Business Week Booklet 2022

If you would like information about being a part of the 2023 Business Week Team, contact any 2022 Business Week team member, or complete an application at:

IllinoisState.edu/BusinessWeek @BusinessISU

FEBRUARY 21 - 25, 2022

THANK YOU 2 02 2 B U S I N E S S W E E K

CO R P O R ATE PARTN ERS P L ATI N U M PA R TN E R S

A BO UT

Nicor Gas

B USI N E SS WEEK Since its founding in 1979, Business Week has been the heart of professional development in the College of Business at Illinois State. Business Week is a week-long series of engaging professional development opportunities for students of all ages. It encourages personal interaction between students, alumni, potential employers, and industry leaders. Through this, students foster soft skills essential for success in the professional world.

This week-long series of interactive events include discussions of leadership, business etiquette, effective networking, goal setting, communication, and career management by Illinois State University alumni. We are proud to represent the College of Business, and we are looking forward to celebrating 43 years of helping students develop personally and professionally.

Proof of attendance slips will be provided at the conclusion of: • Professional Development Dinner - February 21st • Transition Seminars - February 22nd • Diversity and Inclusion Interactive Event - February 23rd • Keynote Speaker Address - February 24th

LE A D PA R TN E R S

Enterprise John Deere F E ATU R E D PA R TN E R S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DINNER

Nicor Gas

M O N DAY FEB RUARY 2 1

P RO F E S S I O N A L D E V E LO P M E NT DINNER Brown Ballroom - Bone Student Center Illinois State University | 6:00pm - 8:30pm 5:00pm | Check-in and Networking

KEYNOTE SPEAKER JACK NORTH

Retired Senior Executive Vice President State Farm Insurance Companies Jack North retired in 2007 as a senior executive vice president for State Farm Insurance Companies.

North’s State Farm career began in 1981 when he was appointed as an agent in western Pennsylvania. He was promoted to agency manager in suburban Pittsburgh and agency director in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Jack and his family moved to Bloomington in 1992 when he was named executive assistant in the president’s office. North was appointed deputy regional vice president in the Illinois Office of State Farm in Bloomington and soon after became regional vice president.

In 1998, Jack was asked to join the president’s office as a senior vice president. He had numerous responsibilities during his nine years in the president’s office/chairman’s council, retiring as a member of the chairman’s office.

North served on several non-profit boards. He is currently a board member of the Timber Pointe Charitable Foundation and the foundation board at Second Presbyterian Church in Bloomington. North is the president of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame

board of directors, reflecting his long-time commitment to advancing women’s athletics.

He remains an avid Redbird fan.

Jack earned his bachelor’s degree in education from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his master’s degree in education from Slippery Rock State University.

His commitment to the insurance industry is also reflected in his CLU and CHFC designations.

North and his wife Kim are the proud parents of Corey, an Illinois State graduate who is currently a State Farm agent in Peoria. Their daughter Shelby is a first-grade teacher in Plainfield, Illinois.

Professional Business Attire is recommended. Cost to attend: $10

REGISTER AT: Business.IllinoisState.edu/BusinessWeek/Prof_Dev

FEB RUARY 2 2

1

TR A N S ITI O N S E M I N A R S State Farm Hall of Business - Various Rooms | 6:00pm - 8:30pm 5:30pm - Check-In begins 6:00pm - 6:50pm - Session 1 7:00pm - 7:50pm - Session 2 8:00pm - 8:45pm - Networking The transition from college to corporate life can be daunting. However, with well-directed guidance from experienced professionals, students can achieve it. The topics covered in each seminar were chosen to prepare students as they enter their perspective industries. Each seminar is constructed to provide unique insights that students would not otherwise gain. To help ease the transition, distinguished College of Business alumni will be returning to campus to share their experiences. The alumni chosen are masters in their specific fields of expertise and will be providing valuable perspectives.

The Transition Seminars are free: however, registration is required.

Students needing proof of attendance slips will be required to attend two seminars. All seminar options will be repeated during the second session, allowing students to participate in several discussions.

Following the Transition Seminars, will be a networking reception in the College of Business Atrium. The reception will provide students the opportunity to speak individually with seminar speakers. Refreshments will also be provided.

LinkedIn brings thousands of jobs, professional social media, and a world of professionals to your fingertips. Especially as a business major, it is essential to know, utilize, and effectively leverage this ever-growing platform. Hear experienced recruiters talk about LinkedIn from the corporate side. Learn how to grow your network and successfully communicate professionally on LinkedIn and in all stages of your career search and professional life!

2

YOUR FIRST FIVE YEARS How to Hit the Ground Running

3

GRADUATE SCHOOL To Go or Not to Go

4

THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS The Next Decade

5

EQUITY AND ABILITY What Does This Mean and Why You Should Know

Business Casual or Casual Attire is recommended.

