Stillman School of Business welcomed Distinguished Leadership Advisory Council member, Beatriz (Betty) Manetta as the guest speaker at the Integrity and Professionalism Convocation. Manetta is the President & CEO of certified minority- and female-owned Argent Associates.
Argent Associates is a supply-chain management and IT service provider focused on government, enterprise and telecommunications markets. Manetta prides herself on her intrinsically rich and prosperous journey as a businesswoman. Coupled with an influential and lively personality, the speaker of honor was able to inspire and enthuse her audience filled to the brim with students and faculty alike.
Hundreds of students and faculty members flooded the Jubilee Auditorium, filling to hear Manetta’s speech. Dean Joyce Strawser welcomed the audience followed by another introduction before Stillman’s guest of honor began.
Manetta discussed her Latino heritage and the growing number of workers. Latinos make up 16 percent or 23.3 million people in the United States labor force and 4.3 million Latino owned businesses. Although she is one of many, she shared not only her insights of her own personal entrepreneurial journey, but also represented the Latino community as a true inspiration for all aspiring business people regardless of culture.
The largest portion of her presentation was dedicated to business and the core values of the Stillman School of Business: integrity and professionalism. She emphasized her key to success: work in an environment that values ethics, expects professionalism, and gives every employee ownership and confidence.
Manetta attests to never taking shortcuts and earning everything she has today by understanding others before being understood and continuously innovating her company. She stressed her belief that in order to keep a reputation as highly esteemed as her own, a person needs to remember to keep his or her integrity in tact while being the face of not only a company but also all those under its umbrella.