UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Raymond J. Lane, the former president and CEO of Oracle and managing partner at GreatPoint Ventures, shared his perspectives on business, leadership and entrepreneurship with the Penn State Smeal College of Business community on Friday, Oct. 7, as part of the college’s Executive Insights series.
As part of his visit, Lane took part in a moderated discussion with Smeal Dean Charles H. Whiteman at 10:10 a.m. in Struthers Auditorium, 110 Business Building. The event is free and open to the public, but online registration is required at www.smeal.psu.edu/insights.
Lane’s visit marks the first of three Executive Insights sessions planned for the fall semester. Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation, will visit Smeal on Oct. 21. R.B. Harrison, a 1985 finance alumnus and chief omnichannel officer of Macy’s, comes to the Business Building on Nov. 4.
Both the Shay and Harrison visits are also part of the Melvin Jacobs Retail Leadership Lecture Series, which is named in honor of former chairman and CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue Melvin Jacobs, a 1947 Penn State alumnus. Jacobs Lectures support campus visits from outstanding leaders and chief executives who are shaping the future of the retail industry.
Previous lectures in the series have featured: Arthur C. Martinez, retired Sears chairman and CEO; Leonard Lauder, chairman of The Estée Lauder Companies; Jerome Griffith, CEO of Tumi; and Dave Ziel, CDO of Urban Outfitters.
Lane is also a strategic adviser for Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, after serving as a managing partner with the firm for 14 years. He serves on the board of Hewlett-Packard and was its former chairman. During his eight-year tenure at Oracle, he grew the company from $800 million to more than $10 billion. Lane earned a degree in mathematics from West Virginia University in 1968.
Now in its eighth year, Executive Insights is designed to complement the Smeal educational experience by bringing high-profile leaders to the college to connect with students, faculty and administrators. Past Executive Insights guests include more than 25 leaders from organizations such as Archer Daniels Midland, Boeing, Credit Suisse Group, Dell, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Johnson & Johnson, Kohl’s, KPMG, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, PwC, Samsung, Siemens, Verizon, Tumi Holdings Inc., and Urban Outfitters.