1990 — Full-Time

Fellow 1990ers, what do Craig Marino and I have in common? I will let you ponder that lovely little riddle until a future KW column. Needless to say it isn't a N.Y. state of mind or a fondness for the N.Y. Mets. The answer will likely surprise you.

I was very happy to hear from Sherry Henry — now Sherry Kujala. Sherry writes: "Having just received my Kellogg World, I almost responded by mistake to the notice that the PART-time program was looking for class leadership. Then I turned back a page and spotted your entry and news. I have lived in Evanston the entire time since we finished Kellogg, and to my utter shame, I have not often stepped back into the building. My husband is a professor in the school of music, and I am active in the nonprofit world, mostly symphony orchestra work. I have not had much to report that I have felt would tie in to the typical alumni reports, but I would like to reconnect with some of my former classmates. I have, in fact, as you suggested, reconnected via Facebook, but I am all for keeping this publication alive. I recently attended a lecture by Professor Daniel Diermeier on globalization and risk, and I was very inspired to pursue more alumni opportunities on campus. I will try to submit another entry of my 'news' for our classmates soon."

And while our news column may not be long this time, I must commend Robert Kobre for submitting a detailed entry to our column. Please be inspired by Robert's entry and write one of your own and send it in! Robert writes: "Thanks for coordinating for the Kellogg Class of 1990. I think it is telling of the times that I finally have time to write to you. My brief update from graduation in 1990 is the following: I got married in December of 1990 and have been happily married since. I was engaged to Cheryl while at school as she pursued her acting and painting careers. We have a talented daughter (11) who enjoys theater and tennis. We lived in New York for 12 years and after watching the Towers fall on 9/11, we left the city for Westchester. Out of Kellogg, I went to Citigroup in Manhattan and helped them start a high-yield effort through restructuring assignments (fixing the excesses of the late 1980s — sound familiar?). I left Citi for an entrepreneurial stint in the apparel industry that one day I'll write a book about. I am a managing director at Credit Suisse in their investment banking division. I work with private equity firms and corporations to finance their acquisitions, sell their businesses, take them public (IPOs) or raise growth capital for them. Lately I've been busy restructuring their balance sheets. My 13 years at Credit Suisse has afforded me the opportunity to do all types of deals in most industries, especially in technology and media. Over the last four years I've done a lot of work with The Blackstone Group, Onex Corp., MacAndrews & Forbes and a dozen or so financial sponors and companies. Outside of work, I sit on a scientific advisory board for an organization dedicated to finding diagnostic tools and a cure for Lyme disease. Living in Westchester, N.Y., near the Connecticut border, is ground zero for the condition.

"During my train and plane time, I wrote a few screenplays that I never had the time to sell but met a lot of interesting people through the efforts, including being the guest of the 2nd Ranger Battalion at the 55th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France. I still have season tickets to the New York Jets and go to games (if a job applicant at CS is a long- time Jets fan, then I immediately know he/she is loyal, always an optimist and can handle pain and constant disappointment). Much to my wife's chagrin, I still religiously follow the Mets as well. Cheryl and I (many times with our daughter) like to frequent Broadway shows and of course, the movies (fortunately I've done deals for movie theaters, movie camera and film-print companies and a firm that makes Broadway sets). Lastly, since golf takes so long to play, I picked up tennis again (since the age of 12). I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot. Anyhow, I figured every 20 years or so I should check in! If anyone is heading to New York and wants to catch up I can be reached at 212.325.2567 or Robert.Kobre@credit-suisse.com. It would be fun to see you."

Finally, thanks to the magic of professional social networking, I heard from Peter Hage via LinkedIn: "I am back in the Washington, D.C., area, which is great. My parents and eight of my 11 brothers and sisters live in the area, so there is always a birthday or holiday to celebrate. My two boys, Ian (15) and Seth (13), are both incredible people. We have fun hiking in the Tetons, Yosemite and, closer to home, the Shenandoah Mountains. They are into piano, theater, fencing, soccer and Boy Scouts, not to mention the latest from bands like Third Eye Blind, Beck and Cake. I am working for The Nature Conservancy, managing relationships with technology companies and working to find innovative ways to support conservation science. It has been great, with a good balance of travel and challenges while still allowing time for family and friends. Let us know if your travels bring you to D.C. It would be great to catch up."

And this just in from that other mildly popular social networking site, Facebook. Sid Balanchandran wrote to me to tell all of us: "All is well here at Columbia. My wife, Purnima, and I now have two little boys, and so have left New York to move to Short Hills, N.J. We discovered that we have several other alums in the neighborhood. We had a nice time at Ralph ('89) and Laurie Inglese's home. Ralph and Laurie live about a half mile from us, and they, along with Drew Jones '89 and Mary Heinen '89, organized an alumni event with Dean Ed Wilson as our guest speaker. It was really great to see Ed and his wife, Jean, again. It was also great to catch up with classmates Kevin McGahren-Clemens and Lauren Ablow, as well as other alums in the N.Y./N.J. area.

Finally, just at the last moment before I had to submit my column, Bill Zeeb writes in from Europe. Bill writes: "Another sunny day at the home office in Gex, France, with a few minutes to dig through my old mail and uncover a Kellogg World. It's been a dozen years in Germany and now seven years in France, enjoying the food, the Alps and the cultural diversity of working for clients in Scandinavia and Turkey. Daughter Juliane (4) is correcting my French mercilessly, and Joséphine just celebrated her first birthday." Bill is a senior partner with infinitas SA, based in Geneva, Switzerland.

It is only one year until our Reunion and we should begin planning shortly. Please let me know if you would like to be part of our Reunion planning committee. Be well and enjoy the summer!