosaunee communities and was recognized as an expert in the history and ethnography of the Iroquois by the Ontario Superior Court.

In this episode, with host Maria Castex, Parmenter discusses his research on indigenous dispossession and Cornell University’s legacy as a land grant institution. In October of 2020, Parmenter wrote a blog post titled “Flipped Scrip, Flipping the Script: The Morrill Act of 1862, Cornell University, and the Legacy of Nineteenth-Century Indigenous Dispossession.” This episode discusses the Morrill Act and its further implications in detail, along with the degree to which we must confront this history and engage in discourse and the broader process of redress. Finally, Professor Parmenter offers advice for those in the business world who want to confront their privilege and do their part in addressing systemic injustice.

At Cornell, Professor Parmenter teaches courses like “Everything You Know About Indians is Wrong: An Introduction to Native American History, New World Encounters, and the American Revolution.” In 2011, Professor Parmenter was the recipient of the Stephen and Margery Russell Award for Distinguished Teaching in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences. He received his BA and MA in History from the University of Western Ontario and a PhD in History from the University of Michigan.

Links from Episode at Cornell Faculty Page: Jon Parmenter Cornell University & Indigenous Dispossession Project: Flipped Scrip, Flipping the Script: The Morrill Act of 1862, Cornell University, and the Legacy of Nineteenth-Century Indigenous Dispossession High Country News: Land Grab Universities

Lessons From History Feb 08, 2021

As a Professor of History and Classics and the Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies at Cornell University, Barry Strauss is a recognized authority on leadership and the lessons of the great political and military leaders of the ancient world. He has authored eight books on ancient history, painting a fascinating portrayal of momentous events from assassination of Caesar to the Trojan War. His books have been translated into 14 languages, from French to Korean. His book, The Death of Caesar: The Story of History’s Most Famous Assassination, (Simon & Schuster, March 2015) was hailed as “engrossing, exhaustive yet surprisingly easy to read” by Barron’s.

With host Greg Wool, Barry discusses his approach towards bringing historical figures to life and navigating the balance between providing historical fact and entertainment through his books. Along the way, Barry clears up popular misconceptions in historical events, such as the assassination of Caesar, and provides clarity to lesser-known battles that altered the course of history, such as the Battle of Salamis.

He discusses the importance of studying history to contextualize modern events and how the academic community can continue to foster interest in the discipline.

As a former director of Cornell’s Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, Professor Strauss is also an expert on military strategy and studied modern engagements from Bosnia to Iraq and from Afghanistan to the streets of Europe. He holds a B.A. (1974) from Cornell University and a M.A. and Ph.D. (1979) from Yale University.

Decisions and Psychological Ownership Jan 25, 2021

Professor Suzanne Shu specializes in the areas of behavioral economics and decision research. She focuses primarily on consumer self-control problems, consumption timing issues, and financial decision making during retirement. Professor Shu and host Paul Witko discuss foundational concepts in behavioral economics, looking at choice architecture and the idea of “nudges”. She also shares research around personal health decisions and sticking to a fitness goal. Lastly, Professor Shu goes into detail about how to think about decumulation of assets in retirement and why it’s so important.

Suzanne Shu is the John S. Dyson Professor of Marketing at Cornell University’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. Professor Shu received a B.S. and Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, and then went on to receive both her MBA and Ph.D. in Behavioral Science from the University of Chicago. She is an NBER Faculty Research Fellow, holds a joint faculty appointment at the UCLA Medical School, and has been a visiting scholar for several years at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com Faculty Page: Suzanne Shu "Beyond Nudges" Paper: Beyond Nudges: Tools of Choice Architecture Psychological Ownership Paper: Psychological ownership and affective reaction: Emotional attachment process variables and the endowment effect CRC Screening Paper: Application of Behavioral Economics Principles Improves Participation in Mailed Outreach for Colorectal Decumulation Paper: The Psychology of Decumulation Decisions During Retirement

An NBA Season Unlike Others | Mark Tatum Jan 11, 2021

As the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer of the National Basketball Association, Mark Tatum has been influential in guiding and growing the league’s business expansion, including the spearheading of its international efforts. Mark sits down with host Paul Witko to discuss the NBA’s “bubble” plan to restart the season amidst a global pandemic and the league’s proactive commitment to social justice. Mark also comments on the league’s partnership with its stars, the impact of international expansion, and technological evolution surrounding the league and fan engagement. Along the way, Mark shares some insights from his early career in business and what attracted him to a career in sports.

