SMBA '10 Begins Ballpark Operations

SMBA ’10 started their Operations Management class with Richard Andersen only two short weeks ago, but there is already a lot to report!

First things first, the class, as mentioned above, is taught by Richard Andersen, the Padres Executive Vice President of Ballpark Management (quick translation: Professor Andersen runs Petco Park). Professor Andersen has over 30 years of experience working in professional baseball. Aside from the Padres, Professor Andersen has worked for the Pirates, Marlins, and Braves organizations, and, aside from running the, in my opinion, best ballpark in all of baseball, he has held such positions as Minor League General Manager in the Braves organization and VP of Business Operations, a gig with the Marlins that included the responsibility of managing the squad’s Spring Training operations. This probably goes without saying, but Professor Andersen is a pretty awesome professor to have if you have any interest in working in professional baseball.

As one would expect, Professor Andersen has amassed an impressive list of contacts during his 30+ years in the industry and he wasted no time before introducing some of those contacts to SMBA ’10. In the very first Operations class, Mike McGee, Ticketmaster’s Executive Vice President of North American Business Operations, spoke to students about a very misunderstood company. For instance: who keeps that $3.50 per ticket convenience fee? Ticketmaster does, right? Wrong! (It’s okay -- about 38 of 38 SMBA students would have gotten that one wrong too.) Ticketmaster does keep some of that fee, but they also split it with the event’s venue, the team or band performing, and pretty much every other entity that has anything to do with putting on the show. Pretty interesting stuff. A big SMBA thanks to Mike for taking the time to come talk with us!

As an encore to class one, Professor Andersen held class two, this past Monday, at Petco Park. There, Professor Andersen conducted a DiSC seminar to assess the personality types of his SMBA students. The seminar taught students that more important than what personality type you are is how you deal with the different personality types of others -- a valuable lesson for a group of students inspiring to become managers.

After the seminar, Professor Andersen invited students to stay to watch the Padres play the Nationals. Halfway through the game, which students watched from two luxury suites by the left field foul pole, the newly named Padres President Tom Garfinkel stopped by to talk with students. Garfinkel is a 40-year-old MBA (U of Michigan) who got his start in sports in the auto racing industry. Among the topics of Garfinkel’s address to students were: our class’ efforts in the Dominican Republic, the future of the Padres logo, and general career and relationship (yes, seriously) advice.

Thanks to Professor Andersen, it has been a great start to the fall cohort of classes; all of SMBA ’10 is looking forward to the rest of our Operations Management class and to beginning the rest of our fall classes after we return from Labor Day break! Below are some pictures from Monday night.

Tyler Griggs
SMBA ’10

The title page of Professor Andersen's DiSC assessment seminar.

Padres President Tom Garfinkel speaking to SMBA students.

SMBA '10 student Yuma Ono sat pretty close to the action after Tom Garfinkel provided SMBA students with tickets for seats that went unsold that night.

The view from Yuma's seat of SMBA's two luxury suites (I'm the one in the beige shirt).