First-ever IU Brand Leadership Conference to take place Friday

IU's Kelley School of Business is hosting its first annual Brand Leadership Conference Friday. The conference, which is targeted toward first- and second-year MBA students, will feature several successful alumni, said Jonlee Andrews, director of the Center for Brand Leadership and one of the event's co-chairs. \nThe focus of this program is to let MBA students see what business professionals are doing in the real world. Andrews said the speakers will not only discuss marketing and brand building but also business networking in its entirety. \n"Alumni of IU who work in consumer marketing want to create a community and network of people," she said. \nSpeakers will include Ken Calwell, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Domino's Pizza; Tony DiSalle, vice president of sales, service and marketing at OnStar; Cindy Pope Tripp, marketing director, global design at Procter and Gamble; and Kathy Vrabeck, former president of Activision Publishing and one of the Hollywood Reporter's '100 Most Powerful Women in Entertainment,' according to a press release from IU Media Relations. The conference will also feature Kelley School alumni who are now in senior-level positions at Eli Lilly and Company, Professor K Enterprises, Kimball International and Staples, according to the release.\nIU spokesperson George Vlahakis praised co-chairs Andrews and market professor Tom Hustad for organizing the program. \nThe conference marks the first Brand Leadership Conference at IU with more to come in the future, Andrews said. She said it's an honor for the University to have these alumni return to Bloomington to share ideas with those who will be entering the business field.