Rutgers School of Business – Camden

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Brian Ford

CEO

Washington Philadelphia Investors

Class of RC 1971

Brian Ford is a nationally renowned consumer products specialist with 37 years of accounting and business advisory experience, serving clients ranging from start-up companies through multibillion dollar international organizations. He has extensive experience with supply chain management for the pharmaceutical industry working with wholesale distributors and retail outlets.

For many years, Mr. Ford served as the coordinating partner for the largest publicly-held wholesale pharmaceutical distribution company. In the course of his work, Mr. Ford has dealt with significant financial, management, and strategic issues affecting his clients, including compliance and regulatory issues, mergers and strategic growth. He has also worked closely with client management on critical business transformations including numerous system conversions.

Mr. Ford also has served the retail industry for decades. He has routinely worked for some of the largest retailers in the industry from department and specialty chains to direct marketing and web-based companies. Mr. Ford has served as Ernst & Young’s national director of Retail and Consumer Products Education, and he is the co-author of The Ernst & Young Business Plan Guide, one of the firm’s best-selling books, which is now in its third edition.

Mr. Ford received a Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University–Camden in 1971. He was with Ernst & Young for 37 years before recently becoming the chief executive officer of Washington Philadelphia Investors. Brian is a member of the Board of Directors of GulfMark Offshore, a public company in the oil services industry. He is also on the board of many community organizations including the Dean’s Leadership Council for Rutgers School of Business–Camden, the Board of Trustees of Drexel University, and the Board of Directors for the Drexel College of Medicine and the Philadelphia Conventions and Visitors Bureau.

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BLDP Executive Shadowing Application v2

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Student Information

Major(s)*
Minor(s)

Shadowing

Preferred Work Environment
Preferred Area of Work*

Signatures

If I am chosen and matched with an executive, I will follow through and prepare a one-page report giving honest feedback about the experience. The written summary is due by the start of the next semester. By typing my name in the box to the right I am offering my digital signature in lieu of my handwritten signature.

After the shadowing event, I will write a personal thank you letter to the executive and copy Dr. Kaufman-Scarborough and Ms. Bridget Britton for their records. By typing my name in the box to the right I am offering my digital signature in lieu of my handwritten signature.

After notified of a match, students are responsible for providing personal information to the matched executive (e.g., current resume and cover letter with information on career ambitions). The information on this application is for internal use only, for us to match you as well as possible with and executive from among our alumni database.

BLDP Application

The Spring 2023 Application is now open! 

Priority will be given to applications received by November 18. Applications are accepted until all seats are filled. Space is limited, so apply early!

The seminar application process is our gateway for entry into the program. Upon acceptance into BLDP, students will be emailed their acceptance letter plus a special permission number allowing registration for the BLDP seminar.

Requirements

Seminar applications are solicited each semester and require the following:

  1. Completed application form (at the bottom of this page),
  2. For students with GPA 3.0 – 3.49, two (2) letters of recommendation (one academic; one other)

Rutgers-Camden students are invited to apply to apply for enrollment in the BLDP seminar. All applicants are expected to meet both of the following selection criteria:  (1) have sophomore standing or above and (2) have an overall GPA of 3.0 or above. First-semester transfer students will be evaluated based on their GPA earned at Rutgers. Students who fail to meet these admission criteria may still be allowed to apply for (and possibly enroll in) the BLDP seminar, but they will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The director balances evaluations to make final decisions on people accepted for the seminar (up to a maximum of 15-20 each semester).

Students who are admitted to the BDLP are required to adopt the BLDP Code of Conduct. A signed contract is required from each student.

Students may count activities toward “leadership units” that were initiated prior to taking a seminar, as long as those activities occured primarily during their enrollment in their academic program.

Application for Admission to BLDP Seminar

Applications for the BLDP Seminar will be ongoing until class is filled.

BLDP Program Application

This form is set to automatically delete an entry 180 days after it has been submitted.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

  • * Indicates a required field.

  • Contact Information

  • Academic Information

  • Please enter a number from 0 to 500.
  • Transfer students only.

  • Employment Information

  • List relevant employment history

  • EmployerPositionDates of Employment 

  • School Leadership Information

  • Provide evidence of leadership initiative while enrolled in school by listing all school-based organizations and activities in which you have held a leadership role while a student.

  • OrganizationRoleDates 

  • Community Leadership Information

  • Provide a list of community or volunteer activities in which you engaged in a leadership role.

  • OrganizationRoleDates of Activity 

  • Statement

  • In your own words (100-350), discuss the reasons why your application should be considered for the Business Leader Development Program, including what you hope to gain from the program and what you can contribute.

  • Additional Submission Instructions

  • If you need to submit two reference letters, please email them to ldrshp@camden.rutgers.edu. Ideally, you should receive one letter from an academic source (e.g., a former or current instructor), and one from a business source (e.g., a former employer - even if for a part-time or volunteer position).

    Please only submit one application. If you experience any technical problems or need to submit the application again, please contact ldrshp@camden.rutgers.edu.

    Thank you.