The School of Business offers the Distinguished Business Speaker Series for our MBA students each fall and spring semester. The purpose of this event is to provide our graduate students with the opportunity to meet outstanding business leaders and to explore pertinent issues affecting business today.

Make-A-Wish President and CEO is Spring 2009 Distinguished Speaker

Suzanne Sutter, President and CEO, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern North Carolina, spoke to MBA students and faculty on the topic, "Leadership: You Can Make a Difference." The event was preceded by a reception for the distinguished speaker and attendees.

Prior to her role at Make-A-Wish, Sutter was President of Things Remembered, Inc. During her 10-year reign as President, she more than doubled earnings through merchandise and marketing innovation, as well as expanding channels of distribution beyond the 650+ store chain. Under her leadership, the company developed an outstanding reputation for compassion, giving, and commitment to charities.

Sutter’s passion for the cause motivated her to become a leader with the Make-a-Wish Foundation. After serving as a member on the Board of Trustees at both a state and national level, Suzanne was elected to National Board Chair. During her leadership, she spearheaded significant change in the national governance structure, dramatically increased the headquarters’ net assets, and upgraded quality of national leadership.

In her engaging talk, Sutter told about the epiphany she had related to a Make-a-Wish child who was honored by an ornament at Things Remembered. Through heart-felt passion and business acumen, she was able to combine the concept of giving back within what proved to be a very successful retail strategy. Sutter discussed how this event changed her life and Things Remembered. Ultimately what Sutter called "cause marketing" created an emotional connection―and not just for the customers. Employees were inspired and enjoyed working for a company with values. Through this process, Sutter said that both she and the firm were transformed to celebrate life. Things Remembered became a company that "acted like a business with the heart of a charity."

Sutter explained how her path at Things Remembered led to her many roles with the Make-A- Wish Foundation. As Sutter shared many stories about Make-a-Wish children and families, her passion and pride were evident. The MBA students and faculty in attendance were transfixed by her unique combination of business success and passion for giving back that ultimately has given her two careers, both rewarding in very different ways.

Click here to learn more about Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern North Carolina.

Spring 2008 Distinguished Speaker, Fran O’Sullivan from Lenovo

The Spring 2008 Distinguished Speaker, Frances K. (Fran) O’Sullivan, Senior Vice President, Product Group, at Lenovo, spoke about doing business in China and the challenges that face a successful global corporation.

O’Sullivan is senior vice president, Product Group, with worldwide responsibility for all Think-, IBM- and Lenovo-branded desktops, notebooks, displays, options and services. Most recently, she was senior vice president and COO of Lenovo International (the operations of the former IBM Personal Computing Division). Previously, she was general manager of IBM's PC Division.

Ms. O’Sullivan was with IBM for 24 years, the last 21 of them in the personal computer business. She began her career with IBM with an assignment to NASA’s Space Shuttle Program at Cape Kennedy, Florida. She then transferred to IBM’s PC Division and gained engineering and management expertise in development, manufacturing, procurement, and technical and business operations. Her long association with the PC Division includes general management of ThinkPad worldwide operations, leading ThinkPad worldwide development, consumer desktop development, and, most recently, developing and executing the Think strategy. Ms. O’Sullivan graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and serves on the University of Virginia Engineering Industry Advisory Board.

Charlie Fisher Senior Vice President of Human Resources, FedEx Kinko's
Shelia B. Ahler Partner, Cherry, Bekaert & Holland
Gayle Lanier Vice President, Nortel Global Corporate Operations
David Strong CEO, Rex Healthcare
Scott M. Custer CEO, RBC Centura Banks Inc.
H. Kel Landis Senior Advisor for Business and Economic Affairs, State of North Carolina

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