In 2017, The Robson Foundation, named for former Dean John E. Robson, pledged $2.1 million to establish the John Robson Program for Business, Public Policy, and Government. As the world grows more diverse, connected, and complex, our work will uncover the keys to policy and decision making that increase the effectiveness of business.
Business, Public Policy, and Government
Robson Program
The Robson Program for Business, Public Policy, and Government
THE INTERSECTION OF BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT
The John E. Robson Program for Business, Public Policy, and Government at the Goizueta Business School serves as a central forum for issues and solutions at the nexus of business, government, and public policy. The primary objective is to better prepare graduates to lead complex organizations by fostering proficiency in issues of business and public policy from multiple perspectives. The Robson Program integrates with wider communities to contribute to productive dialogue and leverages various programs at Emory University in pursuit of this mission.
A Refuge for Every Child: Compassion in Action
Michael J. Nyenhuis 12EMBA, President and CEO of UNICEF USA discusses the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
Robson Program
News
ROBSON DISTINGUISHED LECTURERS
Available to the entire school and broader university, The Robson Program provides lectures from leading academics, public policy advocates, senior executive,s and government officials. These lectures are open to all Goizueta Business School and Emory University students, faculty, and the broader community. Â
PREVIOUS LECTURERS
Previous Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
Former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO
Admiral James Stavridis was the 12th Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University since its founding in 1933. A retired 4-star officer in the U.S. Navy, he led the NATO Alliance in global operations from 2009 to 2013 as Supreme Allied Commander with responsibility for Afghanistan, Libya, the Balkans, Syria, piracy, and cyber security. He also served as Commander of U.S. Southern Command, with responsibility for all military operations in Latin America from 2006-2009. He also holds more than 50 medals, including 28 from foreign nations. Earlier in his military career he commanded the top ship in the Atlantic Fleet, winning the Battenberg Cup, as well as a squadron of destroyers and a carrier strike group -- all in combat.
Admiral Stavridis earned a PhD in international relations and has published six books and over two hundred articles in leading journals around the world. His latest books are "The Leader's Bookshelf" and "Sea Power," which were both published in 2017.
His 2012 TED talk has over 700,000 hits, and he speaks Spanish and French. Admiral Stavridis is a monthly columnist for TIME Magazine and is the Chief International Security Analyst for NBC News. His focus is on innovation, strategic communication and planning, and creating security through international, interagency, and public/private partnerships in this turbulent 21st century.
Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Neuberger Berman
Man of The Big Short fame
With over 20 years of investment experience, Steven Eisman is one of the most knowledgeable and respected analysts on Wall Street today. Eisman started his career at Oppenheimer & Co., one of Wall Streetâs largest firms, where he was ranked an All-Star Analyst by both Institutional Investor and The Wall Street Journal on multiple occasions.
Steven later served as Partner and Senior Portfolio manager at FrontPoint Financial Services Fund, where he made the biggest impact of his career. These incredible events are chronicled in Michael Lewisâs The Big Short, which tells the story of the unlikely investors who predicted the 2008 financial crisis before it happened. The film features Steve Carell portraying Steven as the outspoken hedge fund manager who, along with three other men, predicted the housing crash of 2008. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards and won for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Today, Eisman serves as a managing director at Neuberger Berman and a portfolio manager for the Eisman Group, within Neuberger Bermanâs Private Asset Management division.
ďťżMedia: Steve Eisman of âThe Big Shortâ Says Subprime Auto Loans Concern Him
Anchor at Bloomberg Television
Founder and CEO of Radiate
Betty Liu is an anchor at Bloomberg Television as well as the founder and CEO of Radiate, a video-based question and answer site based in New York City. The mission is to help today's managers grow into tomorrow's leaders. Guests include Jack Welch, Gary Vaynerchuk, Arianna Huffington, Mellody Hobson, Adam Grant, Richard Haass, and many others.
In addition, Liu hosts the Radiate podcast, with over 200,000 listeners, featuring intimate conversations with titans in business. Featured guests include Steve Schwarzman, Charlie Rose, David Stern, Mohamed el-Erian, Sallie Krawcheck, and many more.
Liu also anchors the Bloomberg Daybreak Asia program from the NY headquarters. An award-winning business journalist, Liu regularly interviews influential business, political, and media leaders including two former U.S. presidents - Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton -- as well as Warren Buffett, Carlos Slim, Jamie Dimon, Elon Musk, and many others.
Before joining Bloomberg Television, Liu was an anchor for CNBC Asia based in Hong Kong. Prior to that, she was the Atlanta bureau chief for the Financial Times where she covered a wide variety of topics from business to civil rights. Earlier in her career, Liu was the Taiwan bureau chief for Dow Jones Newswires and a Hong Kong-based regional correspondent for the newswire. In 1997, she received a Dow Jones Newswires Award for her coverage of the Asian financial crisis.
