2018 - Student Leadership Award

Marshall Jen from The Chinese University of Hong  Kong (CUHK)

MBA Student, Marshall Jen was awarded the GBF 2018 Student Leadership Award for outstanding achievements as President of the MBA Student Council of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).  

Marshall coordinated several significant programs to unify members of the full-time and part-time MBA classes at CUHK. In addition, he led the organisation and execution of a  2,000-guest Hong Kong-wide conference on ‘The Power of New Retail’ in collaboration with Alibaba.  

Next to these considerable achievements Marshall also implemented a scheme for CUHK to raise funds for child education in Africa. Overall school leadership and peers  commended his superior communication and networking skills and empowerment of fellow students to pursue individual excellence.

2017 - Student Leadership Award

Shyam Nambiar from Indian School of Business 

Shyam Nambiar from Indian School of Business (ISB) was presented with the GBF 2017 Student Leadership Award for his vision and achievements to lead the largest ever MBA  class at ISB and coordinate activities between Hyderabad and Mohali campuses.  

Shyam not only led his student graduate business association as elected President, but he and his team also successfully and truly made a reality of the ISB “One School Two  Campuses” ethos based on a common agenda through publishing common newsletters and organizing cross campus events.  

He conceptualized the idea of “Student Brand Ambassadors” on the ISB website, featuring 50 students from both campuses and established a long-term system for better  connection and mentorship of aspiring admits, impacting substantial increase in applications.

2017 - Responsible Leadership Award

Clinton Wong/ CEIBS CSR Club from China Europe  International Business  School (CEIBS)

Clinton Wong and the CEIBS CSR Club received the global GBF 2017 Responsible Leadership Award for their vision and achievements to promote greater awareness of social  innovation to the student body at CEIBS.  

The first Social Innovation Unconference, themed around Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Investing was successfully launched in March 2017. CEIBS CSR Club noted that  Social Innovation is often mistaken as Corporate Social Responsibility and the CSR Club managed to convince the larger CEIBS community to pioneer a shift in mind-set and stop  considering corporations exist solely for the purpose of profit maximization, but to also create social value for the community in which they operate.  

They build the CEIBS Social Innovation Unconference also to help existing incubators by creating a bridge between academic institutions with industry practitioners who want to  tap into a pool of top-notch professors and MBA students.

2016 - Student Leadership Award

Vaibhav Agarwal and Jason  Burchard from the London  School of Economics and  Political Science (LSE)

Vaibhav Agarwal and Jason Burchard from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) were presented the GBF 2016 Student Leadership Award for their vision  and achievements increasing networking opportunities and community building between current students, prospective candidates and alumni of their program.  

Vaibhav and Jason founded the “Student Ambassador Programme” to communicate the aims and culture of LSE to prospective students by matching candidates to an ambassador  based on nationality, background and work experience; this initiative helped reach over 150 LSE offer holders and generated 10% more applications despite a decreasing trend. 

They secured a commitment of school-level funding to organize the program going forward each year. The team instituted annual student conferences for LSE students at Oxford  and Cambridge.

2016 - Responsible Leadership Award

Abby Schwartz from the  Georgetown University  McDonough School of  Business

Abby Schwartz from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business received the GBF 2016 Responsible Leadership Award for successfully spearheading diversity  and inclusion (D&I) initiatives at McDonough.  

Abby identified the need to make D&I a priority in the MBA program and worked together with the Dean, students, administration, admissions department and faculty to create  consciousness about the subject and gain support. She influenced the Student Government Association to create a new Vice President for D&I position and achieved a 400%  increase in women leadership positions in the newly elected student government. 

In addition, she created a D&I workshop for students and staff, influenced admissions to consciously reflect on D&I in the admissions process, to increase the number of women in  the program from 31 to 40% in the next few years, to add questions in end-of-year surveys to measure inclusiveness in the school culture and to even create a lactation room for  students and staff who are also parents.

2015 - Student Leadership Award

Alexander Brown, Tepper  School of Business at  Carnegie Mellon University

Alexander Brown from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University was presented with the GBF 2015 Student Leadership Award for his vision and achievements  to increase cross-campus and interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.  

