Message from UM President Seth Bodnar

[Cotton-eyed Hoe]

Ok, guys....we've derailed here. Let's get back on track:

Seth Bodnar? Easy on the eyes, or no??

Look, I'm a straight dude, but can certainly appreciate a good looking fella (you know, from a distance and all ). Seth Bodnar is a good looking fella.

 

[GGNez]

Ok, guys....we've derailed here. Let's get back on track:

Seth Bodnar? Easy on the eyes, or no??

Look, I'm a straight dude, but can certainly appreciate a good looking fella (you know, from a distance and all ). Seth Bodnar is a good looking fella.

THANK YOU!! His wife is quite stunning as well.

 

[IdaGriz01]

... Seth Bodnar is a good looking fella.

THANK YOU!! His wife is quite stunning as well.

Well, I was going to stay out of this. But, now that you bring it up ... she is (also) good looking. And, from what I've read about the couple, she's also quite bright -- a perfect combination.

 

[IntuitiveGriz]

He gave a nice message. Now let’s see if he walks the walk.


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What did you say?

This guy is the essence of walking the walk:


SETH BODNAR _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, Oxford, England, 2001-2003
Master of Science in Economic and Social History; Master of Science in Comparative Social Policy
Rhodes Scholar

UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY, West Point, NY, 1997-2001
Bachelor of Science in Economics; graduated first in class (overall performance); class valedictorian (academics)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY

Senior Executive, Strategy and Business Transformation, GE Transportation (September 2017-Present)
Work directly with the CEO of GE Transportation – a global equipment, services, and software provider with ~$5 billion in annual revenue – on the formulation and implementation of the business’s long-term strategy and the transformation of the organization to meet the changing needs of the freight transportation industry.

President, GE Transportation Digital Solutions and Chief Digital Officer, GE Transportation (July 2015-August 2017) Leader of global business that provides a connected suite of software solutions driving productivity, efficiency, and enhanced service quality for the transportation industry. ~1500 employees and ~$0.5 billion annual sales.

• Took multiple, disparate businesses from across GE Transportation and established streamlined,
integrated business unit with 4 product lines and re-vamped leadership team
• Implemented rigorous operating rhythm, processes & tools; improved software on-time delivery by 47%
• Established “Principles of Excellence” to drive cultural transformation across business
• Acquired and successfully integrated two companies – one in Sri Lanka and one in Canada
• Drove significant international expansion…20+% orders growth in first year of operations
• Expanded product offerings into adjacent spaces (ports, non-GE assets); secured key launch orders
• During worst rail industry downturn in decades, grew external orders 10% in 2016; forecast of 20%
external orders growth in 2017
• Asked by company’s senior leadership to present at investor meeting, to GE Board of Directors, and at
Global Leadership Meeting; frequent keynote speaker at conferences globally

General Manager, Global Signaling Solutions, GE Transportation (December 2013-June 2015)
Business leader of division responsible for implementing integrated signaling and communication systems for transportation networks around the world. Active portfolio of more than 400 projects; total value of over $1 billion.
• Implemented new project management processes and tools; introduced earned-value management metrics and cross-functional operating mechanisms to drive significantly improved project on-time delivery
• Increased contribution margin from core operations 97%; drove > $10 million productivity gains
• Completed due diligence process and successfully managed business divestiture to Alstom
• Promoted to Senior Executive Band (less than 0.2% of company)

Executive – Product Management, Global Locomotive Operations, GE Transportation (2013)
Product management and strategy formulation for GE’s global locomotive business.
• Developed cost-effective, customer-centric product development strategy for dual-fuel locomotive
• Led strategy formulation for global locomotive business; supported successful launch of Tier 4 platform
Senior Project Manager, Office of the CEO, GE Corporate (2011-2012)
Senior financial analyst for Power & Water, Energy Management, Oil & Gas, and Aviation businesses.
• Lead staff FP&A analyst for business units with approximately ~$80 billion in total annual revenue.
Worked with business teams to track, analyze, and explain segment results. Supported development of
quarterly earnings calls, analyst meetings, board of directors meetings, and regulatory filings.
• Led initiative on distributed power for GE Power business, leading to creation of new product platform.

