Business School Hosts Ninth-Annual Business Symposium

The world needs more entrepreneurs – are you one of them? The Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business will mark its ninth annual Business Symposium, on Friday, March 31, 2017.

The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Halpin-Harrison Hall (HHH), on the campus of Shenandoah University. Light drinks and refreshments will be served. The event costs $55 for early bird registration, $70 for regular registration and $85 for walk-in registration.

Keynote Speaker Ron Losby, President and CEO of Steinway & Sons, will share his story from 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. in Stimpson Auditorium in HHH. Losby was named chief executive officer of Steinway on Aug. 15, 2016. Prior to this role, Losby had served for eight years as president of Steinway & Sons–Americas, based in New York. Losby has had a long track record of success at Steinway & Sons. He began his tenure as a district manager in 1987, where he refined his understanding of the retail business in the Americas and attained increasing levels of responsibility within the organization.

In 2005, he was promoted to lead Steinway’s European retail operations, relocating to work out of Steinway Hall in London. Losby brought his strong retail experience to Europe, helping to increase sales in London and other major markets, while simultaneously honing his understanding of the European business landscape. In his role as president of Steinway & Sons–Americas, Losby helped to manage the company through the 2008 recession – keeping Steinway & Sons viable financially while never losing focus on the company’s mission to build the best pianos in the world. Losby is an accomplished pianist and has studied at both the San Francisco Conservatory and The Juilliard School in New York City.

After Losby’s keynote speech, sixteen breakout sessions will take place throughout HHH, including sessions on “Dressing for Success” and “Humanizing Change.”

For more information about the Business Symposium, contact Business School Administrative Assistant Donna Fazio at 540-665-4572 or dfazio@su.edu.