EMP-24

In November 1999, Greg Mancuso's employer was acquired by Illinois Tool Works, headquartered in Glenview, Ill. He is now associate general counsel and assistant secretary of ITW. Greg is impressed with the company and its people. Most of his work has been transactional -- challenging and interesting. ITW acquired 45 companies last year. Greg says that his Kellogg education has served him well. He is proud to say that he is still married to the love of his life and sends best wishes to EMP-24.

Last summer, Joe Feldman, after almost 20 years with Monsanto/Searle/NutraSweet left when the company was bought by Pharmacia and Upjohn. He spent the summer with a three-week trip with his family into Canada, eventually to Chateau Montebello. Joe caught up on some reading and found a terrific new job. He joined First Genetic Trust, a start-up based in Deerfield, Ill., that provides secure and private handling of individual's genetic information.

His company works with pharmaceutical companies and medical research institutions to support their genetic research. As the science of genetics advances, they will work with managed care organizations to facilitate the clinical practice of genetic medicine. Joe joined the three co-founders as vice president, corporate development and is responsible for strategic relationships, transactions, and (given their start-up status) anything else that doesn't fall neatly elsewhere. He is having a great time.

Joe's wife, Jan, is finishing up her fifth year on the board of the Winnetka Community Nursery School. Her responsibilities, together with looking after their kids, Henry (7) and Alice (2 1/2), are a full-time job. Joe says life is great and sends best wishes to his pals in EMP-24.

In July 2000, Mike Lepore accepted a new position as executive vice president of institutional lending at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Mike is responsible for all of its third party production, targeted to be about $55 billion this year (if rates hold at their present levels). His group is responsible for revenues of $270 million. The position is based in Des Moines, Iowa, and Mike has been commuting from his home in Orland Park, Ill. He is still pondering the relocation challenges.The workload has been intense, as the group Mike is responsible for was in need of serious repair.

Jo and Mike are pleased to report that the family is well: Mike, Jr. is a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marines, soon to be based at Miramar Naval Air Station. His older daughter Lynne is a senior At the University of Illinois and will be attending Smith College in the fall to earn her Masters of Social Work. Their youngest daughter, Nicole, has become an award-winning violinist and Irish dancer (yes, Irish dancer, even though she is 100 percent Italian). Mike's stepdaughter, Michele, got married last September. She is working at Spiegel, in the e-marketing group. Regarding hobbies, Mike and his family have enjoyed traveling to some vacation sites in the family airplane, a Beechcraft Bonanza. They have been to the Homestead in Hot Springs, Va., Mackinac Island, Mich., Raleigh, N.C., and Orlando, Fla., and plan to fly to either the Caymans or the Bahamas this year.

After his return to Switzerland in December 1992, Stephan Oberli started a new assignment with the Baloise Insurance Company in Basel. His function was to build up the International Insurance Business for multinational corporations. At the end of 1994, Stephan left Baloise to become executive vice president of CSS Insurance Company -- the second-largest health insurer of Switzerland.

His function was that of sales executive, heading up an organization of 1,600 people. From 1995 until 1997 they raised sales from $1.8 billion to $2.5 billion. Stephan turned 50-years-old in 1997. It was always his goal to become self-employed. He realized that dream in November 1997. Stephan founded SHO Coaching and Consulting and it has been a wonderful experience. His work is that of a personal, business and executive coach. Stephan's specialty is multi-cultural and cross-cultural business coaching for international corporations (especially with exponential growth) working in three languages. Stephan says that he, his wife Susanna and their Golden Retriever are doing well and are enjoying life.

	Jim Cummane demonstrates the techniques that make him a grill master.

Jim Cummane is the managing director and CEO of a consulting business called The Value Creation Group (VCG). This business has been operating successfully since its inception seven years ago. The focus of VCG is to help clients drive change that successfully aligns all aspects of their business to the value their organization chooses to deliver. VCG has had revenue growth of between 20 and 25 percent per year over the last seven years. He is happy to say his EMP experience provided one of the inputs to VCG's success.

Jim is happily married to an American (Nancy) whom he met during the 10 years he spent in the U.S. They have two children, daughter (7) and a son (3). Both children have dual citizenship and visit family members in Cincinnati. Jim lives in a suburb 30 minutes outside downtown Melbourne on three acres of land. The land and the environment they live in gives them the feeling of being in the country, however they are close to the buzz of a city of five million people. Nancy and Jim entertain a number of Americans when they come to Australia. However, they have only managed to provide hospitality to one EMP colleague and their family. They hope that will change in the coming years. They have plenty of room and would love to hear from anyone traveling Down Under.

Bob "Bubba" Fortelka has been living in the beautiful Livermore Valley in the San Francisco East Bay for nine years. He and his wife Rosemarie were first re-located to Park City, Utah, after leaving the Chicago area. What a spectacular place to live and the big guy did some skiing but then realized a guy like Bob doesn't try to defy gravity for too long. Besides that, Bob found out bass fishing was spectacular because almost all the Utahans fished for trout. After four years he moved to California where a friend became CEO of a confused company that was 17-years-old and struggling. They have turned it around after three years, raised venture capital money and got it in the 300 percent growth rates and turned it over to move on to bigger opportunities. Currently Bob is at a company named, get ready, FORTEL.

Can you believe it! No, he did not name it after himself. It already existed. Bob is the senior vice president of product operations.

Another turnaround situation that is a whole lot of fun and apparently destined to happen. Bob and Rosemarie celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in September. Their daughter Rebecca is 11. She had more surgery on her legs and is doing great. Not fully walking yet but she continues to work hard! Classmate Paul Meyer really helped with arrangements for Rebecca at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago. That is where she had her first surgery. Bob thinks of him often and is thankful for his help.

In closing, Bob says Bass fishing is fantastic in California and who knows you might see him on the BASS circuit some day. "Anybody who wants a kick of a lifetime, with Bubba on them bass or just catch up, give a holler." Bob can be reached at 510.440.9600 ext.2202 at work or send an note to him at bob.fortelka@fortel.com.