Mark Tatum graduated with a B.S. in Business Management from Cornell University in 1991 and received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1998. Prior to joining the NBA, Mark had an accomplished career in sales and marketing across several Fortune 500 companies and Major League Baseball. He was named to Forbes’ list of Top 25 Most Influential Minorities in Sports in 2016 and sits on the boards of various organizations, including USA Basketball, LA 2028 Summer Olympics, and the Harvard Business School Board of Dean’s Advisors.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com NBA.com Profile: Mark Tatum LinkedIn: Mark Tatum

Hollywood Walks the Pacific Tightrope Dec 28, 2020

Chris Fenton has leveraged his experience in film production across Hollywood and China to share his lessons with America’s top diplomats, executives, and policy makers. He and host Greg Wool relive his story on becoming a producer, navigating China’s complex requirements for international films, and his hopes for the future of this delicate relationship between the world’s two strongest powers. Along the way, Chris explains what a producer does and how they make the difficult decisions of which films to produce. Focusing on China’s relationship with Hollywood and the impact it may have in the future, he also shares his views on the impact of factors outside of Hollywood’s control, such as the NBA. Finally, they look at how the major events of 2020 (COVID-19 & the U.S. Presidential election) have further complexified this already difficult situation.

Chris Fenton is a Hollywood executive and author of the new book, “Feeding the Dragon: Inside the Trillion Dollar Dilemma Facing Hollywood, the NBA & American Business.” After graduating from Cornell, Chris literally worked his way up from the mailroom at William Morris, quickly becoming a talent agent. He subsequently spent 17 years as the president of DMG Entertainment Motion Picture Group and GM of DMG North America, orchestrating the creative and business activities of that multi-billion dollar global media company headquartered in Beijing. He has produced or supervised 21 films including “Looper” and “Iron Man 3”. Fenton’s book, “Feeding the Dragon,” serves as part memoir, part warning cry, sharing what he has learned about international relations with China. He speaks regularly now as a China expert, and serves as CEO of media capital technologies, an entertainment finance company. A regular guest on Fox News, the BBC, and CNBC, Chris’s work has also appeared in RealClearPolitics, The Federalist and The Wrap.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com Twitter: @TheDragonFeeder Book Website: Feeding The Dragon

A Game of Chess Dec 15, 2020

Lourdes Casanova discusses the rise of Chinese multinational companies and the growth of the Chinese economy in a discussion with Present Value host Ghady Arida. The conversation starts off with a discussion about strategic mergers and acquisitions conducted by Chinese companies after the financial crisis of 2008. This M&A activity allowed Chinese companies to expand internationally, acquire knowledge, and improve their industries. She also discusses the challenges, such as brand recognition, faced by Chinese multinationals and the efforts these companies are undertaking to overcome them.

Lourdes Casanova is the Gail and Roberto Cañizares Director of the Emerging Markets Institute and a senior lecturer at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. She specializes in international business with a focus on emerging market multinationals. She was a Fulbright scholar and earned her Master’s degree from the University of Southern California and her PhD from the University of Barcelona.

She is a member of the Global Agenda Council on Latin America as well as the Competitiveness in Latin America Taskforce of the World Economic Forum. She was also a member of the B20 task force on Information and Communication Technology and Innovation in the 2012 G20 summit.

Along with co-author Anne Miroux, she recently published her latest book, the Era of Chinese Multinationals which examines common characteristics of Chinese companies and their efforts to make china an innovation hub.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com Faculty Page: Lourdes Casanova

Collaboration for Optimality Nov 30, 2020

Erica Dawson discusses the benefits of practicing and developing negotiation skills, common strategies and tactics, and the ethics of lying during a negotiation. As Director of the Cornell Engineering Leadership Program, Professor Dawson reflects on how negotiations and leadership overlap as well as the difference between a leader and a manager. An avid skydiver, the conversation ends with Dawson’s thoughts on courage.

Erica Dawson is the Nancy and Bob Selander Director of Leadership Programs at Cornell’s College of Engineering. Before this, she was the Director of the U.S.-Israel Center on Innovating and Economic Sustainability, and she trained through the Coaches’ Training Institute’s curriculum for co-active coaching and co-active leadership. She also designed the program on organizational and executive ethics at the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at MIT.

Professor Dawson is an expert in negotiation and conflict management, and consults worldwide for organizations ranging from large multi-national consulting firms to small non-profits. She is a skilled coach, working one-on-one to help individuals become confident in using negotiation to build relationships and meet their interests. She also consults on group processes, leadership development, and other areas central to the functioning of high-performing teams.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepod.com

Faculty Page: Erica Dawson

Power: How and Why We Underestimate Our Own Influence | Vanessa Bohns Nov 16, 2020

Vanessa Bohns has focused her research on social influence and the psychology of compliance and consent. In particular, she examines the extent to which people recognize the influence they have over others. She and host Greg Wool discuss influence in the workplace, including a deep dive into the reasons managers often underestimate the power they have over their directs, as well as the subtle complications relating to workplace romance. She also shares research involving "voluntary searches” conducted by police, and why people are often bad predictors of how they will react in tense situations. Finally, they look at organizational design and behaviors that managers and organizations can encourage to facilitate the best performance by their employees.

