2008 Woodie Awards
Class of 2008 commencement speaker is...
Ledger staff
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: News
On June 13 the University of Washington Tacoma graduating class will take center stage at the Tacoma Dome. One of the voices they will hear as their college careers come to a close will be the words of this year's graduation speaker, Michael J. Phillips, chairman of Russell Investment Group.
The Russell Investment Group donated resources to create an endowed professorship at the Milgard School of Business in April 2006. Phillips is also a member of the UWT Advisory Board. Seniors took a survey last year that partially determined this year's commencement speaker. Possible speakers were listed in the survey next to their short bios. This is the blurb students saw in the survey:
"Michael J. Phillips, chairman of Tacoma's Russell Investment Group, brings a unique global perspective to one of the South Sound's most important businesses."
The bio called Phillips a "charming, erudite Englishman," and "excellent public speaker."
He studied law in London, started his career in England and now works in the Tacoma headquarters.
In both 2001 and 2007, Russell was ranked number 11 on Forbes Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work for in America."
Phillips is a member of the UWT Advisory board and also donates his time to charitable organizations.
The bio also says that Phillips was recognized for his influence in international financial circles "with a presidential appointment to the Business Advisory Council of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, an organization that seeks to promote trade and investment in the Pacific Rim region."
The Russell Investment Group donated resources to create an endowed professorship at the Milgard School of Business in April 2006. Phillips is also a member of the UWT Advisory Board. Seniors took a survey last year that partially determined this year's commencement speaker. Possible speakers were listed in the survey next to their short bios. This is the blurb students saw in the survey:
"Michael J. Phillips, chairman of Tacoma's Russell Investment Group, brings a unique global perspective to one of the South Sound's most important businesses."
The bio called Phillips a "charming, erudite Englishman," and "excellent public speaker."
He studied law in London, started his career in England and now works in the Tacoma headquarters.
In both 2001 and 2007, Russell was ranked number 11 on Forbes Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work for in America."
Phillips is a member of the UWT Advisory board and also donates his time to charitable organizations.
The bio also says that Phillips was recognized for his influence in international financial circles "with a presidential appointment to the Business Advisory Council of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, an organization that seeks to promote trade and investment in the Pacific Rim region."
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