OSU Spears School to host 8th annual CEO Day Forum

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

By Jill Banzet, Spears School communications intern
 
(March 31, 2008   Stillwater, OK) – Three chief executive officers will visit with Oklahoma State University students and participate in a public forum on "Keys to Success in the Current Economy” from 3:30 to 5 p.m. April 7 in the Oklahom State University Student Union Theatre in Stillwater.
 
The forum is part of the eighth annual Spears School of Business CEO Day and will feature Keith Geary, chairman, president and CEO of Capital West Securities, Inc.; Steve Irby, president and founder of Stillwater Designs; and Terry London, president of London Broadcasting Co.
 
“CEO Day is designed to give students a chance to interact with business leaders who have been successful in their chosen industries and gain insight into management and career issues,” said Sara Freedman, Spears School dean. “We are excited that Mr. Geary, Mr. Irby and Mr. London have agreed to share their experiences and wisdom with students and the public.”
 
Geary and his wife, Joni, formed The Geary Companies in 2007 to acquire Capital West Securities, Inc. The company offers a variety of financial services to banks, corporations, municipal entities and individuals. Capital West serves more than twelve Oklahoma banks with security portfolios totaling more than $1 billion.
 
In addition to Capital West acquisition, The Geary Companies formed OOK Advisors in order to launch OOK – The Oklahoma Exchange Traded Fund which is the first state-based Equity ETF. Also, Keith and Joni founded Aaron’s Bridge, a non-profit foundation to help establish treatment facilities in Oklahoma for children with developmental disabilities.
 
Steve Irby is the president and founder of Stillwater Designs and Audio Incorporated, maker of the Kicker and SoundGate brands car audio and mobile electronics products. Irby developed the original KICKER stereo system in 1980. His love of music in high school and college led him to begin building custom public address speakers in his garage.
 
Irby’s focus is still product design and development. He personally approves each KICKER product before releasing it on the market through rigorous measurement and listening tests. The KICKER car audio brand is sold through a network of nearly 3,000 retailers worldwide in all 50 states and more than 60 countries.
 
Terry London is the president of London Broadcasting Company, which was founded in 2007 to identify and acquire media and entertainment companies. Terry is an OSU alumni, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in accounting. He also graduated from the OSU ROTC program and served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves.
 
Much of London’s career was spent working for Gaylord Entertainment where he served as president and CEO. Gaylord Entertainment owns and operates entities such as the world-famous Grand Old Opry, Bass Pro Shops and the Texas Rangers.
 
For more information about the Spears School 2009 CEO Day, call 405-744-5064 or visit spears.okstate.edu.