Spreadsheet Three

Nancy Nelson Heads Corporate Relations

Nancy Nelson

NANCY NELSON'S ROLE as the GSB's new director of corporate and foundation relations isn't all institutional fundraising. She also works with interested alumni/ae to facilitate relationships between companies and the GSB community.
       Nelson, who was previously development director of the University of Washington, notes that alums can strengthen the School's network of contacts and increase awareness of its research projects by making introductions; accompanying faculty and staff on corporate visits; hosting events for visiting faculty and administrators; making connections for case development; providing expertise for a class, panel discussion, or student conference; and endorsing proposals for corporate funding of fellowships, professorships, programs, or research.
       Nelson has worked in marketing, advertising, and institutional fundraising since 1978. She is assisted by associate director Patty Fleming.

Noon Networkers

Illustration by Michael Klein

THE SBSAA IS OFFERING yet another opportunity for networking. Since last fall, small groups of alums have enjoyed monthly facilitated brown bag lunches designed to let job-hunters share war stories, plot strategy, and enjoy moral support.
       Lunches are held at the Business School and are open to a maximum of 10 local or visiting GSBers. Interested alums can call 650-723-9736 or email gotham_gabby@gsb.stanford.edu to reserve a place.

Be Prepared

AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, Janet Abrams, MBA '87, coordinates the efforts of some 40 high-level federal officials who are assessing the country's preparedness for the Y2K bug, overseeing compliance, and developing contingency plans for the transition.
       The interagency panel has formed 25 working groups, each dealing with a different area of concern, such as electric power, oil and gas, and state and local governments. "We are also asking industry to do something new, which is to work with us to identify people within their industries who have very important skills that could be brought to bear in other organizations that are in trouble, or in other states, or even in other countries," Abrams said at a United States Information Agency videoconference broadcast to Italy. "We feel fairly confident about the readiness of the financial sector around the world," she said, noting the cooperation of the Year 2000 Council, made up of central bankers, with the Global 2000 Coordinating Group of private-sector financial institutions. Some major international Y2K concerns are shipping and air transport.
       Even as it alerts the public to potential problems, the President's Council is trying not to alarm people. The potential for panic buying is worrisome, as is a run on the banks. In fact, the Federal Reserve Bank has announced that it is printing an extra $50 million to $75 million for people who want to have cash on hand at the turn of the year, Abrams said.
       Abrams is especially heartened by a grass-roots movement in the United States where citizens are coming together to prepare their local communities for the event. "We see this as a very healthy movement and we're very supportive of it." However, she says, "We're not, as you might imagine, very excited about those people who say they need to buy a gun and move to the hills and take their dried food and their generator with them and they'll be protected." Not at all.

"Don't take on an easy opponent. You don't want to lose to a lousy company."

SCOTT McNEALY, MBA '80, CEO of Sun Microsystems, speaking about his long-standing battle with Microsoft, at a View from the Top presentation.