A FIRESIDE CHAT BETWEEN PRESIDENTS: LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT IN A TIME OF DISRUPTION
Thursday, October 17, 2019
6:00 PM-8:00 PM
How will disruptive technologies impact career
development and career longevity? How can careers best be developed for tomorrow’s workforce and which leadership skills will be most important to
companies in the next 5, 10, 20 years?
Attend an exclusive Fireside Chat with John Fry,
president of Drexel University, and DJ Paoni, president of SAP North America,
as they discuss the importance of career development in a time when disruptive
technologies are changing industry at a rapid pace, as well as the leadership
skills needed to accommodate these changes.
Topics:
- Lessons in leadership - building a culture of innovation
- Careers - navigating one’s career
- Power of relationships and networking - building personal
reputation, brand and trust
- Staying relevant in the age of digital disruption – capitalizing
on new opportunities
- Facing challenges - how to handle pitfalls
Co-sponsored by Alumni
Relations and Drexel Business Solutions Institute (DBSI). This event will also
be offered online.
Interested in learning more about what inspired DJ Paoni and his ideas on being the CEO of your own career? Listen to his interview with Kelly Deily, LeBow College of Business' Assistant Director of MBA/MS Career Services, as part of the Career Conversations with Kelly podcast! Listen to the podcast here!
ABOUT
THE SPEAKERS
John Fry, President,
Drexel University
John Fry was appointed Drexel University’s 14th
president in 2010 and set out to transform Drexel into a private research
university with a strong public purpose — an institution that harnesses its
strengths to serve its students, its neighborhood, city and the nation. Prior
to Drexel, Fry was president of Franklin & Marshall College,
executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania, and a management
consultant for the higher education and nonprofit sectors.
Under Fry’s leadership, Drexel is setting a new
standard for online and hybrid education, public-private partnerships, and
becoming a powerful force for economic development in Greater Philadelphia. Fry
has championed major neighborhood initiatives including the PECO-Drexel
Education Collaborative supporting local public schools, the Lindy Institute
for Urban Innovation and the Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships. He
negotiated a groundbreaking affiliation with the Academy of Natural Sciences of
Philadelphia, launched the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship to
foster entrepreneurial learning, and forged a series of academic and research
partnerships to enhance Drexel’s global connections in China, Turkey, Israel,
Brazil, Chile, India and South Korea. Also, during Fry’s tenure, Drexel has
seen a significant increase in fundraising and a growing number of
philanthropic partners.
As part of Drexel’s role as anchor institution
in the region, Fry announced the creation of Drexel Ventures, a subsidiary
enterprise to help faculty and students partner with the private sector to
build businesses around their inventions. And those relationships will be at
the heart of Schuylkill Yards, a $3.5 billion mixed-use development on
University real estate adjacent to Philadelphia’s Amtrak 30th Street Station.
Fry serves on the boards of Lafayette College,
the Agnes Irwin School, Andalusia Foundation, Delaware Investments, Community
Health Systems, the Wistar Institute, Advanced Functional Fabrics of America,
and the Kresge Foundation. He also served two years as chairman of the Chamber
of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, concluding his tenure in October 2018.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Fry graduated
from Lafayette College and earned a master’s degree in business administration
from the New York University Stern School of Business. He and his wife, Cara,
an art historian, have three children: Mia, a student at Penn Law; Nat, an
entrepreneur; and Phoebe, a senior at The Shipley School.
DJ Paoni, President, SAP
North America
SAP North America President DJ Paoni has been
disrupting the enterprise technology industry for over two decades. Since
joining SAP as an account executive in 1996, he has demonstrated an
impenetrable commitment to teamwork, innovation, and quality results for the
company’s more than 187,000 customers. Now responsible for SAP North America’s
strategy, day-to-day operations, and overall customer success in the US and
Canada, DJ serves as a model for executive flexibility. That he has provided
support and leadership throughout several landmark M&A cycles is indicative
of his ability to adapt to changes in the ever-dynamic tech landscape.
With 23 years of experience at SAP, he champions
his customer-centric mentality as a focal point for engaging with other C-Level
execs to discuss their digital transformations. DJ’s thought leadership efforts
establish precedents for articulating the challenges of and solutions to
rethinking customers, products, and corporate structure in today’s digital
economy. Whether he is setting standards for rethinking customer acquisition,
data-driven connectivity, or the role of technology in C-Suite functions, he
continually inspires employees and other leaders to march towards the forefront
of innovation.
His expertise extends into various philanthropic
and Diversity & Inclusion practices as well. DJ serves on the board of
GENYOUth, a non-profit organization that collaborates with schools,
communities, and business partners to improve nutrition and physical activity
in children’s lives. Bringing this commitment to positive change back into the
work space, he also proudly oversees functions of Project Propel, an
educational initiative directed towards students at Historically Black Colleges
and Universities, as well as the Autism at Work program, which perfectly
encapsulates SAP’s devotion to cultivation a work environment that embraces the
special needs and skills of each employee.
DJ has earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from
the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois, and an MBA from the Kellogg
School of Management at Northwestern University. He is married to his wife,
Susie, and together they have two children, Anna and Ben.
Contact Information
Lauren Karch, MS '15
lmk324@drexel.edu