CEO of Campbell’s Soup Meets LDHP Students and Speaks to Stillman
CEO of Campbell’s Soup, Denise Morrison came on Thursday, October 4th, to speak with students and faculty who packed the Jubilee Auditorium to hear her story, the actions that sealed her own success, and words of guidance for aspiring business leaders. Before she gave her awe-inspiring speech to hundreds of attendees, a few events preceded the main event.
Firstly, the Stillman School hosted a Campbell’s sauce tasting on the 4th floor of Jubilee hall where taste-testers were able to enjoy Campbell’s new international sauce line over a cup of rice. Each participant was asked to fill out a survey for market researchers to document which of the flavors he or she wished to savor the longest. This augmented the students’ knowledge as to what the Soup Company was invested in at the moment (and not to mention a tasty snack) and prepped them for the CEO’s speech later on that day.
Secondly, eight members of the Leadership Development Honors Program, Kristine Mamanta, Sheena Shah, Vina Tailor, Alec Alvino, Dhara Patel, Dwayne Greene, Erin Krakaur and Geoffrey Thomulka, had the prestigious opportunity to attend a round-table discussion with Denise Morrison before her speech. It was an intimate conversation that consisted of a diversity of topics that would help excel the students’ on their career journeys. Morrison explained how she was eager and motivated in her career and attempted to grab any opportunity she could get her hands on in order to advance. Following the description of her attitude and strategy at an earlier time in her life, Morrison emphasized the importance of continuous learning in your jobs and was quoted saying, “Be a student of your business” and, “Immerse yourself in the discipline and learn the business as best you can.” To strengthen that point of view even more, she stressed the importance of mentorship and the interactions that help build a person’s career.
Morrison also expressed interest in the lives of the students and how they utilized technology to their advantage. Interested in the thoughts of students and social media as well, she inquired about their feelings on Facebook and other websites that facilitated entertainment and convenient services. Morrison also went on to discuss personal anecdotes about being CEO and how her company’s “giving back to the community” is of personal value to her.
Denise Morrison as she delivers her speech to the Stillman student body
Photo courtesy of Mike Reuter
Lastly, Morrison’s advice that she gave in the meeting rolled over to be expressed to the larger audience that was awaiting her arrival in the auditorium. One important key take-a-way even peaked the interest of many: engage in horizontal thinking. Simply, to think vertically is to think of a ladder and metaphorically climb as high as possible in your career, but Morrison encouraged people to think horizontally, which is to learn as much as possible from the experiences you are currently in and expand on that knowledge to ensure advancement. Campbell’s CEO also shared her inspirations and urged everyone to stay passionate, lead with values and strategic plans, and uphold the highest integrity.
Denise Morrison proved to be an inspirational figure for all who were able to hear her or converse with her at Seton Hall that day. Her message was one loaded with guidance, unique viewpoints, personal stories, and a strong send valuing one’s self and those one interacts with. It was also a message that would echo in the minds of the students and faculty for a long time to come.
To hear Denise Morrison’s speak more about her experience as CEO and her perspective on professional development, watch the Forbes.com interview below:
http://landing.newsinc.com/forbes/video.html?freewheel=91218&sitesection=forbes&VID=25199176
To read more about Denise Morrison’s visit to SHU, read The Stillman Exchange article written by Kristine Mamanta and Sheena Shah below:
To learn more about CEO of Campbell’s Soup, Denise Morrison, visit:
http://www.shu.edu/news/article/461738#.UltrhFCsim5
(From R to L) Kristine Mamanta, Denise Morrison, Vina Tailor, and Sheena Shah smiling for the camera
Photo courtesy of Mike Reuter
Group shot of the attendees of the round table discussion with CEO of Campbell’s Soup, Denise Morrison
Photo courtesy of Mike Reuter
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