Mesirow CEO Jim Tyree Keynote Speaker for Business Week

Jim Tyree, chairman and CEO of Mesirow Financial and an Illinois State University alumnus, will be the keynote speaker for Illinois State's Business Week 2009, March 30 - April 3.  Events during Business Week will also include a presentation on effective job interviews, a business networking dinner, seminars on careers and money management, presentations by College of Business alumni and workshops on business leadership. 

Tyree '78, '80 MBA will speak on "An Illinois State Focus Taken in Many Directions" at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1 in the Bone Student Center Braden Auditorium.  A reception will follow at 3 p.m. in the Bone Student Center Old Main Room.

Tyree's keynote address and the presentations by College of Business alumni are free and open to the public.  For a complete listing of the week's events, speakers, locations and student registration information visit www.cob.ilstu.edu/businessweek 

Business Week is sponsored by Illinois State's College of Business and brings corporate and industry leaders to campus to speak on important issues, trends and developments.  The week's events help students from all academic disciplines better understand the skills needed for success in a dynamic global business environment and will emphasize educational preparation, leadership, service, etiquette, networking, goal setting, and career advancement.

Business Week activities will begin on Monday, March 30 with an ice cream social from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the lower atrium of the College of Business Building.  That evening at 6 p.m., Eric Hoss, financial services portfolio director at State Farm Insurance, will share tips on effective job interviewing techniques.  Hoss is the author of Removing Doubt in an Interview: A Better Way to Get the Job You Want." His presentation is in conjunction with a networking dinner for pre-registered students in the Bone Student Center Brown Ballroom. 

On Tuesday, March 31, pre-registered students can brush up on job interviewing skills by participating in mock interviews with company representatives from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the College of Business Building. 

On Thursday, April 2, Business Week transition seminars will address the challenges of shifting from being a student to a business professional.  The interactive seminars will run from 2 - 4:30 p.m. in the Bone Student Center Brown Ballroom.  As transition seminar leaders, College of Business alumni and College of Business Hall of Fame Service Award winners will discuss topics such as the value of an MBA, job interview strategies, money management tips for young professionals, and what to look for when negotiating job offers and comparing benefits packages.  The seminars are free and open to all students.   

That evening at 7p.m., College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame inductees will give individual presentations on various business topics.  The presentations are sponsored by College of Business student organizations and will be held in several locations across campus.  Please visit www.cob.ilstu.edu/businessweek for complete information on speakers and locations.  This year's alumni speakers will be LaVerne Council '86, corporate vice president and CIO, Johnson & Johnson; Andrew Jackson '80, president, BravoTECH Inc.; Dan Rutherford '78, vice president, ServiceMaster Company and Illinois state senator; Stefanos "Scottie" Venable '86, managing partner, PrivateBank, lieutenant colonel, U.S. Army Reserve; and James Schlesser '74, partner, Deloitte Tax LLP.

Students, alumni and working professionals can learn about effective business communication and leadership during a presentation and workshops on Friday, April 3.  Leadership Day activities will include the presentation, "The Challenges of Global Business Leadership," by Dan Murphy, vice president of global purchasing, Caterpillar Inc., at 8 a.m. in the Bone Student Center Brown Ballroom.  From 9:30 - 11:20 a.m., workshop sessions will cover cross-generational communication, strategies for balancing personal and professional responsibilities and increasing awareness and sensitivity in a global business environment.  The event is free and open to the public, but advance registration by March 20 is required.

Jim Tyree is chairman and CEO of Mesirow Financial, a diversified financial services firm headquartered in Chicago.  Mesirow Financial is an employee-owned, private company with more than 1,100 employees in 30 locations across the United States, Puerto Rico and London and over $32 billion in assets under management.

Tyree joined Mesirow Financial in 1980 as a research associate and quickly rose through the ranks to be named president in 1990, chief executive officer in 1992 and chairman and chief executive officer in 1994.  Throughout his career, he has served on more than 50 corporate, civic and not-for-profit boards of directors for organizations that support healthcare, education and children.  In 2000, Mayor Daley appointed him chairman of the Board of City Colleges of Chicago.  Tyree is the chairman for the Chicago-land Chamber of Commerce and serves on the boards of Illinois State University Foundation, Roosevelt University, Illinois Education Foundation, University of Chicago Medical Center and Big Shoulders Fund.