Alexander not only led his student graduate business association as elected President. He and his team also envisioned the CMU Idea Market Place and CMU Idea Space and  gained support and funding from two grants to build an engaging annual program of events and competitions for idea sharing, discussion, selection and grants to finance the best  ideas in support of the vision of the University.

2015 - Responsible Leadership Award

Julian Ragragio, Marco  Alfonso Ordonez, Ashima  Chadhary and Adrian Moses Albano from National  University of Singapore  (NUS)

Julian Ragragio, Marco Alfonso Ordonez, Ashima Chadhary Wadhawan and Adrian Moses Albano from the National University of Singapore (NUS) received the global GBF  2015 Responsible Leadership Award for their vision and achievements to raise awareness and funds to support the Philippine NGO, SIBAT, as they aim to provide reliable, safe  and accessible solar based water systems to supply to 1,265 households in the Philippines, damaged by typhoon Haiyan.  

The NUS team has successfully applied their business skills to support the NGO in marketing and fundraising and has envisioned a sustainable and scalable operating model and  strategy for solar based pumping solutions that would enable delivering vital water supply to poverty or disaster stricken communities, not only in the Philippines, but across the  globe. Most recently the NUS team, through its efforts, has won the Total Sky Grant to finance solar based pump installation pilots in multiple sites.

2013 - Student Leadership Award

Ashvini Jakhar, Indian  School of Business (ISB)

Ashvini Jakhar, President of the Graduate Student Body at the Mohali Campus of Indian School of Business (ISB) was presented with the GBF 2013 Student Leadership Award.  

His vision and leadership ensured the inaugural class at the new ISB campus in Mohali could experience their MBA with a similar high standard of excellence in management  education, career service and student life as experienced at Hyderabad campus, despite this being the first year of the new campus. Ashvini co-created with ISB faculty,  administration, staff, alumni and students a common vision and sustainable long term initiatives for a “one school-two campuses” model.

2013 - Responsible Leadership Award

Xiaoli Li and Liwen Qian  from China Europe International Business  School (CEIBS)

Xiaoli (Lily) Li and Liwen (Idoia) Qian from the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) received the GBF 2013 Responsible Leadership Award for their leadership  in successfully activating the MBA and EMBA community to give back to the community.  

Xiaoli and Liwen led a team of 40 CEIBS student and alumni volunteers to carry out a weekly migrant school teaching program helping students improve English. On top, they co initiated and led CEDAR, a charitable organization established by CEIBS EMBA alumni, COIN club and the CSR club, to provide university students from remote areas career  advice and philological counsel; currently engaging 150+ CEIBS MBA and EMBA volunteers and providing support to 170 university students. Xiaoli is also the 2013 Chair of the  Being Globally Responsible Conference (BGRC); one of Asia’s largest CSR Conferences.

2012 - Student Leadership Award

Varun Mittal from National  University of Singapore /

Santosh Mohanram from  the Indian School of Business

For the second time the GBF handed out 2 student Leadership Awards during the annual Graduate Business Conference 2012. Varun Mittal from the National University of  Singapore received the GBF 2012 Student Leadership Award for his ability to implement his vision for an integrated IT platform which allows NUS MBA's to overcome the  challenges of communication and continuity both during and after the MBA.  

Santosh Mohanram from the Indian School of Business also received the GBF 2012 Student Leadership Award to recognize his selfless contribution to classmates and the schools'  quality of education for setting up a peer to peer teaching initiative which enabled increased development, collaboration and learning.

2012 - Responsible Leadership Award

Angela Behnken, Shilpa  Arya, Carter Posey and  Chris Chandler from Georgia Tech

The GBF 2012 Responsible Leader Award was bestowed upon a team of 4 student leaders from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Angela Behnken, Shilpa Arya, Carter Posey  and Chris Chandler for establishing the Georgia Tech MBA Community Fund. 

