Anant Agarwal, PhD, CEO of edX, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT

Wed 10/1, 11am – 12pm EST
Forum: Cultivating Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Anant Agarwal is the CEO of edX, an online learning destination founded by Harvard and MIT. Anant taught the first edX course on circuits and electronics from MIT, which drew 155,000 students from 162 countries. He has served as the director of CSAIL, MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and is a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT. He is a successful serial entrepreneur, having co-founded several companies including Tilera Corporation, which created the Tile multicore processor, and Virtual Machine Works.

Anant won the Maurice Wilkes prize for computer architecture, and MIT’s Smullin and Jamieson prizes for teaching. He holds a Guinness World Record for the largest microphone array, and is an author of the textbook “Foundations of Analog and Digital Electronic Circuits.”

Scientific American selected his work on organic computing as one of 10 World- Changing Ideas in 2011, and he was named in Forbes’ list of top 15 education innovators in 2012. Anant, a pioneer in computer architecture, is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a fellow of the ACM.

He hacks on WebSim, an online circuits laboratory, in his spare time. Anant holds a Ph.D. from Stanford and a bachelor’s from IIT Madras.

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Maryam Alavi, PhD, Dean, Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. Chair, Professor of Information Technology Management, Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business

Tues 9/30, 9am – 10am EST
Forum: Supporting 21st Century Competencies

Maryam Alavi, PhD, joined Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business as Dean in July 2014. She also holds the Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. Chair.

As an expert in IT innovations and strategic applications, Alavi has authored numerous published papers and has served on the editorial boards of several prestigious academic journals. She is a thought leader on technology-mediated learning and an experienced educator who has extensive experience in developing leadership curriculum for business students.

Alavi is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences. She has consulted with organizations including AT&T, KPMG, IBM, Marriott Corporation, Sodexo, the American College of Physicians, the Aspen Institute, the General Accounting Office, International Association for Management Education, and the World Bank. Her international work experience includes teaching graduate and executive development programs in Europe, North Africa, and Asia.

Prior to joining Georgia Tech, she served as interim dean and vice dean of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, where she held the John & Lucy Cook Chair in Information Strategy.

Alavi was awarded the distinguished Marvin Bower Faculty Fellowship at Harvard Business School and received the prestigious AIS (Association of Information Systems) Fellows Award. AIS Fellows are elected by a committee of peers and are expected to be role models and an inspiration to colleagues and students within the discipline.

She served two terms as a board member of the Georgia Technology Authority appointed by the Governor of the State of Georgia.

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Andréa Backman, PhD, Senior Vice President & Dean, Jack Welch Management Institute

Wed 10/1, 12pm – 1pm EST
Forum: Increasing the Value of Management Education

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Douglas L. Becker, Founder, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Laureate Education Inc.

Wed 10/1, 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Forum: Increasing the Value of Management Education

Douglas L. Becker is chairman and chief executive officer of Laureate Education, Inc., the world’s leading network of higher education institutions. Mr. Becker has led the company since 1991, when it was known as Sylvan Learning Systems. Mr. Becker built Sylvan Learning Systems into the K-12 tutoring leader, with nearly 2,000 learning centers and 200,000 students before branching out into higher education in 1999. The Sylvan tutoring business was sold in 2003 to allow Laureate to focus on higher education.

Today, Laureate Education is a trusted global leader in providing access to high quality, innovative institutions of higher education. The Laureate International Universities network celebrates it’s 15th anniversary this year and has since grown to include over 850,000 students at more than 75 campus-based and online institutions in 29 countries throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. President William J. Clinton, 42nd president of the United States, serves as the Honorary Chancellor of the Laureate International Universities network, a role in which he offers advice on social responsibility, youth leadership and increasing access to higher education.

Mr. Becker is deeply committed to community service. He is the board chair of the International Youth Foundation, which has invested more than $200 million to improve conditions and prospects for young people in close to 80 countries. With Mr. Becker’s guidance, IYF expanded its YouthActionNet® program, which supports young social entrepreneurs around the globe. Mr. Becker also supports many civic groups in Baltimore, Maryland, his hometown.

