Each year, dozens of global leaders and decision makers visit campus to share insights and engage with students, staff and faculty.
Leaders Forum
The Leaders Forum brings the heads of organizations from across all sectors to Edward P. Evans Hall for discussions about the challenges and opportunities of leadership. Former speakers include Dr. Vivek H. Murthy MD ’03/MBA ’03, 19th (2014–2017) and 21st (2021–2025) U.S. Surgeon General; Valerie Jarrett, Chair (2009–2017), White House Council on Women and Girls; Jorge Lemann, Founder (2002) and Chairman of the Board, Lemann Foundation; Robert Isom, President (2016–2022), American Airlines; John Rogers, Founder (1983), Chairman, Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer, Ariel Investments; and Indra K. Nooyi ’80, CEO (2006–2018), PepsiCo, Inc.
Becton Fellowship Program
The Becton Fellowship Program was established at the Yale School of Management in 1980 by Becton, Dickinson & Co., a leading global medical instruments supplier, in honor of Henry P. Becton ’37 B.S., company chairman (1961-1987), to bring practitioners from private and public institutions to share their professional insights with faculty and students. Former speakers include Laura Walker ’87, Founding President and CEO of New York Public Radio; Richard Spencer, 76th Secretary of the Navy; Andrea Levere ’83, Executive Fellow for the International Center for Finance; Joe Tsai YC ’86/Law ’90, Executive Vice Chairman of Alibaba Group; and Ursula Burns, Executive Chairman of VEON and former CEO of Xerox Corporation.
Convening Yale
Convening Yale presents talks by faculty and leaders from throughout Yale University who share their research and expertise and help students broaden their understanding of an increasingly complex world. The Convening Yale series is made possible through the generous support of the Robert J. Silver ’50 Fund for Innovation in Management Education. Former speakers include Justin Driver, Robert R. Slaughter Professor of Law at Yale Law School; David Blight, Sterling Professor of History and Director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University; Mark Gerstein, Albert L. Williams Professor of Biomedical Informatics; Amy Hungerford, former Dean of the Humanities Division and Bird White Housum Professor of English; and Tamar Szabó Gendler, former Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series
Inaugurated in 2023, the Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series is guided by the Yale School of Management’s mission of educating leaders for business and society, Dean Kerwin K. Charles’s Distinguished Lecture Series showcases a diverse group of eminent practitioners, across a variety of fields—with a focus on approaching wide-ranging issues of import through a professional and personal lens. Former speakers include Gina Boswell ’89, CEO and Director (2022–2025), Bath & Body Works; Daryl Morey, former President of Basketball Operations (2020–2026), Philadelphia 76ers; and Robert F. Smith, Founder (2000), Chairman and CEO, Vista Equity Partners.
Gordon Grand Fellowship Lecture at Yale
Named for Gordon Grand YC ’38, the former president and CEO of Olin Corporation, the Gordon Grand Fellowship Series promotes the exchange of ideas between business and academia by inviting business leaders to visit Yale for discussions with students and faculty. Former speakers include Gina Boswell ’89, CEO and Director of Bath & Body Works; Daryl Morey, President of Basketball Operations for the Philadelphia 76ers; and Robert F. Smith, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners.
R. Peter Straus Lecture Series
Named for R. Peter Straus YC ’44, a pioneer in public-service radio, the R. Peter Straus Lecture Series presents talks by prominent individuals on topics that relate to the press and public responsibility. Former speakers include Thomas Friedman, New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author; Gillian Tett, U.S. Managing Editor of the Financial Times; Fareed Zakaria YC ’86, journalist, host of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS, and Washington Post columnist; Erica Green, correspondent for the New York Times; and David Leonhardt YC ’94, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist at the New York Times.
Poynter Fellowship Lecture
The Poynter Fellowship in Journalism brings to the Yale campus distinguished reporters, editors, and others who have made important contributions to the media. Former speakers include Chuck Todd, NBC News Political Director and moderator of Meet the Press; Laszlo Bock ’99, CEO and Co-Founder of Humu; Amy Entelis, Executive Vice President for Talent and Content Development at CNN Worldwide; Jack Ewing, European Economics Correspondent at the New York Times; and Della Bradshaw, Financial Times journalist.
