Positive change agents from Google, Patagonia, Kellogg, and PwC are featured speakers at Michigan Ross Positive Business Conference
April 20, 2016
Michigan Ross faculty and executives from leading companies to inspire attendees to lead positive change within their organizations
The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business today announced keynote and featured speakers for its third annual Positive Business Conference, which will take place May 12-13, 2016 at Michigan Ross in Ann Arbor, Mich. Featured speakers at this year’s conference are executives from some of the world’s most admired organizations, including Google, Patagonia, Kellogg and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). These leaders will take the stage to help empower attendees to become positive change agents within their organizations.
Sessions led by these business executives will inspire and empower professionals to create engaged and productive workplaces. Examples of the sessions include:
- Jim Miller, Vice President, Worldwide Operations, Google
Positive Change in Business Today: A Google Perspective: Miller will explore Google’s journey from its founding vision to be the genesis of positive change in the world, to incorporating positive business into the company culture and inspiring employees to continue the quest. - Paloma Lopez, Global Sustainability Director, Kellogg Company
Purpose from Within: What are Today’s Employees Seeking from Companies?: In this panel, Lopez will explore why purpose is most effective when it is embedded into the company growth strategy and reflects ‘who we are’ and ‘how we do business’ in a way that inspires and engages all people, from employees to consumers. She will touch on her experience at Kellogg, where the company has created a Heart & Soul strategy that highlights its purpose as a company and elevates the greater value that it is able to bring to society with its foods and brands. - Vincent Stanley, Director of Patagonia Philosophy, Patagonia
Connecting the Dots: Patagonia’s Journey Toward Responsibility: Stanley will tell the story of Patagonia’s journey towards progressively more responsible environmental and social practices during its 40-year history, exploring key turning points along the way and the lessons learned from them. - Shannon Schuyler, Principal, Chief Purpose Officer, and Corporate Responsibility Leader, PwC; President, PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Purpose + Profit: Schuyler will deliver a keynote presentation reflecting on how purpose impacts employee engagement, satisfaction and loyalty in addition to providing insights into how organizations can build an ethos of meaningful work by activating purpose across an organizational structure. The discussion will include insight from PwC’s Power of Purpose Survey, which explores key issues around purpose among employees and business leaders, including the ways in which it is perceived, communicated and shared.
The Positive Business Conference will feature a number of Michigan Ross faculty leading sessions alongside these world-class business leaders, so attendees will leave the conference with concrete ideas and tactics for implementing positive business. Michigan Ross faculty will lead interactive workshops showcasing academic research as it applies to positive business leadership across functions, from finance to marketing to management and more. These sessions will feature both practical examples of positive business practices being implemented, as well as the cutting-edge research underlying the practices. Sample sessions and workshops include:
- Scott DeRue
Developing Leaders Who Make a Positive Difference in the World: In this main stage presentation, DeRue will explain how to develop leaders with the character, skills and mindset required to thrive in today’s complex and dynamic business organizations. Through these leadership development practices, it is possible to cultivate a new generation of leaders who are committed to leveraging the power of business to make a positive difference in the world. - Robert E. Quinn
Turning Organizations Positive: Drawing from his recent book, The Positive Organization, Quinn will discuss how attendees can create organizations in which people flourish and exceed expectations; in addition, he will guide attendees to create a practical agenda for change in this workshop. - Chris White
Leading Positive Change Without Authority: White’s faculty workshop will explore research and examples from his book, Changing Your Company From the Inside Out, in order to provide a framework for advancing the initiatives that are important to attendees, their companies and the world.
For a full list of the speakers, please visit positivebusinessconference.com/2016-speakers-facilitators.
Registration
With the Positive Business Conference four weeks away, register now to secure a spot. Individual registration is available for $750, with discounts for team and pair attendance. To learn more or register, visit positivebusinessconference.com.
Sponsorships Available
To learn more about select sponsorship opportunities, contact pbconference@umich.edu.
About Michigan Ross
The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a vibrant and distinctive learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today’s dynamic global economy. The Ross School of Business mission is to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improves business and society.
Ross is consistently ranked among the world’s leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the BBA, MBA, Part-time MBA (Evening and Weekend formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, Master of Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management.