Citi and Whirlpool Execs Launch Dean’s Speaker Series in 2012

The Dean’s Speaker Series returns in the spring semester with two distinguished business leaders: Debby Hopkins (below), Citi's chair of Venture Capital Initiatives and chief innovation officer, on Tuesday, Jan. 31; and Jeff Fettig (right), CEO of Whirlpool, on Monday, Feb. 6. 

Both events will take place at 12:30 p.m. in the Wells Fargo Room, and a light lunch will be served. Both events are free and open to the Haas community, but registration is required at haas.berkeley.edu/haas/about/deansspeakers.html.

Hopkins was named to her post at Citi in May 2008. Based in Palo Alto, she is also in charge of the bank’s investing arm, which has taken a stake in such social media companies as Bundle.com, a site that lets users compare spending and saving habits. In 2000, Fortune named her the second-most powerful woman in American business.

In a 2010 profile, Hopkins told the New York Times that she sees her role as "being a catalyst, to challenge people to think differently but also pursue new ideas with a lot of rigor.” Hopkins has held several senior roles at Citi, including chief operations and technology officer, and is co-chair of Citi's Women's Initiative. She also has held senior positions at Boeing, Lucent, and General Motors Europe. 

Fettig became Whirlpool's chairman and chief executive officer in 2004, after serving as president and chief operating officer. He first joined the company in 1981 as an operations manager, became executive vice president in 1994, and was elected to the company’s board of directors in 1999. He has a strong background in international business, marketing, and finance in the consumer products industry.

Fettig also serves on the board of directors of the Dow Chemical Company. A native of Tipton, Ind., Fettig holds a bachelor's in finance and an MBA from Indiana University.

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