The UCF College of Business Administration (#UCFBusiness) returned to Lockheed Martin this month to engage one of the region’s largest employers.

“Our alumni are very busy people- often working more than 50 hours a week, so it can be hard for them to come out to an alumni event after work. The Corporate Knight Talk program helps us meet their needs,” said Sarah Dillon, assistant director of alumni relations at the UCF College of Engineering & Computer Science.

Paul Jarley, Ph.D., dean of the UCF College of Business Administration and Michael Georgiopoulos, Ph.D., of the UCF College of Engineering and Computer Science, along with faculty member, Tim Kotnour, Ph.D., visited the Lockheed Martin Corporation offices in Orlando for a Corporate Knight Talk luncheon.

“These programs allow us to meet our alumni where they are and provide them with the information they seek. We offer a college update, letting them know what’s new at their alma mater and tech talk on topics relative to their everyday work,” Dillon explained. These programs are important because they give alumni the opportunity to connect with their other graduates and stay updated on UCF’s latest achievements.

The title of Kotnour’s discussion was “Making Strategy Real: The Essential Leadership Beliefs and Commitments.” It outlined an 11-step process on how to strategize and apply it to their working life. All attendees that registered in advance received a complimentary snack and a UCF giveaway.  More than 60 UCF alumni attended..

Kotnour graduated from Virginia Tech with a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering, with an emphasis in Management Systems Engineering. He has also conducted research, provided technical assistance and conducted training workshops with local and national industry, government agencies and universities on topics such as strategic management, management systems engineering, organizational learning, performance measurement and project management.

Lockheed Martin is a global security, aerospace and information technology company that caters to the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. federal government agencies. It is the largest provider of IT services, system integration and training to the U.S. government.