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Sean M. Belka, Senior Vice President and Director of the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology, Fidelity Investments

Wed 10/1, 4pm – 5pm EST
Forum: Cultivating Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Sean Belka is senior vice president, director of Fidelity Center for Applied Technology (FCAT), a unit of Fidelity Investments, a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing and other financial products and services to more than 20 million individuals, institutions and financial intermediaries. FCAT’s vision is to serve as Fidelity’s idea and innovation catalyst, helping Fidelity’s employees and businesses to imagine and realize the possibilities of emerging technologies and new ideas.

Mr. Belka joined Fidelity in 1993 to lead marketing and product development for Fidelity Trust Company. In 1997, he became senior vice president, Mutual Fund Customer Marketing for FPI. In 1998, he transitioned to FPI’s Core Segment, where he led Fidelity’s efforts to better understand and serve its mass market and mass affluent customers. From 1999 to 2000, Mr. Belka served in FPI’s Online Brokerage unit, where he was responsible for Fidelity’s strategic partnerships with online content providers, marketing partners and online capabilities providers. From 2001 to 2003, Mr. Belka led FPI’s market research, database marketing, CRM, lead management and customer analysis and modeling functions. From 2003 to 2005, Mr. Belka led FPI’s customer strategy and marketing efforts for Emerging, Engaged, Established, High Net Worth, Active Trader and Corporate Employee segments and was also responsible for FPI’s direct acquisition efforts and online marketing. Prior to his current role, Mr. Belka was senior vice president, Online Strategy, where he led the re-design of fidelity.com, transforming it into a more content rich and engaging experience.

Prior to joining Fidelity, Mr. Belka was a senior vice president for Digitas, LLC in Boston. His responsibilities included client engagement with start-up and blue chip companies, providing strategy, CRM, Web and direct marketing services. Previously, Mr. Belka was a marketing director for Advanta Credit Cards (now Bank of America) in Philadelphia, where he led customer acquisition, new product development and For more information call Fidelity Corporate Communications at 617-563-5800. 6/11 customer development and retention. He previously worked in strategic planning and new product development at Sallie Mae. Mr. Belka began his career at Citibank, where he was a member of the Management Associate program and a marketing executive in the credit card division.

See other VIP guest from Fidelity Investments: Pam Norley

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Ben M. Bensaou, PhD, Professor of Technology and Operations Management, Professor of Asian Business and Comparative Management, INSEAD

Thurs 10/2, 2pm – 3pm EST
Forum: Cultivating Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Ben M. Bensaou is Professor of Technology Management and Asian Business and Comparative Management at INSEAD. He was a Visiting Associate Professor at the Harvard Business School in 1998-1999. He holds a PhD in Management from the MIT Sloan Questrom School of Business, USA; an MA in Management Science from Hitotsubashi University, Japan; a Diplôme d’Ingénieur (MSc) in Civil Engineering; and a DEA in Mechanical Engineering from respectively the Ecole Nationale des TPE, Lyon and the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble, France.

His research and teaching focuses on (1) a Process View of Value Innovation and Blue Ocean Strategy deployment initiatives, (2) new forms of organizations, in particular networked corporations, (3) the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on organizations and Value Innovation. Professor Bensaou addresses these issues from an international comparative perspective, with a special focus on Japanese organizations. His research on supplier relations in the U.S. and Japanese auto industries won the best doctoral dissertation in the field of information systems and a finalist award for the Free Press Award for outstanding dissertation research in business policy and strategy. His case on the Circus Industry and the Cirque du Soleil won the 2006 ECCH Best Case Award (in Strategy – with Kim and Mauborgne). His publications include papers inManagement Science, Information Systems Research, Organization Sciencer, Strategic Management Journal, Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, , book chapters and conference proceedings. He has been a member of the Editorial Board of Information Systems Research, MIS Quarterly, and MISQ Executive. He has been listed in the Who’s Who in the World since 1998.

Professor Bensaou has been consulting for Asian, European and US corporations. He teaches courses on Corporate Strategy, Value Innovation/Blue Ocean Strategy, Information Technology and Comparative Management (in English and French). He has been a Visiting Professor at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo and has taught (in Japanese) in Executive Programs at Keio Business School, Tokyo, Japan.

Professor Bensaou grew up in France. He has also lived and was educated in Japan. He and his wife Masako live in Fontainebleau, with their two younger sons Alexis and Lennon. Their elder son Sophian is pursuing his college education in Philadelphia, USA.