As a result of three life changing events within Georgia Tech's MBA community, this student led initiative recognizes the value of support and community during times of crisis.  With no institutionalized program to support its community in need, the group overcame the challenges to establish this Fund and successfully initiate sustainable requests for  funding.

2011 - Student Leadership Award

Hannah Dupes and Cara  O’Connor from S.C. Johnson Graduate School of  Management at Cornell  University

Hannah Dupes and Cara O’Connor from the S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University received the GBF 2011 Student Leadership Award and a Cisco  and Thomson Reuters $2250 grant and press release as a result of their work to transform the student leadership program.  

As the President and VP of the Cornell Student Council, they put forward a proposal to restructure and introduce a fresh take on the student leadership development program.  Initially unpopular, due to a reduction in the number of leadership positions and student clubs, they were able to gain the respect and support of the MBA student body and  university administration through their highly consultative and data-driven approach and executed an impressive and effective program redesign delivering better results for Student  Leadership development and Cornell.

2011 - Responsible Leadership Award

Robert Seiler, Eric Seidner and Alex Song from China  Europe International Business School (CEIBS)

Robert Seiler, Eric Seidner and Alex Song from China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) were presented with the GBF 2011 Responsible Leadership Award and a  Cisco and Thomson Reuters $2000 grant and press release for their vision and delivery of a strategy and five-year business plan to make CEIBS the first 100% carbon neutral  business school in the world.  

Their plan estimates that at the CEIBS campus in Shanghai they can deliver a positive net present value of 18 million RMB (2,74 million USD/ 1,95 million EURO) and a reduction  of 4,000 tons CO(2)e annually; approximately equivalent to CO(2)e absorption of approximately 16,000 trees, driving a car 500 times around the world, or flying the complete  CEIBS MBA class in a Boeing 737 2,5 times around the world. 

2010 - Student Leadership Award

Justin Parisi from Carnegie  Mellon Univerity – Tepper  School of Business / 

Peter Costa Delis from  CEIBS

For the first time in 20 years the GBF handed out 2 Student Leadership Awards during the annual Graduate Business Conference.The prestigious Awards were won by Justin Parisi  from Carnegie Mellon Univerity – Tepper School of Business and Peter Costa Delis from CEIBS.  

Peter Costa Delis from CEIBS founded the philanthropy network C.O.I.N. in China and connected MBA, EMBA and the larger community to actively volunteer and support  fundraising activities leading to substantial funds of more than a million dollars to invest in charitable causes. In addition, he established partnerships with a local migrant school,  local orphanage, and a local NGO to promote activities for fellow students and if that was not enough also committed time to garner media attention for Asia’s largest student-run  CSR conference as Global Media Director. 

Justin Parisi became a true resource and driving force at Carnegie Mellon University, its community, professors, students, the UN and Net Impact to increase environmentally  sustainable behaviour and awareness. Amongst others Justin build an extensive database with sustainability information valuable to students and administration, led the School in  securing LEED green building certification points for Posner Hall (Tepper’s building), became a respected Net Impact conference speaker and was selected to attend the Copenhagen  Climate talks of the UN.  

Jim Deveau, Founder of the GBF, said: “We had a very difficult time as Judging Panel. The achievements of some of the student leaders nominated this year are beyond measures  and a true inspiration for the global MBA community”. Justin and Peter are role models for global business schools and communities on how leadership vision, tenacity and creativity  in approach can make a real difference and leave a lasting legacy to the benefit of all involved.

2009 - Student Leadership Award

Christopher Petersen and  David Chonowski, University of Illinois

"MBA Veterans Association and inspirational work on the Mid-Western MBA Veterans Career Conference " 

David and Chris, founders and co-presidents of the Illinois MBA Veterans Association, were honored for leading last fall’s Mid-Western MBA Veterans Career Conference, which  connected job recruiters and veterans who are studying at 10 Midwest colleges with MBA programs ranked in the top tier nationally.
After learning that nearly half of the U. of I. MBA program’s corporate partners had cancelled or postponed campus recruiting events as a result of the economic downturn, the  team organized the conference from its inception to delivery, in 6 weeks. More than 70 percent said they were contacted about career opportunities by at least one of the 10 firms  that participated, according to a post-event survey.

