Michigan Ross Unveils Plans for 2016 Positive Business Conference
February 25, 2016
Google, Patagonia and PWC Executives to convene with Michigan Ross Faculty to outline real-world strategies for positive business impact and to empower positive business change agents
The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business today announced plans for its third annual Positive Business Conference which will take place May 12-13, 2016 at Michigan Ross in Ann Arbor, Mich. The top conference on positive business will bring together nearly 400 thought leaders, professionals, executives, and academics to engage around the latest practices, research, and results in positive business designed to help empower attendees to become positive change agents within their organizations. Registration is now open here.
Today’s leading companies are increasingly utilizing business as a vehicle to enact positive change and have a positive impact on both their communities and wider society. In the current global business, economic and social climate, it is becoming more essential than ever for corporations to not only create economic value for their customers and shareholders, but also create personal value for employees, and social value for the communities in which they operate. Recent research from Michigan Ross faculty found that a workplace characterized by positive and virtuous practices achieves a markedly higher level of performance, profitability, and employee productivity.
The Positive Business Conference will feature a number of Michigan Ross faculty leading sessions alongside world-class business leaders, so attendees will leave the conference with concrete ideas and tactics for implementing positive change in their organizations. Michigan Ross faculty will also lead interactive workshops showcasing academic research as it applies to positive business leadership across functions, from finance to marketing to management and more. The grand prize winner of the 2016 Positive Business Project, an annual contest celebrating organizations that deliver change through positive business practices, will also be announced at the Positive Business Conference.
Speakers at the conference will outline how positive business strategies are impacting their bottom line and share best practices for increasing passion, purpose, and performance within an organization. Sessions will explore the proven impact of positive business with a focus on creating an engaged workforce, global supply chains, creating economic value, and the environment. Notable leaders across the public and private sector confirmed to speak at the 2016 Positive Business Conference include:
- Jim Miller, Vice President of Worldwide Operations, Google
- Vincent Stanley, Director of Patagonia Philosophy, Patagonia
- Shannon Schuyler, Principal, Chief Purpose Officer and Corporate Responsibility Leader, PwC; President, PwC Charitable Foundation Inc.
“As we prepare to host our third annual Positive Business Conference, interest and momentum surrounding the positive business movement has continued to grow as companies of all sizes and across a variety of industries are realizing the benefits of using business to drive positive change and the value of an engaged, purpose-driven employee base,” said Alison Davis-Blake, dean of the Ross School of Business. “We look forward to engaging with conference attendees to help them attain the knowledge and leadership to drive positive change and innovation within their organizations.”
The conference will build on the success of the first two events, which sprang from Ross’ mission to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world through business. Both events drew more than 300 people to hear strategies and best positive organizational practices in action from leaders at organizations including Humana, Ford, Delivering Happiness, and P&G. Register for the 2016 Positive Business Conference at www.positivebusinessconference.com.
Registration Now Open
Registration for the Positive Business Conference is now open. Individual registration is available for $650, with discounts for team and pair attendance. To learn more or register, visitwww.positivebusinessconference.com.
Sponsorships Available
To learn more about select sponsorship opportunities, contact pbconference@umich.edu.