Notre Dame Berges Lecture Series examines current issues in business ethics

Author: Carol Elliott

John A. Berges Lecture Series in Business Ethics

The 2013 John A. Berges Lecture Series in Business Ethics, sponsored by the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, kicks off this year with a discussion led by Deloitte & Touche executive Owen Ryan about the reputational value of ethical leadership.

Ryan will present “Reputation is the Most Important Asset: Ethics as a Key Differentiator in the Consulting Marketplace” at 7 p.m. Sept. 3 (Tuesday) in the Mendoza College’s Jordan Auditorium.

Berges lectures feature senior executives speaking about current issues of business ethics that impact a wide range of stakeholders, including employees, investors, consumers and society as a whole.

“We have an especially strong set of lecture topics for this year. They cover a broad spectrum of industries and topics, from leadership to taxes, to competition and social investing,” said Patrick E. Murphy, professor of marketing and coordinator of the Berges Lecture Series. “The overall theme of ethical and responsible business practices guide our selection of the Berges speakers.”

The talks, which are free and open to the public, begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted and are held in either the Mendoza College’s Jordan Auditorium or DeBartolo Hall Room 141.

The 2013 Berges Lecture Series schedule is as follows:

  • Sept. 3 (Tuesday): Owen Ryan, CEO of AERS Advisory, Deloitte & Touche LLP; “Reputation is the Most Important Asset: Ethics as a Key Differentiator in the Consulting Marketplace,” Jordan Auditorium.
  • Sept. 9 (Monday): James Hackett, CEO, Steelcase Inc.; “The Notion of Competing,” DeBartolo Hall Room 141.
  • Sept. 18 (Wednesday), 7:30 p.m.: Panel Discussion by Joseph Holt, Brian Levey and Ken Milani, Mendoza College of Business faculty members; “Greed and Taxes in Business: A Panel Discussion,” Jordan Auditorium.
  • Sept. 30 (Monday): John Donovan, senior executive vice president of AT&T Technology and Network Operations; “Long Term Principles in a Short Term World," DeBartolo Hall Room 141.
  • Oct. 31 (Thursday), 7:30 p.m.: Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of the Acumen Fund; “Patient Capital and Human-Centered Development in an Interconnected World,” Jordan Auditorium.
  • Nov. 18 (Monday): Gary Aguirre, former investigator with the United States SEC; “Whistle-blowing and the Securities and Exchange Commission,” DeBartolo Hall Room 141.

Contact: Deb Coch, 574-631-6072, coch.1@nd.edu