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Meet Our Alumni

A variety of prominent business leaders, often Orfalea College of Business alumni, visits campus to share their experience and knowledge with students and faculty. If schedules permit, Dean Dave Christy will take this unusual opportunity to interview these influential men and women. The interviews are focused on career paths and advice that might be offered to the College of Business community The interviews are presented in shorter edited versions as well as the full discussion. As these video files are large, they require a few moments to download, depending on a viewer's internet connection speed. Please be patient!

Dean Dave Christy

All Interviews conducted by Dave Christy, Dean,
Orfalea College of Business

Videos are best viewed with the latest software versions. Downloads are free:

Linda Walker
April, 2007

Linda M. Walker
Business Administration, '77
Vice President of Human Resources, Parker Aerospace, Parker Hannifin Corporation (retired)

Human Resource Management in a large corporation

  • Peer leadership
  • Effective corporate reward systems
Tunny Ortali
March 2007

Tunny Ortali
Business Administration, '70
Partner, F. McClintock's

It was never about food, it was about business

  • The restaurant business
  • Using education in the real world
  • Entrepreneurship today
Mike Erie
March 2007

Mike Erie
Business Administration, '74
Nestle USA Executive (Retired)

A career of selling to large clients

  • Challenges for young people entering corporate America
  • How to advance in a corporate environment - then and now
  • Using data effectively
  • Interview excerpts
  • Full interview
Barry Banducci
October 2006

Barry Banducci
College of Engineering, '60
Aerospace Engineer, Retired

Jumping in the deep end

  • Taking risks
  • Mentors
  • Hot future careers
Rush Hill
April 2006

Rush Hill
Business Administration/Architecture '69
Chairman, Hill Partnership, Inc., Architects

From Cal Poly Student Body President to Ronald Reagan's top aid

  • Early entrepreneurship
  • Right place - right time and identifying opportunity
  • Shaping the big picture
Terry Reay
March 2006

Terry Reay
Accounting, '78
Director of Operations, National Hospitality

A diverse road to management

  • Accelerated management track at Pacific Bell
  • Things I didn't learn in school
  • Presentation skills from Cal Poly
Forrest Fleming
February 2006

Forrest Fleming
Industrial Technology '77
President, DynaFluidics

Entrepreneurship 101

Forrest discusses:

  • Pros and cons of taking risks with start-up companies
  • His philosophy of focusing on "adding value"
  • Stay foolish - stay hungry
Bill Chillingworth
November 2005

William L. Chillingworth
Business Administration '78
President, Western USA, CB Richard Ellis

Applying business knowledge to large transactions

Bill shares his path from IBM installer to commercial real estate:

  • "Everything I learned about selling came from IBM."
  • Unexpected payoff from his Cal Poly education
  • Value of a business degree in making large real estate deals
  • Key decisions that lead to success
Lori deMatteis
November 2005

Lori DeMatteis
Business Administration '85
Director of Professional Services - DST Innovis

Career diversity and working overseas

Immediately following graduation from Cal Poly, Lori joined the management fast-track at Pac Bell and took off from there:

  • Managing people/teams in a large corporation
  • Career choices to get ahead
  • Successfully working in foreign countries
  • How career diversity can pay off
  • Networking after Cal Poly
Dave Kinney
November 2005

David V. Kinney
Accounting '85
Partner and Co-founder - Madison Street Partners

Sales for fun and profit

Armed with an Accounting degree, Kinney went from selling business forms to owner of one of the most successful commercial real estate brokerage firms in Orange County. He discusses:

  • The best things about a career in sales
  • Income potential
  • What it takes and best practices for successful selling
  • How to tell if you are cut out for sales
  • Building your organization into what you want
Norm Angell
September 2005

Norman Angell
Business Administration '67
Attorney at Law

Success in a large corporation and its culture

Norm came to play basketball at Poly and became a lawyer/executive:

  • 30 years with Chevron to become a division president
  • A law degree along the way
  • Corporate mergers, corporate cultures
  • From large corporation to private law practice
  • Decision-making at 22 years old
  • "Communicate the old-fashioned way"