Olafson Ethics Symposium will feature Bill George A seemingly unending series of corporate scandals has precipitated the most serious crisis of confidence in American business since the Great Depression. The sudden and spectacular collapse of several Fortune 500 companies like Lehman Brothers, AIG, Enron, Arthur Andersen, and Tyco have shocked the nation and left many asking, "What went wrong? And, can confidence in American business be restored?" Naturally, corporate wrongdoing is not the product of a few bad people. It is the systematic result of markets that were once well-regulated but are now trapped in a destructive cycle; where short-term financial pressures are combined with the greed of corrupt, corporate insiders whose manipulation and conflicts of interest in the accounting and financial services industries result in the destruction of companies, industries, and lives. Now, more than ever, a discussion of corporate and personal ethics needs to take place. This is why the College of Business and Public Administration is proud to announce its fifth annual Olafson Ethics Symposium with featured keynote speaker, Bill George. George will tackle the tough questions about how personal and professional ethics impact a company’s success, which leadership strategies to employ in a crisis, and whether or not confidence in American business can be restored. Bill George is the former CEO of Medtronic Corporation and best selling author of the books, True North, Authentic Leadership, and the most recent, 7 Lessons for Leading in a Crisis. The Olafson Ethics Symposium will take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, in the Memorial Ballroom. All members of the university and Greater Grand Forks Communities are welcome to attend. The featured keynote speaker, Bill George, currently serves as professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School, where he teaches leadership. He was CEO of Medtronic from 1991 until 2001 and Chairman from 1996 to 2002. Under his leadership, Medtronic's market capitalization grew from $1.1 billion to $60 billion, averaging a 35% increase per year. Bill George has been named one of the “Top 25 Business Leaders of the Past 25 Years” by PBS; “Executive of the Year – 2001” by the Academy of Management; and “Director of the Year – 2001-02” by the National Association of Corporate Directors. He serves on the Board of Directors of ExxonMobil and Goldman Sachs and previously, served in a similar capacity with Novartis and Target Corporation. George’s most recent book, 7 Lessons for Leading in a Crisis, will be available to purchase ($15 per copy) at the event. A dessert social, sponsored by the Northeast Dakota Area Human Resource Association, and a book signing will follow Bill George's keynote address. The purpose of the Olafson Ethics Symposium is to provide a platform for students and the business community, to explore the importance of both personal and professional ethics. This event is named in honor of Robert Olafson, an alumnus of the College of Business and Public Administration who has led successful career in the insurance industry, serving as Senior Vice President of Group Insurance at Minnesota Life Insurance Company in Saint Paul, Minn. Olafson, a native of Edinberg, N.D., established a gift in 2005 to support ethics education in the College of Business and Public Administration. This is the fifth annual Olafson Ethics Symposium and the College of Business and Public Administration is grateful for his generosity and support of UND students and this event. Additional support for this event was made possible by Jane Fercho Ludlow. Join the College of Business and Public Administration for a thought provoking and intriguing conversation about business and personal ethics, and how to restore accountability to America's corporations and integrity to our capital markets on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in UND's Memorial Union Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public. For more information regarding the Olafson Ethics Symposium, please contact CK Braun-Schultz at 777-6937 or ck.schultz@mail.business.und.edu. -- CK Braun-Schultz, Director, External Relations, College of Business & Public Administration, ck.schultz@mail.business.und.edu, 777-6937