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UCI Paul Merage School of Business Alumni Ryan Patel Keynotes Alumni Day 2018

• By UCI Paul Merage School of Business

Irvine, CA - (June 01, 2018) - Global business executive Ryan Patel, FEMBA ’08, will serve as keynote speaker at the annual Merage School Alumni Day to be held June 23, 2018 at UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business.  The all-day event will take place in the Merage School Auditorium, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and running through 4:00 p.m.

More than 120 Merage School alumni are expected to attend to participate in workshop sessions, hear Patel’s keynote presentation, which begins at 12:45 p.m. following lunch, and reconnect with former classmates.

“Our Merage School family is so proud of the success that Ryan has found since graduating 10 years ago.  And, we are honored to showcase him as the keynote speaker for Alumni Day 2018,” said Barbra Marangell, director of Alumni Relations at the Merage School. "His discussion on leadership and innovation in today's digital world will be of great value to all of our alumni, regardless of industry or experience level."

Patel’s deep knowledge in economies, innovation, strategy and consumer trends has made him an expert in growing publically traded businesses, as well as startups, worldwide. His keynote will shed light on the power of influence and how to utilize it appropriately as a leader and how the symbiosis between digital transformation and strategy.

"I'm excited to be invited to speak at such an important event for the Merage School," said Patel. "I'm looking forward to reconnecting with the faculty, staff, and alumni - especially the cohort from my year as we have fond memories together."

The day also includes two time periods for workshops, the first one before lunch and the second one preceding Patel’s keynote. All workshops will be lead by fellow Merage School alumni. Attendees will get the opportunity to sit in on their selected workshop to listen and discuss current trends in fields such as marketing, healthcare, entrepreneurship and technology from executives from major corporations such as Kaiser Permanente health Innovation, AIMed and Intel Programmable Solutions Engineering.

Seating is limited. Merage School alumni can register here to secure a seat.  To learn more about the event, visit the event website. 

About Ryan Patel
Ryan Patel is a global business executive, decorated speaker and entrepreneur. Before he served as the Vice President of Global Development for Pinkberry he worked for Wet Seal Retail, Inc (Arden B, WS) Jamba Juice, BJ’s Restaurants, Inc & Panda Express. He was awarded the 2015 Executive of the Year by the LA Business Journal and Special US Congressional Recognition for outstanding services to the community. In 2017, Inc. Magazine listed him as one of nine executives and innovators who serve as an inspiration for how all businesses can make a difference.  He serves on the advisory boards for Communities for Cause, Inc. and GIVN Goods Inc., and American Red Cross, Los Angeles Region. Connect with him on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @RyanPatelGlobal.

About The Paul Merage School of Business

The Paul Merage School of Business at UC Irvine offers four dynamic MBA programs – plus PhD, specialty masters and undergraduate business degrees – that prepare business leaders for our digitally driven world. Through our programs, students acquire the exceptional ability to grow their organizations through strategic innovation, analytical decision-making, digital information technology and collaborative execution. While the Merage School is relatively young, it has quickly grown to rank consistently among the top five percent of all business programs worldwide through exceptional student recruitment, world-class faculty, a strong alumni network and close relationships with both individual business executives and global corporations. Additional information is available at merage.uci.edu.

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