UTCFS Vice President Robert Isaman '85 Speaks at Smith Commencement 350 New Business Leaders Graduate From Smith - Congratulations!

Robert Isaman '85, vice president, integration at UTC Fire & Security (UTCFS), a division of United Technologies Corporation, addressed a lively audience of Smith School graduates, family members, friends, and Smith faculty and administrators at the Smith School's winter commencement ceremony on Thursday, December 22.

Nearly 350 candidates were eligible to attend the graduation ceremony, which was held at the Comcast Center: eight doctoral, 25 executive MBA, 100 MBA/MS, and 210 undergraduate business degrees were awarded.

Isaman, who is responsible for the worldwide integration of acquisitions into the new UTCFS business division, shared four common attributes for success with graduates. "First,successful leaders are ambitions and have formulated a career roadmap that they follow with great vigor;second, they are curious by nature and pursue a continuous learning posture throughout their careers by investing in their education; third, they are proactive, personable, approachable, and optimistic; and fourth, they have a great support structure from their faith, their families, and their friends."

Isaman joined United Technologies through the Otis Elevator Company in their North American operations in 1985. In 1993, after a series of sales and management positions at Otis, he was named deputy general manager and Russia program manager for UTCs Norden Systems division in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In January 2002, he was named president of Otis Elevator (China) Investment Co. and China Area Director, where he was responsible for the business performance of over 140 business and manufacturing locations across China.

In 2004, Isaman was among the recipients of the People's Republic of China's Friendship Award. Presented by the Premier of China, the award is the supreme prize the Chinese government confers to foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China's economic and social progress.

"Great leaders have an ability to laugh at themselves, to listen to advice from those that they love, and to include those that they love in their successes," said Isaman. "When I was awarded the Friendship Award by the Premier of China, Wen Jiabao, my largest satisfaction was that my wife, Linda, was at my side, and that my family was as proud of me as I always have been of all of them ... Successful leaders know that no one does it alone"

Isaman has a BS in marketing from the Smith School and serves on the school's Board of Visitors.

Students participating in the ceremony were Erin Jordan, who performed the National Anthem, and speakers Lindsay Morris, graduating summa cum laude and majoring in marketing, and Noah Kaufman, MBA candidate spring 2006.

Transcript of Robert Isaman's speech.
Transcript of Lindsay Morris' speech.
Transcript of Noah Kaufman's speech.

The commencement will be available on DVD from Kitay Productions.
DVD Order Form