The International Business Speaker Series
Learn from international business professionals and scholars.
The Ahlers Center for International Business Speaker Series gives students, faculty, alumni and members of the community an opportunity to hear from distinguished international business experts and scholars. Each semester, we invite leading industry professionals, researchers and educators to campus to share their unique insights and bring current global business topics to life.
We are fortunate to have a captivating and diverse group of presenters come to the USD campus. Since these sessions are open to the public, you are welcome to bring a colleague or friend. Plus, most of these events are free. To learn more about the featured companies and speakers, visit our Ahlers Center for International Business blog.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we began offering virtual presentations in Spring 2020 under the theme Managing Under Uncertainty. Several MBA alumni of the USD School of Business, representing various industries, discussed how they are meeting the challenges presented by this unprecedented crisis and responding with flexibility and resilience. Thank you to our Spring 2020 presenters: Ali Reza Arabnia '87 (MBA), Brett Hiltscher '11 (MBA), Patricio Keegan '18 (MBA) and Maria Lack '15 (MBA).
Fall 2020 Virtual Speaker Series: Coming Soon
Past Speakers
Anticipating and Navigating Global Change for an Industry Leader
Marcel Smits, head of corporate strategy and chairman of Asia Pacific, Cargill
February 19th, 2020
Video
Building and Advancing your Career with a Global Portfolio
Grace Lee, senior vice president, chief human resources and diversity officer, Cubic Corporation
November 12th, 2019
Video
Leverage your Entrepreneurial Spirit
Ryan Patel, senior fellow, Drucker School of Management at Claremont University and former vice president of business development, Pinkberry
November 6th, 2019
Video
PrAna: Supporting International Business Growth through Social Responsibility
Rachel Lincoln, director of sustainability and product ops, prAna Living
October 9th, 2019
Video
From NAFTA to USMCA: Evolution of the Trade Relationship between Mexico and the US
Guillermo Malpica Soto, head of the trade and NAFTA office, Embassy of Mexico
April 23rd, 2019
Video
Selling the Change People Say They Want: Lessons Learned Making Global Supply Chains More Ethical and Transparent
Jane Mosbacher Morris, founder and CEO, To The Market, and Helder Sebastiao, innovation strategist and lean launch specialist, HJS Consulting
March 12th, 2019
Video
Do People Matter in the Digital Era: The Power of Digital Humanism to Balance Value and Ethics
Joseph Bradley, global vice president, customer experience, incubation services and technology, Cisco
February 20th, 2019
Video
The Future of EU-U.S. Economic Relations in the Age of Disorder: Crisis or Opportunity
Paolo Guerrieri, professor and former senator of the Italian Republic
November 7th, 2018
Video
Building a Business to Withstand an Evolving Retail Landscape
Rich Yousko, chief operating officer, SJ Creations
October 30th, 2018
Video
Building a Culturally Relevant Brand and the Premier Sound Platform with Global Partners
Sanford Spivey, business development, Sonos
October 22nd, 2018
Video
How Not to Ruin Your Career and Reputation with a Blink of the Eye
Marcel Smits, executive vice president, chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, Cargill
May 2nd, 2018
Video
The Age of Artificial Intelligence: What Lies Ahead
Navrina Singh, director of business development for artificial intelligence, Microsoft
April 25th, 2018
Video
The Digital Healthcare Revolution
Alexander Grunewald, global head of HealthTech investment strategy, Johnson & Johnson
November 13th, 2017
Video
How Amazon Has Remained Customer-Centeric as it Expands Across Programs and Countries
Chris Peyre, head of global supply chain, Amazon Prime Now
November 9th, 2017
Video
Innovation Through Diversity and Inclusion
Skot Welch, principal and founder, Global Bridgebuilders
November 2nd, 2017
Video
Evolving Trends in the Entertainment Industry
Digvijay Singh, global sourcing manager, Paramount Pictures
September 26th, 2017
Video
The Power of Data and Analytics to Transform Lives and Livelihoods
Joseph Bugasjski, managing vice president of global data and analytics, Gartner
May 4th, 2017
