KNOXVILLE — Locally based Ruby Tuesday has given a $25,000 gift to sponsor the College of Business Administration’s Corporate Governance Center 2010-2011 Speaker Series at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
The Corporate Governance Center is a national leader in conducting and disseminating research on aspects of corporate governance that have a significant public policy focus, specifically the work of the audit, compensation, and nominating committees. Led by Executive Director Warren C. Neel, former dean of the college, and Director of Research Joseph Carcello, Ernst & Young and Business Alumni Professor, the center is a cross-disciplinary collaboration between the college’s Department of Accounting and Information Management, Department of Finance and the UT College of Law.
The Corporate Governance Center Speaker Series hosts high-profile speakers for the community, including prominent accountants, attorneys, business professionals and regulators. Recent guests have included U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, Vice Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) Martin J. Gruenberg and Chairman and CEO Stephen I. Sadove of Saks Inc.
This year’s series will feature
- The Honorable Jon T. Rymer, inspector general for the FDIC, on Friday, Oct. 15.
- Charles D. Niemeier, board member, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, on Friday, Nov. 12.
- Jimmy Haslam, CEO of Pilot Flying J on Friday, Nov. 19.
- Commissioner Elisse B. Walter, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, on Friday, March 25, 2011.
According to Carcello, the series will be of interest to students across academic programs.
“The series provides an opportunity for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students to be exposed to prominent speakers on corporate governance from around the world,” Carcello said. “These guests have an important impact on both our students’ education and our faculty’s research and teaching.”
The series is funded entirely by private support and receives no direct state funding. Ruby Tuesday, which operates more than 900 locations worldwide, has strong ties to the university, which will be strengthened by this relationship with the College of Business Administration and the Corporate Governance Center.
Samuel (Sandy) Beall III, founder, chairman of the board and CEO of Ruby Tuesday, takes pride in this new endeavor with UT Knoxville.
“Ruby Tuesday is proud to support the Corporate Governance Center’s work of teaching future business leaders the importance of corporate governance and the value it creates for stakeholders,” Beall said.
For more information about the Corporate Governance Center and the Ruby Tuesday Speaker Series, visit http://corpgovcenter.utk.edu/.
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C O N T A C T :
Cindy Raines (865-974-4359, craines1@utk.edu)