McCombs School of Business
Speakers at McCombs
Speakers at McCombs :  Speaker Series

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.

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 - A Conversation with C-Level Speakers
Contact: Jeffrey Siegel, Undergraduate Business Council

Description: Each semester Dean Tom Gilligan hosts an informal conversation with 3-4 keynote "C-Level" speakers from major U.S. corporations. Guest speakers discuss their background, career, corporation, and give advice to students to help them succeed in their future careers. The event consists of an informal interview session followed by an open floor question and answer. The average audience is 200-400 students, primarily undergraduate business students. This event is open to all University of Texas at Austin students and staff, as well as the general public. The series is organized and sponsored by the Undergraduate Business Council.


 Upcoming speakers-2009

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. – A Q&A format between Dean Tom Gilligan and the VIP speaker. 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.

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:  Seher Dholakia, 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.

Event size: About 50- 75 students.

Event location: Generally scheduled in a classroom with a capacity of about 80. 

MPA Distinguished Speaker Lyceum
Contact: Stephen Limberg, MPA Faculty Director
512-471-6559 or E-Mail

Description: Sponsored by the MPA Program Office, this speaker series is designed for MPA students to help bridge the gap between what is learned in the classroom and current events and issues in the accounting profession. It is open to MPA students and faculty. Others may attend with advance permission of the instructor.

Event size: About 150 students

Event location: Large lecture auditorium on campus

Previous speakers include: David M. Walker, U.S. Comptroller General, Gus Garcia, Former 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.