Maritz Underwrites Webster University Success to Significance Speaker Series

ST. LOUIS, November 17, 2008 - St. Louis-based sales and marketing services company Maritz (www.maritz.com) has become the underwriting sponsor of Webster University’s Success to Significance Speaker Series.  The speaker series was initiated by the university’s School of Business and Technology in 2001, and hosts national and international business leaders who offer an inside view of their management and leadership practices and strategies. The Maritz gift of $50,000 will enable the school to continue its rich tradition of creating a forum where global corporate leaders, opinion makers and entrepreneurs who shape our world can share their leadership journey while speaking to the challenges and opportunities evident in their corporations and organizations.

“We are so pleased to sponsor the Success to Significance series,” said Stephen Maritz, chairman and CEO of Maritz, Inc.  “Webster University’s School of Business and Technology has brought to the forefront issues pertaining to change, innovation, transformation and the power of leadership. We salute Webster University for making this exceptional series available to students and working professionals throughout the St. Louis region.  The lectures are a treasure for the St. Louis business community and Maritz is proud to be involved in such a beneficial program.”

Speakers in past years have included Lee Scott, president/CEO, Wal-Mart; Edward Whitacre, chairman, AT&T; August A. Busch, former president/CEO, Anheuser-Busch; Patricia Woertz, Chairman, ADM Company; Andrew C. Taylor, chairman, Enterprise Rent-a Car; Jeff Rein, president/CEO, Walgreens; Maxine Clark, founder, Build-A-Bear Workshop and Maritz Chairman and CEO, Steve Maritz.

“Webster University's School of Business and Technology’s Success to Significance Speaker Series is a St. Louis treasure for students and seasoned business professionals alike,” said Webster University President Neil J. George.  “The Maritz, Inc. gift enables Webster to continue what has become a highly valued tradition.”

“The Success to Significance Speaker Series has become a stage for leaders of substance to speak to the next generation and to offer their perspectives on the issues, challenges and opportunities that affect us all,” said Benjamin Ola. Akande, dean of the Webster University School of Business and Technology.  “This generous gift from Maritz will allow us to continue our great series.” 

Leading with insights from its in-house research and experience, Maritz assists many of the world’s largest companies in meeting their most important business goals by helping their clients understand, enable and motivate their employees, customers and partners. The Maritz team includes nearly 4,000 people in four countries.

With its home campus in St. Louis, Webster University (www.webster.edu) is a worldwide institution committed to delivering high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence. Founded in 1915, Webster offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs through five schools and colleges, and a global network of more than 100 campuses. Its 20,000-plus student population represents almost 150 nationalities. The University’s core values include excellence in teaching, joining theory and practice, small class sizes, and educating students to be lifelong independent learners, fully prepared to participate in an increasingly international society. 

Since opening its first campus overseas in Geneva in 1978, Webster has become a recognized leader and innovator in global education, with an international presence that now includes campuses in London; Vienna; Amsterdam and Leiden, the Netherlands; Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu, China; and Bangkok and Cha-am, Thailand. Webster also has educational partnerships with universities in Mexico and Japan.

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