Magill Business Symposium
"Leadership Challenge: People, Planet, Profits"
Friday, February 29, 2008
This event is currently at capacity.
Now in its ninth year, the Magill Business Symposium brings together Pepperdine MBA students, faculty and leaders from the business community for a day of sharing insights and ideas regarding contemporary business practice. Held at the Drescher Graduate Campus in Malibu, this year's theme illuminates best practices in the nonprofit, private, and public sectors that work toward the common good across industries and around the globe.
The symposium is made possible by benefactor Dr. Frank Magill, an accomplished publisher and philanthropist who encouraged the integration of liberal arts and humanities in the teaching of business leadership and ethics.
Agenda:
| 9:00 - 10:15 a.m.: | Morning keynote session |
| 10:30 - 11:45 a.m.: | Breakout sessions |
| 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.: | Afternoon keynote session |
Keynote Sessions
"How Designing Out The Bad Makes For Good Profit"
Rob Bondurant, Patagonia, VP of Marketing and Communications
We've always believed that we are running Patagonia as if it's going to be here one hundred years from now, but that doesn't mean that we have one hundred years to get there. Our success and longevity lie in our ability to change quickly. Continuous change and innovation on the industrial scale require maintaining a red line sense of urgency- a tall order, especially in Patagonia's seemingly laid-back corporate culture. But to the contrary, our mandate as a company is to instigate sustainable change illustrated through unconventional yet highly profitable business practices. We exist to challenge conventional wisdom and present a new style...of responsible business. Simply put, Patagonia and its thousand employees have the means and the will to prove to the rest of the business community that doing the right thing makes for good and profitable business. This presentation will focus on the risks and rewards associated with running a company as equally concerned with century revenue goals as we are quarterly.
"When Big Business Gets 'It': How Global Companies Can Improve the World"
Dennis Macray, Starbucks, Director Business Practices, Corporate Social Responsibility
Can for-profit businesses be a significant force for positive change on our planet in crisis? Where will you make your mark? Defying conventional wisdom and popular criticism about the role of global corporations, businesses today are taking responsibility and harnessing their scale to make a difference. With 15,000 retail outlets around the globe, Starbucks Coffee Company connects millions of customers and employees to farmers in remote and fragile communities, one sip at a time. Join us for a discussion and dialog about how global citizens like you are changing the world, how one coffee company has put farmers first, and what challenges are still ahead.
Breakout Sessions
"Impact of Environmental Laws on Local Business"
David Reznick, Malibu Bay Co. Executive Director
You have just graduated with your Pepperdine MBA and want to use your entrepreneurial skills to start a local business. You have researched the market, talked with knowledgeable people in the field, lined up your financing, talked with suppliers and even found a location to open the business. What have you overlooked? Using Malibu as an example, have you considered the impact that environmental laws will have on your business? How might the rules of the California Coastal Commission or the Regional Water Quality Control Board affect you? Never heard of them, then you better just polish up your resume and start e-mailing the Fortune 500. Whatever business you are thinking about can be significantly impacted by the growing list of environmental laws that influence every aspect of even small businesses. We will look at an overview of environmental regulations and examine the practical implications on local businesses in Malibu as an example of the complexity you are likely to face when considering a start up business. .
"Bridge of Life - DaVita Medical Missions: Expanding the Scope to Becoming a Corporate Citizen"
Dennis Kogod, DaVita Inc., Group President
DaVita, Inc., a FORTUNE500® company, is a leading provider of dialysis services in the United States, providing dialysis services for patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita manages over 1,300 outpatient facilities and acute units in over 700 hospitals located in 43 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 103,000 patients. Based on his own personal experiences, Dennis will discuss the Bridge of Life - DaVita Medical Missions program and how DaVita aims to expand the boundaries of corporate social responsibility by providing life-sustaining dialysis to underserved countries. The Bridge of Life (BOL) was founded by DaVita and focuses on efforts to improve the quality of life for those in underserved communities both locally and throughout the world. BOL establishes dialysis facilities, trains local staff, pre-screens local residents for chronic kidney disease and works with local hospitals in underserved countries to provide quality dialysis assistance.
