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Delta State University’s International Business Symposium featured four top ranking international business professionals, including (from l. to r.) David Abney, UPS International President; Peter White, Founder and President of The Southern Center for International Studies; Mylle Mangum, Chairman and CEO of International Banking Technologies Enterprises; and Dr. Jeffrey Rosensweig, Director of the Global Perspectives Program at Goizueta Business School of Emory University. |
With a combined, two-day attendance of over 2,200 participants, Delta State University’s International Business Symposium proved an overwhelming success in its inaugural debut.
Presented through its College of Business and Division of Management, Marketing, and Business Administration, Delta State’s International Business Symposium opened Thursday, March 2 and concluded just before lunch, Friday, March 3 inside the State Room of the H.L. Nowell Union Building on the campus.
The symposium was sponsored by David Abney and wife, Sherry, both Delta natives who currently reside in Atlanta. Abney is President of UPS International and a 1976 Delta State alumnus.
He keynoted the symposium’s opening night, detailing what it takes to “Win in a Global World.” As President of UPS International, Abney is responsible for the strategic development and management of UPS’s international package division and as part of UPS’s Management Committee, he is also responsible for overseeing UPS’s international package services within the United States. A well recognized speaker on international topics, his resume includes recent presentations at the Southeast U.S. Trade Conference in Tokyo, the World Economic Forum in Switzerland and the Shanghai Executive Leadership Program.
It was the Abneys’ generous gift that helped initially launch Delta State’s International Business and Development program this fall. Designed to prepare students for the constantly expanding world of business, the International Business and Development program aims at providing students with the necessary skills and understanding to succeed in the international business arena.
To that end, the International Business Symposium focused on providing an introduction to the international aspect of business, including the future of business through the expansion of organizations to an international environment, to both current Delta State students and symposium participants.
The symposium’s Friday morning agenda included presenters Mylle Mangum, Chairman and CEO of International Banking Technologies Enterprises; Dr. Jeffrey Rosensweig, Director of the Global Perspectives Program at Goizueta Business School of Emory University; and Peter White, Founder and President of The Southern Center for International Studies. The three proved their billing as top ranking international business professionals whose knowledge of the field is renowned and experience spans the globe.
Mangum addressed a packed State Room audience to discuss “Building your Global Experience for Tomorrow’s World.” A graduate of Emory University, Mangum, prior to her current position, held executive management positions in internationally renowned organizations, such as True Marketing Services, MMS Incentives, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Holiday Inn Worldwide, BellSouth Corporation and General Electric Company. She serves on the board of directors for Scientific Atlanta, Payless ShoeSource, Haverty Furniture Companies, The Barnes Group, Respironics, and Emageon.
An energetic and obviously passionate Rosensweig took to the podium next, addressing “Global Trends that will Impact your Future.” An international finance professor, his research, teaching, and consulting focus is business in the global economy. He also specializes in financial, macroeconomic, and business forecasting and is frequently quoted in the national business press on economics, exchange rates, international trade and investment, finance and global investing topics.
Finally, White closed the symposium, discussing “Getting from Here to There.” A graduate from Fordham University, he attended the Academy of International Law at The Hague and the National War College. He has over 30 years of experience in international programming, and also advises a number of governors, university, and state government officials and corporations. He has traveled extensively throughout, Asia, Europe, the former Soviet Union, The Middle East, and Africa. Since its inception, the SCIS has played a leading role in developing the international infrastructure that exists today in the southeastern region of the United States. Through its Peabody Award winning annual conference series, educational materials, workshops, and other programs, SCIS promotes global awareness and understanding by placing important international issues on the national public addenda.
Dr. Cooper Johnson, Chair for the Division of Management, Marketing and Business Administration at Delta State, offered final remarks before the symposium adjourned. “We thank our esteemed speakers for providing valuable insight into the world of international business. We would also like to thank the Delta State University Foundation for their continued and dedicated support.”
For more information on the International Business and Development program at Delta State, please contact Jayme Long at (662) 846-4420 or jlong@deltastate.edu.
