Pamplin College to present three Wachovia Distinguished Speakers

Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business will present three Wachovia Distinguished Speakers this fall. All lectures will be held at the Alumni Assembly Hall at the Holtzman Alumni Center.

• Marshall M. Minor Jr., assistant vice president of corporate finance at MGM Mirage, will speak on Thursday, Sept. 13, at 3:30-4:30 p.m. Minor, who earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the Pamplin College in 2000, will present a lecture titled “Taking Calculated Risks for Success.”
• Shirley A. Edwards, audit and advisory services partner of Ernst & Young, will speak on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 3:30-4:30 p.m. Edwards, who earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Pamplin in 1982, will present a lecture titled “Leadership: Managing for Success in Challenging Times.”
• Mark W. Krivoruchka, senior vice president of global human resources at Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, will speak on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 3:30-4:30 p.m. Krivoruchka, who earned a bachelor’s degree in management in 1976 and an M.B.A. in 1981, both from Pamplin, will present a lecture titled, “Steps to Success.”

Minor joined MGM Mirage, a Las Vegas-based global gaming, hotel, and resort company, in 2006. He is responsible for reviewing and monitoring the financial performance of all properties, exploring growth opportunities, and assisting with investor and banking relations. He was formerly a senior associate for Silver Pacific Advisors, a boutique investment bank catering to gaming and real estate companies. He began his career in New York as an investment banking analyst in the global media and telecommunications group at Salomon Smith Barney (now a division of Citigroup). Minor was Pamplin’s 2007 Outstanding Young Alumnus.

Edwards has more than 25 years of experience in the accounting industry. Based at Ernst & Young’s McLean, Va., office, she oversees the firm’s audit practice in the Mid-Atlantic region, including financial results, quality client service, and personnel matters. She also serves on the firm’s gender equity task force and is a frequent speaker at conferences on technical accounting and auditing topics as well as gender initiatives such as mentoring, networking, and career advancement of women. A certified public accountant in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, she served on the professional staff of the Treadway Commission, including researching fraudulent financial reporting. Edwards is a member of the Pamplin Advisory Council and the Department of Accounting and Information Systems Advisory Board. Ernst & Young is a global company providing professional services centered on auditing, accounting, tax, and transactions.

Krivoruchka has extensive experience in domestic and global consumer package goods and high-tech manufacturing companies, including GE, Pillsbury, Maytag, and Whirlpool. His most recent position was senior vice president of human resources integration at Whirlpool. He served as Maytag’s senior vice president of human resources until that company was acquired by Whirlpool. He joined Cooper Tire & Rubber in August and has also been appointed to the company’s executive committee. Krivoruchka is a member of the Pamplin Advisory Council. Cooper Tire & Rubber, based in Findlay, Ohio, is a global company that specializes in the design, manufacture, marketing, and sales of car and truck tires.

The Wachovia Distinguished Speaker series in the Pamplin College is made possible by a grant from Wachovia Bank. Past speakers have included senior executives from Wachovia Bank, GE, IBM, 7-Eleven, Ralph Lauren, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Choicepoint.

Virginia Tech’s nationally ranked Pamplin College of Business offers undergraduate and graduate programs in accounting and information systems, business information technology, economics, finance, hospitality and tourism management, management, and marketing. The college emphasizes the development of ethical values and leadership, technology, and international business skills. A member of its marketing faculty directs the interdisciplinary Sloan Foundation Forest Industries Center at Virginia Tech. The college’s other centers focus on business leadership, business diversity, electronic commerce, organizational performance, and services innovation. The college is committed to serving business and society through the expertise of its faculty, alumni, and students. It is named in honor of alumnus Robert B. Pamplin, the former CEO of Georgia-Pacific, and businessman, philanthropist, and alumnus Robert B. Pamplin Jr.