About the Business Leaders Forum

Established in 1999, the Business Leaders Forum is a speaker series sponsored by Marquette University’s College of Business Administration. The forum provides a setting for nationally recognized business leaders to engage in discussions and interact with students, faculty and local business leaders. The program enables Marquette to build practical knowledge into its rigorous business curriculum, exploring current trends, issues and practices in business.

Marquette University has attracted leaders at the top of their respective professions to speak at the Business Leaders Forum, including Herbert V. Kohler, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Kohler Co.; Richard M. Schulze, founder and chairman of Best Buy; and James J. Mulva, chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips.

The Kathleen and Frank Thometz Foundation has made the Business Leaders Forum speaker series possible through a special endowment.

Previous Speakers

• Jonas Prising, Chairman & CEO, Manpower Group, 2023
• Chris Swift, Chairman & CEO of The Hartford, 2021
• David Kohler, President & CEO, Kohler Co., "Journey to the C-Suite and Kohler's Evolution: A Leadership Perspective" 2019 (video) 
• Steve Cannon, Chief Executive Officer, AMB Group, LLC, "Leading with Vision, Kindness and Optimism" 2018 (video)
• Daniel S. Jaffee, President and Chief Executive Officer, Oil-Dri Corporation of America, “The Power of Culture and Ethics” 2017 (video)
• Dr. Charles L. Evans, President & CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, "A Perspective on Monetary Policy" 2015 (video)
• Thomas J. Falk, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Kimberly-Clark, "The Sustainable Enterprise," 2014 (video) 
• Thomas C. Werner, Chairman, Boston Red Sox, and Chairman, Liverpool Football Club, 2013 (video)
  
•  John Schlifske, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Northwestern Mutual, 2012 (video)
• Jeff Joerres, chairman and chief executive officer, ManpowerGroup, 2011 (video)
• Angela F. Braly, President and CEO, WellPoint, Inc., 2009 (video)
• James J. Mulva, Chair and CEO, ConocoPhillips, 2008
• Richard M. Schulze, Founder and Chair, Best Buy, 2007
• Herbert V. Kohler, Jr., Chair, CEO and President, Kohler, Co., 2006
• Alexander M. (Sandy) Cutler, Chair and CEO, Eaton Corp., 2005
• Kathy Hudson, Chair, CNH Global NV, 2005
• Jeff Immelt, CEO, General Electric, 2004
• John Morgridge, Chair, Cisco Systems, 2003
• Don H. Davis, Jr., CEO, Rockwell Automation, 2002
• Dick Burke, Chair, Trek Bicycle Corp., 2001
• Wayne Sanders, CEO, Kimberly-Clark Corp., 2000