Dartmouth Events

This event is in-person and virtual.
In-person venue: Georgiopoulos Classroom, Raether Hall
https://dartgo.org/portmanlecture
Passcode: eship

Portman Lecture in the Spirit of Entrepreneurship

Orvis: Conscious Capitalism and the Evolution of a 165-Year-Old-Brand

Panelists:
Simon Perkins
President
Orvis

Bill McLaughlin D'78, T’81
Former President
Orvis

Moderator:
Curtis R. Welling D'71, T'77
Clinical Professor of Business Organization
Tuck School

Panelist Bios:
Simon Perkins is President of Orvis, the family-owned and operated outdoor retailer, specializing in fly-fishing and wingshooting gear, dog products, and active lifestyle apparel since 1856. He is a purpose-driven leader with a vision for strong business growth that can forge a better more sustainable outdoor world. He is a champion of broader accessibility to fly fishing and the outdoors through Orvis’s Breaking Barriers Awards, the 50/50 On the Water initiative and the Angling for All Pledge, and is an impassioned advocate for company conservation initiatives like those in Bristol Bay, Alaska and Florida’s Everglades.
Bill McLaughlin came out of retirement to serve as President and then CEO of Orvis from 2015-2020.  While there he introduced a new approach to strategic thinking for the company, focusing on leveraging competitive advantages, category alignment and ultimately helping the customer better understand the “Why Orvis” value proposition. Previous to Orvis, Bill served as CEO and President of Select Comfort Corporation from March 2000 to 2012, where he led the creation of the Sleep Number brand in 2001 and grew the company from $250M to $800M over the course of his career there.

Moderator Bio:
Curtis R. Welling D'71, T'77 is a clinical professor of business who teaches courses at the intersection on business, society, and government. Prior to Tuck Professor Welling served as the president and chief executive officer of AmeriCares for 11 years, guiding the organization in delivering $9 billion in medicines and supplies around the world. Prior to AmeriCares Professor Welling worked in the investment banking and securities industries for 25 years. He was the head of global equities at Credit Suisse and the head of equity capital raising at Bear Stearns. He teaches classes on Impact Investing, Social Entrepreneurship, Business and Society.