Spring Break
Company exec divulges good business practices
by Miranda Neubauer
Senior Writer
News | 10/21/08
Posted online at 3:28 AM EST on 10/21/08
The International Business School inaugurated the Perlmutter Institute for Global Business Leadership with a keynote address by Reuben Mark, Chairman of the Colgate-Palmolive Company, as part of a symposium on Oct. 7 entitled "Leading In the New Global Economy."
University Trustee Louis Perlmutter '56 and his wife, Barbara Perlmutter, donated $5 million to establish the institute.
Louis Perlmutter said the economic problems spoke to "the motivation, the reason why we thought that the establishment of the institute was so important."
"What we've seen is that international financial markets dominate the world," he said. "Global business institutions … determine the content and structure of the global economy," he went on to say. Their leaders need to "have a basic understanding of the impact of geopolitics and economics in determining an enterprise's policies and behavior."
He emphasized that the new institute would allow students to interact "with practitioners of great success who have dealt with real problems as well as with academics, who have been researching those issues."
In the Sachar International Center's Silver Auditorium, students had the opportunity to hear from one such practitioner.
Colgate's devotion to company culture was essential to the company's success, Mark said.
"The accomplishment of establishing in a decade a school that is renowned all over the world is truly unique," Mark said of the International Business School.
Essential to his company's success was Colgate's devotion to company culture, he said. Referring to recent business scandals, he stressed the need for executives to serve as good examples with ethical business behavior and follow the guidelines they communicate to others. "In Colgate culture, it's the responsibility of all leaders to develop the next generation."
He explained that Colgate identifies promising new employees, based on their qualifications, to receive special personal attention and guidance from supervisors. "If one of you were to graduate and join Colgate, you would be identified as high-potential," he said.
University Trustee Louis Perlmutter '56 and his wife, Barbara Perlmutter, donated $5 million to establish the institute.
Louis Perlmutter said the economic problems spoke to "the motivation, the reason why we thought that the establishment of the institute was so important."
"What we've seen is that international financial markets dominate the world," he said. "Global business institutions … determine the content and structure of the global economy," he went on to say. Their leaders need to "have a basic understanding of the impact of geopolitics and economics in determining an enterprise's policies and behavior."
He emphasized that the new institute would allow students to interact "with practitioners of great success who have dealt with real problems as well as with academics, who have been researching those issues."
In the Sachar International Center's Silver Auditorium, students had the opportunity to hear from one such practitioner.
Colgate's devotion to company culture was essential to the company's success, Mark said.
"The accomplishment of establishing in a decade a school that is renowned all over the world is truly unique," Mark said of the International Business School.
Essential to his company's success was Colgate's devotion to company culture, he said. Referring to recent business scandals, he stressed the need for executives to serve as good examples with ethical business behavior and follow the guidelines they communicate to others. "In Colgate culture, it's the responsibility of all leaders to develop the next generation."
He explained that Colgate identifies promising new employees, based on their qualifications, to receive special personal attention and guidance from supervisors. "If one of you were to graduate and join Colgate, you would be identified as high-potential," he said.
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