SETH BODNAR _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Assistant Professor of Economics, United States Military Academy at West Point (2009-2011)
• Taught undergraduate courses in economics and trained and mentored cadets in leadership development
• Conducted and published research on economic development in conflict areas.
• Senior mentor for students applying for post-graduate scholarships (Rhodes, Marshall, Truman)
• Rated by department head as the most talented officer she had worked with in 30+ years of service.

Special Assistant to the Commanding General, Multi-National Force-Iraq (2008-2009)
• Advisor to Commanding General and key author of strategic documents to convey guidance to forces in
Iraq, international organizations, and US military and national security leadership.
• Commanding General evaluated performance as “brilliant” and described as “one of the most gifted and talented officers among all ranks in Multi-National Forces – Iraq” (approx. 130,000 people)

Commander, Operational Detachment Alpha 1222, 1st Special Forces Group (2006-2008)
• Completed intensive selection and qualification course; selected as honor graduate of Army’s rigorous
Special Operations Underwater Operations course
• Commanded detachment of Green Berets on multiple deployments around the globe
• Selected out of 54 ODA commanders as 1st Group nominee for MacArthur Leadership Award.
• Promoted “below the zone” (one year early) to the rank of Major (limited to less than 10% of officers
across the Army).

Platoon Leader and Battalion Adjutant, 101st Airborne Division (2003-2005)
• Commanded 40-man infantry rifle platoon in training and in counterinsurgency operations in Mosul, Iraq.
• Oversaw complete overhaul of personnel and administrative section of 500-person battalion.

HONORS, AWARDS, AND ACTIVITIES

Rhodes Scholar, 2001
Truman Scholar, 2000
Term Member, Council on Foreign Relations
NCAA Division I Baseball Letterman
Board member at The Positivity Project, a non-profit organization focused on character education
2015 “Outstanding Coach” award from GE’s Corporate Leadership Staff, GE’s premier leadership development program
Major, US Army Reserve, and visiting faculty member in Department of Social Sciences at West Point
Military Awards: US Army Green Beret, US Army Ranger, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Combat Diver’s Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal

Publications:
“’Monetary Ammunition’ in a Counterinsurgency,” Parameters, Fall 2010
“Veterans, Citizens,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 8, 2008
“From Battlefield to Boardroom: Lessons in Leadership,” Virginia Pilot, April 9, 2017

 

[fanofzoo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah can he kick?

 

[argh!]

so what did engstrom's first message to the um community say(bqm)

i ask because you seem to know, ergo the comment. or were you comparing your hopes for how bodnar's time as president goes to your opinion of how engstrom's time went (i agree it was bad)(bqm) i bet he had you at the cherish diversity part, or was it the safe place mention that got you on his side(bqm)

Wow...you got him there, Argh. Yeah, Kem...is it your hatred for Royce or were you blindly swayed by Bodnar's past, where he graduated first in his class from West Point, received both the Rhodes and Truman scholarships, and earned two masters degrees from the University of Oxford?? Maybe Kem has false high hopes because Seth, prior to his time on faculty at West Point, had a distinguished military career, serving in the 101st Airborne Division and the US Army’s First Special Forces Group. Then, as a member of the Army’s elite Green Berets, he commanded a Special Forces detachment on multiple deployments around the world and later served as a special assistant to the Commanding General in Iraq. As a result of his collaborative leadership style and his ability to lead teams through uncertainty and change, he received numerous awards and was promoted early to the rank of Major.

Or, Kem, does the fact that Seth was a senior executive at the General Electric Company, responsible for long-term strategy and business transformation at GE Transportation, a global company with over 10,000 employees and approximately $5 billion in revenue??

Will you ever take off those maroon-colored glasses, Kemajic (bqm) :roll:

what, you think engstrom didn't have a good looking cv, including really good reports from his time as provost(real bqm) have you read his first missive to the faculty(bqm) again, i thought engstrom was bad, but his cv, from the perspective of higher education, was not.

or maybe i should put it another way: why not just say bodnar's letter was great, and skip the put-down(bqm) oh wait, the put-down makes you (and apparently others) feel better about yourselves. sad.

