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Alumni Newsletter
September 2014
We are now on the countdown to our 30th Anniversary celebrations in New York and London and the great news is that both events are heading towards a sell-out! We are very excited and extremely busy with the preparations so if you haven't yet bought your tickets, you need to act fast. Please see below for the full 30th Anniversary update.
This newsletter also includes an alumni wedding; the latest New York Completion Ceremony photos; as well as Alumni insights in the Alum of the Month, Entrepreneur of the Month and Day in the Life of sections. There also seems to be some buoyancy around the job market, so do look at our Jobs section as opportunities we post give priority to Mountbatten alumni.
30th Anniversary Event Update
 Lots of tables have been sold, special guests and speakers invited, photographers booked, and preparations are in full swing for our October anniversary events in New York and London. Both events only have 20 tickets left so you need to be quick!
Dr Paul Beresford-Hill our Director General would like to make this announcement about the Special Guests who will be attending our New York and London events.
So the momentum is really building, but don't forget your special alumni discount at T.M. Lewin, who are giving you a discount on both sides of the Atlantic so you can look the part on the night. A 20% discount on hand-finished shirts, suits and silk ties and more until 24th October. Simply enter the code TML4BALL at the online check-out to redeem this offer or use the barcode at one of their stores. Also, Simon Callaghan (September 2008 - New York) will be photographing the London event. Check out his website. If there is an Alum in New York who is a professional photographer, or works for a professional photographer please get in touch with Jo Harvey - we like to work with as many Alumni partners as possible!
We also need your 5 favourite (or favorite!) tracks that sum up and remind you of your year on the Programme, as these will provide the soundtrack for the musical part of the evening. Please email us.
Finally, if you have a business or your company would like to advertise in our event programmes, that all attendees will get a copy of on the evening, please contact Jo Harvey.
Mountbatten Alumni Wedding
We are delighted to share the news from James Kyllonen (August 2012 MBA - London) about his recent marriage to fellow alum Judy Yi (March 2013 - London) and their plans for another bigger celebration!
"Judy and I were married on 8th August in Shanghai, China. The wedding was just family and a dinner. However, we have made plans to hold a much larger affair in San Francisco next fall. We hope to see many former Mountbattens to come and celebrate with us. Currently, it is planned to have Jimmy Miguel and Dan Hamby (August 2012 - London) to both be groomsmen. The exact date is not yet set but we hope to have the details finalised soon. We plan on having a James Bond style wedding (due to its international nature!)".
We would like to congratulate them both and look forward to hearing about the San Francisco celebration next year.
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Alum of the month
Emily Karpin
August 2007 - London
"I was also extremely fortunate to have two women... as my managers over the course of the year. They were amazing mentors professionally but also on a personal level. Working in an international setting for the first time can be overwhelming, but the lessons I learned from having a boss that trusts you and allows you to grow through experiences and, having responsibility, was extremely valuable during my earlier work experience. It set the groundwork for being confident and able to express and deliver my opinions in a professional setting."
Read full story.
Pub Quiz - New York
On Wednesday 10th September, a fearless Mountbatten Alumni team participated in the GREAT British Pub Quiz at the Churchill in NYC. The team was: Ana Medrano, Kay Abdullah, Brianna Baker and Jenn Amols. The evening was lots of fun, and it was a packed house full of teams from different companies and universities. We didn't come first, but we didn't come last either! Good job team!! The British Consulate in NY plans to put the Pub Quiz on every month - the next one is on Wednesday 29th October. Please email Jo Harvey if you want to join the Mountbatten team!
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Aug 13 Intake Completion Ceremony - New York
On Thursday 14th August trainees, staff, professors and guests gathered for the August 2013 Completion Ceremony in New York at the Union League Club, in Midtown Manhattan. The Directors and professors were piped in by bagpipes, to start the ceremony, and throughout the event everyone enjoyed musical pieces sung by Andrea Chinedu Nwoke of the Opera Collective. This intake was entertained by a speech from their chosen Valedictorian Lucy McFarland and Dr Paul Beresford-Hill handed out the awards of the evening. Eight of the intake received awards along with their certificates: Jonathan Batten, Ali-Reza Panjwani, Rahma Twahir, Tara Russell, Joseph Colagiovanni, Lois Wilkins, Brooke Mah and Lewis Cole. Both Jonathan and Lois were big winners as they each walked away with 2 awards! We were fortunate that this intake's special guest speaker Jim Johnson. Jim recently retired as a Managing Director with JP Morgan Chase, where he spent 16 years of his career. During his time at JP Morgan Chase, Mountbatten was privileged to count him as a friend and supporter of the Programme. I am sure there are a number of you out there reading this who were lucky to have spent your NY year with Jim's mentorship. Jim shared some pearls of wisdom with the graduating intake, to help them prepare for their next career steps and journey in life. If you would like to read his speech please get in touch and we can share it with you.