"The Future of Hydrogen as a Fuel"
Robert Weiermair, Cyclone Energy, President/CEO
No more fumes at the gas station. No more polluting C02 emissions. Far less dependence on uneven supplies of fossil fuels. Could hydrogen, the simplest and most abundant element in the universe, address both energy and clean air concerns? Hydrogen's possibilities seem to be limitless and yet is still beholden to a sort of "chicken and egg" quandary. How can consumers buy hydrogen fueled cars if drivers can't find fuel? And how does one get energy companies committed to building hydrogen service stations if few people own these cars?
Both these challenges and the resulting financial opportunities will be discussed in conjunction with the need to harness investment, consumer demand, safety, technology, perception, legislation and law makers themselves into the funnel that will yield the dawn of the new industrial age: The hydrogen age.
"Meeting Environmental Challenges: Pepperdine University's Sustainable Practices"
Rhiannon Pregitzer, Pepperdine University, Director Regulatory Affairs
Media coverage of "going green" is growing exponentially. Although Pepperdine is not an institution prone to "jumping on the bandwagon," the University is steadfast in our commitment to do the right things for the right reasons. We engage in responsible stewardship of God's earth by undertaking practices that ensure the sustenance of our environment and natural resources. This notion directly comports with our dedication to strengthen student's lives for purpose, service, and leadership. The efforts we make towards sustainability today will carry on through our students to tomorrow and beyond. The first step in ensuring the continuation of these principles is to educate students on current University practices. Towards that end, the Office of Regulatory Affairs at Pepperdine University will provide an overview of all existing "sustainable" practices and some of our plans for the future at the Magill Symposium. For example, Pepperdine has used reclaimed water for irrigation for almost 30 years, recycles all refuse on campus, and placed lighting and HVAC systems on automated programs to reduce energy consumption. The second step in ensuring the proliferation of sustainable living is to engage students in the dialogue. As such, during the Magill Symposium presentation, I will encourage discussion about our sustainable practices.
"Microfinancing: Entreprenuerial Vision for Changing the World"
Jay Milbrant: JD/MBA Student, Pepperdine University
Microfinance is changing the world by empowering some of its most impoverished people to become entrepreneurs. Recent MBA grad, Jay Milbrandt, will share his experiences working with microfinance institutions and entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, Thailand, Burma, and Uganda. He will show his short film, "Moving the Mountain of Poverty," and speak about the need and opportunities for MBAs to join this growing field.
Optional Offsite Sessions (Following Afternoon Keynote)
LivingHomes Tour
Tour: 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. with Aldo Fierro
www.livinghomes.net
Tour the first LivingHome that features modern form and functionality and an unprecedented level of healthy/sustainability materials and energy systems. Designed by Ray Kappe, FAIA and was the first residence in the nation to receive LEED® platinum, the highest level of certification from the United States Green Building Council. LivingHomes uses high volume, factory production to increase the quality of their homes and reduce their cost, schedule, and construction waste, compared to those that are similarly constructed on site.
Cross Creek Plaza Wastewater Plant
You will have an opportunity to tour a new state of the art wastewater plant plan just completed at a local Malibu Shopping Center. The tour will be conducted by plant's designer, a nationally celebrated expert in clean water technology who will explain how technical advances allow sewage to be turned into clean water than meets the most stringent environmental regulations. Not only will you see the application of the latest water quality technology but also be able to understand the growing impact of environmental regulations on both property owners and small businesses.
Children's Lifesaving Foundation: Clean-up with the Kids
After the Magill Symposium, head on over to the Children's Lifesaving Foundation center in Santa Monica to take part in a Center Clean-up alongside the children. As they learn about community responsibility, you can help make their learning space and after school tutoring center a more organized and cleaner space that will benefit their education and contribute to the benefits offered from the help they receive.
