The Lundy-Fetterman School of Business hosted its third annual Leadership Summit to an audience of more than 250 community members, alumni, students and faculty. This year’s summit had a singular focus: leveraging technology in business.
Teena Piccione, global transformation and operations executive at Google, opened the summit with a powerful message: “You can teach technology, but you can’t teach dedication.” In a world increasingly dominated by ever-evolving technology, Piccione reminded attendees that the human element remains irreplaceable. She stressed that dedication and effort are the true driving forces behind success, even in the tech-driven business landscape.
Piccione’s words served as a reminder that while technology is a powerful tool, it’s the commitment and hard work of individuals that make a difference.
Kat Spradley, the founder of K Cradley & Co, emphasized how resources like ChatGPT can aid in productivity, helping professionals work smarter, not harder. Spradley highlighted that “people do business with people,” and her insights underscored the value of utilizing technology to enhance personal branding and efficiency.
Paul Levering discussed the Entrepreneurial Operating System and how it can help businesses achieve greater success by providing a structured framework. EOS is a management system and set of tools designed to help businesses streamline their operations, clarify their vision, and achieve their goals.
Janjay Gardea, a second-year international business major and owner of a non-profit, has attended the Summit the past two years. “Every year you learn something new and fascinating,” she said. “However, this Summit taught me about resources that have already made my life easier and increased the efficiency of the work I complete for my business.”
Aaron Lympany, a marketing expert from Rhymes Video, shared his expertise on innovative marketing strategies. He stressed the importance of addressing customer needs and solving their problems through technology. Lympany emphasized that successful marketers focus on answering actual questions and providing solutions. Echoing Lympany’s message, Lisa Bamford, director of global marketing and sales at Sciencix, challenged, “Be a solver and you are going to be golden.”
Dr. Mike Rodriguez, an associate professor of marketing, hosted a workshop and participated in a lunch panel. His workshop continued the theme of leveraging AI in business. Rodriguez demonstrated how AI can impact sales, generate leads, and optimize processes. Attendees gained practical knowledge on harnessing the power of AI to drive business success.
The summit concluded with a panel discussion, where Rodriguez was joined by Dr. Amanda Parker (chair of the Security and Computing Department at Campbell) and Dr. Sheri Yerk-Zwickl (vice president for information technology at Campbell) speakers and other experts delved deeper into the role of technology in business. They explored topics such as the ethical use of AI, data privacy and the future of technology-driven leadership.
Dr. Mike Seibert, director of external relations, reflected, “The sense of commitment by business leaders to pay forward there lessons learned made the biggest impact on me. It’s important to have events like this to provide an opportunity to learn and grow together.”
“An event like this is important because it might be the first real glimpse our students get into the working world,” said Sam Regner, Campbell Business administrative assistant and alumni.
Attendees left the summit inspired and armed with actionable strategies to navigate the ever-evolving technological landscape in the business world.