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Della Bradshaw, Business Education Editor, Financial Times

Wed 10/1, 6am – 7am EST
Forum: Challenging the Business Model of Education

Della Bradshaw is the FT’s Business Education Editor and is responsible for all our business education coverage online, in the newspaper and in our magazines. She established the business education section in 1995 and devised and launched the first FT business school rankings in 1999. Before this, she was the Technology Lead Writer for the FT. She has previously lived and taught in Italy, Turkey and Japan.

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Neil S. Braun, JD, Dean, Lubin School of Business, Pace University

Tues 9/30, 10:30am – 11am EST
Forum: Evaluating Policy & Rankings

Neil S. Braun is the Dean of Pace University’s Lubin School of Business in New York since July 2010.  His first initiatives there included the creation of the Center for Global Governance, Reporting and Regulation and a professional certification program for financial institution compliance executives. He has previously been President of the NBC Television Network, Chairman and CEO of Viacom Entertainment, an internet and environmental entrepreneur, a film producer and corporate attorney. Braun serves on the board of directors and the audit and governance committees of IMAX Corporation(NYSE),  He is the Chairman of the Audit Committee for national anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength and is President of the Board of the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center. He is an active member of the National Association of Corporate Directors and was chosen by that organization in 2012 as “one to watch.” Braun currently serves on the AACSB’s Business Practices Council and the Committee on Accreditation Policy.

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Arthur Brooks, PhD, President, American Enterprise Institute

Wed 10/1, 4pm – 4:30pm
Forum: Cultivating Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Arthur C. Brooks is president of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). He is also the Beth and Ravenel Curry Scholar in Free Enterprise at AEI.

Immediately before joining AEI, Brooks was the Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government at Syracuse University, where he taught economics and social entrepreneurship.

Brooks is the author of 10 books and hundreds of articles on topics including the role of government, fairness, economic opportunity, happiness, and the morality of free enterprise. His latest book, “The Road to Freedom: How to Win the Fight for Free Enterprise” (2012) was a New York Times bestseller. Among his earlier books are “Gross National Happiness” (2008), “Social Entrepreneurship” (2008), and “Who Really Cares” (2006). Before pursuing his work in public policy, Brooks spent 12 years as a classical musician in the United States and Spain.

Brooks is a frequent guest on national television and radio talk shows and has been published widely in publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

Brooks has a Ph.D. and an M.Phil. in policy analysis from RAND Graduate School. He also holds an M.A. in economics from Florida Atlantic University and a B.A. in economics from Thomas Edison State College.

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Robert A. Brown, PhD, President, Boston University

Wed 10/1, 2pm – 3pm EST
Forum: Producing Research with Impact

Dr. Robert A. Brown, a distinguished chemical engineer, has served as president of Boston University since 2005. During his tenure, Boston University produced and has begun executing its first strategic plan, Choosing to be Great, which focuses on strengthening the quality of undergraduate and graduate programs, attracting world-class faculty members, and facilitating their research and scholarship. Significant progress has been made toward these goals, as evidenced by enhanced quality of the incoming undergraduate class, increased ranking of the University and, in 2012, the University being invited to join the Association of American Universities, which includes the 62 leading research universities in the United States and Canada. Also in 2012, the University launched its first comprehensive fundraising campaign to raise $1 billion by 2017; to date, the University has raised over $700 million. The campaign already has led to important new academic initiatives including the Kilachand Honors College, a unique discovery-based approach to fulfilling the general education requirement for our most talented undergraduate students, and the Pardee School for Global Studies within the College of Arts and Sciences.

He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Brown also is a director of the DuPont Company, a trustee of the Universities Research Association, a director of the American Council on Education, and has served on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology for President George W. Bush. He also serves as chairman of the Academic Research Council of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Singapore, is a member of Singapore’s Research Innovation and Enterprise Council, and is a trustee of The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC).

Before coming to Boston University, Dr. Brown held a number of leadership positions at MIT, including provost, dean of the School of Engineering, and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering. He has published more than 250 papers in areas related to mathematical modeling of transport phenomena in materials, and he served as executive editor of the Journal of Chemical Engineering Science from 1991 to 2004. He was named an honorary citizen of the Republic of Singapore in 2005 and in 2008, was honored as one of the top 100 Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

He earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota. He and his wife Beverly have two grown sons.

See other Boston University VIPs: Ken FreemanJames Post, Michael Salinger, N. Venkatraman

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