NFL’s Dawn Hudson headlines Gasser lecture series

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NFL’s Dawn Hudson headlines Saunders College Gasser lecture series Oct. 13.

For the National Football League, Dawn Hudson plays both offensive and defensive positions.

During her three-year career as the league’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, she has been responsible for building the NFL fan base, growing its brand and overseeing sporting events including the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl.

On the sidelines, Hudson also tackles sensitive and controversial hot spots both on and off the field—from “Deflategate” and concussive/injury risks, to domestic violence and anthem protests. “It’s easier to drive change when things are in flux than when things are going well,” she said in a recent interview.

Hudson will share some of her career strategies for brand success at Saunders College of Business Gasser Lecture Series. The event will be held at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, at Rochester Institute of Technology’s Student Alumni Union’s Ingle Auditorium—with a reception to follow until 4:30 p.m. at Lowenthal Hall. Open to the public, the event is one of the highlights of the university’s Brick City Homecoming & Family Weekend.

“With an accomplished career across varied industries, we are excited to have Dawn Hudson headlining this year’s Saunders College Gasser Lecture,” said Saunders College Dean Jacqueline Mozrall. “We are honored to be welcoming an inspiring role model to RIT, and we look forward to Dawn sharing her experiences and perspectives as a demonstrated business leader.”

Prior to the NFL, Hudson worked as vice chairman of the Parthenon Group and previously as president and CEO of Pepsi-Cola North America. Twice named to Fortune magazine’s “50 Most Powerful Women in Business,” Hudson is a graduate of Dartmouth College and resides in Bronxville, N.Y., with her husband and two daughters.

Saunders College currently has two alumni working with NFL teams as business/sports professionals: Geoffrey Blosat ’14 (international business) works as a digital analyst for the Washington Redskins, and Wade Fuller ’14 (management information systems) works as a data analyst in strategy and analytics for the San Francisco 49ers. Kenneth Radzyminski II ’15 (marketing) works as an analyst/business intelligence for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. Their business education delivered strengths at the intersection of business and technology, gaining recognition such as the No. 10 ranking by USA Today for management information systems, three years in a row.

The William D. Gasser lecture series is hosted annually by Saunders College of Business and is designed to advance interaction and dialogue between business and academic communities. It is made possible by a gift from the late John Wiley Jones, former honorary member of the RIT Board of Trustees and founder of Jones Chemicals Inc., in memory of William D. Gasser. Gasser taught accounting at RIT from 1967 until his death in 1977.

Past Gasser lecture series speakers include Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder; Randi Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media; Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s Homemade Inc.; and Daymond John, founder of FUBU and a Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank.

All seating is general admission and a ticket is required. To register, go to the RIT Saunders College of Business: Gasser Lecture Series website.