Winds of Opportunity, the 2010 Conference & Career Expo Theme of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs Promises Just That

Hispanic attendees of this year's annual conference to benefit from over 250 companies looking to hire Hispanic talent

CHICAGO, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) unveiled the 2010 Conference theme, Winds of Opportunity, during its annual kickoff event on February 25th. The reception was attended by corporate and academic VIPs, members of the NSHMBA Corporate Advisory Board, its Board of Directors, the Chicago Chapter and national office, and Chicago city leaders. The special kickoff ceremony, which was held in downtown Chicago, was also attended by the Honorable Mayor of the city, Richard M. Daley, and Reggie Gonzalez, Director of Latino Affairs, Chicago Commission of Human Relations/Advisory Council on Latino Affairs. The City of Chicago will be host to the NSHMBA 2010 Conference and Career Expo to be held October 21-23 at McCormick Place.

"Because of the upswing in the economy, stronger, more focused relationships, and very talented leaders – on both sides of the fence – NSHMBA is positioned to make its presence known while becoming the singular Hispanic organization by which students and professionals set their sights and standards," said Steve Ramos, NSHMBA Interim CEO.

The kickoff ceremony also included the announcements that Humana and State Farm Insurance® will be this year's corporate lead sponsors, and the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame will be the academic lead sponsor.

"Humana is very excited about partnering with NSHMBA. The organization gives us access to the intellectual horsepower we seek to drive diversity, innovation and engagement in the workplace and to promote opportunity for our enterprise in the marketplace. As Humana works to build a culture of inclusion, we will depend on the talent from organizations like NSHMBA to help us mirror our consumer base and drive better business results," said Carleen Haas, vice president, Human Resources.

"State Farm is committed to developing diverse, well-qualified talent.  Our partnership with NSHMBA prepares graduates to work for strong companies including State Farm, whose business model allows a variety of career choices in our business operations and our agency force.  Additionally, our focus on professional growth, leadership development and community involvement makes State Farm a great choice for potential candidates," said Annette Martinez, State Farm Vice President of Operations for Human Resources.

"At the Mendoza College, our vision is to develop leaders who understand that business can impact society for the better. NSHMBA shares that vision, and we are pleased to partner with them as a sponsor of the annual conference," said Carolyn Woo, Dean of the Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame.

The National Society of Hispanic MBAs' Annual Conference and Career Expo is the largest gathering of Hispanic MBAs in the country.  An estimated 8,000 people are expected to attend including 250+ corporate and academic sponsors.  Participating corporations will have the opportunity to recruit well-educated, diverse students and professionals and conference attendees will have numerous opportunities to attend professional development and networking sessions with top Hispanic leaders from across the nation.

About NSHMBA

The National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) was created in 1988 as a non-profit organization. Widely known as the "Premier Hispanic Organization," NSHMBA serves 32 chapters and over 8,000 members in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. It exists to foster Hispanic leadership through graduate management education and professional development in order to improve society. NSHMBA works to prepare Hispanics for leadership positions throughout the U.S., so that they can provide the cultural awareness and sensitivity vital in the management of the nation's diverse workforce.

About Humana

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health and supplemental benefits companies, with approximately 10.3 million medical members and approximately 7.2 million specialty-benefit members. Humana is a full-service benefits solutions company, offering a wide array of health and supplemental benefit plans for employer groups, government programs and individuals. Humana's sponsorship of the NSHMBA Annual Conference is a part of Humana's commitment to the Hispanic community. More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company's Web site at http://www.humana.com.

About State Farm®:

State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,700 agents and 68,600 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 78.7 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.9 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 31 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®. 

About Notre Dame

The Notre Dame MBA at the Mendoza College of Business enrolls approximately 340 students annually in its one-year and two-year programs. The program is designed to sharpen students' analytical and problem-solving skills, enhance their leadership ability and increase emphasis on ethical decision making. Students have the opportunity to study the complexities of global business through international immersions in Asia, Latin America and other locations. During the weeklong Interterm Intensives, the MBA students analyze, investigate and offer solutions for real-life problems presented by executives from large global organizations. The Notre Dame MBA is ranked 20th among U.S. business schools by BusinessWeek, and No. 5 in the Aspen Institute's 2009-10 Beyond Grey Pinstripes, a biennial survey and alternate ranking that indicates the school's success in integrating social, environmental and ethical issues into its program.

SOURCE National Society of Hispanic MBAs