Skip to content

High-profile management consultant to kick off RDC’s speaker series

The author of the bestselling book Blindsided will kick off Red Deer College’s new Distinguished Speakers Series next spring.

The author of the bestselling book Blindsided will kick off Red Deer College’s new Distinguished Speakers Series next spring.

High-profile management consultant Jim Harris is scheduled to present to Donald School of Business students and members of the public in March 2013.

He will be the first of a series of presenters to share their business insights and expertise as part of the Distinguished Speakers Series.

The college announced details of the new series on Thursday.

The initiative is being funded from $170,000 pledged by Servus Credit Union last year.

RDC president Joel Ward said the intent is for the Donald School of Business to host one speaker a year, likely at the downtown City Centre Stage. The speaker would also interact with students, he added.

“Each year we’ll try to focus on different sectors,” said Ward, listing the financial industry, marketing and social media, and human resource management as possibilities.

Harris is well-known for Blindsided, in which he discussed industries that failed to keep pace with change.

“He will be very dynamic and help all businesses understand why they need to pay attention and that they don’t want to get blindsided, like the publishing industry, like the music industry, like even the personal computer industry now, with the complete domination of tablets and iPads,” said Ward.

“It’s this whole concept of being ready and looking ahead and future-proofing your business.”

Harris also wrote The Learning Paradox and coauthored The 100 Best Companies to Work for in Canada.

Another book, A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste, is due out this year.

A portion of Servus’s $170,000 donation will also be used for program development at the Donald School of Business, said Ward. The college is currently developing a post-diploma international business program, in which students would receive a semester of international business training and a one-semester international co-op placement.

Ward hopes the program can be launched next year.

Servus previously provided $50,000 to the college, with that amount used to create the Servus Credit Union Leadership Scholarship. Servus president and CEO Garth Warner said the combined $220,000 donation, which is being provided over four years, is the largest Servus has ever made to a post-secondary institution.

hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com