Success Starts Here Speaker Series  

The Success Starts Here speaker series is in its 5^th year.  The School of Business brings regional business leaders to campus to talk to students about their success; how they have accomplished it; their initial transition from school to work, and the things the speaker did (and the ‘speed bumps’ the speaker encountered along the way) to achieve success.  The School of Business strives to showcase the opportunities that exist for our students right here in western Pennsylvania.

Many of our students are surprised to hear about vital and growing companies in our region.  They often think they have to head for the Sunbelt to find a career.  The School of Business wants to help our students build confidence by understanding just how much of their own success comes from within.  Many people still cling to the idea that a degree leads to a ‘nest’ in the corporate world.  The discussion threads we provide to speakers are 

• Our students are interested in hearing about your company.
• Western Pennsylvania has a lot of opportunity for recent college graduates.
• The fastest growing businesses in our region are not traditional heavy-industry, not large corporate environments.
• What was your personal path to success, and what were some of the highlights (and not-so-highlights!).
• What were the qualities and skills found in your most recent hires that made them more attractive than other applicants?
• What advice might you give students for a good career start?

Some of our past speakers

• Paula & Lisa Scarmazzi - Hawthorne Partners, Inc.
• Ron Muhlenkamp - Muhlenkamp & Co., Inc.
• Raul Valdez Perez - Vivisimo Inc.
• Enzo Santilli - MarketSphere Consulting
• Amy Veltri - Novel Geo-Env.
• Steve Smith - Plus Consulting
• Paul & Lisa Scarmazzi - Hawthorne Partners, Inc.
• Laura Deklewa - Allegheny Construction Group
• Dennis Lejeck - Black Knight Security
• Janice McGee - The Empyrean Group
• William G. (Gus) Pagonis - Genco
• Joe Finney - Tire Centers, LLC