REGISTER AT: Business.IllinoisState.edu/BusinessWeek/Transition

LINKED INTO YOUR NETWORK How to Develop Professional Communication

RANSITION

TU E S DAY

TR A N S ITI O N TO P I C S

Are you ready to step into that “real world” your instructors have always been talking about? Feeling unsure about your next steps? Or not particular on how to accomplish your goals? Hear successful young professionals share their experiences about what set them apart in their first five years out of college.

Graduating with a business degree opens the doors to countless possibilities.

Many business students narrow their options to two: going directly to work, or pursuing a master’s degree, often an MBA. Listen to experts discuss the advantages and disadvantages of diving right into your next degree. Learn about specialized master’s programs and the future value of MBAs vs. other graduate programs!

The past two years have revolutionized the business world. This seminar addresses how these environmental shifts will affect the future of business.

Through technology advancements, the increase of virtual encounters, and a historic crisis, learn from experts on what type of workplace to expect in the next decade.

“Inclusion at work” encompasses more than just the process of hiring people. An inclusive workplace values all employees. It offers employees with disabilities — whether visible or invisible — an equal opportunity to succeed, learn, be compensated fairly, and advance. One in four Americans has some disability, meaning the importance of inclusion and awareness is relevant and essential to everyone.

WE D N E S DAY FEB RUARY 23

D IV E R S IT Y A N D I N C LU S I O N Hancock Stadium Club - Hancock Stadium Illinois State University 6:30pm - 8:00pm

PRESENTER KEIANA BARRETT

Director of Diversity and Strategic Development Sterling Bay - Chicago Keiana Barrett, a proud Chicago native, has over 25 years of government affairs, community engagement and diversity, inclusion and equity experience. She enjoys a proven track record of raising over $1 million for campaigns and organizations, developing communications strategies & policies which are currently utilized by press secretaries on Capitol Hill, managing communications crisis’s, along with designing and implementing revolutionary equity practices.

Keiana is a 1995 graduate of Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. During her time on campus, she was an active Redbird, including serving as the Black Student Union president.

Keiana will be leading the program entitled,

COMING IN HOT:

Ensuring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is Actionable and Sustainable Given the heighten reckoning around race and social justice, many companies and organizations have abruptly declared a deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. However, meaningful DEI isn’t a knee-jerk reaction, it must be embedded into value systems. During this interactive exchange of ideas, attendees will be challenged to challenge the status quo.

The question that will guide the discussion is:

“How can we hold one another and others accountable to achieving greater diversity and inclusion?”

Business Casual or Casual Attire is recommended.

REGISTER AT: Business.IllinoisState.edu/BusinessWeek/D-and-I/

WE D N E S DAY FEB RUARY 9

I N S P I R E : TR IV IA N I G HT A N I G HT O F CO B CO M PE TITIO N Hancock Stadium Club | 6:15pm - 8:00pm

The Business Week team is proud to present its annual INSPIRE: Let’s Get Trivial after a successful inaugural event in 2019. Trivia Night is an entertaining event where students and staff are invited to form teams and compete for exciting prizes. Teams of 5-8 people will answer questions in a variety of categories as well as compete in various mini-games throughout the night.

INSPIRE: Let’s Get Trivial is a great way to let loose and have some fun in the middle of the week. We welcome back our fantastic host, Dr. Terry Noel. Dr. Noel is an Associate Dean for the College of Business and a distinguished professor with a background in improvisation. Food will be provided for all participants, so come hungry and ready to put your trivia knowledge to the test!

As part of “giving back” to the COB community, in 2022, the BW team is utilizing all net proceeds from the INSPIRE event to help fund the COB’s Pay It Forward (PIF) student fund. The PIF fund distributes financial support to COB students in need for professional development purposes. The monies in the PIF student fund are generated by donations from COB students that are then matched by COB alum and PIF creator Ron Whitton.

Casual Attire is recommended.

REGISTER AT: Business.IllinoisState.edu/BusinessWeek/Inspire

TH U R S DAY FEB RUARY 24

H A LL O F FA M E DAY

Caterpillar Auditorium - State Farm Hall of Business | 3:30pm

KEYNOTE SPEAKER ANDY WATTS Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Brown & Brown Inc. | Daytona Beach, Florida Andy Watts is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Brown & Brown, Inc. Brown & Brown is a $3.1B diversified insurance agency offering a broad range of insurance products. The Company is ranked by Business Insurance magazine as the United States’ fifth-largest independent insurance intermediary and operates throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. Andrew joined Brown & Brown in February 2014. He is responsible for all aspects of the financial organization, treasury, capital management, investor relations, and supporting overall company strategy, acquisitions and the Board of Directors.

