Tulane Business Forum reaches the height of success

For its 35th annual program, the Tulane Business Forum highlights the achievements of renowned local, national and international organizations and the visionaries behind the scenes. These savvy business leaders will share the secrets of their successes in an enlightening and entertaining look at best business practices.

“Taking Flight: Business Leaders Executing Plans for Success” will feature keynote speakers David D. Dunlap, president and CEO of Superior Energy Services Inc. (Houston), and Laurie Ann Goldman, former CEO of SPANX (Atlanta). Dunlap will offer his perspective on how unconventional resource development has resulted in new opportunities in the oil and gas services market and how Superior Energy Services is effectively competing with industry giants. Goldman will draw on her past experience at shapewear powerhouse SPANX and illustrate how successful startups can become lucrative mainstays if complacency is not part of the business equation.

The Tulane Business Forum, presented by Iberiabank Corp. and sponsored by the Tulane Association of Business Alumni (TABA), will be held on Thursday, Sept. 18, from 8:15 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

Other presenters this year include:

• Ira Solomon, dean of the A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University (New Orleans), will provide welcoming remarks.
• Iftikhar Ahmad, executive director of the New Orleans Aviation Board (New Orleans), will describe the many reforms put in place at Louis Armstrong International Airport since May 2010 and outline his vision to achieve a world class airport.
• Laura Cox Kaplan, principal-in-charge of government, regulatory affairs & public policy of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (Washington D.C.), will provide insight on the tactics and strategies that work in Washington for business and will share a few case studies to demonstrate these points.
• Gregory C. Feirn, CEO of LCMC Health (New Orleans), will report on the expeditious growth of LCMC, a locally based non-profit healthcare system founded in 2009, and its role as a primary provider of health care in the Gulf Coast region.
• Wan Kim, CEO of Smoothie King (Metairie), will talk about the advantages that led to his decision to move his company headquarters to Metairie and the vision for the brand’s future and global expansion.

The Tulane Association of Business Alumni (TABA) represents over 19,000 alumni worldwide, and the forum is its premier event. Each year, the forum features speakers of national and international acclaim who address a variety of business topics of interest to the business community.

Forum registration, which includes continental breakfast and lunch, is $160 for the general public and $130 for Tulane alumni. Accountants can earn five Continuing Professional Education credits and engineers can earn five Professional Development Hour credits by attending the forum. For more information or to register, visit TulaneBusinessForum.com or call 504-861-7921.