UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Mitch Cohen ’81 ACCTG, vice chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), will share his perspectives on business, leadership, and a book he recently co-authored, with the Penn State Smeal College of Business on Friday, Feb. 13. His visit is part of the Smeal’s Executive Insights series, in partnership with the Schreyer Honors College’s Shaping the Future Summit.
Cohen, a member of the Smeal Board of Visitors, will take part in a moderated discussion with Charles H. Whiteman, John and Becky Surma Dean of Smeal, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. in the Struthers Auditorium, Room 110 of the Business Building, University Park. The event is free and open to the public, but online registration is required at www.smeal.psu.edu/insights.
Along with PwC colleague John Sviokla, Cohen recently co-authored “The Self-Made Billionaire Effect: How Extreme Producers Create Massive Value.” The authors identify five habits of mind that allow self-made billionaires to create value on a massive scale — habits that are in direct conflict with the traits and practices most businesses value and promote in their employees.
Cohen’s visit is the first of two Executive Insights sessions this spring. Andre J. Hawaux, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Dick’s Sporting Goods, is scheduled to visit the college on April 10.
Cohen has been with PwC, one of the Big Four professional service firms with offices in 157 countries and an employee population of more than 195,000, for 33 years — the last 22 as a partner. During that time he served a number of Fortune 500 telecom and technology clients. He has held a variety of industry leadership roles starting with the Technology, InfoComm and Entertainment (TICE) leader for central and eastern Europe and Russia while based in Budapest from 1998-2001. He relocated to New York and in 2001 was appointed global leader of the Information/Communications industry practice.
In 2005, Cohen became the global leader of the TICE practice and served on the Global Leadership Team. He then became the strategy leader for the U.S. Assurance practice in 2007, and assumed the role of U.S. strategy leader in 2009, joining the U.S. Leadership Team. In 2012, Cohen was named the New York metro regional vice chair, and became the U.S. firm’s network alignment leader in 2013.
Executive Insights is designed to complement the Smeal educational experience by bringing high-profile business leaders to the college to connect with students, faculty, staff and administrators. Past guests include more than 25 leaders from organizations such as Boeing, Dell, Deloitte, Johnson & Johnson, Kohl’s, KPMG, Procter & Gamble, Samsung, Siemens, Verizon, Tumi Holdings, Inc. and Urban Outfitters.