NASHVILLE, Tenn. ñTop executives of MCI and America West Airlines will discuss how to lead a company through the most trying times and how to weather corporate challengesófrom falling stock prices to economic pressures to bankruptcyóat the one-day "Managing in Turbulent Times" conference at the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University on Nov. 14.
The conference will include speeches by Michael Capellas, chairman and CEO of MCI, and Doug Parker, chairman, president and CEO of America West Airlines. They will be joined by other high-profile leaders who have steered or advised companies through difficult situations and who will share their insights in four panel discussions.
"With this program, the Owen School is launching an annual series of finance conferences directed to top executives and finance professionals and devoted to the timely topics they face," said Jim Bradford, associate dean of corporate relations at the Owen School. He added that the sessions will be highly interactive and that participants will gain access to leaders who can help them "learn best practices for the worst of times. Headed by our two keynote speakers, who have exhibited tremendous leadership of their companies in less than ideal times, this conference promises to provide a unique window onto the world of corporate leadership from the people who know its challenges best," Bradford said.
Capellas became MCI’s chairman and CEO in December 2002 and has earned high marks for his leadership of the global communications giant during a time of crisis for the company. A 27-year-veteran of the information technology industry, he served as president of Hewlett-Packard and as chairman and CEO of Compaq before joining MCI.
Parker was elected chairman, president and CEO of America West Airlines in 2001. He joined America West in 1995 as chief financial officer after holding executive positions with Northwest and American airlines. Under Parker’s leadership, America West has transformed itself from a high-cost, legacy carrier to a low-fare, full-service airline. The company’s turnaround has touched every aspect of its business, from operations to marketing, and is evident in its recently announced profits for the third quarter of 2003. Parker is an Owen School alumnus.
The conference’s four panel discussions are
∑ "Taking Your Company Private"óFacilitated by Bradford, this panel will include Charles W. Byrge II, senior managing director and head of investment banking at FTN Financial Securities Corp.; Brian Carr, former president and director of Ameripath Inc.; William Argabrite, partner with Hunter, Smith & Davis LLP; and Richard Roberts, former senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of Landair Corp.
∑ "The Clouded Crystal Ball: An Economic Forecast"óFacilitated by Luke Froeb, director of the Bureau of Economics for the Federal Trade Commission and the William C. and Margaret M. Oehmig Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise at the Owen School, this panel will include Roger Brinner, partner and chief economist with the Parthenon Group; Catherine Mann, senior fellow at the Institute for International Economics; and Marty Mosby, executive vice president of strategic planning and investor relations at First Tennessee.
∑ "A Bright Line on the Floor: Challenges of Leading in Turbulent Times"óFacilitated by Bart Victor, Cal Turner Chair of Moral Leadership at the Owen School, this panel includes Capellas and Michael Shmerling, executive vice president of Kroll Inc. and president of Kroll’s Background Screening Group.
∑ "Bankruptcy and Workout"óFacilitated by Corey Napier, commercial banking manager for First Tennessee, this panel includes Terry Savage, managing director and co-head of restructuring for Lazard Freres & Co.; William L. Norton III of Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry PLC; and Robert Rasmussen, professor of law at Vanderbilt University Law School and one of the nation’s leading experts on corporate bankruptcy law.
The conference, which begins at 8 a.m. and concludes with a reception at 4:30 p.m., is being held at the Loews Vanderbilt hotel at 2100 West End Ave. in Nashville. Advance registration is required as space is limited. The cost for the conference is $229 per person, and registration can be completed online at http://mba.vanderbilt.edu/conferences/owenfinance/register.htm.
The 2003 Finance Conference is sponsored by the Owen Graduate School of Management, First Tennessee and the Vanderbilt MBA Finance Club.
The First Tennessee National Corp. (NYSE: FTN) family of companies provides financial services to individual and business customers through First Tennessee Bank, First Horizon Home Loans, FTN Financial, First Horizon Merchant Services and Synaxis Group. More than 10,000 FTN employees provide financial services through hundreds of offices located in more than 30 states.
Founded in 1969, the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University is ranked as a top institution by Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Financial Times and Forbes. For more news about Owen, visit www.mba.vanderbilt.edu.
Media contact: Susanne Loftis, (615) 322-NEWS