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2nd Place Winner of the Writing Competition: "Let It Be Known" by Harrison Wang

In the decades leading up to the recognition of CSR as a central pillar of business, CSR was typically viewed as an extraneous project of minor importance for businesses during a time where consumers placed a greater emphasis on the quality of a product rather than the quality of a company. However, as technology and information have become readily available and accessible to more and more of the world population, people have evolved in their consumption calculus by evaluating every aspect of the product that makes it what it is.

3rd Place Winner of the Writing Competition: "With Great Beauty Comes Great Responsibility" by Mohil Chaudari

The apparel, fashion, and luxury industry (AF&L) is one of the worst-affected industries by COVID-19, with demand and supply restructuring towards consumption of essential goods and services. With both retail and online sales diminishing as people consolidate their wealth to survive the pandemic, the industry has realized that they will not be able to operate their current business until the consumer confidence revives and social distancing relaxes.

Inside BT: Expanding a 300 Student Conference into the Digital Realm

The International Conference is one of Business Today's oldest programs and is in its 46th year of operation. During this episode, we chat with Felipe Bickenbach, the Director of this year's conference, on his experience transforming the flagship event into a weeklong digital event to serve three hundred students across the globe. Felipe shares the challenges and tribulations he encountered while also providing advice for students thinking about hosting digital events themselves. Inside BT is a series that was launched to reflect on how Business Today, a nonprofit that's entirely run by undergraduates, has adapted to the new digital normal created by COVID.

The Exciting Future of Medicine with Pablo Lapuerta

Pablo Lapuerta, the Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, focuses heavily on genetics and drug development. He discusses the messaging that the pharmaceutical industry needs to do in order to help the public understand the extensive processes behind bringing new drugs to market, improvements that could be made in the FDA’s drug approval process, and a novel drug that he and Lexicon have developed to treat Type I diabetes.

Gary Briggs, Digital Director for the Bloomberg Presidential Campaign, on the 2020 Elections, Marketing, and the Importance of Family

“I have never been good at the ‘what do you want to be in five years?’ question,” said Gary Briggs, whose prolific career includes time in senior positions at eBay, Google, Facebook, and most recently as the digital director of Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign. For Briggs, it is genuine person-to-person connections that matters at the end of the day.

Mario Gabelli and the Importance of Understanding the World

Mario Gabelli, founder and CEO of Gabelli Asset Management Company Investors (GAMCO Investors), delivered a keynote speech at Business Today’s 45th International Conference. He spoke on a range of topics, from ETFs causing him to be an “endangered species” to an unexpected crash course in geography, in order to stress the importance of pursuing knowledge and global awareness.

Wonder Women: Female Entrepreneurship Today with Ita Ekpoudom

As the founder of Tigress Ventures, a management consulting firm connecting women with the proper expertise and resources to succeed in startup ventures, Ita Ekpoudom was addressing gender inequality in the C-Suite long before the discussion entered the spotlight. In a conversation with Business Today, Ekpoudom explains why women must become an investment - not just a token - that companies sincerely care about.

A Conversation With Debi Chirichella, EVP & CFO at Hearst Magazines: "We Are As Good As The People Who Work For Us"

Debi Chirichella is executive vice president, chief financial officer and director of global operations for Hearst Magazines, one of the world's largest publishers of monthly magazines, with 25 U.S. titles and close to 300 international editions.

A Conversation on Healthcare with Pat Wang, CEO of Healthfirst

Business Today speaks with Pat Wang, CEO of Healthfirst, which currently collaborates with more than 37,000 providers to provide health services to over 1.36 million New Yorkers. Wang elaborates on her efforts to bring medical access to lower-income and minority communities and the importance of improving medical records databases for accuracy.

Jon Weiss, Senior Executive Vice President of Wealth & Investment Management at Wells Fargo, On What Makes Banking So Special To Him

Jon Weiss is the Senior Executive Vice President of Wealth & Investment Management at Wells Fargo. In an interview with Business Today, Weiss shares how he got his start in banking, and why he has stayed with the company for so long.

