Leeds School Of Business Appoints Six Top Executives To Advisory Council
CU-Boulder Leeds School of Business Dean Steven Manaster has appointed six new members to the school's Business Advisory Council.
The six accomplished executives from a variety of professional backgrounds will bring invaluable experience to the role of advising the school's administration, said Manaster. The new members are Hollis Booker, Patrick Butler, Richard Engebretson, Marcia Pryde, John Puerner and Beth Slifer.
The Business Advisory Council is comprised of school alumni and friends who meet with school representatives twice a year to advise them on recruitment, establishing business partnerships and improving the education of students at all levels in the school.
The council has played a leadership role in some of the school's major advances, which include the restructuring of the MBA program, the establishment of the Robert H. and Beverly A. Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, the formation of a marketing plan for the school and the development of an innovative undergraduate curriculum.
"The tremendous amount of business knowledge and experience that the council members contribute is crucial to the overall success of the school," said Manaster. "They integrate their knowledge of CU with outside business perspectives, which provides the ideal combination for great leadership."
The executive experience of the new Business Advisory Council members includes the following:
o Booker currently serves as mountain states area manager for INROADS, a private, nonprofit organization that prepares students of diverse backgrounds for corporate careers. Prior to coming to INROADS, he worked as a production supervisor at Volunteer Manufacturing Corp. and as a teacher in Detroit. Booker also held many positions in the U.S. Air Force, and finished his military career with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science and French from Lane College and a master's degree in psychology and counseling from the University of Wisconsin.
o Butler is director of strategic planning for Merrill Lynch International Private Client Group. His current responsibilities include global strategy, acquisition analysis and business development. Butler has held various positions at Merrill Lynch including roles in new product development, marketing and regional corporate planning. He is a former naval officer and holds a bachelor's degree in history from CU-Boulder and a master's degree in finance and economics from Columbia Business School.
o Engebretson is executive vice president of dmg world media, a British company that is the world's largest exhibition and trade show company. He entered his current position after selling his family's Minnesota-based home and garden show to dmg world media. Prior to running the family business, Engebretson worked as a commercial real estate appraiser and investor. He earned his bachelor's degree in speech communications from the University of Minnesota and his MBA from CU-Boulder.
o Pryde recently became a partner at Heidrick & Struggles, the world's largest executive search company. She spent the first 11 years of her career in consumer packaged goods marketing working for the Maxwell House Coffee division of General Foods and Richardson-Vicks. Pryde recently left her position as vice president and managing director at A.T. Kearney. She received her bachelor's degree and MBA from CU-Boulder.
o Puerner is the publisher and president of the Los Angeles Times. He has extensive experience in the newspaper publishing industry, having held executive positions at Orlando Sentinel Communications, the Orlando Sentinel and the Chicago Tribune. He has performed numerous job functions in areas including financial planning, controlling, circulation, and marketing and development. Puerner earned his bachelor of arts degree and MBA from CU-Boulder.
o Slifer is the president and principal owner of Slifer Designs, an interior design business she started in Vail, Colo. She started the company by chance after a local real estate agent asked her to redecorate a condominium that was not selling. The property sold within a week, and Slifer Designs quickly rose to the top of its industry. For three consecutive years Interior Design magazine named Slifer Designs the No. 1 residential design company in the nation. Slifer earned her bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina and her MBA from the University of Chicago.