NEIU International Business Conference 2025
March 3
Join the College of Business and Technology for this premier annual event that brings together international professionals, consulates and business students. Learn about business on an international scale, network with students and professionals from the U.S. and abroad, and increase your knowledge and understanding of our world. This year’s theme, "Navigating the Asian Supply Chain: Opportunities and Challenges," brings together industry professionals, faculty, and students to explore global business trends, challenges, and opportunities.
When: 9:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. March 3, 2025
Where: Main Campus, Alumni Hall
Contact: The College of Business and Technology, cbt-do@neiu.edu
Conference Agenda
| Time | Speaker | Session Title |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00-9:25 a.m. | Qiumei Jane Xu, Associate Dean, NEIU College of Business and Technology | Welcome Remarks and Introduction |
| 9:25-10:40 a.m. |
Rosemary Coates, Executive Director, Reshoring Institute |
Changing Asian Supply Chains – What Global Companies Are Doing Now |
| 10:50 a.m. - 12:05 p.m. | Keith Schlegel, Export Finance Manager, SBA Office of International Trade | Leveraging Resources for International Growth |
| 12:15-1:30 p.m. | Rich Gendon, Managing Director, Center for Professional Management | AI and the Supply Chain... and Beyond |
| 1:40-2:55 p.m. | Bart W. Édes, Professor of Practice & Distinguished Fellow, McGill University & Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada | How Trump's Tariffs will Affect Trade with Asia |
| 3:05-4:05 p.m. | Cezar Tondini, CEO & Founder, TradeSee | From Classroom to Global Markets: An Introduction to Supply Chain Management |
| 4:15-5:30 p.m. | Dr. Rudy Valdez, Retired General Manager of Engine & Control Systems for Asia Programs, United Technologies Corporation | Strategy for Engaging with the Asian Supply Chain in the Aerospace Industry |
| 5:40-6:55 p.m. | Dr. Bin Jiang, Professor of Management and Driehaus Fellow, Driehaus College of Business, DePaul University | The Risk of Supply Chain Disruptions: Impacts of US-China Trade War |
| 5:40-6:55 p.m. (SU 214) | Dilek Yunlu, Ph.D., Associate Professor, NEIU College of Business and Technology Deepa Pillai, Ph.D., Associate Professor, NEIU College of Business and Technology Student Speakers: Stephany Cano, Luis Kevin Islas, Javairia Johnson, Adam Delgado, Roger Toler & Vratik Soni |
CBT One Book Per Semester: "Supercommunicators" by Charles Duhigg |
| 7:05-8:20 p.m. | Nadirah Nazri, Director, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) | ASEAN: Nurturing a Resilient Supply Chain through Regional Integration and Digital Innovation |
| 7:05-8:20 p.m. (SU 214) |
CBT Alumni: Mark Freeman, Director of Finance, City of Chicago Department of Transportation Michelle Trevino, Human Resources & Risk Manager, Morton Grove Park District Danial Wilson, Project Cost Analyst, PFES, LLC Cristina Netzel, Program Specialist, NEIU College of Business and Technology |
Alumni Panel |
Alumni panel
Join us as these accomplished alumni share their experiences navigating careers in finance, human resources, and project management. Whether you're exploring career paths or looking to build connections, this panel is a must-attend event!
Time: 7:05 p.m. - 8:20 p.m., March 3, 2025
Venue: SU 214, Student Union, Main Campus
- Mark Freeman, Jr. ('16, '23): Director of Finance, City of Chicago (Department of Transportation)
- Michelle Trevino ('18, '20): Human Resources & Risk Manager, Morton Grove Park District
- Danial Wilson ('17): President, Kingside Holdings LLC
- Cristina Netzel ('15): Program Specialist, NEIU College of Business and Technology
Who We Are
The International Business Conference aims to bring in international professionals, international consulates, and business students from across the Chicago area. The conference gives an opportunity for students to learn about business on an international scale, network with students and professionals from the U.S. and abroad, and increase their knowledge and understanding of our world.
Our History
In 2002, College of Business and Management student Lukasz Dobrzynski wanted to start a business conference at Northeastern. He had the idea from a business conference he had attended in his native country of Poland. So, upon his return, he took it upon himself to organize the first International Business Conference with the help of the late Dr. Durward Hofler. Dr. Hofler became faculty advisor for the conference for 14 years until retired in 2016.
The International Business Conference is organized by the College of Business and Technology Student Advisory Council. Professor Tung Cu serves as the faculty advisor, and Vlad Fernandez serves as the staff advisor for the conference this year.
Our Mission/Testimony
“I witnessed with my own eyes the future business leaders of America […] My God, I simply can’t wait to see where they will all be in five to 10 years because they have the will and enthusiasm to be wherever they want to be [...] If NEIU were the universe, the universe would be in balance and heading toward better days for everyone everywhere.” -Thomas Hyunh, author of “The Art of War - Spirituality for Conflict: Annotated & Explained”
“Our purpose is to give students the opportunity to learn about international business and then use that knowledge to take on international opportunities abroad, whether this is in the form of taking business class or internship in another country or deciding to do consulting for a multinational company, we want to give them the background knowledge their need to be successful at that.” -Alicia Mendoza, IBC Director
"The International Business Conference provided an excellent opportunity to share as well as gain insights into the inner workings of a continuously and fast changing global macroeconomic environment. The experiences of IBC is always enriching because it allows for unique interactions among students at all the levels, academic researchers across different fields of business, and the working professionals with in-depth field experiences." -Dr. Hardik Marfatia, Professor of Economics at NEIU
