MBA Lectern: Leadership in Adversity & Book Sharing for Running with Purpose (Chinese Version)
Sep 18-2024
In the constantly changing global economic landscape and increasingly fierce market competition, businesses and organizations face unprecedented challenges, making the importance of leadership more prominent than ever. Especially in times of adversity, leadership becomes the key to guiding teams toward success. How can companies build a moat and navigate through the cycle in difficult times? How can they maintain team morale and achieve breakthroughs during adversity?
On the evening of September 18, 2024, The National School of Development at Peking University will host the 76th session of MBA Lectern. We have the special honor of inviting Jim Weber, former CEO of Brooks, a running shoe brand under Warren Buffett's company, to deliver a keynote speech and share insights from his new book, Running with Purpose: How Brooks Outpaced Goliath Competitors to Lead the Pack, presenting Brooks' leadership manifesto. He will also engage in a dialogue with Professor John Yang from Peking University National School of Development for an in-depth discussion on the wisdom of leadership in adversity.
Event Details:
Organizers: Peking University National School of Development MBA Center, Cheers Publishing
Special Support: Brooks China
Time: 7:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M., September 18 (Wednesday), 2024
Venue: The National School of Development at PKU（specific location to be notified upon registration）
Language: English
Event Format: In-person + Online live stream
Keynote Speaker:
Jim Weber, author of Running with Purpose: How Brooks Outpaced Goliath Competitors to Lead the Pack, former CEO of Brooks
John Yang, Professor of Management at Peking University National School of Development
Agenda:
7:00 P.M. - 7:10 P.M. Opening Remarks
7:10 P.M. - 7:40 P.M. Keynote: Leadership in Adversity
7:40 P.M. - 8:00 P.M. Dialogue: Professor John Yang and Jim Weber: Becoming the Best Leader You Can Be
8:00 P.M. - 8:30 P.M. Q&A Session
8:30 P.M. - 9:00 P.M. Group Photo & Book Signing
Register by scanning the QR code:
* Attendees of the in-person lecture will have the opportunity to receive a complimentary copy of Running with Purpose: How Brooks Outpaced Goliath Competitors to Lead the Pack
About Speaker
Jim Weber served as the CEO of Brooks from 2001-2024, where he was recognized as the driving force behind Brooks' successful transformation. During his tenure, the business and brand success caught the attention of Warren Buffett, who declared Brooks a standalone subsidiary company of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in 2012. Weber's professional journey includes leadership roles for several consumer product brands, including Chairman and CEO of Sims Sports, President of O'Brien International, Vice President of The Coleman Company, and various roles at The Pillsbury Company. Weber was also managing director of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Seattle Investment Banking practice and a commercial banking officer at Norwest Bank Minneapolis (now Wells Fargo).
He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and a Master of Business Administration degree with high distinction from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
Professor John Yang is a management professor at the National School of Development at Peking University, a Chair Professor of the Alumni College Development Fund, Special Advisor at Peking University's BiMBA Business School, Academic Director of the DPS Doctoral Program in Management, and Academic Advisor of CHO100. His research focuses on organizational behavior and International Leadership. He combines Western management theories and methods with new phenomena and issues in China, concentrating on the China strategies of multinational companies and the internationalization of Chinese enterprises. He has published over a dozen academic papers in prominent international management journals and has pioneered columns on cross-cultural management and leadership in major domestic business publications.
In teaching, Professor John YANG offers the course "Self-Awareness and Leadership for Leaders", which has been repeatedly rated by students as the "most rewarding", "most thought-provoking", and "most practical" course. He also leads the international study programs at the National School of Development, guiding students on in-depth academic tours across more than 20 countries and regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, India, and Taiwan. These programs involve detailed examinations of local history, culture, political systems, social organizations, and economic and financial structures, offering deep reflections on the factors behind the rise and fall of these regions and their implications for the development of Chinese enterprises and society.
About The Book
Book Title: Running with Purpose: How Brooks Outpaced Goliath Competitors to Lead the Pack
This book tells the story of how Jim Weber, former CEO of Brooks, transformed a failing business into a multibillion-dollar brand that caught the attention of legendary investor Warren Buffett, leading to its acquisition as a direct subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway and became a direct subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. It distills Jim Weber's 23 years as CEO of Brooks, revealing a business philosophy admired by Buffett, showcasing the remarkable turnaround of a century-old brand, and highlighting the extraordinary journey of a CEO seemingly destined for success.