I didn't really put down Engstrom or even mention his name, but since you want to go to the next layer, OK. I'm a chemist myself and after 8 years in Universities and 35 years as a professional in the field, I'm likely a better judge of Engstrom's academic credentials than you. In fact, he was undistinguished as a researcher; his publications are very old and unimportant and he likely needed to migrate to administration. He advanced to provost at South Dakota before making a lateral move to Montana at the same level. It was his ceiling at USD and should have been at UM as well. Shame on the decision to promote him to President. It has set the University back years.

i wasn't talking about engstrom's research career, which was pretty pathetic. based on whatever experience i might have, it amounted to roughly what i would expect from a semi-successful academician who became an administrator. however, the part of engstrom's cv you are ignoring points out that he had been provost of usd and had good reviews, and also had good reviews as um's provost. that isn't an easy job - and in many cases is harder to keep than the president's job.

 

[kemajic]

Wow...you got him there, Argh. Yeah, Kem...is it your hatred for Royce or were you blindly swayed by Bodnar's past, where he graduated first in his class from West Point, received both the Rhodes and Truman scholarships, and earned two masters degrees from the University of Oxford?? Maybe Kem has false high hopes because Seth, prior to his time on faculty at West Point, had a distinguished military career, serving in the 101st Airborne Division and the US Army’s First Special Forces Group. Then, as a member of the Army’s elite Green Berets, he commanded a Special Forces detachment on multiple deployments around the world and later served as a special assistant to the Commanding General in Iraq. As a result of his collaborative leadership style and his ability to lead teams through uncertainty and change, he received numerous awards and was promoted early to the rank of Major.

Or, Kem, does the fact that Seth was a senior executive at the General Electric Company, responsible for long-term strategy and business transformation at GE Transportation, a global company with over 10,000 employees and approximately $5 billion in revenue??

Will you ever take off those maroon-colored glasses, Kemajic (bqm) :roll:

what, you think engstrom didn't have a good looking cv, including really good reports from his time as provost(real bqm) have you read his first missive to the faculty(bqm) again, i thought engstrom was bad, but his cv, from the perspective of higher education, was not.

or maybe i should put it another way: why not just say bodnar's letter was great, and skip the put-down(bqm) oh wait, the put-down makes you (and apparently others) feel better about yourselves. sad.

I didn't really put down Engstrom or even mention his name, but since you want to go to the next layer, OK. I'm a chemist myself and after 8 years in Universities and 35 years as a professional in the field, I'm likely a better judge of Engstrom's academic credentials than you. In fact, he was undistinguished as a researcher; his publications are very old and unimportant and he likely needed to migrate to administration. He advanced to provost at South Dakota before making a lateral move to Montana at the same level. It was his ceiling at USD and should have been at UM as well. Shame on the decision to promote him to President. It has set the University back years.

i wasn't talking about engstrom's research career, which was pretty pathetic. based on whatever experience i might have, it amounted to roughly what i would expect from a semi-successful academician who became an administrator. however, the part of engstrom's cv you are ignoring points out that he had been provost of usd and had good reviews, and also had good reviews as um's provost. that isn't an easy job - and in many cases is harder to keep than the president's job.

Bottom line, Engstrom was a typical insider product of the academic swamp as prone to politics as DC. He was intimidated by the collective faculty and seemingly incapable dealing with adversity. Bodnar is an enormously impressive outsider with a very diversified background and looks very capable of dealing with issues Engstrom couldn't. Hense my original comment, "What a Difference." It's not difficult to see the difference.

 

[bigsky33]

I feel UM hit a home run with Seth Bodnar. I don't think it will take him long to clean up the liberal swamp that pervades at the University. He will bring leadership like these people have never seen. He will also be good for the athletic dept. as he played at he Div 1 level and understands what it means to the University.

 

[argh!]

what, you think engstrom didn't have a good looking cv, including really good reports from his time as provost(real bqm) have you read his first missive to the faculty(bqm) again, i thought engstrom was bad, but his cv, from the perspective of higher education, was not.

or maybe i should put it another way: why not just say bodnar's letter was great, and skip the put-down(bqm) oh wait, the put-down makes you (and apparently others) feel better about yourselves. sad.

