A multi-talented cast of executives from such diverse industries as health care, motion pictures, and management consulting will speak at the Haas School next semester.
The first speaker to address the Haas community during the spring semester will be Walter Robb, chief operating officer of Whole Foods, on Jan. 26, at 12:30 p.m. in the Wells Fargo Room. Robb's presentation is part of the Peterson Lecture Series on Corporate Responsibility organized by the Center for Responsible Business.
Three speakers already have been lined up for the Dean's Speaker Series in the spring:
• Steve Ellis, worldwide managing director, Bain & Co., Feb. 3 (see related story)
• Bill Block, CEO of QED International, a motion picture financing, sales, and production company, March 4
• Haas Marketing Professor Emeritus David Aaker, whose annual lecture this year is titled "Making Your Competitors Irrelevant," April (date to be determined)
The second annual Schwab Charitable Philanthropy Speaker Series will feature a panel titled The Promise of Philanthropic Prizes to Drive Innovation on Feb. 10, followed by a panel event March 16 titled Investment Advisers and Philanthropy Practice. The Schwab Series is organized by the Center for Nonprofit and Public Leadership.
In addition, dates have been set for several student-organized conferences for the spring:
• Business of Health Care Conference, Feb. 6
• Education Leadership Case Competition on the Pittsburg public schools, Feb. 12-13
• Berkeley Asia Business Conference, Feb. 20
• Berkeley Energy Symposium, March 4, and US Semifinals of International Renewable Energy Case Challenge, March 1-5
• Women in Leadership Conference, March 13
Competition season also will start heating up in January as executive summaries are due for the Global Social Venture Competition (GSVC) on Jan. 20 and for the Berkeley Business Plan Competition on Jan. 27. The semifinal round of GSVC will take place March 18, followed by the final round and GSVC Symposium April 22-24. A private semifinal round of the Berkeley Business Plan competition will happen April 28, followed by the finals on April 29.