Vanessa Bohns is an associate professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She received her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Columbia University and her AB in Psychology from Brown University. Her research has been published in top academic journals in Psychology, Social Psychology, Management and law, and has been covered in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Economist and NPR. She is an associate editor at the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology and teaches the courses “Introduction to Organizational Behavior,” “Morality at Work,” and “Negotiations” at Cornell.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepod.com Faculty Page: Vanessa Bohns Organizational Design Paper: "Guilt by Design..."

Beyond the Buzz Oct 21, 2020

In this episode, Michelle Duguid discusses the effects of diversity on group performance, its relationship to status, power, and influence, and the importance of sponsorship and allyship within organizations. Newly appointed Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging for the College of Business, Duguid also reflects on what those three words really mean and how they inform her vision for change.

Michelle Duguid is the Associate Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging and an Associate Professor of Management and Organizations at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.

Dean Duguid received her MS and PhD in organizational behavior from Cornell and her primary area of research investigates the interplay of social status, power, politics, influence, and diversity in organizations. She also does research which examines individual and group processes that affect creativity and decision-making. Dean Duguid serves on the editorial board of several publications and her work has been published in numerous academic journals. Her research has also been cited in media outlets such as Forbes, the New Yorker, NPR, the New York Times, and the Economist.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com Faculty Profile: Michelle Duguid LinkedIn: Michelle Duguid (LinkedIn)

Goals, Food, and Social Interactions | Kaitlin Woolley Sep 22, 2020

Kaitlin Woolley discusses the psychology behind goal pursuit and motivation, information avoidance, and the role food consumption plays in facilitating social connection. A rising star in the field of marketing, Professor Woolley also reflects upon the most influential mentors and educators throughout her life.

Kaitlin Woolley is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the SC Johnson Cornell College of Business. She is also the Clifford H. Whitcomb Faculty Fellow and Co-director of the center for behavioral economics and decision research. Her research has been published in top-tier academic journals and has received coverage from popular media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and NPR.

Professor Woolley received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from our very own Cornell University in 2012, and an MBA and PhD in Behavioral Science from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2017.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepod.com LinkedIn: Kaitlin Woolley Twitter: @Kaitlin_Woolley Website: https://kaitlinwoolley.com/

Multisensory Branding: Mastercard CMO | Raja Rajamannar Aug 21, 2020

Raja Rajamannar, the Chief Marketing Officer at Mastercard, shares his thoughts about building a brand in today’s world. Raja discusses his career journey spanning everything from consumer packaged goods to financial services and technology. A pioneer in the field of marketing, Raja introduces the concept of “multisensory branding” and describes how Mastercard has developed a sonic brand that captures its identity. Raja also discusses the 2019 re-branding of Mastercard and explores the changing role of the CMO today.

Raja Rajamannar is the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer and President of the healthcare business for Mastercard. Prior to Mastercard, Raja held executive leadership roles in healthcare, financial services, and consumer packaged goods industries. Raja received an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, in Bangalore, India, and a Bachelor of Technology degree in chemical engineering from Osmania University in Hyderabad, India.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com LinkedIn: Raja Rajamannar Twitter: @RajaRajamannar YouTube: “Merry Go Round” Song

Sports Analytics: The Science of Winning | Doug Fearing Jul 26, 2020

Doug Fearing discusses how a background in computer science led first to academia and then to the world of professional sports. Doug touches on what has changed in the world of sports analytics in the last decade, including a shift from descriptive statistics to 2D and 3D kinematic analyses of player movement, and the differences between how a team’s payroll budget affects assessment of a player’s value. Doug also speaks to the ways his work in baseball can be applied to other major sports including football and basketball, and talks about the thought process that goes into a trade like the one that sent Mookie Betts to the Dodgers in the 2020 offseason.

Doug Fearing is the co-founder and president of Zelus Analytics, an Austin-based sports analytics company that applies an innovative business model to build the world’s best sports intelligence platform. Doug’s career in computer science and operations research has spanned positions in academia as well as industries such as automotive, transportation and sports.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com LinkedIn: Doug Fearing Website: Zelus Analytics Twitter: @ZelusAnalytics

Nutritional Science Jun 30, 2020

Professor T. Colin Campbell joins us for an interview on a range of topics relating to nutrition, whole-foods plant-based diet, and academic freedom. The conversation explores the definition of nutrition in the context of his research in China that revealed the relationship between animal protein consumption and chronic diseases as well as the correct way to think about diet. Campbell also reflects on the pushback on his research he experienced from policymakers and industries and asserts the importance of having academic freedom in universities.

Professor Campbell is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus at the College of Human Ecology division of Nutritional Sciences. He is widely recognized as a top researcher in the field of Nutritional Science. Professor Campbell has published over 300 research papers and 3 books, including The China Study, which became one of America's best selling books about nutrition. In 2011, he was featured in the documentary ‘Forks Over Knives’.

