Newswise — CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia — The University of Virginia Darden School of Business announced the lineup of speakers for the 2013 Leadership Speaker Series (LSS). Leading business luminaries on this year’s list come from mission-driven, media, medical, financial and consumer goods sectors. The theme for this year’s series is: Leaders that inspire innovation, collaboration and growth. The upcoming speaker list includes the following:

• Carolyn Miles (MBA ’88), president and CEO of Save the Children — 12 September 2013• Rich Hilleman, chief creative officer and executive producer of Electronic Arts — 18 September 2013• Rohini Anand, chief diversity officer, and Lorna Donatone, chief operating officer, both of Sodexo — 9 October 2013• Martina Hund-Mejean (MBA ’88), chief financial officer for MasterCard — 23 October 2013• Victoria Harker, chief financial officer for Gannett — 13 November 2013

Started in 2008, Darden’s Leadership Speaker Series connects Darden and the community beyond School Grounds with business industry leaders who share their philosophies, lessons learned and their stories of success. Some speakers participate in fireside chats with Darden faculty or students as moderators, while other speakers directly address their audience. All speakers engage audience members during a question and answer session before the close of their presentations.

This year’s lineup includes two Darden alumnae who are also members of the Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees. Carolyn Miles (MBA ’88) sits at the helm of Save the Children, an organization that has helped more than 70 million children in the U.S. and more than 100 million children globally. Martina Hund-Mejean (MBA ’88), CFO of Mastercard, chairs the board’s Finance Committee.

Past LSS speakers have included: Alex Gorsky, CEO of Johnson & Johnson; Kip Tindell, CEO of the Container Store; DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association; Susan Sobbott, president of American Express OPEN; and Ellen Kullman, chair of the board and CEO of DuPont.

Watch videos of past Darden Leadership Speakers on the Darden YouTube Channel. These events are free and open to the public. For more details, visit http://www.darden.virginia.edu/web/Recruiters-and-Companies/Leadership-Speaker-Series/.

About the Darden School of BusinessThe University of Virginia Darden School of Business is one of the world's leading business schools, offering MBA, Ph.D. and Executive Education programs. The unique Darden experience combines the case study method, top-ranked faculty whose research advances global managerial practice and business education, and a tight-knit learning environment to develop responsible and complete leaders who are ready to make an impact.

For questions or information, contact Abena Foreman-Trice at [email protected] or a member of the Communication team.

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