Chris Swift, Chairman and CEO of The Hartford and university trustee, to highlight enduring lessons of leadership at Business Leaders Forum 

Christopher Swift, chairman and CEO of The Hartford and a current university trustee, will highlight enduring lessons of leadership at the Business Leaders Forum on Friday, Oct. 8, at 12:15 p.m. in the Monaghan Ballroom at the AMU. 

Swift, a 1983 College of Business Administration alumnus, will discuss how the pandemic is re-shaping the U.S. business climate, key workplace priorities including mental health, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion, and his perspective on the future business forecast. Founded in 1810, The Hartford is a national leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. He was an early signatory to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge, is a Catalyst CEO Champion for Change, and has been at the forefront of CEOs discussing the need for public-private partnership to address the opioid crisis. 

Registration for the in-person event begins at 11:45 a.m.; lunch follows at 12:15 p.m. The program will begin promptly at 12:45 p.m. Tickets are $50; corporate and sponsor tables are also available. Registration is available online. 

Lauded as a “transformational leader” by Money Inc., Swift joined The Hartford in 2010 as executive vice president and chief financial officer. He became CEO in 2014 and Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2015. 

Established in 1999, the Business Leaders Forum is a speaker series sponsored by the College of Business Administration. The forum provides a setting for nationally recognized business leaders to engage in discussions and interact with students, faculty and local business leaders. The program enables the university to build practical knowledge into its rigorous business curriculum, exploring current trends, issues and practices in business. 

The Business Leaders Forum has attracted leaders at the top of their respective professions to speak at the event, including presidents and CEOs of Kohler Co., Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, ConocoPhillips, Best Buy, Cisco Systems, and the Boston Red Sox. 

The Kathleen and Frank Thometz Foundation has made the Business Leaders Forum speaker series possible through a special endowment.