In his over 45 years at Cornell, he has served as an adviser to the American Institute for Cancer Research and chaired the board for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Since 1978, he has been the member of several United States National Academy of Sciences expert panels on food safety, and holds an honorary professorship at the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepod.com Faculty Profile: T. Colin Campbell Research Paper: Past, Present, and Future of Nutrition and Cancer Twitter: @TColinCampbell

The Merger: Tech & Innovation May 25, 2020

Professor Gautam Ahuja distinguishes between two different types of innovations for a firm, generative appropriability and primary appropriability. He then discusses how a firm can better organize itself to encourage innovation, through investments in fundamental or basic research and, counterintuitively, tighter controls on R&D budgets. Professor Ahuja also discusses what motivated him to leave an attractive job as a regional sales manager, to become a professor and shares some of the challenges that he faced along the way. Gautam Ahuja is the Eleanora and George Landew professor of management and organizations at SC Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University and is an award-winning researcher in the fields of competitive analysis and innovation. Professor Ahuja currently serves as the editor in chief of Organization Science, one of the premier journals in his field. At Johnson, he teaches the popular course Cases in Strategic Management. In 2011, he was ranked the second Most Popular Professor in the United States of America by Bloomberg Business Week and, across his teaching career, he has been selected as the “best professor” by student vote 17 times across MBA, MBA and PhD programs.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com Faculty Profile: Gautam Ahuja - Johnson Research Papers: Gautam Ahuja - Google Scholar Meet the Faculty: Gautam Ahuja

Capitalism and Democracy | Louis Hyman May 04, 2020

Louis Hyman discusses the rise of the gig economy and how the gig economy is a consequence of “income volatility.” He discusses the ways businesses and the federal government can support gig economy workers as well as the current “productivity paradox.” He then discusses the history of personal debt in the United States and the tools that were created to expand the use of credit. He also discusses changes to the provision of consumer credit post-2008 financial crisis and his thoughts on whether lending institutions will change their practices towards gig economy workers. Finally, he discusses ways businesses are engaging marginalized groups as both labor pools and consumers.

Louis Hyman is a historian of work and business at the ILR School of Cornell University, where he also directs the Institute for Workplace Studies in New York City. He has published two books on the history of personal debt (Debtor Nation and Borrow) as well as a book about the history of the rise of consultants, temps, freelancers, and day laborers in our businesses (Temp). A former Fulbright scholar and McKinsey associate, Hyman received his PhD in American history from Harvard University. He teaches the MOOC American Capitalism: A History through EdX and is the founding editor of the Columbia Studies in the History of U.S. Capitalism book series from Columbia University Press.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com Faculty Profile: Louis Hyman

Perspectives on COVID-19 Apr 02, 2020

For this special edition episode covering the COVID-19 pandemic, the Present Value team connected with some of Cornell’s top minds to discuss various aspects of the crisis. Dean Andrew Karolyi, Dean Lynn Wooten, Professors Li Chen, Vishal Gaur, and Kaitlin Woolley discuss the impact of COVID-19 on financial markets, crisis leadership, supply chain disruptions and retail operations, as well as personal motivation amidst social distancing.

Andrew Karolyi is the Deputy Dean and College Dean for Academic Affairs at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. He is a professor of finance and holder of the Harold Bierman Jr. Distinguished Professorship in the College’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. He is also a professor of economics in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences.

Lynn Wooten is the David J Nolan Dean and Professor of Management and Organizations at Cornell University’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management.

Li Chen is an Associate Professor of Operations, Technology and Information Management at the SC Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.

Vishal Gaur is the Emerson Professor of Manufacturing Management and an Associate Professor of Operations, Technology and Information Management at the SC Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.

Kaitlin Woolley is an Assistant Professor of Marketing and Co-Director of the Center for Behavioral Economics and Decision Research at the SC Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com Faculty Profile: Andrew Karolyi Faculty Profile: Lynn Wooten Faculty Profile: Li Chen Faculty Profile: Vishal Gaur Faculty Profile: Kaitlin Woolley Research: A New Approach to Measuring Financial Contagion

Promotions, Demotions, & Emotions Mar 02, 2020

Waldman discusses his decades of research into labor economics, including the role of job promotions, the benefits of lateral moves, and how resume padding may improve social welfare. He also describes his research in rational thinking, planned obsolescence, and product bundling and tying. He reflects on the personal life lessons he learned from his father, who survived the Holocaust.

Professor Waldman teaches Economics at the CU MBA Program. He first joined Cornell in 1991 and received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from MIT and a PhD in Economics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com Faculty Profile: Michael Waldman - Johnson Research: IDEAS / SSRN NY Times: Planned Obsolescence Article Faculty Last Lectures: 2016 - Michael Waldman

Social Media, Influencers, and Investors Feb 06, 2020

From being too overconfident when picking stocks to anchoring on a low number when buying a car - Guggenmos and Rennekamp illustrate the common biases that individuals face and connect these to managerial decisions. They also discuss their newly coined term I-FOMO, Investor Fear of Missing Out, which is used to assess how changing investor communication practices are impacting everyday investors.

