Saturn Ceo, President to Speak at Colorado State’s Business Forum Day Feb.5

A keynote presentation by Donald Hudler, CEO and president of Saturn Corp., will highlight a list of business topics slated for Colorado State’s seventh annual Business Forum Day on Feb. 5.

The forum, sponsored by the College of Business and the Graduate Business Council, also will feature panel discussions on electronic commerce, the growth of international markets for U.S. agricultural products, venture capital and the impact of technology on the way people work and live.

The event runs from 9 a.m.-5:15 p.m. in the East and Middle Ballrooms of the Lory Student Center on campus. Business owners and business students from throughout Colorado are invited to attend the presentations for free. Tickets for the luncheon are $10 and must be purchased by Jan. 21. To purchase tickets, call (970) 491-2994.

The luncheon’s keynote speaker is Hudler, who will discuss the strategies and issues that have helped make Saturn Corp. an industry leader in car manufacturing. The Saturn Corp. recently received the highest rating for customer service and sales satisfaction among all car companies and has begun shipping to Japan and other international markets.

The presentation by Hudler and other industry leaders in agriculture, technology and commerce will provide useful strategies to entrepreneurs who want to remain competitive in today’s business world, said Rob Ayres, vice president of the Graduate Business Council.

"We have a full schedule of presentations with an impressive list of speakers and participants," Ayres said. "This event provides an excellent opportunity for business owners and students to stay abreast of the issues facing business today."

A second keynote presentation will be made by Jan Horsfall, vice president and marketing for Lycos Inc. Horsfall will address the ways technology companies like Lycos are changing the way people work and live. Other Business Forum Day participants include Doug Schatz, CEO of Advanced Energy in Fort Collins; Tim Larsen, senior international marketing specialist for the Colorado Agriculture Department; and Antoine Toffa, president of the Trip.com, a Web- based travel service.

The Business Forum Day schedule follows.

  • 9-10:15 a.m.–Panel discussion, "Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital." Panelists include Dale Meyer, professor of strategic management at the University of Colorado- Boulder; Doug Schatz, CEO of Advanced Energy; and Tom Washing, partner in Sequel Partner Ventures in Boulder.
  • 10:30-11:30 a.m.–Featured speaker Mr. Jan Horsfall, vice president of marketing for Lycos Inc.
  • 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.–Luncheon
  • 1:15-2:15 p.m.–Keynote speaker Don Hudler, president and CEO of Saturn Corp.
  • 2:30-3:45 p.m.–Panel discussion, "Agribusiness and the Growth of International Markets for U.S. Agricultural Products." Panel members are Tim Larsen, senior international marketing specialist for the Colorado Department of Agriculture; Dale Green, district general manager of Cargill’s animal nutrition division; and Sam Albrecht, executive director of the National Bison Association.
  • 4-5:15 p.m.–Panel discussion, "Electronic Commerce." The panel will highlight how large and medium businesses use the World Wide Web to improve customer service, retail sales and marketing components. The panel also will discuss security on the Internet and encryption. Panel members include Antoine Toffa, president of the Trip.com; David Chesnick of Lycos Inc., and a representative from IBM.