Jim Mancuso ’07, M.B.A. ’08
Major: Management; Finance and Global Business
Controller/Head of Finance, Temptu Inc., New York, N.Y.

Want to sculpt those cheekbones for your next femme fatale film role? How about smoothing out your skin tone for that upcoming wedding photo shoot? Or maybe your broadcast image needs to be a wee bit more dramatic. Helping media professionals — as well as everyday folks — put their best face forward is what Jim Mancuso makes possible as controller/head of finance for Temptu Inc., a leader in the airbrush cosmetic industry.

Mancuso is responsible for cash flow, short- and long-term planning, business unit profitability and generally ensuring the company is financially healthy and meeting its goals. He also weighs in on new product development to evaluate cost-effectiveness and profitability, and takes charge of the company’s patents and trademarks.

Guiding and growing a business is something Mancuso has known he wanted to do since entering Clark.

“I love the ability to work closely with my CEO and the responsibility of running a business. Being involved in all aspects allows me to see the full picture of the company and have an impact on its future,” he says.

Mancuso exercised some strategic thinking early on in his career, choosing Clark for its accelerated B.A./master’s degree program that would allow him to earn his M.B.A. tuition free after completing a management major.

“Clark GSOM really prepared me for the business world. I was able to hone my business acumen and understand the importance of group and individual work.”

Mancuso says he learned how to negotiate, argue and debate in management Prof. Gary Chaison’s union and labor classes. That negotiating ability, he maintains, “is one of the most valuable — if not the most valuable — skills I have in the business world. I use it on a daily basis.”

Mancuso’s first job after graduation was as the controller for a German firm’s North American office, where he eventually became head controller. He chose the company after participating in the May Term in Luxembourg through Clark’s Henry J. Leir Luxembourg Program — he wanted an opportunity to travel in Europe as part of his job.

Mancuso’s activities outside the classroom while at Clark also proved complementary to his career goals. As an undergraduate he served as a member of Clark’s Initial Advantage/Entrepreneurship Club. The cum laude graduate also played varsity baseball for Clark all four years. He describes teamwork as a skill that “comes into play constantly in the workplace. Working with other departments can be like working with baseball players in different positions. They look at the game differently than you might.”