2020 Business Leadership Week features Markman, Simmons keynote addresses

Campus Community

Jayme Blaschke | February 20, 2020

Arthur Markman, the Annabel Irion Worsham Centennial Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, and Amy Simmons, founder of the super-premium retail ice cream company Amy’s Ice Creams, will deliver keynote addresses during the 2020 Business Leadership Week (BLW), Feb. 24-28 at Texas State University.

Markman’s keynote will be presented 11 a.m.-12:20 p.m. and Simmons’ keynote will be presented 2-3:15 p.m. Both will be Feb. 25 in McCoy Hall Room 119.

BLW will feature a variety of forums and interactive events centered around the theme “Authentic Leadership.” All events are free and open to the public.

Markman serves as the executive director of the IC2 Institute, and co-hosts NPR's "Two Guys on Your Head" podcast. He is the author of Bring Your Brain to Work: Using Cognitive Science to Get a Job, Do it Well and Advance Your Career. In his keynote, he will explore aspects of psychology and cognitive science that can help individuals to navigate their career trajectory and to maximize their potential.

Simmons founded Amy’s Ice Creams in 1984 with a concept focused on employee education, exemplary service and award-winning product quality. Amy’s currently has 15 stores in Austin, Houston and San Antonio with annual sales of $10 million. Simmons and her husband, Steve, created a real-estate concept called “Austinville,” human scale developments to battling the rapid growth of Austin and the entree of national developers and chains. Austinvilles lease solely to local tenants, creating a synergy that enhances the opportunity for the success of local small businesses.

Russ Finney, Lecturer and Management Information Systems Programs Director for the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, will deliver the Distinguished Lecture at 12:30 p.m., Feb. 27 in room 233 of McCoy Hall. Finney teaches technology and business strategy. He is also a senior partner the itmWEB Group where he assists with research projects and the Stratamation Network where he provides advisory services. In addition, Finney assists startup communities all over the world through the various entrepreneur programs of the Tech Ranch.

Other programming events open to the public include:

• Finance Alumni Panel at 11 a.m., Feb. 24 in McCoy Hall Room 233
• Marketing Alumni Panel at 2 p.m., Feb. 24 in McCoy Hall Room 233
• Management Alumni Panel at 3:30 p.m., Feb. 24 in McCoy Hall Room 233
• Preparing for the Career Expo with Bruce Howard at 4:50 p.m., Feb. 24 in McCoy Hall Room 119
• Professional Development Workshop with Brian McCoy, Meagan McCoy Jones and Rebecca Lindberg at 5 p.m., Feb. 24 in the Minifie Academic Atrium, McCoy Hall
• McCoy Career Expo at noon, Feb. 25 in the LBJ Student Center Ballroom
• Professional Development with Stephanie Solansky at 5 p.m., Feb. 25 in the Minifie Academic Atrium, McCoy Hall
•  Accounting Alumni Panel at 2 p.m., Feb. 26 in McCoy Hall Room 119
• Professional Development with Linda Alkire at 5 p.m., Feb. 26 in the Minifie Academic Atrium, McCoy Hall
• Round Rock MBA Alumni Panel at 6:30 p.m., Feb. 26 in Avery Hall Room 404, Round Rock
• Professional Development with Jennifer Kushell at 5 p.m., Feb. 26 in the Minifie Academic Atrium, McCoy Hall
• Faculty Research Seminar “Authentic Leadership” with William Gardner, 10 a.m., Feb. 28 in McCoy Hall Room 224

To see the complete event schedule, visit www.mccoy.txstate.edu/centers-programs/business-leadership-week/blw_2020/schedule0.html.

For questions about the events, contact businessadvising@txstate.edu. For accommodations due to a disability call (512) 245-1993 at least three days prior to the event.