The GBF judges were very impressed with the selflessness that was displayed by the team and their collaborative approach. In addition, the contribution to the Wounded Warriors  Project went above and beyond the standard approach.

2008 - Student Leadership Award

Luke Meehan, Melbourne Business School

"Transforming Student Council Success" 

Meehan of Melbourne Business School became President of his student body 3 months after it had collapsed in disarray with many students and academics questioning its relevance at the school. By the end of his tenure the student council had once again been established as a worthwhile body achieving notable successes  on the way. 

Transforming stakeholder management into the more valuable art of relationship building, nurturing ideas but also managing their successful execution, encouraging feedback to  ensure progress became a learning experience, are but some of Luke’s notable attributes. Luke would be the first to say the student council’s success was a team effort; however,  Melbourne’s Dean is quoted to have said in his 20 years he has never seen a more effective leader of a student group.

2007 - Student Leadership Award

Colin Raney, Tepper School of Business,  Carnegie Mellon University

"Tepper Prepper Programme" 

Colin Raney of Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University broke the mold of the traditional winner of the SLA by being primarily recognized for inspiring others to  achieve. Colin was the elected President of the student body at Tepper but it was very evident that Colin’s contribution was to ensure others benefited and took leading roles in the  various Tepper initiatives. Colin’s vision was simple: leave the program better than when we arrived and he challenged the other officers in the GBA to come up with “Impact  Initiatives”.  

A particular high point for Colin was the delivery of the ‘Tepper Prepper’ programme in which 1st year students were coached by 2nd year students in the art of finding an  internship. The programme not only strengthened ties between the two classes but also made a significant impact on internship success rates. Colin’s contribution can be summed up be a colleague who said ‘Colin’s selflessness was contagious within our student government and created a collegial environment that led to several major contributions to the  Tepper program’. Colin efforts have not gone unnoticed at Carnegie Mellon and he was named the William G. McGowan Scholar for the 2006-2007 academic year.

2006 - Student Leadership Award

Wieteke Dupain, RSM Erasmus University

"Launching CEMS Student Private Zone and Knowledge Sharing" 

Dupain of RSM Erasmus University was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the CEMS Community of European Management Schools and International Companies.  Whilst being President of the CEMS pan-European Student Board and representing over 700 Students towards 21 business schools and over 50 multinationals, Dupain led a  successful effort to develop and launch a CEMS intranet and a web-based knowledge management portal as much-needed student resources. 

She successfully convinced the European Executive Board to provide substantial financial resources. In addition, she inspired her team to contribute considerable time and energy  in developing these services. Today this intranet provides CEMS stakeholders across the leading 17 Graduate Business Schools in Europe information on personal student  profiles, grades, courses from home- and host schools. In addition, subscriptions can be managed and activity calendars throughout the world can be up-dated and coordinated on line. CEMS Club Presidents are also provided with a best-practices resource and file archive, which helps drive student leadership collaboration and continuity.

2005 - Student Leadership Award

Prakash David and Mark  Healy, University Western Ontario  Ivey School of Business

"Ivey Builds Home and Conference on Social Responsibility" 

David and Healy collaborated to bring a profound sense of community to the University Western Ontario Ivey School of Business campus. Inspired by an onsite visit to Detroit based Focus Hope at the 2004 Graduate Business Conference, the duo created Ivey Builds, raised $150,000, and recruited 300 students, faculty, and administrators to design,  project manage, and build a home for a deserving family in the London, Ontario community.

This effort alone would have been deserving of award honors, but David and Healy extended themselves to create an annual Ivey Builds Conference on Social Responsibility. This  achievement ensured the duo would inspire hundreds of graduate students throughout North America. Ralph Nader served as the first keynote, and former New York City mayor  Rudy Giuliani opened the second Ivey Builds Conference in the spring of 2006.

