Four business leaders will share their experiences during the College of Business’ Executive Insights panel at 4 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Nebraska Union Auditorium.
Hosted by the School of Accountancy and Department of Finance, the free event features the panel discussion and a question and answer session at 4 p.m. It will be followed by a networking reception at 5 p.m. All university students and the public are invited to attend.
The panel series offers a way for students, faculty and the community to engage with high-level industry partners and to learn from their experiences and hear their ideas.
“The Executive Insights series was inspired by discussions with our advisory board members about how they wanted to give back to our college community,” Kathy Farrell, interim dean and State Farm Professor of Finance. “Through collaboration of members from the Finance Advisory Board, School of Accountancy Advisory Board and the Dean’s Advisory Board, the series has brought respected business leaders to meet and have meaningful discussions with our community.”
Past guests included executives from prominent local, regional and national companies such as Accenture, Ameritas, Assurity, Crete Carrier Corporation, EY, Gallup, Lincoln Industries and Union Bank and Trust. In its fourth year, both students and professionals benefit from this tradition. Executive interaction is a key element of the learning process at the College of Business.
The executives are:
- Karen Ganzlin serves as the chief human resources officer and executive vice president at TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation. Ganzlin leads the overall management of human resources functions at TD Ameritrade, including associate relations, compensation and benefits, organizational development, recruitment and training, as well as the company’s corporate real estate strategy and facilities. Ganzlin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Calgary and completed the Executive Development Program from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
- Eric Johnson, a 1985 Nebraska graduate, serves as the vice president – tax for Conagra Brands. One of North America’s leading branded food companies, Conagra combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. Johnson was previously a partner in an Omaha-based law firm and started his professional career in the tax practice of a world-wide public accounting firm. He earned his juris doctorate from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1988 and is licensed to practice law in Nebraska.
- Jim Kruger, a 1986 Nebraska graduate, serves as Nelnet’s chief financial officer. He manages student loan asset generation and management, corporate accounting and tax, financial reporting, mergers and acquisitions, and the Innovation Hub. A certified public accountant, Kruger previously served as the company’s controller from 1998 to 2013, where he managed, among other things, the company’s accounting activities, financial statement preparation and SEC compliance reporting. Before joining Nelnet, Kruger worked as senior manager at KPMG Peat Marwick during 1986-94, before moving to Nebhelp, which was acquired by Nelnet in 1998.
- Matt Marsh, a 1991 Nebraska graduate, serves as partner and global retail industry leader, Deloitte and Touche. Based in Minneapolis, he drives the understanding of industry risk issues and aligning these needs with the firm’s capabilities. This includes key current issues such as digital, accounting changes, cyber and extended enterprise matters for merchandise and in-direct vendor relationships. He also previously served in various leadership roles for the firm, including working on global delivery capabilities while based in India from 2012 to 2015. He earned an Master of Business Administration from Creighton University and is a certified public accountant.