Professor Ryan Guggenmos and Professor Kristina Rennekamp (MS '11 and PhD '12) introduce the field of behavioral accounting by discussing the common biases that individuals, investors, managers, and regulators face when making decisions.

Under The Influence Jan 24, 2020

Frank discusses his new book, Under the Influence: Putting Peer Pressure to Work. We discuss social contagion and its power to influence our choices. What have we missed in the past? And how we can leverage our tendency to mimic others to confront societal threats moving forward.

Professor Frank’s "Economic View" column appeared monthly in The New York Times. He received his BS in mathematics from Georgia Tech, and PhD in economics from the University of California at Berkeley.

Book Link: Under the Influence: Putting Peer Pressure to Work (Amazon Link)

Profile: Robert H. Frank - Johnson

Twitter: @econnaturalist

Pizza & Video Games: “My Body is Ready” Dec 28, 2019

Nintendo of America's former President and COO, Reggie Fils-Aimé, breaks down his lessons in leadership and reflects on his career. How did he end up at Nintendo? And why did he choose to be there? Reggie discusses fundamentals companies need when building a brand. He chats with us about his favorite lessons in leadership, and how to turn life (or product) failures into future successes.

Reggie Fils-Aimé is the inaugural leader in residence at the Dyson School at Cornell University. He held marketing roles at Procter & Gamble, Pizza Hut, and Guinness Import Company. Reggie was class of 1983 from Dyson (then AEM), and the recipient of the Walter Day Life Achievement award by the International Video Game Hall of Fame for his services to the gaming industry.

Episode Article: Johnson Business Feed

LinkedIn: Reggie Fils-Aimé

Dyson Leader in Residence: Article

Twitter: @Reggie

The Enigma: Cryptocurrency, Trade, and Emerging Markets Dec 13, 2019

How to measure risk in emerging markets? What is the deal with the US dollar? And what is the impact of the US-China Trade Conflict? We explore global trade policies, cryptocurrency, and what it all means for markets around the world.

Eswar Prasad is the Nandlal P. Tolani Senior Professor of Trade Policy and professor of economics at the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and the former head of the International Monetary Fund.

Andrew Karolyi is Deputy Dean and College Dean for Academic Affairs at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. He is also a professor of economics in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences. Professor Karolyi is a scholar in investment management with a specialization in international financial markets, and the author of Cracking the Emerging Markets Enigma.

He is a professor of finance and holder of the Harold Bierman Jr. Distinguished Professorship in the College’s Johnson Graduate School of Management.

, where he holds the New Century Chair in International Economics, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He was chief of the Financial Studies Division in the research department of the International Monetary Fund; before that, he was the head of the IMF's China division. He is the author of several books and monographs, including The Dollar Trap and Gaining Currency: The Rise of the Renminbi.

Episode Article: Johnson Business Feed

Faculty Profile: Andrew Karolyi | Eswar Prasad

Research: Andrew Karolyi SSRN | Eswar Prasad SSRN

Twitter: @EswarSPrasad

Wartime Financing | Accountability & Defensibility Oct 29, 2019

Former U.S. Air Force Officer, Sarah Kreps discusses U.S. War Financing - from the Revolutionary War to modern day. To what extent should political leaders be held responsible for the use of force?. From the rise of Social Media to the spread of Fake News, Sarah discusses the role technology plays in modern day war financing.

Sarah Kreps is a Professor of Government and Adjunct Professor of Law at Cornell University. In 2017-2018, she was an Adjunct Scholar at West Point University's Modern War Institute. She is also a Faculty Fellow at Cornell Tech (NYC). Dr. Kreps has held fellowships at the Council on Foreign Relations, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and the University of Virginia’s Miller Center for Public Affairs. She has a BA from Harvard, MSc from Oxford, and a PhD from Georgetown. Between 1999-2003, she served on active duty in the United States Air Force.

Episode Article: Johnson Business Feed

Faculty Profile: Sarah Kreps - The Department of Government

Crisis Mode: The Leadership Hero Oct 08, 2019

Lynn Perry Wooten discusses her research in crisis leadership, the glass cliff phenomenon, and “positive deviance” behaviors for managers and organizations. On crisis leadership, she uses case examples of Chipotle and Boeing to illustrate the different competencies leaders need when navigating a crisis. She illustrates how leaders and organizations can foster “positive deviant behavior” and resiliency in order to turn a crisis into an opportunity.

Lynn Perry Wooten is the David J. Nolan Dean and Professor of Management and Organizations of Cornell University’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. Dean Wooten received a BS from North Carolina A&T State University, an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and a PhD in Business Administration from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com

Episode Article: Johnson Business Feed

Faculty Profile: Lynn Perry Wooten | Dyson School

Sips with a Sommelier Sep 18, 2019

Cheryl Stanley discusses the basics of wine tasting and ongoing trends in the wine industry. Specifically, Stanley defines the fundamental vocabulary used in describing wine, how to read a wine label, and how to start building a wine collection. She also details how restaurants construct wine lists and the nuances behind wine pricing, debunking the myth that the most expensive wines are not always the best. Stanley elaborates on trends shaping the beverage industry right now including the impact of cannabis on wine consumption and what the future holds for Pernod Ricard. And because the best way to learn about wine is to drink it, Stanley hosts a tasting and shares how to drink wine, starting with how to properly open a bottle (including a screwtop!) and finishing with the right way to sniff, slurp, and spit or swallow.

