John W. Thompson, chairman of Microsoft Corporation, joined Dean Judy Olian on November 6 at UCLA Anderson for a special Robertson Lecture Series on Global Business conversation. Formerly a senior executive with IBM and CEO of Symantec, Thompson succeeded Bill Gates as chairman in 2014. Microsoft’s three guiding principles are: 1. Making personal computing easier 2. Increasing productivity through enterprise software 3. Focusing on the cloud. When asked about virtual and augmented reality, Thompson talked about Microsoft’s advantage for having the only untethered AR technology. He discussed jobs becoming more efficient and productive due to AR/VR, citing an example of surgeons receiving assistance during an operation through access to real-time insight. He also discussed the strategic rationale behind Microsoft’s acquisitions of Nokia and LinkedIn. Read more.

“And once you see how much of an impact you can make, that feeling grows on you. There’s that Albert Einstein saying [about] the responsibility of every human to make the world a better place than the one we found.”

Richard S. Ziman is a real estate investor and corporate executive. However, philanthropy has also been a big part of Ziman’s life for 50 years. He has made a habit of making substantial donations to a variety of causes including education, health care, medical research, and senior citizens initiatives. After turning his attention to UCLA Anderson in the 1990s, and along with the urging from business leaders like John Anderson and Gene Rosenfeld, he established and endowed the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate at the Anderson Graduate School of Management in 2001. With the establishment of the Ziman Center, he hoped to bring together “academics, researchers, entrepreneurs, other business folks and the politicians to discuss, debate and hopefully resolve the problems and significant issues involving the broad role of real estate and its extraordinary impact in our everyday lives.”

Ziman recently made another donation of $1 million to the center’s $20 million endowment campaign, which is part of the Into the Next: Campaign for UCLA Anderson. Funds raised will support student programs, curriculum, and faculty research among other critical needs. “Without education, there is little or no chance that an individual can or will succeed or achieve any level of success in their lifetime,” he noted. “I look forward to seeing the Ziman Center continue to grow tremendously and to play an even more significant role in advancing thought leadership in the field of real estate education.” Read more.

Check out a snapshot of this month’s cutting-edge research by UCLA Anderson’s expert faculty in the new Anderson Review.

Curbing Over-Prescription of Antibiotics: A Nudge That Sticks
Craig Fox and Noah Goldstein
» Read now

Our Flawed Pursuit of Happiness-and How to Get It Right
Cassie Mogilner Holmes and Hal Hershfield
» Read now

Ownership Feelings Lead to Greater Care of Common Resources
Suzanne Shu
» Read now

Some Homeowners Pay Underwater Mortgages Until Getting a Better Offer
Stuart Gabriel
» Read now

Monday, November 13th was a night like no other. Legendary leaders, inspiring students, and 700 attendees from the alumni, business, university, and athletic communities gathered for the 10th anniversary of the John Wooden Global Leadership Awards.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was candid about civil rights issues, and spoke of his 50-year friendship with Coach. Kevin Plank—the founder of Under Armour who was the evening’s John Wooden Global Leadership Honoree—highlighted his aptitude as a modest, principles-based leader. And then there were this year’s recipients of the 2017 John Wooden Global Leadership Fellowship: Sana Rahim (FEMBA '19), Evan Barnes (EMBA '18), Anna Goldberg (MBA '18), and Brandon Scott (MBA/M.D. '18) – each of whom embody Coach Wooden’s inspiring leadership ideals and commitment to improving the lives of others. Thank you to all who attended in support of the Wooden values and to celebrate the fellowship honorees. Meet the fellows and view the photo gallery.