I'd like to invite you to hear Bill O'Rourke speak on Thursday, August 6th from 4:30 - 5:45:
Cristal Ballroom, Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver
645 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 2Y9
Bill is an incredible executive speaker on business ethics and sustainability. He had a distinguished career at Alcoa where he served as the head of Environment, Health, and Safety under three different CEOs. He also served as the first President of Alcoa Russia, as Chief Information Officer, Head of Procurement, Associate General Counsel, Head of Internal Audit, and Head of Support Services. He serves as the Chair of Sustainable Pittsburgh. Bill is now retired and is willing to come speak at any university that would like him to speak. I invite you to come hear him speak - you'll be glad you did. I'm also confident that after hearing him speak you'll also want him to come and inspire your students.
At the end of this email I've included some comments from those who've heard Bill speak.
See you in Vancouver.
Best.
Brad
Testimonials to Bill O'Rourke
"Bill O'Rourke is a rare and wonderful resource for all of us who wish to encourage more skillful values-driven leadership in business. He speaks from experiences forged in real world cauldrons and his stories are examples of clear-eyed, skillful implementation, driven by unwavering commitment, rather than mere "feel good" exhortations to moral courage. He has lived what he speaks of and he is committed to actually teaching others how to do the same, rather than celebrating his own achievements. His ability to bring ethical and lawful and humane management practices to some of the most challenging global business environments provides a source book for those who want to do the same." Professor Mary Gentile, Babson College; Director, Giving Voice to Values
"Bill O'Rourke is the consummate straight-shooter. His presentations to my students have been electrifying. He brings a practical, no-nonsense approach to the classroom, deeply rooted in his experiences at Alcoa. He engages students with stories and with thorny dilemmas. And then, just when the students are starting to get mired in rationalizations, he cuts right to the heart of the issue and reveals how leaders of integrity act." Professor Jeff Thompson, Brigham Young University
"Bill O'Rourke is an experienced business leader and a gifted storyteller. He brings professional responsibility challenges and ethical dilemmas in business alive for audience of all ages and experiences. Bill delivered the annual Leighton Lecture on Ethics and Leadership for the Center for Professional Responsibility in Business and Society
at the University of Illinois College of business, and his content is referred to often by students, instructors, and alums. His willingness to share real challenges and practical solutions demonstrate that solving ethical and professional responsibility challenges is part of every business leader's day-to-day role." Professor Gretchen Winter, University of Illinois
"I met Bill O'Rourke several years ago at a conference for professors on best practices for teaching business ethics. On a 2-day program featuring many award-winning ethics professors from leading business schools, Bill's presentation was a highlight and an inspiration. His earnest and enthusiastic exploration of real-world ethical scenarios drawn from his three decades of executive leadership in both the U.S. and abroad was dynamic in its combination of "in the trenches" reality and theoretical reflection. Whether the audience is students or executives - or business ethics professors - Bill's voice of experience commands respects and stirs the type of ethical introspection the business community needs now more than ever." Professor Josh Perry, Indiana University
"Rare is the executive whose professional life fully integrates such fine personal values. What Bill O'Rourke knows about being an executive and ethical leadership can't be described or prescribed. But anyone lucky enough to hear him speak will have the opportunity to imbibe what it means to make courageous decisions." Ann B. Graham, Business Writer
"I am the Executive Director of the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University, and the Hieken Professor of Business and Professional Ethics. I have known Bill for the past two years in my capacity as a member of the Advisory Council for the Healthcare Group Purchasing Industry Initiative (HGPII), on which Bill also serves. At the HGPII Forum each year Bill has been very insightful and helpful in his comments, drawing on his many years of experience at Alcoa. For example, Bill took the lead in presenting on behalf of the Council a well thought out analysis of sole source contracting from which everyone at the Forum benefited, especially me. HGPII was so impressed that they asked Bill to put his remarks and power points into a paper for more extensive distribution to the membership. I have heard from people I respect that his classroom presentations to students and lectures to executives are inspiring and informative, which doesn't surprise me in the least based on my personal experience of Bill.
I wholeheartedly recommend Bill to others who might make use of his generosity and expertise in lecturing to students, executives, and general audiences on business ethics issues and appropriate ways for business to operate in society. Professor Mike Hoffman, Bentley University