Cheryl Stanley is a lecturer in Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. She teaches courses in beverage management, including the very popular introduction to wines course which hundreds of students enroll in each semester. In 2015, she was awarded the Ted Teng Dean's Teaching Excellence award and in 2017 she was named one of Wine Enthusiast Magazine's 40 under 40 Tastemakers. Stanley is a member of the Society of Wine Educators and the United States Bartenders' Guild. Stanley holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration and a masters in hospitality and retail management from Texas Tech University.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com Episode Article: Johnson Business Feed Faculty Profile: Cheryl Stanley - The Hotel School

Climate Change: An International Challenge | Natalie Mahowald Aug 26, 2019

Natalie Mahowald discusses the challenges presented by climate change from both a scientific and international perspective. Specifically, Professor Mahowald discusses the findings from the UN special report on climate change, that she co-authored, entitled “Global Warming of 1.5 ºC” which studies the impacts of a warming planet. Mahowald goes deeper into the roles of the developed and developing world, as well as the private sector, in tackling this significant challenge. And discusses the technology required to mitigate its effects and how the international community may develop in a more sustainable way. She also explains why she remains an optimist today, despite the immensity of the challenges surrounding climate change.

Professor Mahowald is the Irving Porter Church Professor of Engineering at Cornell University in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and a Faculty Director for the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. She earned her undergraduate degrees in Physics and German from Washington University in St. Louis, her M.S. in Natural Resource Policy from the University of Michigan, and her Ph.D. in Meteorology from MIT.

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepod.com Faculty Page: Natalie Mahowald - CALS IPCC: Special Report - Global Warming of 1.5 ºC Cornell Research: The Complexity of Climate Change

Retail Industry Trends | Vishal Gaur Jul 22, 2019

Vishal Gaur discusses the innovative ways that retailers are modifying their operations and using data to make strategic decisions. Specifically, Gaur discusses how firms can mitigate product expiration challenges by exploring different packaging sizes or moving a product’s location within a store. Gaur goes on to explain how inventory levels can help predict a firm’s financial performance. He also discusses why boosting sales growth isn’t necessarily the best strategy for mature firms to pursue.

Faculty Page: Vishal Gaur - Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management

Research: SSRN Page

Technology: Challenging Ethics Jul 09, 2019

Ifeoma Ajunwa, professor at the Industrial and Labor Relations School at Cornell, discusses the interplay of law and technology in the multiple stages of an employee’s journey, from algorithms that hire the “ideal” worker to mobile apps that monitor workers’ performance. She points out that many of the legal frameworks used today do not contemplate and do not address the issues that arise from the use of the workplace technologies we have now. Professor Ajunwa offers examples of how hiring algorithms can inherit existing human biases, when left unchecked. And she cautions listeners to read the fine print when signing up for employee wellness programs, as many have been found to sell collected data to third parties.

Professor Ajunwa is an Assistant Professor at the Industrial and Labor Relations School at Cornell University, an Associate Faculty Member at Cornell Law School, and a Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard Law School. She holds a PhD in sociology from Columbia University and a law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Episode Article: Johnson Business Feed

Faculty Page: Ifeoma Ajunwa - Industrial and Labor Relations School, Cornell

Personal Website: ifeomaajunwa.com

Twitter: @iajunwa

Research: SSRN Page

Digital World: Actions & Choices Jun 17, 2019

Hernan Saenz, Johnson faculty member and Bain & Company partner discusses how a company’s strategy must not only reflect a set of choices but must also lead to a set of actions taken in the marketplace. As an example, he shares how Southwest Airlines made a series of clear strategic choices in flying point-to-point, and from secondary airports and cities, all with one type of aircraft, to redefine the economic boundaries of the airline industry. He draws on his over twenty years of experience in management consulting to discuss how digital impacts business strategy, the challenges business leaders face in implementation, why cost productivity is so important, and best practices for talent and change management. Hernan holds a Master’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Industrial Labor Relations from Cornell University, as well as an MS in Economics from Stanford University, and a BA in Economics from Harvard University.

