St. John's News

September 2007—This summer Tobin’s Executive-In-Residence (EIRP) program was introduced on the Rome campus. Approximately fifteen MBA students spent five weeks in Rome interacting with executives in order to find solutions to real-world problems. Led by Professor Larry Boone, and American executives John Tutunjian of Cornell Computer Company and The Single Gourmet; and Ken Daly & Frank Lombardo of National Grid/Keyspan, students were given the opportunity to use the knowledge they had gained from their business studies to solve actual business challenges.

John Tutunjian, who is now retired after having run two of his own companies, spent two weeks in Rome with the students and says, “The Executive-in-Residence Program is one of the greatest educational programs that exists. It really does bring the real-world into the classroom.”

Chris Naylon, a student who participated in the Rome Executive-In-Residence Program said, “The EIRP is a great example of what the students are looking for out of an MBA program at an accredited university. The students and I strongly felt offering this course in Rome was beneficial to the Rome program’s reputation.”

One of the problems students were instructed to create a business plan for was an actual business dilemma Tutunjian himself once experienced. His dilemma centered around a company he and his wife founded for single people called, The Single Gourmet. The company began and was run out of their home, but after much success, it became more than a full-time job and they needed a solution. Students ended up coming to two decision points that Tutunjian and his wife had themselves made years ago—to either sell the company or move it out of the home and into a separate office where additional employees could be hired. (Tutunjian had opted for selling the business.)

“I was very, very impressed with this group of students. Because they had already taken undergraduate courses in finance, accounting and marketing, they were really able to finally take what they had learned from their text books and apply it to an actual business problem,” said Tutunjian. “They are well on their way to success in business.”

Aside from EIRP being a great benefit to students, Tutunjian also believes that companies themselves can benefit from such a program because it gives those companies who are looking to hire a chance to see for themselves, first-hand, what students are capable of and what their work ethic is.

Ken Daly and Frank Lombardo of National Grid/Keyspan also agree about the benefits of EIRP. “Participation in this program has allowed us the opportunity to give back to St. John’s all that St. John’s has contributed to our career development. We have sponsored the EIRP for 15 years, and consistently learned from the diverse backgrounds of the students. The added benefit of this year’s International Program in Rome complemented our learning experience as we move into the next phase of our development in the Global Energy marketplace,” said Daly and Lombardo.