Students majoring in Business Management tracks gathered for an opening social in the Aloha Center Ballroom to kick off another year of service and networking for students from all areas. The event was sponsored by the Business Management Department and hosted by the BYU–Hawaii student chapter of the BYU Management Society.
Giving the opening remarks to more than 100 students, Jeffrey Caneen, department chair and professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management, encouraged the students to get involved in one or more of the different student clubs the department offers. The various clubs and chapters had information booths set up around the Ballroom where students learned about each one and could join on the spot.
Clubs that were represented include AMPS (Alliance of Marketing Professionals and Students); the BYU Management Society, BYU—Hawaii student chapter; Ho'okipa Society (Hospitality & Tourism Management); SCOPE (Supply Chain & Operations Management); and the Seasider Investment Banking Club.
The local student chapter of the BYU Management society, which helped to put on the opening social, is one of the largest business clubs on campus, with more than 250 students enrolled. Helena Hannonen, Professor of Human Resources & Organizational Behavior, is the faculty advisor for the club – and rightly so: her experience with the BYU Management includes serving as the past president of the Silicon Valley chapter and regional director of northern California area. In addition to her roles with the student chapter at BYU–Hawaii, she also serves as the regional director for the Asia and Pacific areas.
Being a part of the BYU Management Society is much more than just belonging to a club, Hannonen says. “This is a great way for students to network and get to the professional network in their home countries.” There are many services that the BYU Management Society offers students, including monthly activities, notable guest speakers and presenters, business mentors, resume building, scholarships (which amount to over half a million dollars annually), and access to a global network of business professionals. Hannonen summarized it this way: “If a student needs an internship, or a job, we can call anywhere in the world, and students [will] get the professional courtesy of being a member of the Management Society.”
Based out of the Marriott School of Management at BYU (Provo), the Management Society has over 100 chapters globally, including a Honolulu-based chapter. Across Asia and the Pacific, there are chapters in Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Thailand, Taiwan, and New Zealand, to name a few. Students are at an advantage the earlier they join because they build experience and leadership skills sooner, Hannonen says.
Similar to BYU–Hawaii’s mission to “Learn, Lead, Build,” the Management Society promotes “developing moral and ethical leaders around the world,” says Hannonen. “You don’t have to be a business student to be in the Management Society. It’s just like finding people who want to grow moral and ethical leadership around the world. That’s the whole purpose.”