Carson College Annual Events Offer Industry Insights to Business Students and Communities
By Sue McMurray
Business Technology Symposium Examines Role of Information Systems in Business Communities
The success of any business often depends on how well it manages information systems to improve productivity and make informed decisions, according to Robert Crossler, chair of the Department of Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship in the Carson College. Using this premise, Crossler developed the executive panel for the 2023 Business Technology Symposium, “The Backbone of Business.”
Three top executives from leading enterprises shared perspectives on how trends in information systems—tools organizations use to collect, manage, and analyze data—are changing within business communities.
Speaking to an audience of about 200, panelist Jasmyn Bearly (’17 Mgmt. Info. Sys.), a product security engineer at Boeing, said a key challenge is that experts are retiring from businesses and leaving a huge knowledge gap. This is compounded by remote work and flexible scheduling employees now expect since the pandemic. She said the combination of an aging population and loss of human interaction that accompanies remote work, as well as advances in automation that will remove repetitive work, will disrupt business.
The panelists agreed that artificial intelligence (AI) will be THE major player in the future of business.
“As technology advances, it will affect the speed at which business is conducted—customers want results more quickly,” said Andrew Pirie (’13 Intl. Busi., ’15 MBA), a principal in intelligent automation at Slalom, a business consulting and services firm in Seattle. “Automation and generative AI are a good fit for a virtual workforce, but the lack of human interaction makes it harder to create culture. Businesses using these tools will expect more from their employees.”
“ChatGPT won’t replace people, and it’s up to you to figure out how you’ll use it at work,” said Jason Mayer, an engineering manager at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories. “Businesses that don’t embrace it are probably in the biggest danger.”
The Business Technology Symposium is hosted by the Department of Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship and sponsored by Mike (’85, ’86) and Amy Dreyer (’86) and Steven (’76, ’84) and Cyndie Tarr.
Watch the Business Technology Symposium video to learn more.
Theresa Craw Delivers 31st Annual Walton Lecture
Though the Carson College of Business’s 2023 Walton Lecture focused on risk management in a retail business, keynote speaker Theresa Craw shared advice that could benefit students from any major: “Don’t worry if you don’t know your career path at this time.”
Craw has nearly a decade of risk management experience at Nordstrom Inc. Her advice reflected her own journey to becoming the director of insurance and finance-risk management at Nordstrom.
She studied several subjects while attending Seattle University before settling on an undergraduate degree in finance. Internships in financial planning and analysis led her to Boeing, where she eventually worked in procurement. Bored with her role, she took an educational leave of absence and pursued an MBA. During this time, Nordstrom offered her an analyst position with its risk management team that led to several roles within the company’s risk management unit.
Craw’s current position managing risks associated with Nordstrom’s 340 properties, 60,000 employees, 200 restaurants and e-bars, and more than $15 billion in annual revenues is never dull. She’s handled property-damaging fires and hurricanes, credit card theft, cybersecurity breaches, and much more.
“I look at our risk portfolio as a continuous cycle,” Craw said. “There’s a lot of strategy involved with risk exposures from marine cargo and vendor contracts to property insurance, crime, general liability insurance, and workers’ compensation over time.
She advised students to explore each of their career interests and seek out internships and mentors.
“There are many career paths and opportunities—from claims, to accounting, to legal departments,” Craw said.
The Walton Lecture is made possible through an endowment from the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Washington to honor Max Walton, their past president.
Watch the 2023 Walton Lecture video to learn more.
Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living Hosts “Technology for the Business of Aging”
Hearing “You’ll change the world if you work in senior living” from a panel of senior living technology experts may have hospitality students rethinking their career options.
Graduates who have strong business and technical skills and a working knowledge of human psychology will be in high demand in the senior living industry, according to the panelists, who were hosted by the Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living during the Carson College’s annual Hospitality Week.
The panelists spoke about the rewards of their jobs and the abundance of career opportunities in the senior living realm as the number of people over 55 will eventually exceed those under 18.
“The biggest opportunities in tech are found in the residential engagement space,” said Kyle Rand, cofounder and CEO of Rendever, a virtual reality platform designed to help seniors combat social isolation. “People are looking for a lifestyle, and there’s a big disbelief that tech and seniors don’t mix. In a study with the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities, we found virtual reality experiences significantly decrease depression and significantly increase social mental health.”
Erin Hayes, chief revenue officer for Enquire, a marketing automation platform and contact center for senior living and health care organizations, said the sales space is a great career entry point in senior living. She said data analytics and problem solving are among the top skills senior living employers will seek when hiring future employees.
“Whatever your specialty, there’s a niche for it in senior living,” said Matt Reiners, cofounder and vice president of Eversound, a tech company that provides interactive programs and wireless group listening systems for seniors. He told a story about a couple in which the husband had dementia and had been moved to a care facility. During a visit, the couple each put on an Eversound headset and listened to their wedding song. Soon they were swaying to the music and singing to each other. The wife said it was the first time in years she felt like a wife instead of a caregiver.
“These moments of positive connection, engagement, and love—that’s what gets me going,” Reiners said. “If you are looking to do some good in the world and make a career out of it, senior living is a great opportunity to explore any aspect of the business side.”
The Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living hosts several events during the Carson College’s annual Hospitality Week. “Technology for the Business of Aging” was moderated by Steve Moran, founder of Senior Living Foresight, a senior living media company.
Watch the “Technology for the Business of Aging” video to learn more.