Tulane Business Forum spotlights industries powering Louisiana economic growth

As Louisiana eyes its future, a handful of industries are expected to drive economic growth, including energy, hospitality, international trade and banking. Helping to fuel those industries is artificial intelligence, which is expected to play an increasingly significant role in almost every business.

For the 45th annual Tulane Business Forum, a distinguished lineup of local, regional and national business experts will discuss the current state of these critical industries and what Louisiana business leaders can expect to see over the next 10 years.

"Powering the Wave: Innovation, Trade and Economic Resilience" will take place on Friday, Sept. 27, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. More than 600 business people from across the region are expected to attend this year's forum to hear key insights on the local and national economies.

“Louisiana’s economy continues to be led by traditional industries such as energy, international trade and hospitality, but each of those industries is moving in new directions and all are expected to be supercharged by artificial intelligence,” said Chris Williams (MBA ’11), president of the Tulane Association of Business Alumni (TABA), which organizes the annual conference. “The 45th Tulane Business Forum will highlight these important industries as well as some of the changes we can expect to see on the horizon.”

Serving as this year's luncheon keynote speaker will be Dan Brouillette, former U.S. Secretary of Energy and current president and CEO of the Edison Electric Institute, which represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. EEI’s members provide electricity for nearly 250 million Americans and operate in all 50 states and Washington D.C. as well as in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Brouillette, who also previously served as president of Sempra Infrastructure (SI) and as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, will discuss how domestic and international electric companies are gearing up to deliver the future of energy.

In addition to Brouillette, this year's program will also include:

• "Navigating International Trade During a Time of Market and Geopolitical Uncertainty: Key Insights from Maritime and Trade Industry Leaders"

  A panel discussion featuring Milind Balaji, vice president, Global Supply Chain, Intervision Foods; Todd Fuller, president, Associated Terminals; David W. Kearney, CEO, Precision Terminal Logistics LLC & The Kearney Cos.; and Matthew Mancheski, CFO, T. Parker Host. The discusssion will be moderated by Janine M. Mansour, director of Trade Development, Port of New Orleans.

• "Superbowl LIX: The Economic Impact to our Communities"

  A presentation by Marcus V. Brown, executive vice president & general counsel, Entergy Corp. and chair, Superbowl LIX Committee.

   

• "Artificial Intelligence at Work: How AI is Transforming the Business Landscape"

  A panel discussion featuring Cliff Farrah, chief strategy officer, Accenture Global Corporate Strategy & Growth; Steve Idoux, president-partner, Lockton Dunning Benefits; and Todd Marshall, vice president-chief information officer, Pool Corp. The discussion will be moderated by Paulo Goes, dean and professor of management science, A. B. Freeman School of Business, Tulane University.

   

• "The FTC and Other Threats to Noncompetes: The Current Landscape and How Companies and Industries are Responding"

  A discussion featuring Kim M. Boyle, vice-managing partner, Phelps Dunbar, and Christopher K. Ralston, partner, Phelps Dunbar.

   

• "A Banking Perspective on Our Region’s Growth, Opportunity and Resiliency"

  A discussion featuring John M. Hairston, president & CEO, Hancock Whitney, and D. Shane Loper, president, Hancock Whitney Bank.

   

Registration for the forum is available online or in person on the day of the event, and discounted registration is available for Tulane alumni.

The forum offers a variety of continuing education credits. Accountants can earn 5.0 Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits, engineers can earn 5.0 Professional Development Hour (PDH) credits, and attorneys can earn 3.25 general Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits. For more information about continuing education credits, visit the Tulane Business Forum website.

The Tulane Business Forum is an annual presentation of the Tulane Association of Business Alumni (TABA), which represents the more than 25,000 graduates of Tulane University’s A. B. Freeman School of Business. The forum is TABA's signature event and one of the region’s oldest and largest conferences dedicated to local and national business topics.

The 45th annual Tulane Business Form is hosted by the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and underwritten by Entergy Louisiana, LLC/Entergy New Orleans, LLC (ELL/ENOL). Additional sponsors include Galatoire's Restaurant / Galerie de Galatoire, Phelps Dunbar LLP, The Times-Picayune|nola.com, Louisiana Blue (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana), Capital One, Gallo Mechanical, Hancock Whitney, LCMC Health, LOOP LLC, RT Specialty LLC, Biz New Orleans, Lockton Companies, LongueVue Capital, MLC Works, Service Corporation International / Dignity Memorial / Heaven’s Pets, Mele Printing, and Mignon Faget.

For more information, visit https://freeman.tulane.edu/tulane-business-forum.