Before Brown & Brown, Andrew worked at Thomson Reuters for 12 years, he was responsible for leading a global team focused on transforming the end-to-end delivery of the customer buying experience and product fulfillment through process redesign and system implementation. Prior to this role, Andrew was CFO for the Investment and Advisory Division of Thomson Reuters Markets, and was responsible for all financial functions as well as helping to set the strategic direction and operations for the division.

Before Thomson Reuters, Andrew was co-founder and CFO of an internet start-up company. He started his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he worked for approximately 10 years in Chicago, Milan, Italy, and Florham Park, New Jersey.

In addition to his commitments, Andrew is a Board Member for the Museum of Arts and Science in Daytona Beach, Florida, a member of the Florida Institute of CFOs, has held board leadership positions with a Make-a-Wish office and a community theatre, as well as having sat on the NYSE corporate advisory board.

Business Casual or Casual Attire is recommended.

No registration is needed to attend this event.

CO LLE G E O F B U S I N E S S H A LL O F FA M E DAY 202 2

Each year, highly successful individuals are welcomed to campus to be inducted into the College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame.

These distinguished individuals range from senior-level executives in top corporations worldwide to highly ambitious entrepreneurs. Their achievements not only attest to their commitment to excellence and add value to our College of Business Programs and the Illinois State University brand for all graduates.

CLASS OF 2022 CONSTANCE GULLY President and Chief Executive Officer, Parents as Teachers National Center ANDY LaFRENCE Board Director and Chief Financial Officer, Vyant Bio, Inc. JAIME FLORES Owner, Tamale Hut Café JIM RIGGS Vice President (retired), ITC GLENN BAILEY Retired Illinois State University Professor

SERVICE AWARD ROB McDADE Senior Vice President | COUNTRY Financial

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

H A LL O F FA M E

F R I DAY

FEB RUARY 2 5

M E NTO R /M E NTE E C E R E M O N Y Room 357 - State Farm Hall of Business | 10:30am

At the end of Business Week over 120 students gather to celebrate the completion of the Business Week Mentor program. After two months of preparation, meetings between mentors and mentees, and seminars held with COB alums, the participants gather to receive their certificates and salute each other on a job well done. Many mentees become mentors themselves, work in the future as Business Week team members, and make lasting impressions on their peers and the College of Business.

POST BW EVENTS FR I DAY, MARC H 2 5

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CASE COMPETITION Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the initiative to embrace responsibility for a company’s actions and encourage a positive impact on society through activities involving consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders, and the environment. CSR goes beyond what is required by regulators and promotes the betterment of business practices for sustained positive change for consumers, employees, communities, and stakeholders.

The 2022 Business Week Case Competition provides a unique opportunity for students to apply their research, analytical, and presentation skills. Teams of three to five students will develop and present a solution to a real-life business problem within a three-hour time frame and then present to a panel of judges. Following the first round, the competition will be narrowed to three teams that present once again to a larger panel of judges in competition for a prize of $1,500 split between the top teams.

Professional Business Attire is recommended. Cost to attend: $10

REGISTER AT: Business.IllinoisState.edu/BusinessWeek/CSR/

FALL E V E NTS 202 1

R O V P P E •

F O L R T I O

A

D

•

D

O

D B I R E R C

A R E E R

P

E C A R G N I C FA CUSSION INSPIRED A DIS ECIAL as we NN SPery

BY THEs WC ev one to join us eek team invites over

featuring The 2022 Busines CNN docuseries, of the acclaimed de how sitcoms iso ep wn do an ks tch wa m icons; that brea co sit th wi s ever-shifting iew an 180 interv ns navigate rations of America have helped gene . cultural landscape l of cussion as a pane then enjoy the dis w d ho an , to de iso ate ep rel d Watch the ge views an students exchan s. on ati ers nv co professionals and ficult work through dif comedy helps us

7:00PM AY WEDNESD20, 2021 OCTOBER UDITORIUM A R A L IL P R E CAT Hall of Business State Farm

KS WILL BE C A N S IE V O M F RE E

AVAILABLE

| @BusinessISU Business.IllinoisSta

te.edu/BusinessWeek

1. at (309) 438-225 s Dean’s Office on recycled paper College of Busines ging diversity. Printed please contact the university encoura te in this event, to fully participa ity affirmative action accommodation An equal opportun If you need a special time to arrange accommodation. t Please allow sufficien

RED BY CORPORATE SPONSO

MOVIE TALK: FACING RACE

A Discussion inspired by the CNN Special | October 2021 On October 20, 2021, the Business Week team invited everyone to watch an episode of the acclaimed CNN docuseries, featuring over 180 interviews with sitcom icons; that broke down how sitcoms helped generations of Americans navigate an ever-shifting cultural landscape.