Liu is also the author of the career guide, "Work Smarts: What CEO's Say You Need to Know to Get Ahead." Liu was born in Hong Kong and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania magna cum laude in English. She currently lives in New Jersey with her twin sons.
Author and Television Commentator
Perry M. Smith is a teacher, author and TV and radio commentator. A retired major general, Smith served for 30 years in the U.S. Air Force. During his military career, he commanded an F-15 fighter wing in Germany, served as the top Air Force planner, and was commandant of the National War College. During the Vietnam War, Smith flew 180 combat missions in F-4 aircraft over Laos and North Vietnam.
He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1956. At West Point, he played intercollegiate lacrosse, being selected second-team All American his senior year. Smith later earned his PhD in International Relations from Columbia University.
He has written six books. "Rules & Tools for Leaders" (recently updated with co-author General Jeffrey Foley), with over 350,000 copies in print, is Smithâs most successful book. His other books include Assignment Pentagon and most recently, Courage, Compassion, Marine: The Unique Story of Jimmie Dyess.
He served as CNNâs military analyst from 1991 until 1998 and later served on contract with NBC, MSNBC, CBS TV, and CBS Radio. He is a frequent op-ed contributor to the Augusta Chronicle.
Smith is married to the former Connor Cleckley Dyess, the daughter of Marine Lt. Col. Jimmie Dyess, a recipient of the Medal of Honor and the Carnegie Medal. The Smithâs have two children, McCoy and Serena, and three grandchildren, Dyess, Porter, and Perry IV. Dyess and Porter are undergraduates at Emory University. Both are varsity athletes â members of Emoryâs cross country and track teams.
Deputy Representative of Canada to the U.N.
Ambassador Louise Blais is Canadaâs Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations. She is in charge of issues related to economic development. She began her professional career at Interpol and the National Archives of Canada before joining the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 1996. She has served abroad as counsellor at the Embassy in Washington and Tokyo and as minister-counsellor for Political Affairs at the Embassy in Paris.
In Ottawa, she has held the position of director of the Public Diplomacy Division and executive director of the Rotational Staff. Before being appointed consul general of Canada in Atlanta, Blais served on numerous boards including the Helen Hates Awards, the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, and the Tokyo International Film Festival.
Blais is an alum of the Herbert Quandt Foundationâs Trans-Atlantic and World Young Leaders Forum (2001, 2002, and 2005). Blais holds a B.A from McGill University. She is married and has two sons.
Chairman of the Independence Fund
The subject of the Newsweek cover story titled "Hero, M.D."
Richard Jadick, D.O. earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Ithaca College and his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (D.O) from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, NY. He completed his residency training in urology at the Medical College of Georgia and retired from the U.S. Navy in June of 2013 after 23 years of service.
Dr. Jadick finished his Navy career as the chief of urology at the Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, FL after returning from a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan in October 2012. Dr. Jadick is most noted for his service with the Marines out of Camp Leieune, NC in 2004 when he volunteered to go to Iraq with the 1st Bn 8th Marines as the units Battalion Surgeon. It was during this deployment that his unit was ordered into Fallujah.
On the very front lines, he established a forward aid station and was credited with saving the lives of 30 Marines and Sailors during the second battle of Fallujah. Dr. Jadick was awarded the Bronze Star with âCombat Vâ device for valor in January 2008. Dr. Jadickâs story was first documented in a Newsweek cover story titled âHero, M.D.â
He later published his own account of his experiences in a book called âOn Call in Hell: A Doctorâs Iraq War Story.â He is board certified by the American Board of Urology and his wife, Melissa, is a pediatrician. He is currently a practicing urologist and the chief of surgery at Georgia's Piedmont Newnan Hospital.
Executive Director of the Atlanta Committee for Progress (ACP)
Duriya Farooqui is the executive director of the Atlanta Committee for Progress, a partnership between the top business leaders and the City of Atlanta, to address the most critical issues for Atlanta. She provides leadership and strategic direction for ACPâs priorities developed in collaboration with the mayor. Farooqui is on the board of directors of the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the owner of the NYSE.
Prior to joining ACP in May 2016, Farooqui was a principal at Bain & Company, where she worked with corporate executives across several industries. In that role, she also led a pro-bono consulting team to develop an outcome-focused plan for a school network serving low-income children in Metro Atlanta.
Her management experience spans the private and public sector. Farooqui served the City of Atlanta for seven years, including the role of chief operating officer. She brought focus to data-driven management in optimizing operations, initiated innovation incentives, and led major initiatives such as pension reform, the opening of the international terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and securing a 30-year agreement with the Atlanta Falcons for their new stadium.
