HIGH POINT, N.C., July 14, 2014 – High Point University has appointed three distinguished leaders in business to its National Board of Advisors: Ron Wanek, founder and chairman of Ashley Furniture; Marty Flanagan, president and CEO of Invesco Ltd.; and Kelly King, chairman and CEO of BB&T.
They join prominent members of the board such as Gen. Colin Powell, former secretary of state, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and national security advisor; Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder; and Dr. James Moeser, chancellor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The board is comprised of leaders in education, Fortune 500 CEOs, and distinguished visionaries who are positively impacting the United States and the world in significant ways.
“These three leaders embody the spirit of entrepreneurism, a trait which we seek to instill in all of our students,” says Dr. Nido Qubein, HPU president. “As HPU continues to develop new academic programs and attract students from broader geographic locations, these leaders will offer wise counsel to our strategic planning and execution.”
• Ron Wanek started manufacturing furniture with only 35 employees in 1970. His company, Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc., is now the largest furniture manufacturer in the world and the largest furniture retailer in the U.S. with headquarters in Wisconsin. In 2013, Wanek donated $10 million to the university in support of its educational efforts in entrepreneurship, technology, business and the free enterprise system.
• Since 2005, Marty Flanagan has been a director, President and CEO of Invesco, an independent investment management firm with branch offices in 20 countries that trades on the New York Stock Exchange. He is also a trustee and vice-chairman of the Invesco Family of Funds. Flanagan serves on the Board of Governors and as a member of the Executive Committee for the Investment Company Institute.
• Kelly Ki
ng was ranked No. 3 Best CEO by Institutional Investor magazine in 2011. He is credited with leading BB&T to continued profitability and financial stability through the economic downturn, and his commitment to the company’s mission, vision and values has led to a nationally recognized associate volunteer program, called the Lighthouse Project. BB&T is the 9th largest financial institution in the country with 35,000 employees and $185 billion in assets. He has served as the Fifth District representative on the Federal Advisory Council to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System since January. He has also served on the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Chairman of the North Carolina Bankers Association and Vice-Chairman of the American Bankers Council. He recently spoke at High Point University’s Leadership Roundtable.
