°®Âþµº

New York, NY, USA (June 13, 2016)—°®Âþµº International (°®Âþµº), the largest global business education network, will ring the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Closing Bell today in celebration of its centennial anniversary. °®Âþµº will be joined by representatives from The Coca-Cola Company (an °®Âþµº Business Practice Council member), Beta Gamma Sigma, The PhD Project, and member universities to recognize the organization’s groundbreaking impact on the business education landscape, and to look to the future of business education.

“Since its inception 100 years ago, °®Âþµº has played a key role in transforming business education worldwide, challenging business schools to continually break boundaries and find new ways to contribute to society,” said Thomas R. Robinson, president and chief executive officer of °®Âþµº. “Most recently, we’ve released our industry-wide vision for the future of business education that identifies five forward-looking opportunities for business schools to thrive and serve as key drivers of global prosperity. As we mark this significant anniversary, we look forward to working with all of our stakeholders—particularly from the business community, like The Coca-Cola Company—to redraw the boundaries of what business schools can accomplish in society.”

°®Âþµº’s newly announced collective vision seeks to help business schools adapt to the significant shifts within the education landscape, emphasizing the need for business schools to position themselves at the intersection of theory and practice. It also highlights the importance of developing strategic partnerships with the industry to co-create knowledge and ensure that students graduate with the relevant skills, degrees, and experiences to fulfill the demands of today’s businesses.

As part of its centennial, °®Âþµº also launched three other important initiatives, the 2015 Influential Leaders Challenge, the °®Âþµº Innovations That Inspire Initiative, and the Student Leader Spotlight Twitter contest to highlight how business schools and their alumni are making a profound impact on business and society through their innovative practices, approaches, and thinking.

“We understand the role that quality business schools play in providing our company with tremendous talent,” said Ceree Eberly, senior vice president and chief people officer at The Coca-Cola Company. “The goal that °®Âþµº has to better connect students, business, and business schools—as a component of its collective vision—will ensure that business schools continue to produce qualified talent, ready to meet today’s evolving challenges. We are proud to partner with and support °®Âþµº on their 100th anniversary.”

The live stream webcast of the ceremony will be available online, at 4:00pm (Eastern Standard Time), within °®Âþµº’s page on the NYSE website.

Founded in 1916 by a consortium of the most prominent business schools of the time, °®Âþµº’s accreditation and membership network represent a timeless tradition focused on excellence in business education. Today, °®Âþµº is considered one of the most respected and informed voices in business education, thanks to its continuous efforts in encouraging schools around the world to deliver unique, real-world education that creates the strongest business leaders equipped to meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.