Academics

Lord Hastings talk highlights inaugural Smeal Corporate Citizenship Conference

Lord Michael Hastings, second from left, accepts gifts from representatives of the Smeal College of Business. Among them were Charles H. Whiteman (left), John and Becky Surma Dean of the Penn State Smeal College of Business, and Ron Johnson (right), senior instructor of management and organization and faculty advisor to the Net Impact group. Credit: By Andy Elder / Penn StateCreative Commons

More than 1,800 Penn State Smeal College of Business students flooded the atrium and classrooms of the Business Building on Tuesday night as part of the inaugural Smeal Corporate Citizenship Conference.

Lord Michael Hastings, KPMG’s director of global citizenship and a member of British Parliament’s House of Lords, delivered a keynote address. Hastings was previously the BBC’s head of public affairs and then its head of corporate social responsibility. He has served in several citizenship-related leadership capacities for the World Economic Forum.

Hastings’ talk provided examples of corporate citizenship, as well as advice students can use when they enter the workforce.

“It is no longer acceptable for corporations to simply state their values. They must demonstrate them,” Hastings said.

For students preparing to enter the work world, Hastings said he has reviewed countless resumes that simply list a person’s experience. His message is that companies want to see more.

“I’ve seen your capabilities. I want to see your heart,” he said. “I want to know what makes you tick.

The conference, sponsored by Smeal Career and Corporate Connections and Penn State’s Net Impact Undergraduate chapter, was designed to stress the importance of citizenship in business to first- and second-year undergraduates at Smeal. Eleven companies — Alcoa, EY, Goldman Sachs, Green Towers, Hershey’s, KPMG, Nestle Waters, PLS Logistics Services, Symantec, Unilever and Vanguard — hosted break-out sessions and networking tables.

“Corporate citizenship is increasingly a larger part of the business world and, in planning this conference, we wanted to emphasize that to our younger students,” said Ron Johnson, senior instructor of management and organization and faculty advisor to the Net Impact group.

“Lord Michael Hastings epitomizes a life spent trying to make the world a better place by helping others and giving back. His message should have served as an inspiration for the students.”

Penn State Net Impact Undergraduate is a newly formed student organization at Smeal. It is affiliated with Net Impact National, a nonprofit organization with more than 50,000 students and professional leaders in more than 300 volunteer-led chapters across the globe. The organization’s mission is to inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.

For more information on Penn State Net Impact Undergraduate, see www.pennstatenetimpact.com.

About Undergraduate EducationThe Smeal College of Business offers undergraduate majors and minors that span the business spectrum, preparing students for a business world that is complex, global, and diverse. Smeal undergraduate students have access to dozens of student organizations and involvement opportunities, study abroad partnerships around the world, and personalized career planning and academic advising services to help them thrive at Smeal and in their careers. Learn more at www.smeal.psu.edu/uge.

Last Updated March 26, 2015

Contact