Episode Article: Hernan Saenz reflects on his 20-plus years in consulting and looks ahead

Faculty Page: Hernan J.F. Saenz, III - Johnson, Cornell

Bain Profile: Hernan Saenz, Bain Partner

Bain Insights: The Great Repeatable Business Model

NYTimes: Walmart to Buy Bonobos for $310 Million

Bain Insights: Setting a Digital Strategy

Bain Davos Video: Davos 2019: The Fourth Industrial Revolution

World Economic Forum: The Fourth Industrial Revolution

Bain Insights: Bending the Cost Curve

Food Industry Career May 30, 2019

Former Chairman and CEO of Kraft Foods and Mondelez International, Irene Rosenfeld discusses her 30 years in the food industry, the choices that defined her career and how her time at Cornell shaped her career. Rosenfeld’s career as a CEO at Kraft and Mondelez can be defined by a few strategic decisions. She discusses in detail her decision to continue pursuing a complicated acquisition of Cadbury despite tremendous opposition from the British public, press, and politicians. Rosenfeld also discusses why CEOs today should engage with activist investors, why she decided to split Kraft into two companies, and the fun story of how the name Mondelez was born. Rosenfeld holds a bachelor’s degree (‘75), master’s of science (‘77) and a PhD (‘80) all from Cornell University.

Episode Article: Johnson Business Feed

Bloomberg Profile: Irene Rosenfeld Executive Profile

NYT Profile: New York Times Retirement Article

New Tech vs. New Deal May 10, 2019

Professor Saule Omarova of Cornell Law School joins Present Value to discuss the mechanics of financial system regulation and the systemic risks posed by the development of financial technology ("fintech"). The sources of systemic risk in the modern, globalized financial system are numerous and often ill-understood. Omarova details how the fundamental logic of the U.S. financial regulatory structure focuses on the risk of individual financial institutions, but fails to adequately monitor the system-wide sources of risk that result from the increasing interconnectedness of financial institutions. She also outlines the risks to consumer privacy, currency, and financial system stability that the continued development of fintech poses to the modern economy. An expert in the financial regulatory regime in the United States following the Great Recession of 2008, Omarova has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and previously served as a Special Advisor to the U.S. Department of the Treasury to the Under Secretary for Domestic Finance.

Greenifying the Economy Apr 09, 2019

Professor Robert Hockett, Edward Cornell Professor of Law at Cornell Law School, returns to Present Value to discuss the Green New Deal. Hockett is a regular advisor to Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Hockett explains that the U.S. has lost its manufacturing and technological advantage to countries like China and Germany. He argues that despite political polarization, both Republicans and Democrats can agree on major policy initiatives around the Green New Deal to benefit every congressional district in an effort to greenify the U.S. economy while also instituting a federal jobs guarantee and delivering environmental justice. In the episode, Hockett addresses concerns about how Green New Deal initiatives will be paid for and forecasts two main hurdles he sees in delivering GND.

Contradictory Optimality Mar 27, 2019

David Easley, Henry Scarborough Professor of Social Science at Cornell University, delves into his theoretical research that identifies externalities in the banking system which can lead to a contagion of bad events. He also shares new research detailing how financial market participants with different sets of beliefs can produce suboptimal market outcomes, illustrated through a simple example about renovating the Ithaca Commons: what should the Mayor do if everyone agrees to renovate the Commons but they want to do so for contradictory reasons? Easley also shares his research about bitcoin transaction fees and then sheds some light on what it is like to work with one’s spouse; Easley’s spouse is Maureen O’Hara, who was previously featured on Present Value!

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com Episode Article: David Easley on financial contagion and the effect of contradictory beliefs on market optimality Faculty Page: David Easley - College of Arts and Sciences, Cornell MOOC: Networks, Crowds and Markets (edX online course) Book: Networks, Crowds and Markets: Reasoning About a Highly Connected World (amazon link)

Women in Leadership Feb 21, 2019

Dr. Susan Fleming currently sits on the board of directors of both RLI Corp. and Virtus Investment Partners. Our conversation focuses on gender bias in the workplace, what organizations can do to counter it, and women in leadership. We cover several important issues including the double bind, the motherhood penalty, similarity attraction bias, and what men can do to counter gender bias in the workplace.

Senior Lecturer at Cornell from 2010-2018, teaching women in leadership and entrepreneurship.

Fraud: Past and Future Jan 29, 2019

Infamous accounting fraud cases: how managers slide down the "slippery slope" to accounting fraud by justifying their own actions. Will new revenue recognition standards make fraud more difficult to catch? Listen and find out.

Calculated Lies | Truths Revealed Dec 21, 2018

Steven Strogatz is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics at Cornell University. Strogatz’s academic interests include nonlinear dynamics and complex systems. Our conversation begins with a discussion about his 2019 book Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe, which includes a fascinating discussion about how math can be thought of as “a lie that reveals the truth” and a story about the advancement of HIV treatments in the 1990s. We also delve into circadian rhythms and his seminal paper on “small-world” networks.

Links from the Episode Episode Article: Present Value: Steven Strogatz on the importance of calculus and the power of mathematical lies Faculty Page: Steven Strogatz - Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics Personal Website: stevenstrogatz.com Twitter: @stevenstrogatz Book: Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe

A Wartime Leader | Gen. George Casey Nov 29, 2018

General George Casey had a successful 41-year career in the US Army, which concluded with four-years as the Army Chief of Staff under President Bush and President Obama. Our conversation centers on leadership, covering the complexity of leading during the Iraq War, why the world today is VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous), and his bygone days working for Vince Lombardi.

