James Bender

Current

UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business MBA Candidate at Haas School of Business

Past

Strategic Services Summer Associate at Cisco Systems
C-2A Program Manager, Instructor Pilot, Aviation Safety Officer at US Navy, Squadron VAW-120
Aircraft Commander, Division Officer - Operations Officer at US Navy, Squadron VRC-30

Student Naval Aviator at Naval Aviation Training Command, CNATRA, VT-28, VT-31, VT-9, VAW-120

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Education

University of California at Berkeley, Walter A. Haas School of Business
University of California, Berkeley - Walter A. Haas School of Business
United States Naval Academy

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Connections

160 connections

Industry

Research

James Bender’s Experience

UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business MBA Candidate

Haas School of Business

(Educational Institution; 5001-10,000 employees; Higher Education industry)

August 2008 — Present (1 year 4 months)
Strategic Services Summer Associate

Cisco Systems

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; CSCO; Computer Networking industry)

June 2009 — August 2009 (3 months)

• Within a team, sized potential addressable markets and determined Cisco's no-regret, big-bet, and option strategies for electrical Smart Grid entry
• Mapped the corporate, utility, and federal landscape surrounding the electrical Smart Grid
C-2A Program Manager, Instructor Pilot, Aviation Safety Officer

US Navy, Squadron VAW-120

(Military industry)

January 2006 — July 2008 (2 years 7 months)

• Instructed and certified more than 100 new Naval Aviators in all aircraft operations including all-weather instrument flying, formation, and carrier landing qualification
• Expert Operational Risk Manager - selected out of 350 to train entire aviation community on the importance of risk acceptance vs. mission accomplishment
• Standardization Program Manager - designated to evaluate fleet of C-2A aviators ensuring conformation to standards set forth by Chief of Naval Operations
• Prevented aircraft mishaps by identifying air and ground safety concerns for a 100 aircraft fleet and 5000 aviators and mechanics; articulated safety risks via mission analysis and Navy-wide reporting
• US Naval Aviation Safety School Graduate
Aircraft Commander, Division Officer - Operations Officer

US Navy, Squadron VRC-30

(Military industry)

July 2002 — December 2005 (3 years 6 months)

• Managed $2 million operations budget while operating in multiple foreign countries
• Led squadron as Foreign Nation Liaison - coordinated relations and relief efforts during the 2004 Sumatra Tsunami Global Relief Effort while operating in Malaysia
• Led diverse team of 60 sailors responsible for maintaining 13 $65 million aircraft
• Commanded C-2A carrier aircraft during two war time overseas deployments in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Unified Assistance culminating in more than 400 carrier arrested landings and 1300 flight hours with more than 14 months "in-country"
• Managed 50 person, 2 aircraft operations with the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Carl Vinson Strike Groups operating in and; and Singapore
• Planned and executed daily squadron operations for 13 C-2A aircraft and 450 sailors providing logistical support for 6 Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers and Strike Groups
Student Naval Aviator

Naval Aviation Training Command, CNATRA, VT-28, VT-31, VT-9, VAW-120

(Military industry)

July 1999 — July 2002 (3 years 1 month)

Student Naval Aviator
• Pensacola, FL - Aviation Preflight Indoc
• Corpus Christi, TX -
- VT-28 Flying the T-34C Turbo Mentor
- VT-31 Flying the T-44 Pegasus
• Meridian, MS - VT-9 Flying the T-2C Buckeye
• Norfolk, VA - Flying the C-2A Greyhound

James Bender’s Education

University of California at Berkeley, Walter A. Haas School of Business

Master of Business Administration , Certificate in Management of Technology , 2008 — 2010 (expected)

• Brian Maxwell Fellow - 2 selected in class of 475
• International Business Development - Created a business plan while in Liberia, Africa for a sustainable community-based bamboo industry by working with government officials, international non-profits, and local entrepreneurs

Activities and Societies:

• Haas Veterans Club Co-President
• Cal Cycling Elite Road Team
• General Management & Strategy Club, Finance Club
University of California, Berkeley - Walter A. Haas School of Business

MBA , Management in Technology , 2008 — 2010 (expected)
United States Naval Academy

B.S , Computer Science , 1995 — 1999

Activities and Societies:

• Arleigh Burke Scholarship Winner
• Exchange Midshipman Fall 1997 to The US Air Force Academy
• Port Battalion Commander — midshipman commander of 500 students
• Upsilon Pi Epsilon Honor Society