Innovation Takes Centerstage at Darden School of Business Speaker Series Events

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Nov. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

WHO:  Business leaders from across the nation will gather at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business throughout November as part of the Darden School of Business Speaker Series, which brings top-level corporate, government, and industry leaders to Darden to discuss current business issues and trends, and their individual leadership philosophy. Open to the public, this month's events will broadly address innovation, and its critical role in sustaining a company's competitive advantage in a challenging global economic climate. Forthcoming speakers include:

• Wendell Weeks, Chairman and CEO, Corning
• Kevin Plank, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Under Armour, Inc.
• Kevin Sharer, CEO, Amgen

WHAT:  Each year, the Darden Leadership Speaker Series features business leaders who share the thoughts and experiences that have paved the way for their success. Personal stories, business insights and new innovative ideas take the spotlight as the speakers address Darden students, alumni, faculty, the UVA community, and the interested public. The Batten Institute, which fosters scholarship in entrepreneurship and innovation, is supporting the participation of executives whose stories illuminate Batten's mission.  

WHERE:  The University of Virginia Darden School of Business

WHEN:  

• Tuesday, November 9, 2010 - Wendell Weeks, Corning - Abbott Center Auditorium
• Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - Kevin Plank, Under Armour, Inc.- Abbott Center Auditorium
• Thursday, November 18, 2010 - Kevin Sharer, Amgen -Abbott Center Auditorium

Wendell Weeks and Kevin Plank will be speaking at 1:30 PM ET

Kevin Sharer will be speaking at 11:45 AM ET

ABOUT WENDELL WEEKS: Wendell P. Weeks is Chairman and CEO of Corning Incorporated, the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics for high-technology applications. Corning is home to one of America's earliest R&D labs, and is responsible for numerous life-changing innovations ranging from light bulbs to optical fiber. Corning is a four-time recipient of the National Medal of Technology and is regularly cited by the Patent Board as one of the most productive R&D organizations in the country. Corning's latest innovation is Gorilla® Glass, an exceptionally thin and damage-resistant cover glass featured on more than 200 million electronic devices worldwide.

ABOUT KEVIN PLANK: Founding Under Armour in 1995, Kevin A. Plank set out to develop a next generation shirt that would remain drier and lighter. He created a new category of sporting apparel called performance apparel, and built Under Armour into a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear and accessories. Mr. Plank has served as Under Armour's Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors since 1996 and as company President from 1996 to July 2008 and since August 2010. Mr. Plank also is a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Maryland College Park Foundation.

ABOUT KEVIN SHARER: Kevin Sharer has been Amgen's chief executive officer since May 2000, and he has also been chairman of the company's Board of Directors since January 2001. Before joining Amgen, Sharer was president of the Business Markets Division of MCI Communications. Prior to MCI, Sharer served in a variety of executive positions at General Electric and was a consultant for McKinsey & Company. Sharer serves on the Board of Directors of Northrop Grumman Corporation and Chevron. He is also a trustee of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

ABOUT THE BATTEN INSTITUTE:  The Batten Institute advances knowledge about the transformative power of entrepreneurship and innovation and cultivates principled, entrepreneurial leaders. The Institute encompasses a leading academic research center and Darden's Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. The Institute was founded on the principle that entrepreneurship and innovation are powerful mechanisms for improving society by addressing its most pressing challenges. In bringing together scholars, students, alumni, business people, and the greater community, the Institute fosters a diverse and energetic collaborative community in support of its mission to foster knowledge and improve society.

ABOUT THE DARDEN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS:  The University of Virginia Darden School of Business is one of the world's leading business schools, offering MBA, Ph.D. and Executive Education programs. The unique Darden experience combines the case study method, acclaimed faculty whose research advances global managerial practice and business education, and a tight-knit learning community to develop principled and complete leaders who are ready to make an impact.

SOURCE Batten Institute