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Summary from the SIMI Alumni Chairman
by Bo Høifeldt(MSDS2004, E*MBA15)
 At our SAA Board constitution meeting last week we agreed that the main issue for the next 6 months IS to ensure a good cooperation with the CBS- SIMI Executive management as well as The CBS MBA Alumni Society.
I am already in dialogue with The CBS MBA Alumni Society, and we have roughly agreed on the following thoughts:
• We will have an open discussion about our vision and mission before we once again start discussing membership base.
• We will start planning joint SIMI Alumni and CBS MBA Alumni events as soon as possible – probably starting already in august 2010.
• We will try to set up a joint board meeting with the two alumni organizations in September/October to prepare for the coming merger of the alumni organizations.
It is my genuine feeling that we in the alumni associations have a common goal in attracting more members to our events by making our value proposition even more interesting. Here economy of scale and a larger pool of creative members will inevitably lead to an even more valuable association for all of us! A main issue for us will be to look at the merger without too many strong feelings about our present set up. Naturally we love the “SIMI-model” but as you can read in the interview with the chairman from CBS Alumni Jacob Therkelsen he also has strong feelings about their present set up. As Jacob states in the interview he - just as I - realizes the weaknesses in our present set up. In our dialogue until now we seem to have exactly the same focus and interests and I am sure we will have a good cooperation leading to the merger.
In relation to the cooperation between SIMI Alumni Association and CBS - SIMI Executive, I will as soon as possible have a meeting with Torben Klein to discuss the division of tasks and funding issues going forward.
On the event side the SAA Board decided to go along with the already announced social events and try to boost the professional events. This will be done by setting up 4 Meet the Masters sessions and combine each of these with a Meet a VIP who fits the theoretical subject. This will lead to sessions which are a bit longer, but at the same time it should also lead to sessions which can attract more people and give even more value. These events will be open to both SIMI and CBS MBA Alumni. We might need help from some of you to get hold of the right VIP’s – if this is the case you will be contacted personally by a member of the SAA Board.
If you have any questions or input please get back to me – the more input I get, the better!
You can reach me on my phone +45 2367 7129 or by mail bo.hoeifeldt@post.dk
Have a great summer!!!
Bo
The SIMI Alumni Gran Reunion Day Seminar and Evening Party
The Day Seminar:
 The SIMI Alumni Grand Reunion Day Seminar was a spectacular one this year. The theme of the day was diversity and the 4 speakers of the day did a great job explaining the potential problems which may arise when different cultures meet, and gave some different solutions on how to turn cultural differences into strengths.
Charlotte Mark, Managing Director & Site Leader of Microsoft Development Center Copenhagen explained that the need to embrace diversity comes from the need for talent. Attracting talent is a key ability as there is a lack of skilled workforce in Denmark, and after attracting this talent, embracing cultural differences and making sure the new expats thrive in their new environment is key to then keeping the expats here. An example of how Microsoft Development Center Copenhagen embraces the diversity in their staff is the “Cake and Culture” meetings they have, where the employees make presentations on their culture to promote mutual understanding. It is also important according to Charlotte Mark that the company has a strong R&D brand, and that the city where the new expats are going to live is attractive to them. 
Craig Till, Head of Secretariat for Expat in Denmark explained that for expats coming to this country the Danish society can seem very closed, and different. The Danish workplace is unique in many ways, such as the flat management structures, informality in the workplace and teamwork mindset. He mentioned that the primary reason that expats leave Denmark is the cost of living and taxation, and although he stressed the fact that expats are not a cohesive group, some of the most important factors for the expats choosing to stay in Denmark are the work/life balance and the level of flexibility on the job.
 Ending the day seminar was Lucas Vos, Chief Process Officer at Maersk Line A/S who gave an excellent presentation on the strengths and challenges of the Danish society seen through the eyes of an expat. Among the strengths of the Danish society he mentioned that the Danes have an implicit high level of quality, they are very pragmatic and consensus builders. The Challenges of the Danes are that they are impersonal, very rule abiding, nationalistic and that there is such a big difference between the mindset of the “winther-dane” and the “summer-dane”.
The Evening Party:
 The Evening Party of the 2010 SIMI Alumni Association Grand Reunion was, like the day seminar, held in the spirit of diversity. It was held at Ovnhallen, which is right next to the beautiful new building of the CBS/SIMI Executive, which the guests had the opportunity to see before the party began. The theme of the party was Studio 54 and almost everyone had dressed to impress in real 70’s and 80’s disco outfits. The entertainment of the evening was a “consultant” which came to give some humorous advice on mergers. Check out the many great pictures from the evening here.
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