The University of St. Thomas’ Cameron School of Business hosted its first-ever Business Symposium, opening its doors to more than 150 students, alumni, community members and local business leaders.
The goal of this new symposium was to give students and the business community at large an opportunity to partake in dialogue regarding important issues in business, with a particular focus on innovation and responsible business practices. Furthermore, the symposium provided students with a chance to gain insight that would allow them to further explore what they have learned in the classroom.
The symposium was composed of a keynote address, evening session and breakout sessions throughout the day discussing entrepreneurship and marketing. The keynote address was given by Scott Rowe, president/CEO of the business school’s namesake, Cameron, an engineering and manufacturing firm in the oil and gas industry. In his speech, Rowe discussed consolidation within the energy industry, building on his own experience as Cameron prepares to merge with Schlumberger. He additionally emphasized importance of current students remaining focused on school, particularly in situations that can further develop teamwork and leadership skills such as case studies and group projects.
The evening session involved a speech from Cole Chemical CEO and UST Advisory Board member Donna Fujimoto Cole. In Cole’s session, she emphasized that encouraging loyalty and community among employees is critical to a company’s success and development.
Finally, several breakout sessions occurred between the speeches, allowing attendees to participate in a number of presentations and panel discussions on such topics as finance and management advice, accountability in the business world and global responsibility.