Mike Sheldon, the chief executive officer of the Deutsch LA advertising company, will be the inaugural speaker for the College of Business Administration’s Leadership Forum, a special series that aims to inspire and motivate leaders to transform business and society.
Sheldon will deliver his presentation at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, in the University Theatre.
With Sheldon at its helm, Deutsch LA has produced some of the most creative advertising in the country.
The firm regularly produces Super Bowl television commercials that are entertaining, provocative and nearly always the subject of water cooler talk. A 2011 Super Bowl ad for Volkswagen (Remember the kid-sized Darth Vader?) received 56 million views on YouTube and is widely regarded as one of the best ads of the year by critics. Other Deutsch LA clients include Taco Bell, the Milk Advisory Board and Dr Pepper.
In recognition of the changing media landscape, Deutsch LA has partnered with Google’s Art, Copy and Code initiative to explore ways marketing can evolve in a technology-driven world.
Sheldon’s push for innovation and creativity has created a financial powerhouse that has $1.7 billion in billings and the respect of the advertising world. ThinkLA, an advertising association, twice named Sheldon its Leader of the Year.
The Leadership Forum will serve as one of CBA’s signature events and bring three influential thought leaders to campus each year to share their expertise, insights and best practices on leadership. Based on the premise that illustrations of exemplary leadership can be found inside and outside of the boardroom, the forum will host speakers from a variety of disciplines and bring students, faculty, alumni and the community together to discuss topics critical to organizational success in a rapidly changing world.
“Ideas and the practice of effective business leadership are constantly changing in response to broad-based market forces,” says CBA Dean Richard Lapidus. “What is considered to be cutting-edge thinking today might very well be old news tomorrow. As organizations seek to hire those with the capability to inspire, initiate change and lead by example, it is critical that our college graduates possess these skills.”
“The Leadership Forum will help our students to hear firsthand how global business leaders have adapted their perspective on leading and perhaps even their view of purpose,” Lapidus says. “In many cases the role of a major organizational leader requires leading change beyond the confines of business boundaries.”
The forum is generously supported by Ronald Gregoire (’71 accounting) and the Gregoire Family Trust. Gregoire was named the CBA Distinguished Alumnus in 2001 and serves on the university’s National Development Council.
The event is free and open to the community. Guests can register online at https://cbaleadershipforum.eventbrite.com.
For more information on the Leadership Forum, contact Kristin Files at kjfiles@csupmona.edu.
(Photos: Leadership Forum Logo; Mike Sheldon)