August First Tuesday What: Carlson School of Management’s First Tuesday Luncheon Series When: 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Tuesday, August 5, 2008 Where: McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak St. S.E., Minneapolis Media contact: Sue Wilson, Carlson School of Management, (612) 626-5904 Registration contact: (612) 626-9334, firsttuesday@umn.edu Connecting the Dots: Top executive Tom Petters discusses how his investment company successfully connects diverse businesses and builds global relationships MINNEAPOLIS —(July 2, 2008 )— Thomas J. Petters, CEO and Chairman, Petters Group Worldwide, will speak at the Carlson School of Management’s First Tuesday Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 5, at the University of Minnesota’s McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak St. S.E., Minneapolis. In his speech, “Connecting the Dots,” Petters will share insights about managing the diverse portfolio of companies within Petters Group Worldwide and discuss how innovative thinking has helped connect and create quality business relationships that now span the globe. In 1988, Tom Petters started a trading company with little or no capital. Under his 20 years of management and guidance, Petters Group Worldwide has grown from a one-man operation into an investment company whose entities have employees around the world. Petters Group Worldwide is a privately held company with key areas of focus in merchandising, brand management, technology, aviation, real estate and investment capital. In 2002, Petters Group Worldwide was a partner in acquiring and restarting Fingerhut, which is one of the largest catalog and direct mail companies in the country. The following year, Petters Group Worldwide acquired uBid.com, the second largest Internet auction site. In 2005, uBid.com became a public company with Petters Group as a minority owner. Also in 2005, Petters Group Worldwide purchased Polaroid Corporation following two years serving as a consumer electronics licensee for the company. In October 2006, Petters Group and Whitebox Advisors purchased Sun Country Airlines; Petters Group is a majority owner today. Petters is a leading contributor to many charitable organizations and serves on boards at College of St. Benedict, Collegeville, Minn.; Rollins College, Winter Park, Fla.; and Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. In 2003, B’nai B’rith presented him with the Distinguished Humanitarian Award and he was named Corporate Leader of the Year by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in 2001. He is the founder of the John T. Petters Foundation which provides college scholarships to support international business study abroad programs. The advance registration deadline is Thursday, July 31. A fee of $28 includes lunch and parking in the Washington Avenue Ramp. The fee for walk-ins is $35, but space is limited. Refund cancellations are required by Friday, August 1. There are three ways to register: call 612-626-9634, visit www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/events, or send an e-mail message to firsttuesday@umn.edu. ### |