Video
A Unique Journey to the Cloud and Scaled Corporate Sustainability
Jim Hanna, director of datacenter sustainability, Microsoft
February 28th, 2017
Video
Competing for Customers in a Global Economy: Making Customer Success a Part of Oracle's DNA
Jeb Dasteel, senior vice president and chief customer officer, Oracle Corporation
February 16th, 2017
Video
Do the Right Thing and the Money Will Follow. It Always Does
Bob Maggiore, chief marketing officer, TaylorMade Golf
April 19th, 2016
Video
From State-Controlled Enterprise to Entrepreneurial Global Disrupters: China's Automotive Industry Revolution
Michael Dunne, president, Dunne and Company
March 8th, 2016
Video
An American Start-Up in China - Lessons from an Expat
Chris Gibson, vice president of market entry services, iPai Auction
November 16th, 2015
Video
Building a Career in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Roshan Paul, CEO, Amani Institute
October 22nd, 2015
Video
From Local to Global: The Story of Stone Brewing Company
Greg Koch, CEO and co-founder, Stone Brewing Company
October 19th, 2015
Video
The Disciplined Listening Method: Leveraging Truth to Create Strategic Business Advantages
Michael Reddington, vice president of executive education, Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates
September 15th, 2015
Video
How Making a Positive Difference in Society Can Grow a Business and a Big Brand Like McDonald's
Bob Langert, former vice president of corporate social responsibility and sustainability, McDonald's
April 9th, 2015
Video
Patagonia--Why Business is Good for the Planet
Rachel Cantu, vice president of global supply chain, Patagonia
March 26th, 2015
Video
What is Global Mindset and Why Does it Matter?
Mansour Javidan, Garvin distinguished professor and director of the Najafi Global Mindset Institute, Thunderbird School of Global Management
February 11th, 2015
Video
Reverse Innovation
Vijay Govindarajan, Coxe distinguished professor at the Tuck School of Business Dartmouth and New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author
October 16th, 2014
Video
The Flying Technological Revolution
Tim McConnell, director of engineering, 3D Robotics
October 13th, 2014
Video
Juan Valdez Cafe: Strategies for Growth in a Global Context
Hernan Mendez, CEO, Procafecol, S.A.
September 22nd, 2014
Video
The Genesis of Potential Capital and Entry Venues: A Global Model
Michael Slater, CEO and founder, Entry Ventures and Raymond Watt, CEO, Brain Gear and general partner, Entry Ventures
April 28th, 2014
Video
Investing Beyond the Border
Stephen Williams, managing partner, SENTRE Partners
April 2nd, 2014
Video
"The Journey of an Education Changemaker" Co-sponsored by the Changemaker Hub, Center for Peace and Commerce and the Center for Community Service Learning
Chris Crane, president, Edify
March 26th, 2014
Video
The World Is Not Legally Flat: Non-Market Strategies in Legal Arenas for International Business
Ariel A. Casarin, associate professor, IAE Business School, Universidad Austral, Argentina
February 26th, 2014
Video
The Cali-Baja Bi-National Mega-Region: A Platform for U.S./Mexico Trade
Flavio Olivieri, CEO of the Tijuana Economic Development Corporation
February 19th, 2014
Video
Global Brand Expansion through the Great Recession and Beyond
Barbara Wight, chief financial officer, Taylor Guitars
November 7th, 2013
Video
China 2013: Legal, Political and Business Outlook
James Zimmerman, partner, Shepard Mullin & former chairman emeritus, American Chamber of Commerce, China
October 29th, 2013
Video
Going International......In a Small Way
Tim DeMarco, president, International Decisions
October 10th, 2013
Video
Building a Global Brand, One Banjo at a Time
Greg Deering, founder, Deering Banjos
September 26th, 2013
Video
Business Strategy for Innovation and Global Growth: The Case of CEMEX
Hector Medina, former CFO and chief planning officer, CEMEX
April 4th, 2013
Video
Global Hiring and the Brand That is You
Rachelle Snook, global talent acquisition manager, WD-40
March 19th, 2013
Video
China and India: Models of Compassionate Socio-Economic Globalization
Vijay Kapur, faculty management studies, University of Delhi
February 26th, 2013
Video
Innovating for Impact
Jorge Camil Starr, social entrepreneur, co-founder and chief development officer, Enova
February 21st, 2013
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