Prior to the City of Atlanta, Farooqui worked with the Center for International Development at Harvard, the World Bank, and the Center for Global Development. Duriya holds a M.P.A. in International Development from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Hampshire College.
Former Executive Vice President and Managing Director of CNN International
Tony Maddox was executive vice president and managing director of CNN International, which reaches more than 320 million households worldwide. Based at CNNâs Atlanta headquarters, he is responsible for an international news and information portfolio that includes five CNN services in English; CNN en EspaĂąol; the joint ventures CNN-News18, CNN Turk, CNN Chile, CNN Philippines and CNN Indonesia, as well as international newsgathering, editorial and programming oversight.
Under Maddoxâs leadership, CNN has recently received a number of prestigious journalism awards including the Royal Television Societyâs Best Breaking News Coverage for Paris Attacks (2016) and the News Channel of the Year (2013 and 2014) in addition to a George Foster Peabody Award, an Emmy Award, three Edward R. Murrow Awards, âCable & Satellite Channel of the Yearâ at the 2013 Asian Television Awards.
In 2015 the U.S. State Department honored Maddox for founding and leading the CNN Freedom Project, which is now the longest-running awareness and investigative campaign on modern slavery on a global news channel, as a Trafficking in Persons Report Hero. Maddox orchestrated CNNâs ambitious Content Ownership Strategy in 2006, outlining plans to significantly increase the number of correspondents and editorial operations around the world including Brazil, Kenya, India and the United Arab Emirates.
Former Chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company
Neville Isdell is the former chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, where he worked for 43 years. Mr. Isdell took the worldâs largest beverage company to new heights during his tenure. He expanded on the companyâs proud legacy of corporate responsibility by embedding sustainability throughout every facet of the organization and helping ensure its role as a community-connected twenty-first-century enterprise. These efforts resulted in The Coca-Cola Companyâs return to Fortuneâs âWorlds Most Admired Companiesâ list in 2006. In 2009, the company moved up the #12 spot in the global ranking.
A native of Ireland, Mr. Isdell joined The Coca-Cola Company in 1966 in Zambia, and in 1972 he became general manager of Coca-Cola Bottling of Johannesburg. During his 43 year career, Isdell worked in positions of increasing responsibility in the Philippines, Germany, London, and Atlanta.
After retiring in January 2002, Mr. Isdell was an international consultant to The Coca-Cola Company until June 2004, when he came out of retirement to lead The Coca-Cola Company as chairman and CEO.
Mr. Isdell serves on the boards of a number of NGOâs including CSIS, he is chairman of the World Wildlife Fund USA and is a member of the World Wildlife International Board of Trustees. He has recently been elected as Trustee of The Rhino Conservation of Botswana.
Mr. Isdell has previously served on the boards of public companies including General Motors, British Telecoms, Suntrust and the Investment Climate Facility of Africa where he was co-chair. In May 2016, Isdell opened Epic Ireland, a 21st-century museum telling the story of Irish people in Dublin, Ireland.
Isdell is a recipient of the Clinton Global Citizen Award as Beverage Industry man of the year in 2009. He received a bachelorâs degree in social sciences from the University of Cape Town and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School PMD. He is the recipient of four honorary degrees.
Purchase Inside Coca-Cola: A CEOâs Life Story of Building the Worldâs Most Popular Brand
Vice President of Community Affairs for Chick-fil-A, Inc. and
Executive Director of the Chick-fil-A Foundation
Rodney Bullard is currently vice president of Community Affairs at Chick-fil-A, Inc. and executive director of the Chick-fil-A Foundation where he leads the companyâs corporate community and philanthropic strategy, which is focused on fostering youth and furthering education.
Before coming to Chick-fil-A, Rodney served as an Assistant United States Attorney prosecuting complex criminal cases. For his service, the United States Attorney General presented him with the Department of Justice Directorâs Award.
Prior to this role, Rodney was selected as a White House Fellow, the nationâs most prestigious public service Fellowship. As a White House Fellow, Rodney was placed at NASA working directly for the NASA Administrator.
A decorated veteran, Rodney was an Air Force Officer for 13 years, including in the Judge Advocate General Corps. He eventually worked at the Pentagon as a Congressional Legislative Liaison in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force.
About the Director
Robson Program Faculty
Associate Professor in the Practice of Organization & Management; Associate Dean for Leadership; Lieutenant General, USA (Retired)
Several additional faculty members outside Goizueta with research and teaching interests germane to the program's mission have committed to supporting academic activities of the Program. They include: