Alumni Highlight CLIMB 20th Anniversary Panel
Cal State San Marcos’ CLIMB program celebrated its 20th anniversary last month by welcoming three distinguished alumni to campus to share their experiences with current students.
CLIMB, which stands for the Center for Leadership Innovation and Mentorship Building, was established by the College of Business Administration in 2004 with the goal of serving “the leadership development needs of the surrounding community through innovative research and collaboration with various internal and external constituencies.”
Raj Pillai, a professor of management and the executive director of CLIMB, co-hosted a special session of the signature “In the Executive’s Chair” program featuring alumni Quynh Pham, Jimmy Thai and A.J. van de Ven on Oct. 22.
“Each one of these individuals embodies the principles of CLIMB,” Pillai told a group of about 80 students who attended the event in Markstein Hall.
Pham, a 2016 graduate, is the director of coaching for Leaderology, which provides customized executive coaching and leadership development. Thai, who earned his MBA in 2000, is the president and co-founder of the Build a School Foundation, a nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for poor children. Van de Ven, who was named CLIMB’s 2023 Outstanding Business Leader, is the CEO and president of Calsense, which creates sophisticated smart irrigation solutions built on a foundation of technology, education and partnership.
Pillai and co-host David Berry, a lecturer in the management department, asked the panelists a series of questions designed to help students as they prepare to navigate the transition to the professional world. Three teams of students concluded the session by asking the panelists additional questions.
Three more “In the Executive’s Chair” events are scheduled for November. The sessions are open to all CSUSM students, alumni and community members. Learn more at the “In the Executive’s Chair” website.
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