I didn't really put down Engstrom or even mention his name, but since you want to go to the next layer, OK. I'm a chemist myself and after 8 years in Universities and 35 years as a professional in the field, I'm likely a better judge of Engstrom's academic credentials than you. In fact, he was undistinguished as a researcher; his publications are very old and unimportant and he likely needed to migrate to administration. He advanced to provost at South Dakota before making a lateral move to Montana at the same level. It was his ceiling at USD and should have been at UM as well. Shame on the decision to promote him to President. It has set the University back years.

i wasn't talking about engstrom's research career, which was pretty pathetic. based on whatever experience i might have, it amounted to roughly what i would expect from a semi-successful academician who became an administrator. however, the part of engstrom's cv you are ignoring points out that he had been provost of usd and had good reviews, and also had good reviews as um's provost. that isn't an easy job - and in many cases is harder to keep than the president's job.

Bottom line, Engstrom was a typical insider product of the academic swamp as prone to politics as DC. He was intimidated by the collective faculty and seemingly incapable dealing with adversity. Bodnar is an enormously impressive outsider with a very diversified background and looks very capable of dealing with issues Engstrom couldn't. Hense my original comment, "What a Difference." It's not difficult to see the difference.

not sure that someone with stellar recs but no long history anywhere is any more sure a bet, but.. g e (bqm)

 

[AllWeatherFan]

"Academic swamp...?"
"Liberal swamp...?"

Two "swamp" references in two straight posts must be an eGriz record! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[argh!]

Need I say more?

Thats sexist....JUUUST KIDDDINGGGG

Hes already got larger nuts than Royce

You misspelled "sexy" :lol:

sexy(bqm)(bqm)(bqm) ha ha ha. his eye sockets are almost as far apart as his ears, and he sports that goofy don johnson half-assed beard that makes him look like a 39 year old who wants to be a 23 year old.

you clearly need to get out more, grandma. and maybe hide your 21 year old daughters from new university presidents with creepy half-beards. sexy. ha.

 

[GGNez]

Need I say more?

Thats sexist....JUUUST KIDDDINGGGG

Hes already got larger nuts than Royce

You misspelled "sexy" :lol:

sexy(bqm)(bqm)(bqm) ha ha ha. his eye sockets are almost as far apart as his ears, and he sports that goofy don johnson half-assed beard that makes him look like a 39 year old who wants to be a 23 year old.

you clearly need to get out more, grandma. and maybe hide your 21 year old daughters from new university presidents with creepy half-beards. sexy. ha.

Oh my God, Argh....at first, I thought you were jealous. But I get it now. You're in love with him.

Hang in there. I know how you feel. Believe me, his wife is beautiful, smart and very accomplished. I don't think you've got a shot. You'll get through this, I promise. I'm here if you need to talk.

 

[bgbigdog]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/sethbodnar/status/951581656971751424[/tweet]

This guy is killing it on Twitter.

 

[argh!]

Thats sexist....JUUUST KIDDDINGGGG

Hes already got larger nuts than Royce

You misspelled "sexy" :lol:

sexy(bqm)(bqm)(bqm) ha ha ha. his eye sockets are almost as far apart as his ears, and he sports that goofy don johnson half-assed beard that makes him look like a 39 year old who wants to be a 23 year old.

you clearly need to get out more, grandma. and maybe hide your 21 year old daughters from new university presidents with creepy half-beards. sexy. ha.

Oh my God, Argh....at first, I thought you were jealous. But I get it now. You're in love with him.

Hang in there. I know how you feel. Believe me, his wife is beautiful, smart and very accomplished. I don't think you've got a shot. You'll get through this, I promise. I'm here if you need to talk.

 

[CFallsGriz]

You misspelled "sexy" :lol:

sexy(bqm)(bqm)(bqm) ha ha ha. his eye sockets are almost as far apart as his ears, and he sports that goofy don johnson half-assed beard that makes him look like a 39 year old who wants to be a 23 year old.

you clearly need to get out more, grandma. and maybe hide your 21 year old daughters from new university presidents with creepy half-beards. sexy. ha.

Oh my God, Argh....at first, I thought you were jealous. But I get it now. You're in love with him.

Hang in there. I know how you feel. Believe me, his wife is beautiful, smart and very accomplished. I don't think you've got a shot. You'll get through this, I promise. I'm here if you need to talk.

What the hell does Val Kilmer have to do with this?


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