Magers Headlines Business Week 2011 Events

David Magers, executive vice president and chief financial officer of COUNTRY Financial and an Illinois State University alumnus, will be the keynote speaker for Illinois State's Business Week 2011, March 28 - April 1. The theme for this year's Business Week is Establishing Your Competitive Edge with Soft Skills. Events will include mock job interviews, a business networking dinner, seminars on transitioning from college to the work world and the State Farm Hall of Business naming ceremony.

For a complete list of the week's events, speakers, locations and student registration information, visit www.cob.ilstu.edu/businessweek

Magers '77, M.B.A. '86 will speak on Winning with Integrity - The Importance of Principles in Achieving Success on Wednesday, March 30, at 2 p.m. in the Bone Student Center Braden Auditorium.  A College of Business Alumni Network (COBAN) reception will follow at 3 p.m. in the Bone Student Center Old Main Room. Magers' keynote presentation and the reception are free and open to the public.

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 emphasize educational preparation, leadership, service, etiquette, networking, goal setting and career advancement.

Business Week activities will begin on Monday, March 28, with a professional etiquette and networking dinner for pre-registered students in the Bone Student Center Brown Ballroom, beginning at 6 p.m.  Michael Slater, founder of SpeedNetworking.com, will be the featured speaker and will lead an interactive session on developing business networking skills.       

On Tuesday, March 29, pre-registered students will get expert coaching on job interview skills during mock interview sessions led by professional business recruiters. The mock interviews will be held 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at various locations in the State Farm Hall of Business. 

Beginning Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m., Business Week transition seminars will address the challenges of moving from being a student to a business professional. The interactive seminars, held in the State Farm Hall of Business, will be led by College of Business alumni. Topics will include finding a professional mentor, the importance of pre-professional experiences, presenting a professional image in the workplace and effective job search strategies.   The seminars are free and open to all students.  

A ceremony to officially rename the College of Business Building as the State Farm Hall of Business will take place in the building on Thursday, March 31, at 1:30 p.m.  The event is free and open to the public.  The renaming celebrates the long-standing partnership between State Farm and Illinois State University. 

Six senior level executives and entrepreneurs will be officially inducted into the College of Business Hall of Fame during a private luncheon.  Alumni Hall of Fame inductees are: Scott Carr '85, managing director, Northwestern Mutual  Financial Network; Michael E. Keane '77, executive vice president and CFO, Clipper Windpower, Inc.; Miron Marcotte '85, managing director, Protiviti Inc.; Jeff Stempora, M.B.A. '95, CEO and board member, Evogi Group; Keith Wakeman '86, CEO and co-founder, Gene Smart Diagnostics.  This year's Hall of Fame Service Award inductee is Edward B. Rust Jr., chairman of the board and CEO, State Farm Mutual.

That evening, Alumni Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Stempora will present Adversity: The New Norm at a leadership perspectives dinner in the Bone Student Center Brown Ballroom.  The event for pre-registered participants will begin at 4:30 p.m. Students will have the opportunity to help beautify Constitution Trail from 2 - 4 p.m. on Friday, April 1, during the Business Week corporate social responsibility event.

As executive vice president and CFO of COUNTRY Financial, David Magers is responsible for financial reporting and controls, investments, internal auditing, planning, risk management and administration at COUNTRY and its three alliance companies: Holyoke Mutual Insurance Company, Middlesex Mutual Assurance Company and Cotton States Insurance Company.  Magers has also served as vice president of finance and treasurer for the Illinois Agricultural Association and in various accounting and finance-related positions with GROWMARK Inc., a Farm Bureau agricultural supply company.