News release from the University of Saint Francis:
Iron Man athlete, professional consultant to take podium as USF’s 21st CEO Forum speaker
(September 17, 2014) — Mike Wien, a former business manager and current Iron Man competitor and business development consultant, will be the keynote speaker for the 21st annual CEO Forum at the University of Saint Francis on Thursday, Oct. 16. The presentation will continue the university’s “Future of” lecture series with “The Future of Competitive Advantage,” followed by a workshop, “Finding Your Specific Edge,” in the USF Robert Goldstine Performing Arts Center in downtown Fort Wayne. It is presented by the Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership.
Wien will draw upon hard-earned insights from the first half of his career, as a manager of some of the world’s most famous brands, and combine them with strategies learned from the second half of his career, when he left corporate life to become an Iron Man athlete and finish second in his age group at the Iron Man World Championships.
His workshop, “Finding Your Specific Edge,” will show listeners how to tailor his lecture’s techniques to their own unique strengths and talents to put them in top form for today’s professional race.
In addition to bringing his message to business people across the country, he is founder and CEO of the business development firm, Specific Edge, to help clients differentiate themselves from competitors.
Before opening his firm, he led the launch of major brands for Frito-Lay and Pepsi, and introduced new services for Citibank, Omni Hotels and Deloitte. He is an adjunct professor of marketing in the Hospitality School at Georgia State University and sits on the USA Triathlon board, the governing body for triathlons within the United States Olympic Committee.
In addition to Mike Wien’s presentations, CEOs from top firms have provided video vignettes sharing the process through which they identified their company’s competitive position, and their leadership philosophy on bringing out the best in their people.
A schedule follows.
- 7:30 a.m. Check in, breakfast and networking
- 8:30 a.m. Keynote Mike Wien, “Creating a Competitive Advantage,” followed by the workshop, “Finding Your Specific Edge”
- 10:30 a.m. Adjourn
Tickets can be purchased at ceoforum2014.eventbrite.com or at the door the day of the event. The USF Robert Goldstine Performing Arts Center is located at 431 W. Berry St. Complimentary parking is available across the street.
Questions can be directed to Liz Unger in the Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership at (260) 399-7700, ext. 8310.
About the University of Saint Francis
The University of Saint Francis, founded in 1890 as a comprehensive university in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs through the School of Health Sciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership and School of Creative Arts. In addition to its traditional courses, the university offers focused curriculum for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. Approximately 2,300 students from a broad geographic region attend USF for its academic excellence.
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