Experience It.

Medaille College Business Symposium

Building a Sustainable Future for the Buffalo-Niagara Region and Beyond

Medaille's Business Department will host a Business Symposium on Friday, April 3 at the Buffalo Campus. This event will bring undergraduate students together with alumni and business professionals from Western New York. Panelists will be posted as they are confirmed.

As an educational institution, Medaille is committed to building “human capital,” that is, providing the kind of education that contributes to individual success and well-being. From its inception, however, under the leadership of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the College has been directed by an ethos which envisions service to others and civic interconnectedness, or building “social capital.” For this reason, Medaille focuses on both the success of every student and on the difference that each can make in building a better community and serving the common good. The intent of this symposium is to help students learn beyond the classroom and to give students the inspiration that can help turn individual and communal aspirations into realities.

– Michael P. Lillis, MBA, Ph.D.
Chair, Business Department

For more information, contact Michael Lillis, Associate Professor of Business and Chair of the Management Programs, at michael.p.lillis@medaille.edu.

Schedule

7:30 a.m. – 7:50 a.m. Check-in, Front Lobby

WELCOME
Douglas W. Howard, Ph.D.
Vice President for Academic Affairs, Medaille College
Proclamation Erie County Executive’s Office

8 - 11:30 a.m. Panel Sessions I, II, III

11:30 a.m. Keynote Speaker

James R. Kaskie
President and Chief Executive Officer, Kaleida Health
Member, Medaille College Board of Trustees

As one of the largest employers in the Western New York Community, Kaleida Health has a profound impact on the local economic climate. As one of the dominant institutions in the Buffalo–Niagara Region, what provisions has it made to ensure that current and future generations of Western New Yorkers will live both meaningful and well? What opportunities does Kaleida provide that help WNY deploy the skills that we have acquired in order to build social and creative capital in our community?

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Panel Luncheon, President’s Dining Room

Session I

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

1. You Want to Cut My Budget? Alumni Room

In today’s economic tumult, many companies face a tremendous challenge to maintain profitability or just survive. Are companies cutting their budgets and waiting out the maelstrom or are they seeing opportunities for creative solutions?

MODERATOR
Patrick Johnson, CPA, MBA, Associate Professor, Medaille College

PANELISTS
Tom Mazza, Chief Financial Officer, Greatbatch
Marco Benedetti, Controller, Greatbatch
David Carlino, Chief Financial Officer, Cannon Design
Denise Neamon (Pouliot) ’95 BS, Partner, Gaines, Kriner, Elliott
Michael DiRienzo ’06 MBA, Accounting Manager, Rich Products

2. Achieving Operational Excellence, Lecture Hall

Successful organizations are persistent in their attempt to identify opportunities to increase excellence in their business operations. What are companies doing to help drive organizational efficiencies and real-time performance management?

MODERATOR

Luis A. J. Borges, MS, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Medaille College

PANELISTS

Charles Moran, Jr., President and Chief Operations Officer, Delaware North; Vice Chair, Medaille College Board of Trustees
John Voit, Lean Implementation Manager, Delphi
Ike Baker, Divisional Zero Defect Launch Manager, Delphi
Roger Lavocat ’06 MBA, Project Manager and Business Systems Auditor, Moog

3. Impact of Technology on Marketing, Room M322

Examination of how current internet applications are being utilized to enhance companies’ revenue streams and profit, as well as the benefits of brand identification, brand building, and customer loyalty. Plausible future impacts will also be explored.

MODERATOR

Lonni S. Wilson, MFA, MA, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Medaille College

PANELISTS

Teddie Granville, President, Conbrio Design
Jeff Ross, Executive Director, InfoTech Niagara
Tara Doster ’07 MBA, Account Manager, Clevermethod

Session II

9:10 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.

1. Cross-Culture Issues in International Business Lecture Hall

Understanding cultural differences is one of the most significant skills for firms to develop in order to have a competitive advantage in international business. This topic probes some key elements of cross-cultural issues in international business communication.

MODERATOR

Robert G. Tian, MA, MBA, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Medaille College

PANELISTS

Amr Abbas, Senior Biopharmaceuticals Consulant, Amgen
HuaXiao Zhang, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Rich Products
Paul Nippard, Adjunct Professor, SUNY Brockport
Haydar Sadig, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Medaille College

2. WalMart: Community Asset or Liability?, Alumni Room

WalMart is one of the most successful and admired companies in the world and at the same time one of the most despised companies on earth. This session seeks to look at both sides of this issue as we seek to understand WalMart, Devil or Angel?

MODERATOR

Kenneth Radig, MDiv, MBA, Associate Professor, Medaille College

PANELISTS

Kathleen Cartus, Human Resources Director, Cannon Design
Bonnie Fox Garrity, Ed.D., SPHR, Professor, D’Youville College
Lynn Schupp ’06 BS, Marketing, Northeast Agencies, Inc.

3. Corporate Sponsorship in Sport, Room M322

Many professional sport organizations establish partnerships with corporations through sponsorship. This session explores various approaches used in the initial stages of forming these partnerships.

MODERATOR

Richard L. Jacob, MS, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Medaille College

PANELISTS

Christopher Hill, Director of Sales and Marketing, Buffalo Bisons
Philip Wiggle, Consultant, Adjunct Professor, Medaille College
Dave Zygaj, Director of Legal Affairs for the Buffalo Sabres/Buffalo Bandits, HSBC Arena

Session III

10:20 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.

1. Stimulating Community Revitalization, Lecture Hall

Buffalo’s future economic development will be driven by creative thinking and community involvement. This session will focus on the necessary capital investments requirements (e.g. human, social, etc…) that are essential for stimulating the WNY region.

MODERATOR

Michael P. Lillis, MBA, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Medaille College

PANELISTS

Shari Rife ’95 BS, International Planning Process Leader, Rich Products
Walter A. Kolt, Jr., President, Access Solutions
David Schnettler, Account Manager, A.M. Castle & Co.
Meg Quinn, Artistic Director, Theater of Youth
Jon Michael Fox, Lecturer, Center for Studies in Creativity, Buffalo State College

2. Information Assurance, Alumni Room

In this session, we review some of the emerging issues in information assurance (security/privacy) along with their broad impacts on business. More important, we will discuss the leading safe computing practices that prevent us from being victimized.

MODERATOR

Rui Chen, MS, Ph.D. Candidate, Visiting Instructor, Medaille College

PANELISTS

Jeffrey Tricoli, Cyber Supervisor, Federal Bureau of Investigation
John Walp, Chief Information Security Officer, M&T Bank
Charles J. Wonch ’07 MBA, Information Technologies Manager, Kaleida Health

3. Finance 101: Keeping Your Balance, Room M322

Managing finances for yourself can be both challenging and rewarding. Learn about basic financial management tools, including understanding your credit score, how to manage debt, and how to invest, save and spend wisely.

MODERATOR

Kevin C. Bosner, MBA, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Medaille College

PANELISTS

Jeffrey E. Kamien, Financial Advisor, Northwest Financial
Kathryn Warsitz, Vice President, Warsitz Associates
Robert Cole ’05 MBA, Partner, Scheff Investment Group