Many KR Alumni selected to participate in the KR Program, as opposed to other Executive MBA Programs in Israel because of the program's relationship with Kellogg. With 50% of the program's Professors being from Kellogg, there's no doubt that the 2 year academic experience is the best available in the region. However, on graduation, the pure academic aspect becomes history, and it's the benefit of accessing the online worldwide Kellogg Alumni Network (KAN) of 50,000 alumni that differentiates the Kellogg program from other, local Executive MBA programs.
In order to start to take advantage of the Kellogg Alumni Network, and to gain immediate, online access to tens of thousands of Kellogg Alumni, worldwide, KR Alumni must first activate their alumni accounts. This process is technically referred to as Power Up. Over 100 KR Alumni have activated their new alumni accounts, to date.
During June/July 2005, the KR Alumni Board surveyed all KR Alumni who had activated their accounts, in order to get a better understanding of how alumni are using the service. Thanks to all who participated. The results of our Power Up Survey have been analysed, and will enable the KR Alumni Board to help you to maximize the value you gain from the KAN, in the future.
The following sections, summarised below, provide step by step instructions on how you can PowerUp, and offer hints at how to best use the online Kellogg Alumni Network.
1. Why are there now two Kellogg-Recanati Alumni Club websites?
2. Why should I activate my account on the new KR Alumni website, hosted by Kellogg?
3. How do I activate ('Power Up') my account in the new KR alumni website, hosted by Kellogg?
4. How to search the global online Kellogg alumni database
5. I've changed jobs or moved house, or have a new cellphone number. How do I update my personal database entry?
6. I tried to activate my account, but was not successful. Why?
7. I can't use the online Career service. Why?
8. I've tried everything, but I'm still having problems. Help !!
9. A Power Up Success Story
1. Why are there now two Kellogg-Recanati Alumni Club websites?
Until recently, the website of the Kellogg-Recanati Alumni Club was hosted in Israel, on the Kellogg-Recanati website at http://kr-emba.tau.ac.il/.
As of the beginning of 2004, a second website of the Kellogg-Recanati Alumni Club was launched, hosted within the main Kellogg website, at http://kelloggalumni.northwestern.edu/clubs/recanatimideast/.
The obvious question is 'why have 2 KR alumni websites, and which ones should I use, and when?'
In short, Kellogg has invested significantly in the global Kellogg Alumni Club over the last 2 years, including significantly increasing the resources available in the alumni department, at Kellogg. One of the key projects at Kellogg became to revolutionize the global Kellogg Alumni website, making it a true best-in-class source of information. As a result, every Kellogg alumni club throughout the world now has a new alumni website, hosted at Kellogg. The benefit to us, the KR alumni, is that this new website is totally integrated into the Kellogg website environment, and as a result, allows the user to enjoy a number of very advanced services, including the new, global Kellogg Alumni database search facility.
You are strongly encouraged to invest some time to get to know this new website, as it offers significant value to many of you, giving you access to top level connections in most industries, and in every corner of the planet.
For the moment, there's an overlap between some of the content on the Kellogg and the Israeli alumni websites. It is recommended that you continue to use both. Over time, the Israeli website will be developed further, to include some new features that will be of value to you, and you will be informed of such developments, in due course.
2. Why should I activate my account on the new KR Alumni website, hosted by Kellogg?
The new alumni website is fully integrated into the Kellogg on line environment. As a result, you can immediately enjoy and benefit from the many new online services offered at this location. Most likely of immediate interest is the new global online Kellogg Alumni database. You can search and contact tens of thousands of Kellogg alumni, by name, address, region, country, education, current and previous employer, industry, professional and personal interests, and much more.
3. How do I activate ('Power Up') my account in the new KR alumni website, hosted by Kellogg?
If it's your first time visiting this new KR Alumni website, click on 'Directory' in the left column, and then click on 'Activate Your Account'. You then need to fill in the form displayed on the screen.
- Type in your 'Last Name' (family name)
- Ensure the 'Executive Education Alumnus' box is set to 'No'
- For Class Year, type in the year of graduation, eg 2001. This is the same 4 digits you'll find at the end of your personal Kellogg email address, eg ajackson2001@kellogg.northwestern.edu
- Type in your date of birth in the format specified
- Enter you Alumni ID. If you do not already have it, your Alumni ID is shown above your name on the address label of the Kellogg-World magazine. Alternatively, you can request your alumni ID by emailing Yael Schwarz-Aharon at KR, at yaelaha@tauex.tau.ac.il, stating your name and class.
With the above form complete, click on 'Activate Your Account'. In order to complete the process, complete the simple form. This is when you will supply a new password for your account.
Now that you've activated your account, when you access the KR Alumni website and try to perform certain activities such as searching the online alumni directory, you will need to supply your username and password. Remember, the username follows a simple, standard format of initial + surname + year of graduation. So for example, Alan Jackson graduated in 2001, so his username is ajackson2001. The password you need to supply is the one you supplied when you first activated your account. If you need assistance, follow the on screen instructions.
