About the Series
The Walton Lecture is an annual Fall Semester event that brings a distinguished leader in the insurance and risk management field to campus to share professional perspectives with students. The lecture is hosted by the WSU College of Business’ Department of Finance and Management Science and made possible through an endowment from the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Washington. The endowment honors Max Walton, the group’s past president.
Speaker:
Collin Sower
Sr. Risk Manager
Micron
Quantifying Global Operational Risks at Micron
Date: Monday, October 13, 2025
Time: 5–6 p.m.
Location: Todd 216
Sower has more than 25 years’ experience in the facilities department and another five years in risk management at Micron Technology, a global semiconductor memory company headquartered in Boise, Idaho. His extensive knowledge of facilities systems to support semiconductor manufacturing is a natural bridge towards identifying risks to the manufacturing process within Micron. Sower is the chair of the Fire and Building Safety Committee for the Semiconductor Industry Association, a member of the NFPA 318 Code Committee, and the president of Micron’s captive insurance company, S-Squared. He earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering with a minor in applied mathematics from Boise State University. He is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Idaho and holds an ARM designation. As an advocate for life-long learning, he has been an adjunct professor at BSU and a mentor for FIRST Robotics and several other educational outreach programs.
Questions?
Department of Finance and Management Science
509-335-8727
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Past Speakers
2024: Carrie Cheshier, President, Berkley North Pacific
2023: Theresa Craw, Director – Insurance & Finance, Nordstrom
2022: David Soike, Chief Operating Officer, Port of Seattle & Jeff Hollingsworth Director of Risk Management, Port of Seattle
2021: Nathan Mallory, Director – Risk Management and Insurance – The Americas, Expeditors
2020: Steven L. Patterson, J.D, President & CEO, Oregon Mutual Insurance Company
2018: Bob Brandkamp, Risk Manager, Avista Utilities
2018: Steve Legg, Director of Risk Management, Starbucks Coffee Co., CPCU, ARM
2017: Gregg Ness, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. and Standard Insurance Company
2016: Brian Steffel, President and Chief Executive Officer, Oregon Mutual Insurance Group
2015: Thomas Marra, President and Chief Executive Officer, Symetra Financial
2014: Dellanie Fragnoli, Assistant Vice President of Risk Management, Costco
2013: Molly Seaburg, Senior Risk Manager, Microsoft
2012: David Lavergne, President, Traveler’s Insurance, south central region
2011: Eric P. Nelson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Enumclaw Insurance Group
2010: Doyle J. Williams, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Country Financial
2009: Robert V. O’Brien Jr., Executive Vice President, Group Health Cooperative, Health Plan Division
2008: Mike Keyes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Oregon Mutual Insurance Company
2006: Stan McNaughton, Chief Executive Officer, PEMCO Insurance
2005: Harold Gray, Senior Vice President, State Farm Insurance Co., Pacific Northwest Zone
2004: Lance J. Ewing, Vice President, Caesar’s Entertainment
2003: Mike McGavick, Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer, SAFECO Insurance Co.