Associate Professor, São Paulo School of Business Administration
Over the last 30 years, Parente has been an Associate Professor in Marketing and Retailing at FGV-EAESP (Fundação Getulio Vargas – Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo) or the São Paulo School of Business Administration, São Paulo, Brazil, the leading business school in Brazil. While at FGV-EAESP, he was also the head of the Marketing Department and the founder of the school's Center for Excellence in Retail.
Lara Hernandez is an executive with a proven track record of building and leading
high-performing teams in complex businesses and consistently driving profitable
hotel revenue. She has deep understanding of the distribution landscape (web,
voice, on-line travel agencies, global distribution systems), loyalty marketing
and B2B direct sales. Lara has demonstrated success in both launching and repositioning
distribution strategies to deliver increased market share, greater audience
engagement and increased revenue.
Currently, Lara serves as Vice President of Distribution & Relationship Marketing, Americas for IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) PLC. IHG's family of brands includes InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. Lara is responsible for the delivery of over $5.5 billion annually through IHG's direct distribution channels and loyalty program (voice, web, mobile and Priority Club® Rewards) with a specific focus on more than 3,400 IHG hotels in the Americas. Overseeing the strategy, key owner and stakeholder relationships, developing opportunities in key and emerging markets, as well as team development and management provide Lara with impact and value in her role.
Executive Vice President, Korn/Ferry International
Robert H. McNabb is the Executive Vice President of Korn/Ferry International and Global Leader of the Office of the Chief Executive – Premier Client Partnerships program.
John Chambers is one of the most recognized business leaders in the world, heading a corporation with operations on nearly every continent. And he is a Mountaineer.
The Charleston, W.Va., native is Chairman and CEO of Cisco, a globally visible company with more than 65,000 employees around the globe. Chambers, who earned degrees from the West Virginia University John Chambers College of Business and Economics and the WVU College of Law, will speak at his alma mater on September 28 in B&E at 60, the business school's 60th anniversary lecture series.
Henry Harmon is currently President and CEO of Triana Energy, LLC, an exploration and production company headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia. He also serves as the Chairman of a Charleston based private equity firm known as The Equities House, and several of its operating companies. He is also a private investor in a number of enterprises, involved in the development of natural resources, medical devices, alternative fuels, export and logistics, and communications.
Harmon was formerly employed by the Columbia Energy Group for 22 years, where he served as President and CEO of several of its non-regulated energy subsidiaries, including Columbia Natural Resources. He left the Columbia organization in November 2000 to form Triana Energy.
After working for B.F. Goodrich Chemicals, he joined FMC Corporation as an area production manager in 1967. In 1969, he joined the BASF group where he played a major role in developing the company into a multi-billion dollar corporation. While employed at BASF, he held numerous positions before becoming vice president of the Intermediate Chemicals group, a corporate officer, and a member of the executive committee.
In 1980, he left BASF to become CEO of Rio Tinto Zinc Chemicals in the United States and Canada. He shaped the company from the ground up into a leader in the chemical treatment industry. In 1984, Purdy established the AGDATA group of companies, now one of the largest agricultural, animal, and human health data analysis and marketing companies in the world. AGDATA provides Internet and business-to-business solutions to major agrochemical, animal health, hospitals and physicians, throughout the world. It has offices Europe, Canada, and the U.S. In September 2010, Mr. Purdy sold AGDATA and currently sits on the Board of Directors. He is also a co- founder of Cadrillion Capital, a closely held private investment firm located in Charlotte, NC.
Founder of 84 Lumber and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
Joseph A. Hardy III is a true American success story, rising from a college student
selling home-grown vegetables door-to-door to building what today is the largest
privately owned building materials supplier to professional contractors
- 84 Lumber Company.
Lynne Fruth graduated Magna Cum Laude from West Virginia University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in Education. A student athlete, Lynne was a member of the WVU Women's Softball team. She received her Masters degree from Marshall University in 1995.
The youngest daughter of Fruth Pharmacy's founder, the late Jack E. Fruth, Lynne grew up in the family business. Following graduation from WVU, Lynne held a variety of positions in both the public and private sector of education including teacher, educational diagnostician and field researcher for the federal government. Lynne began a consulting practice in 1994 and worked extensively throughout West Virginia providing systems consulting for troubled school districts. Lynne's pioneering work in this area was recognized in 2004 when West Virginia adopted many of these programs and put them in place statewide.
Allison has received the Corning Award for Distinguished Leadership, been inducted into the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Banker. He is a former Distinguished Professor of Practice at Wake Forest University School of Business, and serves on the Board of Visitors at the business schools at Wake Forest, Duke, and UNC-Chapel Hill.
Allison is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his master's degree in management from Duke University, and is also a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking.
W. Marston (Marty) Becker is President and Chief Executive Officer of Alterra Capital Holdings Ltd (Nasdaq-ALTE), a global specialty insurer/reinsurer with assets approximating $10 billion, and with major underwriting platforms in Bermuda, Ireland, the U.S., the UK and Latin America and premium writings of approximately $2 billion annually. Mr. Becker has led insurance, reinsurance and insurance brokerage organizations both publicly traded and privately held, building on an insurance industry career that has spanned a range of advisory and private equity investing roles. Mr. Becker has served as Chairman and CEO of Alterra Capital and its predecessor, Max Capital, since October 2006 and he has been a director since April 2004.
In addition, Mr. Becker currently serves as Chairman of West Virginia Media Holdings ("WVMH"), a statewide media company that he co-founded in 2001. WVMH has eight television stations and a newspaper that reach 90 percent of West Virginia's population.