During the event, attendees watched the episode. They then participated in a discussion as a panel of professionals and students exchanged views and related to how comedy helps us work through difficult conversations. The event was an excellent introduction to the conversation of diversity and inclusion. It was facilitated in an environment that allowed for open discussion.

TH E B U S I N E S S WE E K M ENTOR PROG R AM Most Fortune 500 companies have an established mentor program, including Google, Caterpillar, and General Electric (GE), to name a few. The Business Week Mentor Program helps students develop the professional skills necessary to succeed in their career paths. At Illinois State University, the College of Business aims to help guide students in the early stages of their careers.

Specifically, mentors will serve as role models who: • Teach proper business professional attire, etiquette, interaction, and networking • Create a dialogue about courses, internships, and career preparation essentials • Reinforce the importance of active participation in registered student organizations • Provide service-leadership opportunities Since its formation in 2011, the Mentor Program has increased prestige and design. Mentors are selected based on proven academic success and extracurricular involvement, coupled with recommendations from the College of Business faculty. Mentors are dedicated to providing their assigned mentee(s) with the best possible Business Week experience.

Mentor/Mentee pairs get acquainted with one another throughout two pre-Business Week events designed and implemented by the Mentor Program Team. In addition, prior to Business Week, the pairs attend training sessions led by alumni Eric Hoss ’87, MBA ’90, and Tim Pantaleone ’07. To conclude their participation in the program, the pairs attend Business Week events together, using skills developed throughout their mentorship, and close out the week with an Induction Ceremony at the conclusion of all events.

STUDENT MENTORS BUSINESS WEEK 2022 Peter Behling Jack Behrhorst Jack Berk Thomas Bird Tyler Bleau Katie Brozny Henry Campbell Catherine Coffey Brandice Cole Taylor Copas Caitlyn Coty Kevin Denovellis Thomas Depauw

Matt Ercoli Matthew Garwood Jerome Gilmore Nolan Girard Jaiden Goeke Hailie Hahn Joe Harrington Braeden Honeysett Caleb Hudson Naomi Jacob Paul Jones Ava Kaminski Katie Kranich

Jenna Ladislas Max Marcionetti Claire Meyer Sarah Milcarek Zadia Navarro Nathaniel Nepomuceno Logan Papinaeu Jess Passaglia Julia Perrone Hannah Pierce Caleb Poe Chloe Reynolds Nicole Sabin

Sabrina Schlenker Tyrah Sexton Riley Sovinski Ari Thomas Stephanie Tomczuk Kyle Waites Abby Walton Brian Weber Hannah Wilson Anthony Yamzon

J O I N TH E TE A M B US I N E S S WEEK

If you are serious about building real-world skills, making valuable contacts with alumni and industry leaders, and are ready to create amazing opportunities for your peers, think about applying to be on the 2023 Business Week Team.

The Business Week Team consists of an elite group of students selected through an application and interview process in the spring. Members work in direct partnership with the College of Business Dean’s Office and spend the fall semester brainstorming and organizing a powerful week of interactive events to help students build essential soft skills and professional understandings. A small team also manages the Business Week Mentor Program, where members promote individual and registered student organization involvement, handle registration, run all Business Week events, and analyze the outcomes.

Information about joining the 2023 Business Week Team can be found at Business.IllinoisState.edu/BusinessWeek or in the Dean’s Office on the fourth floor of the State Farm Hall of Business. From first-year students to graduate students, all business majors are welcome to apply for this premier leadership opportunity at Business.IllinoisState.edu/BusinessWeek.

Front Row:

Kai Johnson, Daisy Rodriguez, Alexa Gonzalez, Tori Poska, Abby Robinson, Janyce Nyarko, Dani Tomasik

Back Row :

Edwin Brkic, Jaden Tareta, RJ Billings, Zach Kietzmann, Benji Prendergrast, Adrian Kuzbik, Nicholas Koutris, Hannah Kelly, Mila Wendt

B U S I N E S S WE E K 2 02 2 TE AM M EM B ERS Executive Team Adrian Kuzbik, President Kai Johnson, VP - Professional Development Nicholas Koutris, VP - Logistics Benjamin Prendergast, VP - Marketing Tori Poska, Executive Activities Coordinator Mentor Program Coordinators Edwin Brkic Jaden Tareta Professional Development Dinner Coordinators RJ Billings Hannah Kelley Transition Seminar Coordinators Matthew Madaras Mila Wendt

Diversity and Inclusion Coordinators Abigail Robinson Daisy Rodriguez Corporate Social Responsibility Coordinators Elizabeth Altpeter Zachary Kietzmann Trivia Night Coordinators Alexa Gonzalez Janice Nyarko Dani Tomasik Advisor Steve Vandiver

G R E AT I D E A S

TI P S YO U PI C K ED U P AT BW

G R E AT I D E A S

TI P S YO U PI C K ED U P AT BW