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Rice Customer-Based Strategy Symposium

Hosted annually by the Jones Graduate School of Business since 2010, the Rice Customer-Based Strategy Symposium is a premier forum for exchanging innovative ideas on customer-centered strategy planning and execution.

Blending peer-reviewed research from leading academics with industry trends and insights from senior executives and CEOs, the symposium fosters a dynamic environment for learning and networking. 

The Unshakeable Organization: Strategy fuels it. Employees live it. Customers love it.

Join us on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at the Ion in Houston, TX.

•  Keynote sessions led by CEOs, executive directors and prominent academics
•  Valuable networking opportunities for professionals and students
•  Diverse sectors including education, energy, technology, healthcare and industrial services

 

SPEAKERS

It’s a great opportunity to hear practical advice from leaders and the tough decisions they’ve faced during strategy planning. This symposium is essential for students, professionals and executives to step back from the daily grind and put renewed focus where it matters.

Panthini Patel, EMBA ’23

Growth Director, Emerson

Register Today
Panthini Patel

Past Symposiums

  • March 15, 2024
    Shell Auditorium, Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University
    Photos

    KEYNOTE SPEAKERS


    Girish K. Saligram
    CEO and President, Weatherford

    To put the customer experience at the center of strategy:
     
    • Aim for a value-creation process that has zero waste
    • Embrace company culture as a differentiator.
    • Take a holistic approach to metrics.
    Simon Seaton
    CEO and Executive Vice President, Society of Petroleum Engineers

    To excel on your customer’s most important needs:
     
    • Do fewer things but execute them with rigor and fidelity.
    • Concentrate on initiatives that drive client value.
    • Beware of confirmation bias in your data.
    Dr. Rodney Watson
    Executive Director, Region 4 Education Service Center

    To achieve strategic alignment across your organization:
     
    • Prioritize customer initiatives with the greatest lift potential.
    • Don’t just appease customers. Create and deliver value.
    • Reduce initiatives so employees can focus on what matters.

    AGENDA

     

    Time Description
    7:00 a.m. Registration starts
    7:30 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. Breakfast
    8:15 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Topic: Opening Remarks
    Speaker: Peter Rodriguez – Dean, Rice Business
    8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Topic: Enhancing Member Value Through Strategic Focus at the Society of Petroleum Engineers
    Speaker: Simon Seaton – CEO, Society of Petroleum Engineers
    9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Networking and Coffee Break
    10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Topic: District Advancement Champions: Revitalizing K12 Education Through Customer Focus
    Speaker: Rodney E. Watson – Executive Director, Region 4 Education Service Center
    11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Networking and Coffee Break
    11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Topic: Navigating Success at Weatherford: Customers and Employees
    Speaker: Girish Saligram – CEO, Weatherford
    12:15 p.m. – 12:20 p.m. Topic: Closing Remarks
    Speaker: Vikas Mittal – J. Hugh Liedtke Professor of Marketing, Rice Business
    12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch
    7:00 a.m. – Noon (All day) Registration
    7:00 a.m. – Noon (All day) Coffee

  • March 22, 2019
    Shell Auditorium, Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University
    Program

    KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

    • Wesley Bush: Chairman, Northrop Grumman
    • Bob Patel: CEO, LyondellBasell
    • Jim Guilfoyle: EVP, Advanced Polymer Solutions and Supply Chain, LyondellBasell
    • Mike Hickey: President, Global Institutional, Ecolab

  • March 23, 2018
    Shell Auditorium, Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University
    Program

    KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

    • Melissa Mohr: Senior Manager, Amazon Alexa Smart Home
    • Arun Sundaram: Senior Manager, Amazon Alexa Smart Home
    • Ryan Buck: President, Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists, Mission Veterinary Specialists and Austin Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center
    • James McIngvale: Owner and CEO, Gallery Furniture
    • Lees Rodionov: President - North America Land, Schlumberger

  • April 8, 2016
    Shell Auditorium, Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University
    Program

    KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

    • Daniel Cotlar ‘00: Chief Marketing Officer, Blinds.com
    • Gregory Knight: Senior Vice President & Chief Customer Officer
    • Craig Ceccanti ‘08: Co-founder & CEO, Pinot’s Palette
    • Ned Dodington: Founding Editor & Creative Director, The Expanded Environment
    • Lindsey Schechter: Owner & Founder, Houston Dairymaids

  • March 27, 2015
    Shell Auditorium, Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University
    Program

    KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

    • Clay C. Williams: Chairman, President and CEO, National Oilwell Varco
    • Brandon Houston ‘09: Principal, Trammell Crow Co.
    • Michael Lowe ‘07: President and CEO, OrthoAccel Technologies, Inc.
    • Charles Lusk ‘08: Founder and CEO, Onsite Dental Solutions
    • David Rush ‘06: Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting

Symposium Organizers

Vikas Mittal

Vikas Mittal

Faculty Director
J. Hugh Liedtke Professor of Marketing