Which classes do you teach online?
MBA 602: Financial Markets
What do you want students to take away from your classes? What do you want them to learn?
My students will hopefully gain a deep understanding of financial markets and instruments, why they matter and how they function.
What is the value of an MBA?
An MBA should ultimately allow the holder to make excellent business and financial decisions in their professional and personal lives. They should come out of the program with increased discernment qualities, increased analytic capabilities and a keen understanding of how change impacts them.
Why did you start teaching?
I like arguing about known things that are, in fact, not known. I like the concept of leading students to think in multiple dimensions about problems. Since finance is almost always about the future, the field is perfect for this type of learning.
What advice would you give to those considering the online MBA program?
In my view online programs are difficult. Make sure you stay on top of the schedule. Participate wherever possible in synchronous activities and discussion boards. Learn not only from the instructor and the textbook, but also from your fellow students.
What qualities make someone particularly successful in business?
There are several characteristics that make people successful in business. The ability to look at multiple sides of an issue helps. Being creative is highly beneficial. Being able to see that you need to allocate tasks to others and, therefore, surrounding yourself with competent people to accomplish those tasks is crucial to success. You also need trust and the ability to truly listen to the positions of others, and of course, to fully understand the wants of your customers or clients.
What is the one book you think everyone should read?
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Tell us something interesting about yourself that your students may not know.
I grew up in a household of five adults and two children. I did not know that it was technologically possible to hang a coat on a chair (it was immediately hung up in the closet). My wife grew up in a house of eight children and two adults. She did not understand the concept of tightening a cap on a jar, since once opened, a jar would be totally emptied. Needless to say, I dropped many a jar on the floor. I was born on Friday the 13th, and my wife was born on October 30th (mischief night). Though we met in Philadelphia, we were both born in the same hospital in Hackensack, New Jersey. We have 2.2 children and three grandchildren.
