Speakers Series at the McCombs School of Business
A list of established venues and contacts for those interested in speaking to McCombs School students, faculty and alumni. Be sure to check out the University-wide speaking options as well.
- VIP Distinguished Speaker Series
- Ethics and Corporate Responsibility Speaker Series
- Faculty Research Presentation Speaker Series
- Lyceum Speaker Series
- Individual Student Organizations
- Additional options for speaking at University of Texas
- Upcoming Speakers - Fall 2007
To determine which speaking opportunity is most appropriate for you, or for additional information, contact Gayle Hight.
You may be interested in seeing a list of past speakers.
VIP Distinguished Speaker Series
Contact: Sara Flieller, Undergraduate Business Council
Description: Sponsored by the Undergraduate Business Council, the VIP Distinguished Speaker Series hosts 3-4 keynote "C-Level" speakers a semester from major corporations around the U.S. The average audience is 200-400 students, consisting primarily of undergraduate business students. This event is open to all University of Texas at Austin students and staff, as well as the general public.
Upcoming speakers- Fall 2007
Event location: Either large lecture auditorium or smaller luncheon. If desired, meetings with the McCombs School Dean, faculty, students, and/or staff can be arranged before the lecture.
Typical schedule: 5:30 p.m. – VIP speech (20-30 minutes) followed by Q&A session and reception. If desired, meetings with the McCombs School Dean, faculty, students, and/or staff can be arranged before the lecture.
Previous speakers include: Jeff Immelt, CEO of GE; James Mulva, CEO of ConocoPhillips; Joe Forehand, CEO of Accenture; Michael Dell, Founder of Dell, Inc.; Herb Kelleher, Founder of Southwest Airlines; and William Johnson, CEO of H.J. Heinz Co. Additional past speakers.
Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Speaker Series
Contact: Dr. Julie Irwin, Director of Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility, Associate Professor of Marketing
Description: The Business Ethics Speaker
Program for students brings
prominent businesspersons and leading scholars
in the field of business ethics to discuss
a wide array of social and ethical issues
in management.
Upcoming speakers - Spring 2008
Event location: Speakers are generally scheduled in a classroom with a capacity of around 80 students. Free box lunches are served. Open to the public.
Faculty Research Presentation Speaker Series
Contact: Stephanie Stratz, Undergraduate Business Council
Description: McCombs faculty present
recent research and its significance in relation
to current industry and economic trends. Q&A follows.
Open to the public.
Upcoming speakers - Fall 2007
Event size: About 50- 75 students.
Event location: Generally scheduled in
a classroom with a capacity of about 80.
Lyceum Speaker Series - Fall semester speaker series sponsored by the PPA program
Contact: Stephen Limberg, PPA Director
512-471-5215
Description: Speak to Professional Program in Accounting (PPA) students. The intent of the series is to bridge the gap between what is learned in the classroom and current events and issues in the accounting profession.
Event size: About 150 students
Event location: Large lecture auditorium on campus
Previous speakers include: David M. Walker, U.S. Comptroller General, Gus Garcia, Mayor of Austin, William Powers Jr., President of the University of Texas at Austin.
Individual Student Organizations
To speak to a smaller group or get student cooperation for setting up a major speech, we highly recommend that speakers look into partnering with a student organization. The school has more than 70 different student organizations active in everything from marketing, finance, and e-commerce, to Brazilian business, fine wine, and sports management.
You can browse the complete rosters of McCombs student organizations on these pages:
Additional options for speaking at The University of Texas
Texas Union
Texas Union Room Reservations
Rooms can be used for free if the speaking
engagement is sponsored by a registered student
organization or part of an official department
at the university.
Texas Union Event Coordination
This program will assistance with planning
and putting on your event. If the event will
bring in more than 100 people, this service
is free.
For information on speaking events at McCombs, contact Public Affairs Representative Gayle Hight, 512-475-6423, gayle.hight@mccombs.utexas.edu.
