Rice Customer-Based Strategy Symposium Speakers

Session I: Fireside Chat with Dean Peter Rodriguez — "Entrepreneurial Success Through Employee and Customer Focus"

The success rate of entrepreneurs is lower than the acceptance rate at many top-tier universities. Given these odds, what does it take to grow a single retail outlet into a multi-million-dollar enterprise? How does an organization build customer focus and how do employees execute on the strategy? How do entrepreneurs balance personal growth, family engagement and business stress? How does one turn financial success into community impact through sustained philanthropy?

Dean Peter Rodriguez will lead this dynamic conversation alongside Farid Virani, a leading entrepreneur in Greater Houston. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Session II: "Multi-Tiered Customer Connectivity for Multi-Dimensional Effectiveness: A Research-Driven Strategy"

Houston Methodist delivers a wide range of services through multiple hospitals across Greater Houston, serving diverse audiences including patients and caregivers, physicians, researchers and prospective medical students. Laura will share how she helped unify these entities under a single brand identity, then developed a measurement-based approach to tailor the value proposition for each audience. She’ll also reflect on the leadership lessons she learned while working closely with the CEO to balance the art and science of delivering customer value, increasing provider utilization, enhancing research reputation and driving organizational revenue.

Session III: "Ambition Meets Success: Young CEOs Rewrite the Strategy Playbook"

Hear from CEOs — all Rice Business graduates — hailing from industries as diverse as manufacturing, executive placement, engineering and construction management, and distribution as they discuss their journeys to success. How should a CEO reimagine their role in developing and implementing strategy? What steps can a CEO take to drive value for customers, engage employees and create value for shareholders? What lessons did these CEOs learn from their biggest failures? How do CEOs maintain the right work-life balance? This session will be a must-see for aspiring CEOs, strategists, entrepreneurs, professionals and students who dream big!

Session IV: "Courts, Cellblocks and Communities: Succeeding Through Focus & Fidelity"

An organization such as the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) must create value for its 4.8 million residents, 9,000 prison inmates and 5,000 employees with a budget exceeding $1.5 billion a year. Sheriff Gonzalez will describe how HCSO developed its strategic focus around safety and efficiency to develop its strategy map. Next, embracing the principles of accountability partnerships he led a deep and sustained change improving safety for prison inmates, better service and case resolution for residents, and a sustained pay raise for employees. Navigating the process involved deep collaboration among members of the senior leadership team and gaining the support of diverse constituents. The Sheriff will share learnings and lessons of leading change with focus and fidelity.