2004 - Student Leadership Award

John Owens, Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt  University

"2x1 Summer Internship Program" 

Owens recognized a disconcerting trend in his first year – a major decline in summer internships. A strategic thinker, problem solver, and disciplined implementer, Owens  conceived and implemented the Owen 2x1 Summer Internship Program. Participating students were matched with two mentors (students, alumni, faculty, staff, or administration)  who supported their internship search. In return for participation, all students shared job leads with the community. 

John also helped the Owen IT staff design and implement a Career Profiles database that could be accessed via their intranet. 99.5% of first-year Owen students secured summer  internships in 2003, an increase in over 20 internships during a downward trend. This program has become an important part of the Owen community.

2003 - Student Leadership Award

Holly Goodrich, University of Texas’  McCombs School of Business

"Hedge Fund Symposium" 

A born leader and energetic self-starter, Goodrich brought lasting innovation to her school. With several years of entrepreneurial success and financial services experience at Bear  Stearns & Co., Holly came to UT interested in Hedge Fund management. Undaunted by a lack of formal curriculum or a student club, Holly founded the Hedge Fund Club and  hosted an extraordinarily successful Hedge Fund Symposium in her first year. 

The fully sponsored event was the first of its kind nationwide, and received accolades from industry participants, alumni, and other MBA programs. Symposium sponsors have  expanded support in the years hence, and the event has become a hallmark of the McCombs program.

2002 - Student Leadership Award

Kristina Alkire, Indiana University’s Kelley  School of Business

"Orientation Program" 

Alkire served as vice president for professional development of the Kelley School’s MBA Association, where she created a manual and orientation program for the professional  development of all Kelley School first-year MBA students. 

The program covered everything from resume writing and interviewing to corporate etiquette and information for the assessment process in Kelley’s Leadership Development  Institute. She also spearheaded “Kelley Kick-Off,” an event that hosted 15 recruiters who conducted mock interviews with 200 students.

2001 - Student Leadership Award

Kelly Nelson, Robert H. Smith School of  Business at the University  of Maryland

"eNGAGE and Internship Edge Recruiting Programs" 

The 2001 Student Leadership award celebrated the selfless efforts of Kelly Nelson, Consulting Club President at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of  Maryland. Kelly created the eNGAGE and Internship Edge recruiting programs to sharpen student’s interview performance and improve her school’s image in the eyes of the  world’s most selective recruiters. 

She developed her vision, secured funding and attracted sponsors, and executed each program with increasing success, beginning with second year aspiring management  consultants and ultimately incorporating the majority of the first year class. Smith students are now better-prepared and enjoy an expanding list of premier recruiters and involved  alumni.

2000 - Student Leadership Award

Drew Tulchin, University of Washington

"Peers Teaching Peers" 

The turn of the century was commemorated with the 10th Student Leadership Award, presented to Drew Tulchin from the University of Washington. He was recognized for  bringing a student-led addition to the academic curriculum - Peers Teaching Peers (PTP), and connecting the MBA Program with other graduate programs at the University. 

PTP provided a venue for students to learn directly from their colleagues and from other disciplines. Despite initial reservations on the part of the administration, Drew galvanized  student support, fostered a sense of community, and brought positive change to the learning experience for years to come.

1999 - Student Leadership Award

Courtney Naismith, University of Texas, Austin

"Graduate Business Conference Excellence" 

The 1999 Student Leadership award was presented for the first time to a Graduate Business Conference student organizer. Courtney Naismith of the University of Texas at Austin  was honored for her outstanding contributions to Conference development, organization, and to the long-term viability of the Graduate Business Foundation.
Naismith led a team of over 50 student volunteers to bring the conference back to UT Austin for a second showing…the first school to host the Conference a second time in its  history. Her leadership brought a new level to fundraising efforts, enabled a forward gift to the Foundation, and set a standard for the future of the Conference. In addition to this  significant accomplishment, Naismith also led a major development effort in conjunction with the Fine Arts department at UT to help support a campus dance troupe.

1998 - Student Leadership Award

Valerie Gregory, University of Notre Dame  Graduate School of  Business

"South African Small Business Community Outreach Program" 

1998 Student Leadership award recipient Valerie Gregory displayed enormous presence of mind during her first year at the University of Notre Dame Graduate School of Business  when she asked her fellow students to help overcome the challenge of economic apartheid. 