4. How to search the global online Kellogg alumni database
- Go to the KR Alumni website at http://kelloggalumni.northwestern.edu/clubs/recanatimideast/.
- Click on Directory in the left column, and enter your username and password, to login
- Click on 'Club Alumni Directory' to search the KR alumni directory, or click on 'All Alumni Directory' to search the global, Kellogg alumni directory.
5. I've changed jobs or moved house, or have a new cellphone number. How do I update my personal database entry?
- Go to the KR Alumni website at http://kelloggalumni.northwestern.edu/clubs/recanatimideast/.
- Click on Directory in the left column, and enter your username and password, to login
- Click on User Profile. By systematically going through all the screens now available to you, you can modify your personal and business related information.
6. I tried to activate my account, but was not successful. Why?
During 2004, some Israeli alumni could, and some could not, activate their alumni accounts successfully. The problem was eventually identified by Kellogg as a software related problem. As of the end of August 2004, this problem has now been fixed, and all KR Alumni should now be able to activate their alumni accounts.
7. I can't use the online Careers service. Why?
The problem has nothing to do with Kellogg or KR. Believe it or not, it's due to another unique attribute of our beloved country!!! It turns out that setting your PC to the Jerusalem time zone causes the problem, because Daylight Savings Time in Israel is decided on a yearly basis. The solution is to either set your PC to another Time Zone in the region that does support DST, for example, Athens, or set your PC's clock 1 hour back. The formal definition of the problem is documented clearly on Microsoft's website.
8. I've tried everything, but I'm still having problems. Help !!
If you are still experiencing difficulties, please contact Kellogg Alumni Relations at kellogg-alumni@kellogg.northwestern.edu.
9. A Power Up Success Story
Jonathan Berger, KR02, reflects on his decision to 'Power Up' ...
Like many of you, it took me longer than it should have done to finally get round to activating my Kellogg alumni account! But as soon as I had done so, after just 15 minutes exploring the wealth of information suddenly available to me, I understood that I had waited too long. Sounds a bit dramatic, so let me expand.
As the CEO of Elam, my responsibilities include identifying and entering new market segments, and new geographic regions. You all know the traditional methods for analyzing new markets, identifying target companies, identifying contacts within the target companies, and finally contacting them. How long does it take? Weeks? Months? You also all know the related costs. Consider your best alternative. Having activated my Kellogg alumni account, I was able to search a database of 50,000 Kellogg alumni by company, market sector, location, etc. Results were immediate and free. The global Kellogg Alumni Network includes alumni at all positions in most major companies. What would have taken weeks using traditional methods took minutes to identify the right people in the right companies, via the Kellogg alumni Network. But identifying the right name, phone number and email address isn't enough. Will these people take my call? Will they answer my emails? Will they help me?
To date, my company has benefited from 3 activities resulting from using the Kellogg Alumni Network. Two of the three have unquestionably helped me on the business development path. Let me start with the most advanced business relationship I've developed .....
I wanted to assess the possibility of introducing my company's products into the fire prevention and safety industry. I identified the CEO of what seemed to be an appropriate business, and contacted him with a brief, clear email, which started with stating my connection to Kellogg, via KR, and went on to explain why I was contacting him. After several rapid emails between each other, it was clear that I'd knocked and the right door, and that most importantly, he was very willing to help me. His company is a family business, selling products to the US fire services. I soon understood he had 20 years experience in the business I was trying to enter. Kellogg was the ice-breaker, and remains a bond between us. We have met twice in the last year, once at a trade show in New Orleans and once at a trade show in Indianapolis. Two months ago, at the Indianapolis trade show, he invited me to his company's reception, where I was able to meet many senior people from the industry. To help further, he's even offered to include my company's products in his company's catalog. How influential is he? Well, not for me to say, but I couldn't help noticing the photo of him together with President Bush! Paul has become my mentor, and has enabled me to rapidly build up a network within my targeted industry, and for more or less zero incremental cost. Think of the alternative. How else could I have reached this position so quickly? Or in KR terms, what was my BATNA? Hmmm ...
I'm not saying for one moment that every contact you try to make with Kellogg Alumni around the world will be so successful. I tried with some people and was not able to progress the relationship, but that should be expected. However, in addition to the above, using the Kellogg Alumni Network, only last week I was able to get an appointment for my US based VP sales to a key meeting with a multi-billion dollar company. Again, we might have got to the same person by traditional methods, but it would have taken much longer, and would have most likely have had costs associated with it. One email and one phone call was all it took!
I hope the above provides a new 'real world' perspective on the benefits of using the global Kellogg Alumni Network. If you haven't done so, I strongly encourage you to 'Power Up', ie to activate your alumni account. Simply go to the KR Alumni website at http://kelloggalumni.northwestern.edu/clubs/recanatimideast/index.asp, select 'Power Up - Getting Started' in the left column, and follow the simple instructions.
Oh, and if like me, you have successfully used the Kellogg alumni Network, drop Stuart Ballan an email at stuart@msisrael.net. He'd like to know.