Colloquia
Colloquium in Asset Management (EMBA)
A series of candid talks with leaders of major investment funds, heads of hedge funds, practitioners, and senior research faculty shaping the field.
Colloquium on Global Perspectives Colloquium (EMBA)
The EMBA Global Perspectives Colloquium is a series of interactive sessions featuring speakers who address geopolitical issues and international affairs.
Colloquium in Healthcare Leadership (EMBA)
A series of candid talks with thought leaders from the healthcare industry, including leaders of hospitals; CEOs of medical device, insurance, and drug companies; policymakers;and other experts shaping the field.
Colloquium in Sustainability (EMBA)
A series of candid talks with innovators, leaders of global corporations, policymakers, and other experts who are proving the business case for advancing sustainability in all industries.
Colloquium on Education
The Colloquium on Education is a visiting speaker series that connects SOM students and others at Yale with leaders in education.
Colloquium in Business and Society
The Colloquium on Business and Society welcomes alumni and other practitioners and experts in a variety of fields to discuss issues at the nexus of business and society.
GE Colloquium in Sustainability Leadership (CBEY)
The GE Colloquium in Sustainability Leadership brings business professionals and thought leaders to campus to help students understand the challenges of achieving sustainability, and to provide them with necessary skills to prepare for careers in this emerging sector.
Bright Lights, Green Sights: Colloquium on Sustainable Entrepreneurship (CBEY)
Supported by the Sabin Sustainable Venture Prize, this series features diverse speakers who reflect on their entrepreneurial endeavors and discuss opportunities for sustainable outcomes while working in urban environments.
Colloquium on Marketing Leadership (YCCI)
The Colloquium on Marketing Leadership brings leaders in marketing, insights, and innovation together with students and faculty to share personal perspectives on their careers, companies, and industries. It explores the latest challenges, opportunities, and developments in the world of marketing, from a wide variety of disciplines, perspectives, and backgrounds.
ICF Colloquium in Asset Management
The ICF Colloquium on Asset Management provides a forum for leaders in the asset management industry to share their experiences and insights on a wide range of topics with students pursuing careers in the asset management industry. Featured speakers include portfolio managers from hedge funds and investment management firms, private equity investment professionals, and leading scholars in the field.
Colloquium on Entrepreneurship
The Colloquium on Entrepreneurship connects founders, innovators, and entrepreneurs with students and faculty for candid discussions on innovation, iteration, and team building, and provides frank advice for Yale students considering launching their own ventures. The series takes a close look at the unique issues facing entrepreneurs and allows students to cultivate strong relationships for future partnerships.
China India Insights Colloquium (YCCI)
The China India Insights Colloquium promotes an understanding of emerging economies, with a focus on Chinese and Indian markets. The series is designed to create exchange of ideas between leading-edge business practitioners and Yale MBA students on topics relevant to marketing and business strategy in emerging markets.
Colloquium on the Behavioral Science of Philanthropy
The Colloquium on the Behavioral Science of Philanthropy showcases marketing leaders who are changing charitable giving with innovative platforms, programs, and communications that attract new donors, reengage current donors, and increase repeat donations. It explores the existing and potential impact of consumer understanding and behavioral science on charitable giving and donor relations, and develops a deeper understanding of the marketing challenges and opportunities of donor relations and charitable giving.
Colloquium on Social Media
The Colloquium on Social Media invites speakers to explore trends and discuss topics in social media as it relates to business and society.
Sustainability Metrics Monthly Seminar (CBEY)
Sustainability metrics is a work in progress, but solutions are beginning to emerge. This series brings to campus practitioners who are working to overcome challenges and create systems to develop comparable metrics within and across sectors.
Program on Social Enterprise, Innovation, and Impact Speaker Series
The PSEII Speaker Series brings Yale SOM alumni and other prominent leaders in the social sector to Evans Hall to speak to students about the domestic and global landscape of social entrepreneurship. Speakers explore challenges and opportunities in bringing business skills and market disciplines to bear on major social issues, including economic development, education, healthcare and sustainable energy.
Yale SOM Colloquium
Former speakers include Kenneth C. Griffin, Founder and CEO, Citadel and Mellody Hobson, President, Ariel Investments.