Two chief executives will give lectures as the Wachovia Distinguished Speakers at Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business.

David L. Calhoun, president and CEO of GE Transportation, will speak at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, March 17, in 2150 Torgersen Hall. His topic will be "Leadership in today's global business environment." Randy H. Thurman, chairman, president, and CEO of VIASYS Healthcare Inc., will speak at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, at the Donaldson Brown Hotel and Conference Center auditorium. His topic will be "What fighter pilots and entrepreneurs have in common." The lectures are free and open to the public.

Calhoun, a 1979 Virginia Tech graduate in accounting and member of the Pamplin Advisory Council, has been with GE since graduation. He has worked in various divisions of the company in positions of increasing responsibility. He was appointed president, Pacific region, of GE Plastics in 1994. Appointed president and CEO of GE Transportation Systems in 1995, Calhoun went on to serve as president and CEO of GE Lighting, GE's Employers Reinsurance Corporation, and GE Aircraft Engines. When the latter integrated with GE Rail in January 2004, Calhoun was named GE Transportation's president and CEO.

GE Transportation's products and services include jet engines for military and civil aircraft, freight and passenger locomotives, motorized systems for mining trucks and drills, and gas turbines for marine and industrial applications.

Thurman is a 1971 graduate in economics and recipient of Pamplin's 2004 Distinguished Alumnus Award. Since joining VIASYS as CEO in early 2001, he has led the consolidation of 15 independent, medical companies and the successful public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Thurman has served as a top executive of Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Corning Life Sciences, Rorer Pharmaceuticals, and Strategic Reserves. He flew 145 combat missions in Vietnam as an Air Force pilot and received two Distinguished Flying Crosses and nine Air Medals. In 1999, he created the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Thurman Family Endowment.

VIASYS Healthcare Inc. is a global company based in Conshohocken, Pa., that develops, manufactures, and services high-technology medical devices.

The Wachovia Distinguished Speaker series in the Pamplin College is made possible by a grant from Wachovia Bank. Past speakers have included senior executives from Goldman Sachs International, AT&T, GE, IBM, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Ferguson Enterprises.

Virginia Tech's nationally ranked Pamplin College of Business offers undergraduate and graduate programs in accounting and information systems, business information technology, economics, finance, hospitality and tourism management, management, and marketing. The college emphasizes the development of leadership skills and ethical values and the integration of technology in the academic curriculum, and prepares students for global business challenges through faculty-led study abroad programs. A member of the college's marketing faculty directs the interdisciplinary Sloan Foundation Forest Industries Center at Virginia Tech. The college's other research centers focus on business leadership, electronic commerce, and organizational performance. The college is committed to serving business and society through the expertise of its faculty, alumni, and students.

Share this story