The woman who blew the whistle and revealed one of America’s largest corporate scandals will share her story as part of a UCCS initiative to instill business ethnics.
Sherron Watkins, a former Enron vice president and a Time magazine 2002 Person of the Year, will share her story of what went wrong at Enron ten years ago and the importance of ethical business leadership beginning at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at the Penrose House Pavilion.
The event is a collaboration hosted by El Pomar Foundation’s Forum for Civic Advancement, the UCCS College of Business Ethics Initiative, and the Colorado Springs Leadership Institute. Watkins’ speech, “Enron: What Went Wrong and Lessons Learned,” is free and open to the public. To attend, please respond to www.elpomar.org/forum.
“Sherron Watkins is a living example of the practice of ethics that we are trying to promote in our community and incorporate in the College of Business Ethics Initiative,” Janet Suthers, College of Business alumna and executive director of the Colorado Springs Leadership Institute, said. “She knew the right thing to do and was brave enough to live by her values, even though it was painful, dangerous, and contributed to the destruction of her own career.”
Watkins learned firsthand what happens when corporate leaders don’t ensure a sound system of values and ethics. After discovering Enron’s “off-the-books arrangements,” Watkins sounded the alarm that marked the beginning of the end for the corporate giant. She will share what went wrong at Enron and what led to her decision to speak up. Watkins will reveal how a company known for innovation pushed its employees past innovative transactions into fraud, and what she would have done differently if she had the chance to do it all again. Most importantly, Watkins will share her views on how to spot the warning signs of eroding values and how she would advise others on issues of ethics and governance in the current climate of distrust in corporate America.
This event also highlights the UCCS College of Business Ethics Initiative. The purpose of the initiative is to build a solid principle-based ethical framework into the personal and organizational decision-making process of every member of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs community. This integrative learning environment will create leaders with integrity, capable of responsible global business management and conscious of the accountability inherent in corporate governance.
The Forum for Civic Advancement seeks and supports individuals interested in contributing to the civic health of the Pikes Peak Region. It operates lectures, panels, and seminars in which public-minded citizens can meet other current and aspiring political and civic leaders, and engage cutting-edge political ideas from around the country.
El Pomar Foundation, based in Colorado Springs, is one of the largest and oldest private foundations in the Rocky Mountain West. El Pomar contributes approximately $20 million annually through grants and programs to support Colorado nonprofit organizations involved in health, human services, education, arts and humanities, and civic and community initiatives. Spencer and Julie Penrose founded El Pomar in 1937.
— Jana Hyde
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