Ranked #1 in
the World
Apply Now Brochure
Speakers
Each year, more than 150 specialists on international affairs visit Thunderbird's campus to lecture, conduct seminars or participate in The Global Issues Forum, the school's premiere speaker series. Speakers also meet with classes and participate in class discussions with students.
Upcoming Speakers - Spring 2010
Date |
Time |
Speaker |
Location |
| Feb. 25 | 1:10 p.m. - 2:20 p.m. | Ms. Jacqueline Novogratz, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Acumen Fund | Yount DLC |
Past Speakers
Our speaker series brings some of the brightest minds in global business and international affairs to campus to discuss a wide range of topics. A sampling of past speakers is below.
2009
Date |
Speaker |
Title |
| Sept. 15 | The Honorable Kathleen Stephens | U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Republic of Korea |
| Sept. 15 | Mr. Jerry Frieling | Chairman, Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. |
| Oct. 1 | Mr. Warren Adelman | President and COO, The Go Daddy Group, Inc. |
| Feb. 3 | Mr. William H. Swanson | Chairman and CEO, Raytheon Company |
| Feb. 10 | Ms. Gillian Sorenson | Senior Advisor, United Nations Foundation |
| Feb. 10 | Mr. Carlos Danel Cendoya | Co-Chief Executive Officer, Compartamos Banco |
| Feb. 11 | Mr. Edward Z. Fox | Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Arizona Public Service Company |
| Feb. 12 | Mr. Jeff Morgan | Executive Director, The Global Heritage Fund |
| Feb. 17 | Mr. Harvey Mackay | Author and Syndicated Columnist |
| Feb. 24 | Mr. Jerre Stead | Executive Chairman and Cheif Executive Officer, IHS, Inc. |
| Feb. 26 | Mr. Alan L. Boeckmann | Chairman and CEO, Fluor Corporation |
| Mar. 3 | Mr. Po Chung | Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus, DHL Express (Hong Kong) Ltd. |
| Mar. 6 | Mr. Matthew Bishop | U.S. Bureau Chief, The Economist |
| Mar. 17 | Mr. Michael Zuieback '91 | Senior Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development |
| Mar. 17 | Mr. Christian Roe | Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Discount Tire Company |
| Mar. 19 | Mr. Roy Vallee | Chairman and CEO, Avnet, Inc. |
| Mar. 26 | His Excellency Amar A. Al-Dabbagh | Governor and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) |
| May 1 | Mr. E. Neville Isdell | Chairman, The Coca-Cola Company |
2008
Date |
Speaker |
Title |
| Sep. 9 | Mr. John Chidsey | CEO, Burger King Holdings, Inc. |
| Sep. 16 | Mr. Lyle Skillen & Ms. Terri Mansfield | Retired Navy/Executive Director and Co-Founder of Arizona Department of Peace Campaign |
| Sep. 25 | Mr. Robert W. Cremin | Chairman, President and CEO, Esterline Technologies |
| Oct. 28 | Mr. Eric Pillmore | CEO, Pillmore Consulting, LLC |
| Oct. 30 | Ms. Marilyn Carlson Nelson | Chairman of Carlson Companies, Inc. |
| Nov. 4 | Mr. W. Douglas Parker | Chairman and CEO, U.S. Airways |
| Nov. 6 | Google Inc. Panel | |
| Nov. 11 | Ms. Linda M. Dillman | Executive Vice President, Risk Management and Benefits Administration Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. |
| Nov. 13 | Mr. Gordon Smith '96 | Head of Card Services, JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
| Nov. 20 | Ms. Ana Palacio | Senior Vice President and General Counsel, World Bank Group |
| Dec. 12 | His Excellency Luis Alberto Moreno '77 | President, Inter-American Development Bank |
| Jan. 29 | Ms. Kim Williams '92 | COO, NFL Network. |
| Jan. 29 | Mr. Michael J. Bidwill | President, Arizona Cardinals |
| Jan. 30 | Mr. James Vurpillat | Director, Global Marketing and Brand Development, Cadillac Division, General Motors Coorporation |
| Feb. 5 | Mr. Bradley Casper | President and CEO, The Dial Corporation |
| Feb. 7 | Mr. Robert F. Moran | President and COO, PetSmart, Inc. |
| Feb. 12 | Mr. Donald McLaughlin | Vice President, Staffing, Cisco Systems |
| Feb. 12 | The Honorable Paula J. Dobriansky | Under Secretary, Democracy and Global Affairs U.S. Department of State. |
| Feb. 19 | Ms. Kathleen Ligocki | Former President and CEO, Tower Automotive |
| Feb. 26 | Mr. Lee R. Raymond | Chairman and CEO (Ret.), ExxonMobil Corporation |
| Feb. 28 | Mr. John C. Long | Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, The Hershey Company |
| Apr. 11 | Mr. William Post | Chairman and CEO, Pinnacle West Capital Corporation |
| May 2 | Mr. Malcolm S. (Steve) Forbes, Jr. | President and CEO, Editor-in Chief, Forbes, Inc. |
2007
Date |
Speaker |
Title |
| Sep. 18 | Mr. Andrew Shipley | Author, "The Japanese Money Tree" |
| Sep. 20 | Mr. Steve Piano | Senior Vice President, Human Resources, First Data Corporation |
| Nov. 8 | Mr. John Allen '81 | President, Wilden Pump & Engineering LLC |
| Nov. 13 | Mr. David Neeleman | Chairman, JetBlue Airways Corporation |
| Nov. 29 | Ms. Julie Hamilton | Vice President, International Business Development, The Coca-Cola Company |
| Feb. 8 | Mr. Guy F. Tozzoli | President, World Trade Centers Association |
| Feb. 9 | Ms. Molly Melching | President Tostan |
| Feb. 15 | Mr. Peter Kalil '78 | Chief Integration, Trade and Hemispheric Issues Division Integration and Regional Programs Inter-American Development Bank |
| Feb. 27 | Mr. Jim Alling '85 | President, Starbucks Coffee USA |
| Feb. 13 | Mr. Eric Pillmore | Senior Vice President Corporate Governance Tyco International |
| Mar. 20 | Mr. Dan T. Cathy | President and Chief Operating Officer Chick-fil-A |
| Apr. 10 | Ms. Louise Mushikiwabo | Author: "Rwanda Means the Universe: Native's Memoir of Blood and Bloodlines" |
| Apr. 12 | Mr. Bob Hobbs, Jr. | President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Hobbs Jr. & Associates |