After the ceremony the attendees enjoyed a lovely dinner, and were entertained by a video collage of photos of the year. It was a wonderful evening as the intake celebrated the success of their year. The intake will have now finished traveling and be back in their home countries looking for that next opportunity. If you have any openings at your organizations please do contact us with details and give a new alum that next step! Check out the photo album.
Entrepreneurial Alumni
 Adam Oreste (August 2005 - London)
What your company does, and your role in it?
Oreste Design specializes in Branding, Web, and User Interface design. I act as the lead designer directing the creative process all the way from initial pitch to project launch.
What inspired you to set it up?
I really think what I experienced in Mountbatten is what started off a long chain of events that eventually led me to entrepreneurship. While I felt successful on paper working as the Marketing Designer for a large company in my years after London, I just wasn't very excited about the work I was producing in that role and really knew that there was no reason I couldn't make my professional life as exciting and enriching as my time in Mountbatten. I eventually left that role to travel and freelance simultaneously, fully intending to go back to full-time work after a year. When I got back to the States, I found that I had actually built up a decent client base and was producing better work (which I credit to being outside of the 9-5 grind) and decided to continue working on my own. Here I am over three years later.
How did you go about the process of setting it up and getting established?
Getting established (or, really, continuing to do so) is an ongoing thing. From the beginning I've tried to always 1) push for the best final product possible, 2) bill honestly, and 3) always follow up. I found that these three things have really helped in my chosen industry.
What are your future plans?
Future plans involve a lot of fun side projects, which I think are the lifeblood of most creatives. I'm always on the lookout for great collaborators (a few of whom are former Mountbattens). In the near future, I'll be pushing out an iOS-based app that I'm working on with a developer from IBM. In the longer term, I'm hoping to work with a few more UK-based clients.
Any words of advice/wisdom or encouragement for others thinking of setting up on their own?
Overwhelmingly, Mountbattens are really resourceful, engaging, and ambitious people. If the timing feels right and things are generally in place, take the leap. Timing is never 100% perfect, but I always like to remind myself that some people out there don't have maps.
A day in the life of...
 Tana Beynon (Nee Williams) (May 2002 - New York)" I started with Big Bang in 2012 as a freelancer and I am now a full time member of staff as a Project Manager. I'm based near the BBC in the heart of the Media Centre in Bristol and the company currently operates across four sites with tracklay suites, dubbing theatres, high end online/grading finishing suites and offline (editing) facilities.
Big Bang currently employs 25 members of staff but accommodate at any one time another 40-50 clients (freelance editors, directors and producers). As I write this we are currently almost full and have approx 60 people in and out of the buildings on a daily basis.
My role at Big Bang means that I am responsible for the smooth running of each project line from workflow decisions at the planning stage of the programme through editing, sign off, audio finishing, grading, technical review and finally onto tape or file ready for delivery to channel for transmission. Each step of the way my responsibility is to bring all aspects of post together on time and on budget!" Read full story.
Appointment of Director of Marketing and Recruitment - London
 We are delighted to announce the appointment of Paul Sutherland MBA (September 2010 - New York), as the Director of Marketing and Recruitment at the Mountbatten Institute Office in London. This position is a newly designed role which will concentrate on the promotion of the Mountbatten experience, along with the nurturing of current recruitment sources and development of new areas from which we will draw applicants for the New York programme.
Paul completed the New York programme in New York in 2011 at UBS in Stanford. During his time in New York, he was elected as Chairman of the Intern Management Committee (IMC). Paul is a graduate of the Aberdeen Business School of Robert Gordon University, Scotland. His subjects were Business and Communication. Following his year in New York, Paul returned to Scotland and completed an MBA, also, at the Aberdeen Business School. On completion of his Master's Paul joined the Global Banking and Markets division of HSBC Bank in London.
We would like to extend a warm welcome to Paul on behalf of all staff and alumni.
Jobs
We have a large variety of available positions at present, so please check out our alumni website as we primarily receive vacancies from companies or alumni who prioritise Mountbatten applications. Current roles include a Project Coordinator for a Charity, an International Recruitment Consultant in Executive Search and a Project Analyst for Barclays. Check them all out the alumni website.
Jo Harvey: jharvey@mountbatten.org
Vicki McCordall: vmccordall@mountbatten.org
web: http://alumni.mountbatten.org |