World renowned author and expert on choice, Sheena S. Iyengar will open the 2015 Spirit of Women
Business (SWIB) Conference sponsored by the College of Business Administration on Wednesday, March
4, 2015 at the Kent State Student Center. The 2015 conference will offer programming that speaks to
the theme of Choice and Strategy.
Iyengar is the S.T. Lee Professor of Business in the Management Division at the Columbia Business
School, author of The Art of Choosing and director of the Global Leadership Matrix. She has been on the
faculty of Columbia Business School since 1998 where she has taught MBA students and executives how
to think globally, leadership development skills and entrepreneurial creativity. She also teaches
organizational behavior to doctoral students.
As one of the world’s experts on choice, Iyengar wrote The Art of Choosing, where she explores topics
like why choice is powerful, where it comes from, the ways we make choices, the relationships between
how we choose and who we are, why we are often disappointed by our choices and more. The book was
a finalist for The Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year 2010 award and was
ranked third on the Amazon.com Best Books of 2010: Business & Investing Top 10.
Iyengar is the recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Social Scientists. She was named to
the 2011 Thinkers50; a global ranking for the top 50 management thinkers. She has also been awarded
the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Core Teaching, Innovation in Teaching Curriculum and one of the
World’s Best B-School Professors.
“We are honored to have Dr. Iyengar as our keynote speaker for this year’s Spirit of Women in Business
Conference,” said Kristin Williams, honorary conference chair and director of the College of Business
Administration’s Career Services Office. “As an expert of choosing, her research and insight provides
both business women and men with the knowledge to help make smart decisions in every aspect of
business. Her experience of teaching how to think globally goes hand in hand with the College of
Business Administration’s tagline, “From Kent, The World.”
Kent State’s College of Business Administration’s Spirit of Women in Business Conference provides a full
day of programming to enhance personal and professional development through education and
networking opportunities.
SWIB is currently soliciting session proposals related to Choice and Strategy in the areas below.
Submission deadline is Nov. 15, with submitters being notified no later than Dec. 15.
- Leadership
- Financial Practices
- Successful Hiring and Firing Practices
- Business Innovation
- Corporate Branding
- Globalization
- Work/Life Balance
- Effective Communications
Registration for the conference will open in November and annually sells-out, so early registration is
encouraged.
For more information, proposal submissions or sponsorship opportunities please contact Kristin
Williams, SWIB Honorary Chairperson at 330-672-2419 or kwill100@kent.edu.