2008 Woodie Awards
Business "guru" presents at Lakeland
World-renowned speaker helps put future of business in the hands of students, professionals
Issue date: 4/24/03 Section: News
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In his Lakeland presentation, Burrus detailed new trends and growth strategies designed to help businesses more effectively manage opportunities, leverage uniqueness and position their organizations to thrive.
He discussed the difference between crisis managers, who react to change and uncertainty by constantly putting out fires, and opportunity managers, who shape their future by using the forces that drive change to their competitive advantage.
He also shared solid evidence supporting the view that change is opportunity, offering listeners practical insights on how to grow in a shifting technological, demographic and economic climate.
Burrus' lecture was the second in a Lakeland series that debuted last spring. The series was made possible by a $1.5 million gift from The Charlotte and Walter Kohler Charitable Trust. Lakeland will annually bring a nationally-known business or economic figure to its campus to speak with Lakeland students and the general public.
For two decades, Burrus has helped hundreds of clients, including many from the Fortune 500, identify new opportunities and develop successful competitive strategies based on the creative application of leading-edge technologies.
Burrus, one of the world's leading technology forecasters, is the author of six books, including the highly acclaimed "Technotrends," which has been translated into over a dozen languages.
In 1983, Burrus was the first and only futurist to accurately identify the 20 technologies that would drive two decades of revolutionary change. Since then, he has established a worldwide reputation for his exceptional record of accurately predicting the future of technological change and its direct impact on the business world.
Burrus has helped hundreds of clients develop successful competitive strategies based on the creative application of leading-edge technologies, and has delivered over 2,000 keynote speeches to corporations, associations and professional organizations worldwide.
Burrus, who became one of the first college undergraduates in the nation to direct a federal research grant, has founded and managed five businesses, two of which were national leaders in their first year. As a highly successful entrepreneur, he knows how to translate research findings into practical business advantages.
Burrus' client list encompasses a wide range of industries, and includes many Fortune 500 companies such as GE, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, DuPont, AT&T, American Express and Northwestern Mutual.
He has been the subject of a PBS Special and has appeared on programs such as "Larry King," Lou Dobbs, CNNfn and Bloomberg and is quoted in a variety of publications including "Fortune," "Forbes" and "USA Today."