Distinguished Speakers Series

Bringing the world's leaders to Fuqua

Since 1984, the Dean's Office of Duke's Fuqua School of Business has hosted the Distinguished Speakers Series, bringing a variety of  leaders and change-makers into an intimate conversation. These individuals provide significant domain expertise and educational enrichment that is a natural complement to the school's academic curriculum.

The series gives leaders a place to share their insights on important business issues and strategies, informing our community while also strengthening relationships between Fuqua and the world's leading organizations.

The Distinguished Speakers Series is supported by Dean Bill Boulding, and the series is open to the Duke University community.   

Mary Barra, CEO and Chairperson of General Motors
Mary Barra, CEO and Chairperson of General Motors, speaks with Dean Boulding

Apple CEO Tim Cook explains how to hire people who will focus on collaboration and deliver the "magic" that happens when great minds come together.
Video

Distinguished Speakers Series: Apple CEO Tim Cook

Leadership Insights

Top Tech CEOs Share with Students

Xerox CEO Ursula Burns talking to Dean Bill Boulding during a Fuqua Distinguished Speaker Series event
What’s the benefit of hearing from two female CEOs of fortune 150 companies within a two-week period? A student who helped host their visits explains.
read joia's recap

2020-2021 Speakers

Date Speaker
June 16, 2020 GEN(R) Martin E. Dempsey AM '84, 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
June 23, 2020 Cara Sabin MBA '98, Chief Executive Officer, Sundial Brands
August 6, 2020 Dr. Kelvin Baggett MBA/HSM ’06, Managing Director, Posterity Capital Group; Senior Advisor, Pharos Capital Group; COVID-19 Health and Health Care Access Czar, City of Dallas
October 13, 2020 Kareem Cook AB ’94, MBA ’00, Founder and Managing Director at Towerview Capital Management, LLC, Chief Marketing Officer and Owner, Naturade
October 22, 2020 Tim Ryan, Senior Partner and Chairman, PwC US
November 17, 2020 David Taylor ‘80, Chairman of the Board, President & CEO, P&G
December 1, 2020 Sean McManus ’77, Chairman, CBS Sports
December 7, 2020 Rich Lesser, Chief Executive Officer, Boston Consulting Group
December 13, 2020 Eric Yuan, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Zoom
January 12, 2021 Susan Gordon '80, Former U.S. Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence
February 18, 2021 Ellen Kullman, President and CEO, Carbon Inc.
February 23, 2021 Jacqueline Novogratz, Founder and CEO, Acumen
March 2, 2021 Ajay Banga, Executive Chairman, Mastercard
March 8, 2021 Eric Yuan, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Zoom

 

Past Speakers

2019-2020

2018-2019

  • David Taylor, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, P&G - View YouTube video
  • Omar Ishrak, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Medtronic - View YouTube video
  • Mary Barra, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, General Motors Company - View YouTube video
  • Brian Moynihan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Bank of America
  • Jonathan Reckford, Chief Executive Officer, Habitat for Humanity International - View YouTube video

2017-2018

2016-2017

2015-2016

2014-2015

2013-2014

  • Jonathan Bush, CEO, President, and Chairman of the Board, athenahealth, Inc. - View YouTube video
  • David Gergen,Co-Director, Center for Public Leadership, Professor of Public Service, Harvard Kennedy School - View YouTube Video
  • Jeremy Grantham, Chairman and Co-Founder, Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo Company
  • Joseph R. Swedish, CEO, WellPoint

2012-2013

2011-2012

  • Beth Comstock, SVP & Chief Marketing Officer, GE
  • N.R. Narayana Murthy, Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Infosys
  • Punit Renjen, Chairman, Deloitte LLP
  • Bob Weber, SVP & General Counsel, IBM - View video in Fuqua's iTunes library

2010-2011

2009-2010

  • Craig Mundie, Chief Research & Strategy Officer, Microsoft Corporation - View video in Fuqua's iTunes library
  • Jamie Dimon, Chairman & CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
  • Timothy Flynn, Chairman, KPMG LLP
  • Paul Levy, CEO, Beth Israel Hospital
  • Bob McDonald, CEO, P&G
  • Duncan Niederauer, CEO, NYSE Euronext - View video in Fuqua's iTunes library
  • George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports
  • Bob McDonald, CEO, Procter & Gamble

2008-2009

  • Stephen Quinn, Executive VP & Chief Marketing Officer, Walmart U.S.
  • Jacqueline Novogratz, Founder & CEO, Acumen Fund
  • Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International
  • Ron Nicol, Senior Partner & Managing Director, The Boston Consulting Group
  • Pietra Rivoli, Professor, Georgetown University & Author of The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy
  • John Mack, Chairman & CEO, Morgan Stanley
  • Frank Mars, President, Mars Symbioscience, Mars, Inc.