UM-Flint School of Management to host business summit Oct. 31, featuring Lear president and CEO

The University of Michigan-Flint School of Management, with its “Leaders and Best” title partner Sorensen Gross, OLV Investment Group, and in collaboration with the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, will host a business summit aimed at fostering networking and sharing industry insights with the community, Oct. 31. The event will take place, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the university’s Riverfront Conference Center in downtown Flint.

The summit, open to local and regional business leaders, entrepreneurs and the UM-Flint community, will be one of the most significant events in SOM’s golden jubilee celebration, marking 50 years of excellence in business education. Attendees will hear from Ray Scott, president and CEO of Lear Corporation, who will deliver the keynote address.

“Ray is one of the region’s most prominent business leaders, heading a Fortune 500 company with significant economic impact,” said Yener Kandogan, interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UM-Flint. “His insights on emerging technologies such as automation and artificial intelligence will provide valuable takeaways for those in the automotive industry and business leaders across various sectors.”

In addition to Scott’s keynote address, the event will feature a luncheon, dedicated networking time, and two concurrent breakout sessions led by local industry leaders, many of whom have connections to UM-Flint. The concurrent sessions will cover critical topics such as succession planning for family businesses and venture capital opportunities for entrepreneurs.

The event’s schedule is as follows: 

• Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-noon
• Keynote with Ray Scott, “Automation and Artificial Intelligence”: noon-1 p.m. 
• Networking: 1-1:30 p.m. 
• Breakout sessions: 1:30-2:30 p.m.

“This summit is an opportunity to learn about current economic and technological developments impacting all types of industries and business sizes,” said Kandogan who also serves as the SOM interim dean. “Breakout sessions are aimed to appeal to many family businesses and growing entrepreneurial activity in our region. Regardless of which part of the summit excites attendees the most, the overarching goal is to allow community members to network and exchange ideas.”

Registration for the business summit is required by Oct. 21. All proceeds will benefit the SOM Degree Completion Scholarship, which supports SOM undergraduate students approaching graduation but who are at risk of dropping out due to financial hardship. 

To learn more about the summit, the degree completion scholarship and other events celebrating SOM’s 50th anniversary, visit its webpage.