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Graduating Leaders

Anthony J. Figliolini was a 32-year-old information technology engineer working in Tokyo when he decided to move his life to Cornell for an MBA.

It made sense. He wanted to switch careers, prepare for an upper management job and be able to start a business.

After three months at the Johnson Graduate School of Management, "I discovered I really like HR – that was the industry I wanted to work in." He applied to the joint MILR/MBA program, was admitted and will graduate Jan. 19 with an MBA and an MILR degree.

Now 34, Figliolini begins a new career in HR with Microsoft in Redmond, Wash., on Jan. 26.

As a human resources business partner at Microsoft, he plans to apply "the holistic view of the world of work" learned at ILR and the broad sweep of business knowledge that comes with an MBA.

It's a happy ending to a five-semester challenge which prepared him to become a strategic business leader with a human resources focus, Figliolini said.

"The basis for a company is the people. It's the people who can make or break a company's success," he said. "There is a lot of opportunity for me and my classmates."

Figliolini had a chance to test his HR leadership skills as captain of the Cornell team which won first place and $20,000 at the 2007 National MBA Human Capital Case Competition at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management.

While at ILR, he also developed his HR skills as an American Express-sponsored research assistant at the Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies.

Along with 12 other graduate students and 30 undergraduates to whom degrees will be conferred in January, Figliolini will be recognized by ILR at a 3:30 reception Dec. 19 in Room 229 of the ILR Conference. A university ceremony for January graduates begins at 11 a.m. Dec. 20 in Barton Hall.

On the job next month, Figliolini will put his skills to the test, no time wasted. 

"It's very important to look for quick things you can help fix," he said. "Starting on the right foot early sets a positive tone for the rest of the employment relationship."

Figliolini, who has an undergraduate degree in government from Harvard University, said the MBA/MILR program is unique. "You can earn a world-renowned MBA and go deeper into the HR area at the best human capital specialty school in the world."

"The MILR/MBA degree program positions one to be a multi-faceted business leader, not only in HR, but in any job that requires a deep knowledge of how people contribute to the success of an organization and lead change."

"The MILR program is a great program – it brings a lot of bright leaders and innovators to the ILR School," he said. "There are so many resources at the ILR School … the collegial atmosphere … the professors are fantastic."

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