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About GlobaLensGlobaLens is an initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan (WDI). Our goal is to be the leading source for educational material on international business topics. We are taking a three-pronged approach toward achieving this goal. The three focus areas are captured by the GlobaLens tag line, "Cases, Courses and Community".
Our first priority is the creation and dissemination of intellectual capital. WDI employs a group of writers who develop business case studies and other teaching materials based on the experiences of our global corporate partners. The writers also work closely with faculty at Michigan's Ross School of Business to turn their research into classroom material. As a companion to our own case development efforts, WDI provides faculty from all over the world with an outlet for their already completed business cases through this e-commerce site.
WDI promotes the teaching of international business courses by providing faculty with a platform for the sharing of syllabi. The "Courses" section of GlobaLens allows faculty to search for syllabi on specific topics and to use the "Syllabuilder" to create their own unique courses from the accumulated wisdom of others.
Finally, GlobaLens offers a "Community" space for faculty through our Educators' Forum. Faculty may start discussions about new developments in the IB field or pose specific questions about why to use a specific case study to illustrate a lesson in class.
We hope that the GlobaLens will prove to be a valuable resource to educators all over the world. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
The Team |
 Bob Kennedy
Executive Director
Dr. Kennedy’s research and course development activities focus on business strategy and industry dynamics following economic reform in developing countries. Dr. Kennedy has published in leading economics and management journals and has written more than 60 case studies and notes on business issues in emerging markets. Since 2000, Dr. Kennedy has been exploring the drivers and implications of the globalization of service activities and has written extensively on this widely debated issue of offshoring of service activities and the profound impact on businesses and governments in both developed and developing countries
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 Dr. John Branch
GlobaLens Intiative Leader
In addition to managing GlobaLens, John Branch teaches a variety of marketing and international business courses at the undergraduate, M.B.A., and executive levels at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He is also a faculty fellow at the University’s Center for Russian and East European Studies. John is originally from Canada, and holds a Bachelor of Engineering Science in electronics from the University of Western Ontario, a Master of Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick, a Master of Arts in education from Washington University in Saint Louis , and a Doctor of Philosophy in marketing from the University of Cambridge.
Prior to joining Ross, John was on the faculty of the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University in Saint Louis for five years. He began his academic career in 1993 as an Assistant Professor of Marketing at École Supérieure de Commerce de Rennes in France. Since then, he has served as an adjunct or visiting professor at more than 40 business schools throughout world. He was also a visiting scholar at Queen Elizabeth House of the University of Oxford and at the J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management of Northwestern University. John has been involved in a variety of European Union and other government-funded development projects, most notably in the republics of the former U.S.S.R., including Kyrghyzstan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, and in those of Eastern and Central Europe. He has also participated in management training programmes in, and consulted to, numerous international organisations, including British American Tobacco, Anheuser-Busch, British Telecom, Cargill, Latvian Post, Coca-Cola, Oracle, Michelin, Ericsson, Mercedes, Brady Corporation, and Nestlé.
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 Dave Vanette
Research Associate
Dave Vannette earned a bachelor degree in ecology and environmental policy from Calvin College. After graduation, he spent a year as a personal assistant to a business executive in the commercial real estate industry. Much of his work at the William Davidson Institute has focused on the globalization of services. Dave has a special interest which is situated at the confluence of international business and organizational behaviour. He plans to enroll in a dual master degree program in Public Policy and Survey Methodology this year, and ultimately plans to pursue a Ph.D. program in organizational behavior.
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 Moses Lee
Research Associate
Moses Lee graduated with high distinction from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan with a BBA and MAcc. While attending Ross, he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Monroe Street Journal, the business school newspaper. Before joining the William Davidson Institute, Moses worked in investment banking at Citigroup Corporate and Investment Bank and in financial services at General Motors. He began his career at Ernst & Young, and is a Certified Public Accountant. Moses has a special interest in base of the pyramid (BoP) strategies. He is currently a Staff Writer for nextbillion.net. |
 Mariana Orloff
Research Associate
Mariana Orloff has master degrees in both public policy and urban planning from the University of Michigan. She is originally from Argentina, and has worked as a consultant and researcher for the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Buenos Aires Ministry. Mariana has special interests in urban development, institutional reform, and poverty ssues in developing countries, with particular emphasis in Latin America. She also specializes in social enterprise and social entrepreneurship. |
 Grace Augustine
Research Associate
Grace Augustine received her bachelor degree in organizational studies from the University of Michigan. After graduation, she worked as a business analyst in the Strategy and Operations group for Deloitte Consulting, where she served on projects in mergers and acquisitions, e-commerce, and internal strategy. Grace also has experience working in both Italy and Turkey, and in the manufacturing and telecommunications industries. She has special interests in market-based solutions to poverty alleviation, social enterprise, and clean technology. Grace is currently a Staff Writer for NextBillion.net, a 2008 StartingBloc Institute for Social Innovation Fellow, a board member of AIESEC Michigan, and co-leader of the Net Impact Southeast Michigan Professional Chapter. |
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 Kristin Roy
Document Processor
Kristen Roy brings decades of management, administration and coordination to
GlobaLens. From her work as Office Manager at "Recycle Ann Arbor" to 5 years
at Domino Pizza as a Legal Administrator. She has many years experience as a
Ross Business School Professorial Administrator. She transitioned to WDI and
has 5 years of event planning experience.
Kristen's highly-trainable computer skills enable her to coordinate
GlobaLens' products in paper and electronic format. When not chained to a
computer, Kristen enjoys riding her motorcycle. |
 Christopher P. Simmons
Web Application Developer
Christopher is the developer of the web application that is the hub of GlobaLens. "Ok, so you're a rocket scientist..."
Christopher began programming with punch cards as a University of Michigan Aerospace Engineer. He began his Rocket Scientist career at Hughes Aircraft (now Boeing). There he worked as spacecraft propulsion engineer at Hughes Aircraft, also performing spacecraft launch ops at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral. But when one of his spacecraft managers was killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, Christopher returned to Michigan, where he entered the IT world as a software support tech, a college computer instructor, a desktop publisher and finally, once again, a programmer.
When the World Wide Web merged programming and content creation, he combined his right and left brains into a web development path. After programming web applications in finance, manufacturing, contact management and mortgage industries, he arrived at GlobaLens.
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your course using our
GlobaLens library of syllabi
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