Bob Moritz, chairman and senior partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers, spoke to Smith students about the importance of mindset and technology in achieving success Tuesday evening as part of the ongoing CEO at Smith speaker series. During his talk, Moritz discussed his rise to the top and gave advice on how to thrive in today’s competitive job environment.
Moritz joined PwC after graduating SUNY – Oswego in 1985 and became a partner in 1995 after spending several years working for the company in Japan. PwC, headquartered in London, is one of the Big Four accounting firms. Moritz spoke on his mindset toward work and how he succeeded.
“Are you going to come in and just do a task?” Moritz asked. “Or are you going to think bigger?”
Moritz also emphasized the role of technology in a company’s future, saying the difference between companies that succeed and companies that fail is in their approach to technology.
“There are those that survive and thrive regardless of the economy, and there are those that muddle,” he said. “The difference is tapping into technology.”
The speech was held in the Frank Auditorium in Van Munching Hall, but attendance was so high that the speech was broadcast into three overflow classrooms.
“There aren’t usually this many people at these things,” said Colin Vale, a junior mechanical engineering major who often attends the CEO at Smith events. “The series is a great opportunity to hear from people who have much more knowledge,” Vale said. “I’ll definitely keep coming.”
Many Smith school students also attended the event and soaked up the advice Moritz gave based on his years in the industry.
One such student, Kathleen Seski, is a junior supply chain management and finance double major who took careful notes of the speech’s highlights.
“As a recent finance major, it was very applicable,” she said. “I can relate. It was very cool.”
The next CEO at Smith is November 3 with Walt Havenstein, the CEO of Science Applications Internal Corporation.