Ohio Wesleyan’s annual Heisler Business Ethics Lecture is sponsored by the university’s Woltemade Center for Economics, Business, and Entrepreneurship and funded by the Heisler Family Endowment for the Study of Ethics. The endowment honors OWU graduates James Heisler, Class of 1938; Robert Heisler, Class of 1942; and Bruce Heisler, Class of 1949. The Woltemade Center, founded in 1985, helps students to integrate business theory and practice, and provides lectures and other resources to benefit students, faculty, and the local community.
2023 Lecture
March 23, 2023
Past Lectures
- “Artificial Intelligence in Marketing: Current Practice and Ethical Considerations”
Jim Sterne, author of “Artificial Intelligence for Marketing.”
2021
- “A Conversation with Joe DeLoss from Hot Chicken Takeover”
Joe DeLoss, Social Entrepreneur and Founder of Hot Chicken Takeover
2019
- “Morality in Business”
Scott McComb, Chairman, President, and CEO of Heartland Bank
2018
- “Ethics from the Eyes of Community Leaders–Character, Culture and Community”
Kip Morse, CEO Better Business Bureau; David All, CEO & Founder OneNineNinety; Bryan Haviland, President and CEO FrazierHeiby; and Lubna Najjar, Founder IL Moda PR and Lubna Designs Inc.
2017
- “The Importance of Alternative Perspectives in Business Ethics”
Steve Worland, Ph.D., President and CEO of eFFECTOR Therapeutics, Inc.
2016
- “Normative Ethics: Executive Reflections on Doing Business in Haiti after the Earthquake and Beyond”
Scott Griffin, Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President, Corporate Communications, Greif, Inc.
2015
- “The Ohio Ethics Law: Can I Do That?”
Susan Willeke, Education and Communications Manager Ohio Ethics Commission
2014
- “The Role of Ethics in Leadership and Decision Making”
Jeff Long ’82, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics for the University of Arkansas
2013
- “More than Sport: The Branch Rickey-Jackie Robinson Legacy”
Branch B. Rickey ’67, President of the Pacific Coast League
2011
- “Ethical Conduct is Not Gray”
Curtis E. Moll ’61, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of MTD Products Inc.
2009
- “Recent Major Frauds and Business Oversight?”
Mark L. Morze, The Pros and The Cons Lecturer
2009
- “Shop Talk: The Ethics of Speech in Business”
Artie Isaac, Founder of Young Isaac, Inc.; Adjunct Instructor at OSU’s Fisher College of Business
2008
- “Leadership and Ethical Behavior”
Roy Lewicki, Dean’s Distinguished Teaching Professor and Professor of Management and Human Resources at The Ohio State University’s Fisher School of Business; Nancy King, Executive VP for Senior Independence; and Michael Mozenter, Principle founder of BizLogx, Business Consultant
2007
- “Strong Ethics: The Only Way for a Business to Survive and Prosper in the Long Run”
Jeffrey T. Benton, President and CEO of The Delaware County Bank and Trust Company
2006
- “Looking in the Mirror: Reflections on Business Ethics in the 21st Century”
Michael J. Gasser, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer, Greif, Inc.
2005
- “Restoring Trust in Corporate America”
W.G. Jurgensen, CEO of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
2004
- “Business Ethics after Enron”
Charles M. Berger, Retired Chairman and CEO of Scotts Company in Marysville, Ohio (Woltemade Center’s first Executive-in-Residence); Phillip Meek ’59, Retired Senior Vice President and President of the Publishing Group of Capital Cities/ABC (OWU Trustee); and Paul Smith ’57, Retired Chief Financial Officer of the Eastman Kodak Company (OWU Trustee)
2003
- “Core Strategy for Personal Success – How to Lead in a Dog-Eat-Dog World”
Frederick A. Manske ’61, Retired President and CEO of Purolator Courier; former Executive Vice President of Federal Express