Jr. is a Distinguished Senior Lecturer at Johnson.

Episode Article: General George Casey, Jr. reflects on his career and leading in a VUCA world

Faculty Page: George W. Casey, Jr. - Johnson, Cornell

eCornell Course: VUCA Leadership - Cornell Certificate Program

Book: Strategic Reflections: Operation Iraqi Freedom (Amazon link)

Stealth Scandals & Blurred Boundaries Oct 31, 2018

We welcome Professor Maureen O’Hara, the Robert W. Purcell Professor of Finance at Cornell. Our conversation begins with a conversation about her foundational work on market microstructure theory and moves on to a discussion about the effects of ETFs and high frequency trading on market stability. We delve into the nuances of ethical behavior on Wall Street, explored in her most recent book “Something For Nothing,” and ponder what new regulatory mechanisms may be necessary as artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies continue to evolve and dominate market trading. Listen and subscribe now!

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com Episode Article: Maureen O’Hara on market microstructure and ethics on Wall Street Faculty Page: Maureen O’Hara - Johnson, Cornell Book: Something for Nothing: Arbitrage and Ethics on Wall Street Book: Market Microstructure Theory (Amazon link)

Stop & Go: Consumer Signals Sep 07, 2018

We welcome Manoj Thomas to Present Value this month! Thomas holds the Breazzano Family Term Professorship of Management at Johnson. He earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology in India, an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, and a PhD in marketing from the Stern School of Business at NYU. His research focuses on consumer behavior and the motivations behind purchasing decisions. In this episode, we discuss pitfalls in the traditional economic model of human behavior, why people will pay 3X more for 100 calorie cookie packs, and how credit cards affect our purchasing behavior at the grocery store. Listen and subscribe now!

Links from the Episode at presentvaluepodcast.com Faculty Page: Manoj Thomas - Johnson, Cornell Personal Website: manojthomascornell.blogspot.com

The Media, Creators, and Consumers Jun 29, 2018

Tune in as we discuss the vital role creators, producers, and intermediaries play in creative industries, fake news, and why consumers should be wary of online reviews. Originally from India, Mukti holds a B.S. in microbiology and an M.S. environmental science from the University of Pune, and a Master of Management from the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai. Her research focuses on value construction for cultural goods.

Faculty Page: Mukti Khaire - Cornell Tech, Cornell

Book: Culture and Commerce: The Value of Entrepreneurship in Creative Industries (Amazon link)

Spotify, Cryptocurrency & Banking May 18, 2018

Drew Pascarella discusses the evolving role of the investment banker, cryptocurrency, and what makes the Spotify IPO special.

Drew Pascarella is the Associate Dean for MBA Programs at Cornell's SC Johnson College of Business, the Director of the Fintech Intensive, and the Investment Banking Immersion Lead. Prior to his arrival at Johnson, Drew spent 15 years working at bulge bracket investment banks. He has advised clients on over $35bn of merger and acquisition transactions and led equity, convertible, and debt financing transactions totaling over $9bn in proceeds.

Modern Money Apr 09, 2018

We dive into Modern Monetary Theory, learn about his educational journey from Kansas, to Oxford, back to Kansas, to Yale, and discuss his new private equity venture that aims to help employees become shareholders of the companies they work for. Hockett is the Edward Cornell Law Professor at Cornell Law School, a Fellow at The Century Foundation, and Senior Counsel for Westwood Capital.

Hot Hand Fallacy | Tom Gilovich Feb 20, 2018

Sudden-death aversion, the spotlight effect, material vs. experiential consumption, and the important role Vanilla Ice played in his research.

Faculty Page: Thomas D. Gilovich - The Department of Psychology, Cornell

NYTimes Op-Ed: Force Overtime? Or Go For the Win? (Sudden Death Aversion)

Book: The Wisest One in the Room: How You Can Benefit from Social Psychology's Most Powerful Insights (Amazon link)

Book: Heuristics and Biases: The Psychology of Intuitive Judgment 1st Edition

Book: How We Know What Isn't So: Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life (Amazon link)

Thinking Critically Jan 11, 2018

Our guest this month is Risa M. Mish, Professor of the Practice of Management at the SC Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. Professor Mish discusses her childhood ambitions of becoming a rabbi, her experiences as a young woman in New York City practicing labor and employment law, and sexual harassment in the workplace. Mish also shares how to apply her signature critical and strategic thinking skills to both everyday and consequential decisions.

Economic Naturalism Nov 30, 2017

In our inaugural episode, we talk to Professor Robert H. Frank, who discusses everything from luck, single-payer healthcare, why context matters, and the final word on Dylan or Clapton.

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