University of Minnesota Athletics

Leadership U Speaker Series

Leadership U Speaker Series are leadership talks given by prominent alumni and business professionals in the Twin Cities area and beyond. These talks are designed to help both student-athletes and athletic department staff in their personal leadership development. 

Angelina Lawton & Christy Grady-Murray
Sportsdigita - April 23rd, 2024

Bret Weiss
WSB Engineering President & CEO - March 13th, 2024

Alexis Kochanski
UnitedHealthcare Director of Strategy & former Gopher Gymnast - February 13, 2024

Karen Diver
Senior Advisor to the President for Native American Affairs - October 31, 2023

Dr. Theresa Glomb
Professor and Toro Company-David M. Lilly department chair - October 18, 2023

Cory Hepola
TV anchor and Documentarian - September 20, 2023

Dr. Amy Beacom
Sports Medicine Specialist - April 12, 2023

Laura Halldorson
Former Gopher Women's Hockey Coach - March 14, 2023

Kamal Mohamed
Business Owner & Entrepreneur - February 1, 2023

Tony Sanneh
The Sanneh Foundation - November 9, 2022

Shari Ballard & Kyndra de St. Aubin
Minnesota United - October 24, 2022

Jeremy Foley
University of Florida’s Athletic Director/Emeritus - September 20, 2022

Dexter Davis
Vice President of Human Resources for Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Ecolab - June 8, 2022

Shelley Carthen Watson
President and CEO of YWCA Minneapolis
March 31, 2022

Mark Coyle & John Cunningham
Division I Athletics Directors
December 15, 2021

Dr. Michael Goh
Vice President for Equity and Diversity
September 27, 2021

Valorie Kondos Field
Former UCLA Head Women's Gymnastics Coach
April 13, 2021

Matt Majka
President of the Minnesota Wild
March 5, 2021

Tru Pettigrew
Vice President Player Programming/ Diversity & Inclusion with the Minnesota Timberwolves
February 9, 2021

Dr. Nicole LaVoi
Director, Tucker Center for Research on
Girls & Women in Sports
December 15, 2020

Joel Anderson
President and CEO of Five Below, Inc. 
November 5, 2020

Doug Hartmann
Professor and Chair of Sociology - University of Minnesota 
July 22, 2020

Sri Zaheer
Dean, Carlson School of Management
March 4, 2020

Dave St. Peter
President & CEO, Minnesota Twins
January 27, 2020

Margaret Chutich
Minnesota Supreme Court
November 18th, 2019

Joan Gabel
President of the University of Minnesota 
October 16th, 2019

Penny Wheeler
President and CEO of Allina Health
October 8th, 2019

Beth Ford
CEO of Land O'Lakes
April 10, 2019

The Leadership U Speaker Series also includes the following speakers:
  • Shari Ballard, Former President of US Retail for Best Buy
  • Kevin Warren, former COO of the Minnesota Vikings and current Big Ten Commissioner
  • Bill McGuire, Owner of Minnesota United FC
  • Maureen Wieser, COO of MidCountry Bank
  • Scott Wine, CEO and Chairman of Polaris, INC.
  • Pete Janzen, former CEO of Land O’ Lakes and Chairman of the Leadership U Advisory Group