Wachovia Executive Lecture Series speakers for 2008 announced
January 10, 2008 - The 2008 Wachovia Executive Lecture Series hosted by North Carolina State University’s College of Management features the top executives of six leading companies. Speaking this year will be:
- February 13 – Ken Lewis, chairman and chief executive officer of Bank of America
- March 24 - Sam Palmisano, chairman and chief executive officer of IBM [open to NC State University students, faculty and staff only]
- April 14 - Bill Johnson, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Progress Energy
- September 24 - Frank Harrison III, chairman and chief executive officer of Coca Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated
- November 10 - Ursula Burns, president of Xerox
- November 19 - Bill Amelio, chief executive officer and president of Lenovo
“We are very grateful for the executives who will be sharing insight about leadership in today’s dynamic, global environment,” said Ira R. Weiss, dean of the college. ‘This year’s speakers and our previous presenters provide valuable real-world insight that helps our students understand the challenges and opportunities ahead for them. We also appreciate Wachovia’s support, which has made it possible for the college to provide this opportunity for our students and the community to hear and learn from some of world’s industry leaders.”
The Wachovia Executive Lecture Series has been hosted at the college for over a decade, with the generous support of Wachovia.
The lectures, unless otherwise noted, are open to the college and university community and the general public at no charge. Presentations are held at the college’s Nelson Auditorium in 3400 Nelson Hall, at the corner of Hillsborough Street and Dan Allen Drive in Raleigh, N.C.
The one-hour programs begin at 4:30 p.m. and include a question and answer session. Parking is available at no charge in the Dan Allen Parking Deck on Dan Allen Drive on the NC State Campus. Driving directions and parking information are available online.
About our speakers
Ken Lewis
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Bank of America
Ken Lewis has been CEO of Bank of America since 2001. He joined North
Carolina National Bank (NCNB, predecessor to NationsBank and Bank of
America) in 1969 as a credit analyst in Charlotte and served as corporate
banking officer and Western Area director in the U.S. Department before
being named manager of NCNB’s International Banking Corporation in
New York in 1977. He was named Middle Market Group executive in 1983
and led the bank’s operations in Florida and Texas in the 1980s, serving
as president of Consumer and Commercial Banking and chief operating
officer in the 1990s. Lewis earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Georgia State University and is a graduate of the Executive Program at
Stanford University.
Sam Palmisano*
Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, IBM
Sam Palmisano is chairman, president and CEO of the IBM Corporation. Previously, he served as president and chief operating officer. Since joining IBM in 1973, Palmisano has held many leadership
positions. Among others, he played a key role in creating and leading
IBM Global Services, the largest and most diversified IT services
organization in the industry, and served as senior vice president for
the Enterprise Systems group. He is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins
University and has been awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of
Humane Letters from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an Honorary
Fellowship from the London Business School.
[*Note: This presentation is open only to students, faculty and staff at NC State University.]
Bill Johnson
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer & President, Progress Energy
Bill Johnson is chairman, CEO and president of Progress Energy, Inc. He
became chairman and CEO on October 12, 2007. He served as president and
chief operating officer from January 2005 until October 2007. Johnson has
been with Progress Energy (previously CP&L) in a number of leadership roles
since 1992. Previously, he was a partner with the Raleigh office of Hunton &
Williams, specializing in the representation of utilities. He graduated from
Duke University summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in history and
received a law degree with high honors from the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill.
J. Frank Harrison, III
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer,
Coca Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated
Frank Harrison began his career with Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
Consolidated in 1977 at the Raleigh bottling facility. He has since served as
general sales manager in Raleigh, general manager in Charlotte, corporate
vice president, vice chairman, and vice chairman/CEO. He became
chairman/CEO in December 1996. Harrison graduated from the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in business administration
and earned his MBA from Duke University in 1983.
Ursula M. Burns
President, Xerox
Ursula Burns was named president of Xerox Corporation, and elected a
member of the Xerox Board of Directors in April 2007. Burns is responsible
for global research, engineering, marketing and manufacturing of Xerox
technology, supplies and related services. She also oversees the company’s IT
organization, corporate strategy, human resources, marketing operations,
and global accounts. Burns worked her way upward after starting at Xerox
as an intern more than 27 years ago. She earned a bachelor of science
degree from Polytechnic Institute of New York and a master of science
degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia University.
William J. Amelio
Chief Executive Officer & President, Lenovo
Bill Amelio is president and CEO of Lenovo. He joined Lenovo from Dell
Inc. where since 2001 he served as senior vice president, Asia-Pacific and
Japan, with responsibility for strategy and operations across the region. From
2000 until 2001, Amelio was executive vice president and chief operating
officer of NCR Corporation’s Retail and Financial Group. Previously, he
held leadership roles with Honeywell International Inc. and its predecessor,
AlliedSignal Inc., and a wide range of senior management positions with IBM.
Amelio has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University
and a master’s degree in management from Stanford University.