Gregory conceived and executed a South African Small Business Community Outreach Program that brought motivated Notre Dame summer interns to South Africa, established  faculty mentorships at the University of Cape Town, and ultimately helped foster small business development and entrepreneurship in black and colored townships. Her conviction  to this program was clearly demonstrated when she declined an inaugural internship so that a fellow classmate could make the journey in her place.

1997 - Student Leadership Award

Michael Carrel, Wharton

"Wharton Community" 

As President of the Wharton Graduate Association, 1997 Student Leadership Award recipient Michael Carrel synthesized a 30-page vision document that addressed the future of  the Wharton Community. Leveraging community feedback, inspiration, and personal motivation, Carrel executed his vision with extraordinary results. 

Funding for Wharton and greater community initiatives was increased by $150,000. Community service programs were expanded and the volunteer ranks grew from 15 to 200  students. Information services and meeting facilities were expanded, and all Wharton students received lifetime “@Wharton” personalized e-mail addresses.

1996 - Student Leadership Award

Jody Handler, Owen School of  Management

"100% Owen" 

1996 Student Leadership award winner Jody Handler instilled a profound sense of community and purpose at the Owen School of Management. Her “100% Owen” vision inspired the school to think differently about volunteerism and to participate actively throughout the year versus on a designated date. 

Over 40 service opportunities were coordinated throughout 1996, and the entire Owen community (students, faculty, and administration) became involved. Over half of the student  body ventured into the greater community in 1996 to participate in this novel program.

1995 - Student Leadership Award

John Mann, Olin School of Business at  Washington University

"West End Community Center" 

Mann of the Olin School of Business at Washington University was honored in 1995 for an outstanding project that led to the creation of the West End Community Center in St.  Louis. 

Mann foresaw the need for a place where people could gather, stage events, enjoy recreational activities, and be educated. Mann inspired a team of students, community residents,  and town planners and successfully led a $1.9 Million capital campaign to make this vision a reality. He has also served as President of the West End Restoration Corporation since  its inception.

1994 - Student Leadership Award

Joaquim Weidemanis , Stockholm School of  Economics

"Exchange and Education in the Baltics" 

1994 Student Leadership Award recipient Joaquim Weidemanis of the Stockholm School of Economics created a unique exchange program in Stockholm for students from the  Baltic republics. This program featured internships throughout Stockholm and included a corporate-funded endowment to cover travel and living expenses for the inaugural student  contingent. 

Weidemanis also helped found a satellite school of management in Riga, Latvia and served as the principle emissary for the Stockholm School of Economics.

1993 - Student Leadership Award

Marc Weinsweig, Carnegie Mellon

"Pittsburgh Community Service Dare to Care" 

Weinsweig conceived and executed a unique Pittsburgh-wide service initiative. The City of Pittsburgh issued a resolution honoring Weinsweig’s “Dare to Care” Day and students capped a weeklong public service effort with a 10,000-can food drive. This effort galvanized student bodies across three major graduate business schools; a feat never executed  previously for any purpose.

1992 - Student Leadership Award

Jeff Paquette, Berkeley

"Haas Serve-A-Thon and Non-Profit Internship Program" 

Paquette developed and implemented the Haas Serve-A-Thon. This student public service day involved nearly half of the student body and featured 14 major volunteer projects in  the Bay area. 

Donations from faculty and administration also helped provide a grant to support the Haas non-profit summer internship program.

1991 - Student Leadership Award

Scott Hellofs, Western Ontario

"Educational Partnership with Russia" 

Hollofs conceived and executed a unique educational partnership with the then-evolving Soviet-Union. This initiative featured a 25-member student teaching mission with  casework in marketing, finance and management behavior. 

Student lecturers remained in the Soviet-Union as summer interns in various Western-backed joint ventures. All program elements, including a textbook drive, curriculum and a  cultural indoctrination program were developed primarily by students.