UA Little Rock to Host Ethics Forum Featuring Congressman Hill, Scott Ford
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Business will host its annual Ethics Forum of Arkansas’ Business Leaders Thursday, April 18, featuring insights from Congressman French Hill and Scott Ford, CEO of Westrock Coffee Company.
The forum, which focuses on business ethics in accounting and finance, will begin at 9:15 a.m. in the Schueck, McCarty, Lexicon Inc. Auditorium at the Engineering and Information Building at UA Little Rock.
The free event is open to students and business professionals, though registration is required. Professionals who are certified as public accountants and chartered financial analysts may attend the forum to earn two hours of Continuing Professional Education credits.
Dr. Ashvin Vibhakar, the Joe T. Ford Professor of Finance at UA Little Rock, will introduce the speakers at 9:45 a.m. Congressman Hill will give his presentation, “Ethical Norms in Legislative Decision Making,” at 10 a.m.
A ninth-generation Arkansan, he has represented Arkansas’ Second Congressional District since 2015. He serves as vice chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and chairs the subcommittee overseeing digital assets and financial technology. Additionally, he’s a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Before his congressional tenure, Hill founded Delta Trust & Banking Corporation and served as deputy assistant secretary of the Treasury for Corporate Finance. He led U.S. technical assistance to eastern and central Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall and served as executive secretary to the President’s Economic Policy Council under President Bush.
Ford will give his talk, “Ethical Leadership in Global Business,” at 11 a.m. Scott founded Westrock Coffee with the mission to give back and create economic change for the people of Rwanda. Nearly 15 years later, Westrock Coffee is a vertically integrated coffee, tea, and extracts company that creates and delivers beverage solutions while making social and economic advancements in the industry.
Scott began his professional career as an investment banker and subsequently served as the assistant to the chairman at Stephens Group where his work involved traditional investment banking services, equity portfolio management, venture capital investing, and acquisitions in the media industry. Prior to co-founding Westrock, Scott served as president and CEO of Alltel Corporation. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of AT&T Inc.
The forum is coordinated by the Joe T. Ford Chair at UA Little Rock in collaboration with the CFA Society of Arkansas and the UA Little Rock School of Business.
Those who would like to attend the forum may register by filling out this online form.
