Tuesday, April 02, 2002

WILMINGTON, NC – Through an innovative program that will team area executive leaders with business students, the UNCW Cameron School of Business is mobilizing area business leaders to benefit its students. The program, Cameron School of Business Executive Network, will hold its first meeting at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 3, in Wagoner Hall, Madeline Suite.

The Cameron Executive Network, developed by Lucian “Skip” Jones and Richard Verrone, executives-in-residence at UNCW’s business school, is designed to take advantage of the wealth of talent and experience of area business leaders. Wilmington has become a top retirement destination for Fortune 100 executives. These executives or “fellows” will participate in 10 or more activities per academic year ranging from guest lecturing in a class to serving as a mentor to two or three students depending upon their schedules. Jones, a business school lecturer since August 1998, was a partner at Shearman and Sterling in New York City. Verrone is a retired banking executive.

This meeting will bring together the 18 volunteer fellows and 52 students selected to participate in this innovative program. Both groups prepared individual profiles detailing their experiences and interests to help students narrow the selection process in choosing a prospective mentor.

According to Larry Clark, dean of the Cameron School of Business, “our belief is that students and fellows with common interests may establish lifelong relationships. As students leave the university and begin their corporate careers, they can continue to gain solid career and personal advice from those who have served in the corporate trenches.”

A brief biography of five of the fellows is below. They are typical of the business expertise being brought to UNCW students through this new program. For more information, contact Dean Clark at 910/962-3501.

Nick Rhodes Jr.

Rhodes served 21 years in the U.S. Air Force before retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1987. He held numerous positions in systems engineering and acquisition management and directed all phases of the acquisition process. His work experience included business and financial management procurement and engineering development as well as coordinating business activities with other government agencies. Rhodes managed activities of defense contractors including the Boeing Company, Lockheed-Martin, TRW Inc. and General Electric.

As a senior consultant for A.D. Little and PricewaterhouseCooper, Rhodes worked with government and commercial clients to develop strategies to improve their business processes. He managed project teams of 30 to 50 people in the design and implementation of technical and functional business process improvements and developed technical and lost proposals for client requirements.

Richard F. Moldin

Moldin’s business experience includes service as vice president of manufacturing and business development, Endeavor Pharm, Wilmington, NC; president and chief operating officer, Mylan Labs, Morgantown, W.Va.; president and chief executive officer, Purepac Pharm Co., Elizabeth, N.J.; and managing director, Wellcome PLC, London.

David I. G. Matthews

Matthews has extensive management, marketing and planning experience ranging from dominant international brands to regional brands and new product introductions as well as strong experience in franchising and building customer relationships. He developed innovative organization structures and teams to integrate acquired brands and manage internal competing products. Currently, he is a consultant in marketing working with firms in Russia, Georgia, Bulgaria and Turkey to develop business plans.

Neill Currie

Currie is co-founder of Renaissance Holdings. Established in 1993, Renaissance (RNR) is located in Bermuda and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The company has a market capitalization in excess of $2 billion. The largest writer of property catastrophe reinsurance in the world, Renaissance has clients located in virtually every developed country. At various times, Currie was responsible for marketing, operations and underwriting. He retired in 1997.

While in Bermuda, Currie was chair of the Bermuda Underwriters Association, co-Founded the Bermuda Educational Foundation and was appointed by Bermuda’s Minister of Finance to represent the reinsurance industry in dealings with the government.

Prior to forming Renaissance, Currie was chief executive officer of GJ Sullivan in Atlanta, a partner in the reinsurance intermediary firm of R/I Inc., and senior vice president of Willis Corroon. He has worked in Burlington, New York, Atlanta and Bermuda.

A. Steven Michael

Currently a private investor, Michael’s experience includes work in the manufactured housing and finance industries. He is former vice president-chief operating officer of Oakwood Homes’ parent company. He was responsible for marketing and operations of 300 retail sales centers in 38 states, 17 manufacturing plants that supplied products for all sales centers, a finance company that serviced $3.5 billion in loans, an insurance company that underwrote $30 million in premiums per year, and human resources for 7,500 employees. Previous employment included Chemical Bank vice president and work in national marketing for a consumer finance company that operated in 48 states.