/news-events/executive-speaker-series/PublishingImages/ESS for site homepage 1.jpg
RandomStandardImageHeaderWH1
Hear from Driehaus College of Business alumni at the top of their fields. Gain insights you can't find anywhere else. And get inspired for your future.
Executive Speaker Series 2025: Julian Francis (MBA '96)
Join us for the second event in the Executive Speaker Series: A conversation between Dean of the Driehaus College of Business Sulin Ba and MBA alumnus Julian Francis, the President and CEO of Beacon Building Products.
- Date: Thursday, April 10, 2025
- Time: 6:30–7:30 p.m.
- Location: Richard M. and Maggie C. Daley Building, LL 105
14 E Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604
Register here
About the Event
As the CEO and President of a Fortune 500 company, Julian Francis is an expert in agile, strategic decision-making.
When he arrived at DePaul to attend the MBA program in international finance and marketing, however, Francis was an international student and a career changer, searching for a path forward in a new place.
In this conversation with Dean of the Driehaus College of Business Sulin Ba, you’ll hear about Francis’s leadership journey: from student to the C-suite and everything in between. You’ll get an insider’s perspective on how he makes tough decisions in an industry where timing is everything. And you’ll get the chance to ask him questions of your own — about leadership, about finding your path, about current trends in business, and more.
Meet the Speaker
How do you make well-informed decisions in an industry where timing is everything? Speaker, CEO, and MBA alumnus Julian Francis shared his insights with Forbes.
About the Series
The Executive Speaker Series brings leaders at the forefront of their fields to campus. The goal: educate, inform and inspire our community and our students.
Learn more
Thank You to Our Sponsor
This series was launched thanks to the generosity of Protiviti COO Cory Gunderson (BUS '91) and his family. We are grateful to them for their ongoing support of our students' success.