CBA Speaker Series

Throughout the year, the College of Business Administration brings top-level corporate, academic and industry leaders to campus to share their insights on current business issues and corporate strategies. Designed to educate, enlighten and inspire, these presentations not only complement and enrich the college's curriculum, but also promote and strengthen relationships between the CBA and business leaders.

Beta Gamma Sigma Initiation Ceremony & Banquet Speakers

Each year, the college recognizes its best and brightest students as they are initiated into Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society for AACSB-accredited business schools. An executive from a major organization in N. E. Ohio is invited to address the initiates. A history of speakers can be found on the Beta Gamma Sigma Pages.

Goodyear Tire and Rubber Corporation Leadership Forum Speakers

Initiated in 1991, this forum brings a high profile CEO from a large corporation to campus. Recent speakers include:

2009 - Walter W. Bettinger II, President & CEO, Schwab Corporation
2008 - Carl T. Camden, Ph.D., President & CEO, Kelly Services, Inc.
2007 - David A. Daberko, Chairman, National City Corporation
2006 - Robert J. Keegan, Chairman, CEO, and President, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
2005 - Richard K. Smucker, President & Co-CEO, The Smucker Company
2004 - David Oreck, Founder, Oreck Corporation
2003 - J.D. Power III, Chairman of the Board, J.D. Power and Associates

Graduate Executive Forum Speakers

This executive speaker series was created in 2006 for the benefit of our evening MBA students. Senior executives from major organizations are invited to share career experiences and engage in a question and answer session with the students. The goal of this dialogue is to provide insights into the challenges and decisions encountered in leading successful organizations.

2009 - Richard W. Pogue, J.D., Advisor, Jones Day
2007 - Michael B. Petras, Jr., VP, Lighting & Electrical Distribution, GE
2006 - Ronn Richard, President & CEO, The Cleveland Foundation

Donald L. Kaufman Business Speakers Series

This series was established in 2004 by Donald Kaufman, retired president and chief executive officer of Alside, Inc. to augment the academic experiences of CBA students. The series brings distinguished business leaders to the UA campus to speak on topics of current interest.

2009 - Ralph M. Della Ratta, Jr., Founder & Managing Director, Western Reserve Partners LLC
2008 - Michael Feuer, Office Max Co-founder, CEO & Sr. Managing Director of Max- Ventures LLC
2007 - John L. Mariotti, President & CEO of The Enterprise Group
2006 - Frank C. Sullivan, President & CEO, RPM, Inc.
2005 - Charles A. Ratner, President, CEO, and a director of Forest City Enterprises, Inc.
2004 - Elizabeth A. Lange, Vice President, Worldwide Customer Services, Tiffany & Co.

Program Enrichment Lecture Series Speakers

Initiated in 2006, the series engages senior executives in discussion with undergraduate students to facilitate bringing real world practices into the classroom.

Fall 2008 - Manuel G. Serapio, Faculty Director, Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) and the Institute for International Business, University of Colorado, Denver
Fall 2007 - M. Gibbons, Managing Director & Principal, Brown Gibbons Lange & Company
Spring 2007 - John Mariotti, President & CEO of The Enterprise Group
Fall 2006 - Jack Shewmaker, former Walmart CFO, President and Vice Chairman

Social Responsibility Lecture Series Speakers

This lecture series was initiated in 2006 and brings to campus a high profile individual who is well known as a champion for corporate and social responsibility.

Fall 2008 - Riley Lochridge, Chairman & CEO, ComDoc
Spring 2008 - Kevin O'Donnell, Managing Director of O'Donnell & Associates
Fall 2007 - Ronn Richard, President & CEO, The Cleveland Foundation
Spring 2007 - Stephen J. Petras, Partner, Baker & Hostetler, LLP
Fall 2006 - Sr. Mary Sujita Kallupurakkathu, Superior General, Sisters of Notre Dame, Rome, Italy