MADISON—Two prominent University of Wisconsin System graduates—John P. Morgridge, chairman of the board of Cisco Systems, and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle—will serve as keynote speakers at Wisconsin Economic Summit IV.
This year’s Summit, scheduled for Oct. 27-28, at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee, is co-sponsored by the UW System and Robert W. Baird and Co., Inc.
Morgridge, the keynote speaker at the first Wisconsin Economic Summit in 2000, will officially launch Economic Summit IV at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 28. He will share his thoughts on the outlook for technology, the nation’s economic future and what states like Wisconsin can do to remain competitive in the global economy.
Morgridge received a B.B.A. degree from UW-Madison in 1955 and an honorary doctorate in 1994. He also has an M.B.A. degree from Stanford University, where he teaches part-time in the Graduate School of Business. Morgridge joined Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, in 1988 as President and CEO. During his tenure, the company’s sales grew from $5 million to more than $1 billion, and employment grew from 34 to more than 2,260. He took Cisco public in 1990 and was appointed chairman in 1995.
Doyle, a 1967 graduate of UW-Madison who earned his law degree at Harvard University, will discuss details of his “Grow Wisconsin” initiative, his vision for leading the state to a better economy and a broader prosperity, at 11 a.m. He unveiled the “Grow Wisconsin” agenda earlier this month.
“We are thrilled to have John Morgridge and Governor Doyle join us as keynote speakers at Wisconsin Economic Summit IV,” said Katharine C. Lyall, president of the UW System and co-chair of Wisconsin Economic Summit IV. “Their ideas, leadership and inspiration will motivate summit attendees to join together to build the state’s economy.”
In addition to the addresses by Morgridge and Doyle, Tuesday’s agenda includes in-depth presentations on regional economic development and the health-care cost crisis; an update on industry clusters; and a panel discussion about the Wisconsin business climate by legislative, business and administration leaders.
The agenda for the afternoon of Monday, Oct. 27, features more than two dozen workshops on a variety of vital economic development topics. The workshops will be led by representatives of statewide economic development organizations; business leaders; members of the Doyle administration; legislators; manufacturers; educators; labor leaders; and others.
Summit registration is available on-line at wisconsin.edu/summit. Those without access to the Web may register for the summit by calling (414) 227-3200 or 1-800-222-3623.