| Over the course of its first century, Beta Gamma Sigma has gone through some significant changes. While many individuals have been involved in the Society's evolution, few had a greater impact than Beta Gamma Sigma's presidents.
 A conversation with
John H. Wholihan
Beta Gamma Sigma President 2006-2008
| John Wholihan, a Fulbright Scholar, served as Dean for the College of Business Administration at Loyola Marymount University for 23 years and remains active at the school. He was elected to the Beta Gamma Sigma Board of Governors in 1998 and served continuously through 2010. His term as President of BGS from 2006-08 was marked by significant growth in collegiate chapters outside the United States. As a result of Wholihan’s leadership in this area, the Society has earned the distinction of being a truly global honor society for the top students of business. |
What was your most memorable accomplishment(s) during your tenure as BGS President?
I think the implementation of the Ethics program was
most satisfying. The number of interviews, the quality of the persons
interviewed, and the quality of the work of the interviewer and the crew
that handled all of the technical issues made this something special for
me and more importantly for BGS.
How do you perceive that your service as BGS president was
beneficial to your university?
The name of the University was frequently in the public eye.
Loyola Marymount University is not the best known school, a fault that still has not been
corrected. Being in a leadership position allowed me to meet many other
deans, more AACSB staff, and a host of prominent business leaders in the
various award ceremonies. They certainly came to recognize LMU's name
and in some cases we stayed in contact for various reasons.
We have noted that Past Presidents of Beta Gamma Sigma continue
to be some of the Society's strongest advocates for the long term. What makes you
continue to believe in the importance and value of Beta Gamma Sigma?
BGS is about students, honoring them, and giving them
opportunities to continue to grow. While the job of a dean is complex
it still has to be focused on the people we are to serve, students. I
think BGS retains focus on its mission and as long as I am associated
with business education I think BGS is the right thing to support.
You were on the Board for a very long time, and your membership
in the Society goes back more than 30 years. You are still quite active,
serving as a volunteer for a number of BGS programs, so what is the most exciting possibility you see for the next 10-20 years of Beta Gamma
Sigma?
I think business education will grow and change. Technology
is already doing things to change education. The focus on Ethics must be
strengthened since we mortals fall off the "straight and narrow" all
too easily. I think there are more ways to do what we are doing,
honoring, teaching, supporting, etc. I don't think we have tapped the
breadth of opportunities along these lines.
To do so I recognize we
must increase funding. I hope that we will ultimately find the donor
who wants to endow BGS. It would be a "game changer". I could see a
PBS program sponsored by BGS focusing on business education. We may
need to look for a "merger" of sorts, bringing an arm that would work for
BGS outside the 501(c)(3) structure. Look at McGraw Hill, now splitting
itself into pieces. Somewhere there may be a piece of something that
fits BGS. But, for that to happen the Board must take on a more active
and creative tone. Perhaps external Board representation.
There is
lots to be done or could be done.
Beta Gamma Sigma now boasts a membership of over 675,000 with
more than 500 collegiate chapters on six continents. What do you think
could be a very significant contribution these members could provide to the next generations of business leaders?
What they could contribute is unbounded except for the
mental bounding we impose on the organization. What I have recognized
more and more is people want to be asked to do things they want to do.
This means we have to find out what they want to do. Hot buttons? BGS
must find a way to talk with BGS alumni to find out what creative
actions THEY think are important.
As BGS graduates reach leadership status we need
to know more about them. Research is a continuing function that we must
invest in to know the Who's Who BEFORE they become the WHO'S Who! This
requires a long term vision and commitment.
If you were speaking to business students today who had been
invited to join Beta Gamma Sigma, what reasons would you offer them for
accepting the invitation?
I would do all the things I have been doing for years. "You
have already done the work, take the honor. You are or will be a
leader, build your credentials that speak to your success and BGS does
that. It isn't only what you know but who you know. Know others
through BGS. This doesn't happen without a commitment but it should
happen everyday.
Beta Gamma Sigma will be "Celebrating A Century of Excellence" in 2012 and 2013. With the proliferation of academic honor societies on
college campuses, why do you think Beta Gamma Sigma has been able to reach this significant 100 year milestone?
I think BGS is recognized as the Real Business Honorary. It
really addresses all business majors, others tend to be functional or
limited in some ways. However, to retain this status we need to market
ourselves much more and much more effectively. While we have improved
dramatically over the years we have a long way to go. Some of the
creativity mentioned above may help drive our name to greater
recognition.
Beta Gamma Sigma has grown tremendously over the years. Are you
familiar with anything the Society has done recently - programming,
membership, etc. - that you think is of great significance (impresses
you)?
The programs that have been successful - The Center for Ethical Business Leadership, Student
Leadership - are impressive. As noted above I think there are MANY ways
we need to think about to take BGS more public.
How has Beta Gamma Sigma continued to be a part of your life? In
other words, what does "lifetime membership" mean to you today?
Well, I am in the building at LMU every day. I typically
take part in the tapping function. I take a minor role in the Alumni
Chapter. I wear my pin and am ready to tell the BGS story. It is all
about getting students interested in accepting the honor they have
earned.
As a BGS Board member you helped thousands of outstanding students
each year through your service on the BGS Board of Governors. At your
schools, however, you got to see a much more personal side of the value
of Beta Gamma Sigma. Can you think of an example of a student at one of
your schools that really captured the spirit of BGS and what it meant to
be recognized as "the best in business?"
I can think of dozens of them. Debra Hiser was one of the most
enthusiastic students. During her year as VP she made sure that we did
everything to try to be the #1 Chapter. I think we got the #2 spot.
She was committed to being the best in everything she did. Many others
have found themselves coming out of the Student Leadership Forum.
We must
find a way to nurture these people while they are still young. It takes
more than a newsletter and some benefits. It will take personal
contact. Perhaps deans should be asked to nominate x number of students
who are excited about BGS membership and then find a way to stay in
touch personally with them. This takes manpower and costs money. Maybe
the Alumni Chapters could do more along these lines.
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