Gerrard Schmid, CEO of Diebold Nixdorf, Shares the Highs and Lows of Being a CEO

Gerrard Schmid was appointed CEO of Diebold Nixdorf two years ago in early 2018. But already, he has made important changes for the company and has bigger plans for the future. In an interview with Business Today, Schmid shared some of those goals and how he hopes to accomplish them.

Video Interview: An Inside Look Into the Philosophy of Peter Yu, Managing Partner at Cartesian Capital

BT Events, Event Coverage, Interviews, International ConferenceJia YuFebruary 11, 2020Peter Yu, Cartesian Capital, Leadership, work culture, globalization, digitalization, investment banking, private equity, leadership

On Reigniting the Spirit of Inclusion: A Video Interview with James Bell, COO of Global Operations at Alliance Abroad

In a video interview, Business Today’s Arjun Jagjivan talks with James Bell, COO of Global Operations at Alliance Abroad, about reimagining the future of the company and creating a more inclusive culture.

Titans of Their Industries: A Discussion With Debi Chirichella, CFO of Hearst Magazines; Peggy Koenig, Chair of Abry Partners, and Ita Ekpoudom, Partner at Gingerbread Capital

The second day of the International Conference continued with the diversity panel, which featured three female leaders in three very different industries: Debi Chirichella, the CFO of Hearst Magazines; Peggy Koenig, Chair of Abry Partners, a private equity company; and Ita Ekpoudom, a partner at Gingerbread Capital, a Venture Capital firm. Despite their varied industries and skillsets, they all share common experiences and have all fought to promote gender equity in the workplace.

Gary Briggs On Why He Became the Digital Director for the Bloomberg Presidential Campaign

Gary Briggs, former CMO of Facebook and current Digital Director for the Bloomberg Presidential Campaign, ended day two of the International Conference in a fireside chat with Neel Ajjarapu, the President of Business Today. Briggs reflected on his career path, which led him from the world of politics to the world of marketing, and in a strange way, back to politics again.

A Closer Look: Lloyd Howell, CFO and Treasurer at Booz Allen Hamilton

In a video interview, Howell goes more in depth on his career path and the impact of technology and globalization on his role as CFO at Booz Allen Hamilton.

Digitization in Marketing: Not a Challenge but a New Reality | A conversation with Tom Wilson of Bayer

Tom Wilson, Head of Marketing & Commercial Excellence for Crop Science at Bayer, has always been drawn to marketing as a space for creativity and business acumen. Luckily, growing up in St. Louis, Tom was surrounded by inspiration from local retail giants like Anheuser-Busch and Nestle Purina PetCare.

Barbara Byrne, former Vice Chairman of Investment Banking at Barclays and Independent Director of CBS Corp, on the Importance of Perseverance

Barbara Byrne, former Vice Chairman of Investment Banking at Barclays and Independent Director of CBS Corp, launched the second day of the International Conference in a fireside chat that looked back on her 42-year career. Byrne reflected on her personal career path, and in doing so, offered nuggets of wisdom to the conference attendees.

“Know Thy Troops”: From Marine Service to Strategic Management with Matt Eichmann

Matt Eichmann’s depth of experience is tough to beat. As a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with 7 years of service in the Marine Corps, Eichmann commands a powerful presence in the manufacturing industry. He now serves as the Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at the packaging firm Greif, Inc.

Investing in Companies Based on Management Behavior: A Conversation With Karim Mawji, Founding Partner and Head of Research at Paragon Intel

Founded in 2017, Paragon Intel gathers and provides data on management teams to better help investors develop informed insights on the companies they invest in. In an interview with Karim Mawji, the company’s Founding Partner and Head of Research, he explained how there has traditionally been a large community of investors who primarily analyze the company and places less emphasis on qualifying the human capital component.