Morrison CEO Summit 2012

The College of Business and Public Administration hosted its 1st Annual Morrison CEO Summit on April 17th, 2012. The event provided exceptional opportunities for students to network with distinguished alumni of the CoBPA. A select group of students were invited to a CEO panel discussion and CEO student roundtable discussions at the UND Wellness Center, which started out the activities for the day. A social and dinner was then held at the North Dakota Museum of Art before a keynote presentation from Dale Morrison, the former CEO of McCain Foods.

The CEO Summit has been established by a gift from McCain Foods, in honor of the company's former CEO, Dale Morrison. Morrison, a North Dakota native, is a prominent alumnus of the CoBPA. He has more than three decades of experience within the international food industry. He has worked at General Foods, PepsiCo and Campbell Soup Company before becoming President and CEO of McCain Foods in 2004. Dale served this position until July 2011, before co-founding TriPointe Capital Partners, a middle market private equity firm based in New York City.

A total of nine CEOs attended the event as well as several CoBPA Advisory Council members and campus leaders. Both students and alumni present at the event were impressed with the nature of the event and the great representation of the CoBPA. Many of the conversations revolved around the topic of leadership and how to thrive in today's world. Many students also discussed potential job opportunities with the CEOs in attendance. "The CEO Summit was a great success, and students were really impressed with the event," says Callie Hall. In addition, the CoBPA was very grateful for the alumni who participated and volunteered their time for the inaugural event. Hall adds, "The CEOs and leaders had great advice for us. Hearing their experiences and advice was extremely interesting."