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Wes Bush is chairman, chief executive officer and president of Northrop Grumman Corporation, a leader in global security. Bush was named chief executive officer and president in January 2010, and elected to the company’s Board of Directors in 2009. He assumed the role of chairman in July 2011.

Bush previously served as the president and chief operating officer of the company. Before that, he served as the corporate vice president and chief financial officer, and, earlier, as the president of the company’s Space Technology sector. Prior to the acquisition of TRW by Northrop Grumman, he had served since 2001 as president and chief executive officer for TRW’s UK-based global Aeronautical Systems. Bush joined TRW in 1987 as a systems engineer, and served in engineering, program management and business development roles in TRW’s Space & Electronics business. Prior to joining TRW, he held engineering positions with both the Aerospace Corporation and Comsat Labs.

Bill Bayless is the co-founder, President and CEO of American Campus Communities, Inc., the nation’s largest developer, owner and manager of high quality student housing. Today, more than 130,000 college students call one of American Campus’ 200 plus student properties “home” in more than 80 collegiate markets across America. The company currently has a total enterprise value in excess of $7 billion.

The son and grandson of steelworkers, Bayless was born and raised in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. He started working at the age of 12, mowing lawns and detailing cars. A first generation college student, he attended West Virginia University from 1982 – 1986 graduating from the College of Business and Economics with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Bayless first forged his vision of what would someday become American Campus Communities, while he was still a student at WVU working as a dishwasher, grill cook, night desk attendant, and as a resident assistant at Summit Hall.

On paper, Mark Bowe is the founder and president of Antique Cabins & Barns. He is the owner/broker of Mark Bowe Insurance Agency, and he is the host of the popular DIY Network series, Barnwood Builders. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from WVU College of Business and Economics and Master of Science in Safety Management from WVU College of Mineral and Energy Resources.

Tina Bigalke is Vice President - Human Resources for PepsiCo’s Global Supply, Operations and Research & Development Teams, where she sets HR strategy for over 6000 associates worldwide. In this capacity, she is an advisor to PepsiCo’s Chief Science Office and Vice-Chairman, and the Executive Vice-President and General Manager of Global Operations.

Tina joined PepsiCo in 2001. Prior to her current role, she was VP – Headquarters HR for PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay Business Unit with responsibilities ranging from strategic people planning and development to executive coaching. Tina served Frito-Lay in a range of HR capacities, including HR Senior Director – Corporate Business Innovation, Sales HR Senior Director, and HR Director and manager for various sites.

Brad Smith is chairman and chief executive officer of Intuit. He joined Intuit in 2003 and held a series of executive positions during a five-year rise through the company where he successfully led several of its major businesses. He was named Intuit’s president and chief executive officer in January 2008, and became chairman of the board of directors in January 2016.

Building on Intuit’s strong foundation and enduring mission, Smith has cultivated an agile, innovative culture and led initiatives to reimagine and reinvent Intuit to harness emerging technology and trends, continuing to improve the financial lives of customers around the world. During that time, Intuit has earned a reputation as an innovative company that is consistently ranked as one of the top 100 best places to work, and among the most-admired software companies each year.

Judy Shoulak, EVP, President of North America Buffalo Wild Wings, leads the North American Business Unit (United States and Canada) for this rapidly growing and highly successful restaurant chain.

Shoulak is highly qualified for this role with 13 years of Buffalo Wild Wings experience and an extensive background in Operations and Human Resources, including nine years in Operations at JCPenney, eight years in Operations, Training and Human Resources at The Original Cookie Company, and eight years with OfficeMax, Inc. as Vice President of Human Resources, Retail Stores. At OfficeMax, she was responsible for providing strategic direction and support to nearly 1,000 stores, 19 delivery centers, two call centers, and three distribution centers, as well as Human Resources support to joint venture partners in Mexico, Japan and Brazil.

This event is co-sponsored by the WVU Reed College of Media.

Ahrens is the author of “SEOUL MAN: A Memoir of Cars, Culture, Crisis, and Unexpected Hilarity Inside a Korean Corporate Titan” (HarperCollins), the story of his three-plus years running the Global Public Relations operation of Hyundai Motor in Seoul as the only American at headquarters.At Hyundai, Ahrens promoted the brand to media members around the world, traveling to every continent except Africa and Antarctica. His travels took him to Sao Paulo, Paris, Frankfurt, Muscat, Singapore, Beijing, Monaco, Dubai, and Delhi. At Hyundai HQ, he created the company’s first English-language corporate media site, hired the company’s first English editor, helped establish the company’s first PR operation in the Middle East in Dubai, and won numerous positive newspaper front-page and magazine-cover articles.Ahrens returned to the United States in 2014 and is currently a Vice President at BGR Public Relations in Washington, D.C. He is a member of the West Virginia University Reed College of Media’s Visiting Committee.Ahrens previously worked for 18 years as an editor and reporter at The Washington Post. He covered the global financial crisis of 2008-2010 as well as the media and entertainment industries, interviewing heads of television networks and movie studios and even William Shatner (twice). Ahrens appeared frequently as a media industry expert on CNBC, MSNBC, PBS and other networks.He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from West Virginia University and was editor of The Daily Athenaeum.

Today he is a retired coal executive who lives in Naples, Fla., and McMurray, Pa. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from WVU in 1973. Statler began his career with Consolidation Coal in 1969, retiring as senior vice president of mining for CONSOL Energy in 1999. He then formed his own mining consulting company. 

At Consolidation Coal Company he held many positions, beginning as a laborer and advancing from section foreman to assistant superintendent, superintendent, and technical assistant to vice president of Morgantown operations before becoming vice president of Moundsville and Ohio operations. In 1994 Statler was named senior vice president of mining, eastern region, and in 1996 became senior vice president of mining for CONSOL.

Chairman and CEO, Arch Coal, Inc .

Steven F. Leer is chairman and chief executive officer of Arch Coal, Inc.