22 - Words from the Heart

Summary

A career, like life itself, is a journey. But sometimes even the fast track has its speed limits.

—Mark Ain

By 2005, Kronos was a worldwide leader in its field. And its founder and CEO Mark Ain was recognized in business circles as a bona fide visionary and success story. So, it was only natural that the University of Rochester should tap him as the commencement speaker that year at its MBA graduation ceremony. He had, after all, not only achieved success on his own terms—he had also been a member of the school's first-ever MBA graduation class.

His words that day were directed at an audience that was witnessing its own technological revolution. Very few people built their own computers from scratch because they were much easier to purchase, and at a price point where virtually everyone had one. The internet had already redefined almost all aspects of everyday life. And new visions—YouTube, for example, was launching its first video—were being realized at a pace that only a decade earlier would have been considered unimaginable, and even crazy.

Against that backdrop, Mark took the stage and looked out over a crowd of starry-eyed graduates and their proud family members and friends and entertained and challenged them in words that could be applied to graduates in virtually any year.

The following is the text of that speech:

Thank you … Wow … what an honor … what a pleasure …

To be back here at the Simon School.

Back here at Rochester.

And not have a paper due or an examination looming … just like you!

(laughter and applause)

Feels pretty good, doesn't it? And as a Simon School alum myself, I know all too well that it wasn't easy.

I see a few bags under the eyes out there. As a former Simon School King-of-the-All-Nighters, I can relate to that as well!

You’ve walked the path that few can follow, and through your efforts, you’ve set yourselves apart from the pack—Simon School MBAs—poised to change this increasingly competitive and international world of business like few others.