Slate Of Business Leaders Set To Share 'Executive Insights' This Fall

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA (September 3, 2008) – Penn State's Smeal College of Business will host three senior-level business leaders during the fall semester as part of the third year of its guest speaker program, Leadership in Focus: Executive Insights.

Stuart Levenick, group president of Caterpillar Inc., is scheduled for Sept. 26. Smeal alumna Karen Quintos '85, vice president of Americas Marketing for Dell, will be the college's guest on Oct. 17. And the fall slate of speakers will wrap up on Dec. 5 with Smeal alumnus Daniel Mead '75, '77 M.B.A., president of Verizon Services Corp.

Each guest will be greeted with a reception hosted by Smeal Dean James Thomas, during which they can network with Smeal faculty and discuss the latest trends affecting their organizations. They also meet in small groups with interested students who are alumni of their internship programs or are prospective employees and interns.

Their visits culminate with an interactive on-stage conversation with Dean Thomas, during which Thomas poses questions submitted by the audience. The talks are held at 11:15 a.m. in the Business Building's Struthers Auditorium and are open to the public.

Leadership in Focus: Executive Insights, an initiative started in the 2006-2007 academic year, is designed to complement the Smeal educational experience by bringing high-profile business leaders to the college to connect with students, faculty, and administrators to share some of their business expertise and experiences in leadership.

Past guests include James Clifton, chairman and chief executive officer, The Gallup Organization; Dennis Nally, chairman and senior partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers; and James Stengel, global marketing officer, Procter & Gamble. A complete list of past speakers, along with further information on the Executive Insights series, is available online at www.smeal.psu.edu/about/lecture/execin.html.

Stuart Levenick
Stuart L. Levenick is a group president of Caterpillar Inc., where his areas of responsibility include Global Mining, Heavy Construction and Mining Products, U.S. Operations, Latin America Marketing and Operations, and Global Marketing and Product Support divisions. He brings to the role a strong background in marketing and general management, as well as broad global experience in Japan, North America, Russia, and Southeast Asia. 

Levenick joined Caterpillar as a sales development technician in 1977. After serving in various management positions in marketing and product source planning, he became a division manager in 1989, regional manager for Cat Asia Pte. Ltd. in 1995, and general manager for company operations in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in 1998. 

Prior to becoming group president, he served as vice president of Caterpillar's Asia Pacific Division and chairman of Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd.—a Tokyo-based joint venture between Caterpillar and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. 

He is a member of the boards of directors of Entergy Corp. and W. W. Grainger, Inc., as well as the Heartland Partnership, United Way, and Commerce Bank in Peoria, Ill.

Levenick holds a bachelor's degree in Forestry from the University of Illinois and a master's degree in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Karen Quintos
Karen Quintos serves as vice president of Americas Marketing for Dell, where she is responsible for managing Dell Americas' operations at the Americas call centers, establishing the strategy for future sites, and supporting the launch of new facilities.

Quintos joined Dell in April 2000 as director of the Demand/Supply organization in Dell Americas Operations. In February 2001, she became vice president of supply chain management and in May 2002, she assumed responsibility for Customer Experience and Customer Care, in addition to Small & Medium Business Services Sales and Operations.

Prior to joining Dell, Quintos served as a vice president of global operations and technology for Citigroup in Tampa, Fla. She also spent 10 years with Merck & Co., where she served in multiple roles in marketing, operations, planning, and supply chain.

Quintos is a member of the Dell Foundation Board and an Executive Board Member of the Women's Networking group. She has served on the boards of several nonprofits, including CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Travis County, Fla.; Guardian Ad Litem of Tampa, Fla.; and Meals on Wheels.

She holds a bachelor's degree in Business Logistics from Smeal and a master's degree in Marketing and International Business from New York University.

Daniel Mead
Daniel Mead is president of Verizon Services Corp., a business group that manages finance operations, real estate, and supply chain services for all Verizon companies. Mead is also responsible for Verizon's 24 percent ownership of Vodafone Italia, a Vodafone-Verizon wireless joint venture in Italy, and sits on the Vodafone Italia Board of Directors.

Mead has a lead strategy role with an emphasis on transforming Verizon's operating structure. He also co-chairs Verizon's Corporate Responsibility and Workplace Culture Council, through which he is leading a variety of "green" initiatives that aim to reduce Verizon's impact on the environment.

Mead was appointed to lead Verizon Services in October 2005, when the unit was created. He was one of the founding senior executives responsible for launching Verizon Wireless (VZW) in July 2000. From March 2001 to October 2005, he was president of VZW's Midwest Area, a 15-state region with a population of 61 million that stretches from Pennsylvania to the Dakotas and from Minnesota to Kentucky. He has held various other leadership roles in telecommunications functions during his 29 years with Verizon and its predecessor companies.

Mead holds a bachelor's degree in Quantitative Business Analysis and Finance and an M.B.A. from Smeal.