Pharma leader and MBA alumnus delivers keynote at annual Business Leadership Conference

Published Oct 27, 2023 by

Michael Rudd

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The annual Business Leadership Conference (BLC), sponsored by the College of Business (COB) at East Carolina University, is an immersive opportunity for business students to network, get inspired and learn from local, national and global business leaders. The keynote presentation and breakout sessions are led by local and national leaders representing both industry and business concentration degrees. The networking opportunity takes place at the end of the conference, where students have opportunities to connect with the conference presenters.

Raj Kannan (MBA ’90) provides the keynote address at this year’s Business Leadership Conference, sponsored by the College of Business. (Photo by Rhett Butler)

Importantly, the conference provides an opportunity for the students to take what they’ve learned from the COB’s leadership and professional development curriculum and put it on full display. Presenters have chances to meet possible interns, potential employees and future leaders.

Past keynote presenters have included entrepreneurs and leaders from NASA, Duke Power, EY, nonprofits and ECU athletics. Last year, John May of CORE Industrial Partners was the first COB alumnus to return and give the keynote. Raj Kannan (MBA ’90) attended the event as a participant last year. His visit last year was his first trip to campus in more than 20 years.

Kannan attended the BLC again this year, but instead of listening from the audience, he served as the keynote speaker.

“To be invited as the keynote speaker was an honor,” said Kannan. “It was a privileged moment for me because it was as good as being invited to host ‘Saturday Night Live.’”

Kannan brought to the BLC attendees an enviable breadth and depth of business experience in the health care industry. Kannan joined I-MAB as CEO in late June, where he’s “excited about the potential to bring differentiated biologics that could make a meaningful difference in the lives of people with cancer.”

Kannan has been steadfastly focused on building a successful career in pharmaceuticals, rising from a field sales position to leading multi-billion-dollar global business franchises. Prior to I-MAB, he was the CEO of Aerie Pharmaceuticals, where he led the successful merger of Aerie Pharmaceuticals to Alcon Inc. Prior to Aerie, Kannan was CEO of Chiasma Inc.

So it came as no surprise that the topic of success was front and center in his keynote. Kannan spoke on three critical traits for achieving business success, starting with believing in oneself and cultivating a growth mindset, being comfortable operating outside one’s comfort zones, and lastly, becoming stronger and more resilient going through life’s challenges.

“If you let success be defined externally and by society, you are never going to be fulfilled,” Kannan told the approximately 1,000 attendees.

Arthur School MBA student ArranWright asks Raj Kannan a question following the keynote address. (Photo by Rhett Butler)

Kannan’s message resonated with attendees. LinkedIn posts by attendees and selfies with Kannan demonstrate just how much his story and message struck a personal chord with students. Current Arthur MBA student Precious Esong posted, “One standout highlight of the day was the captivating keynote; I can’t wait to apply these takeaways to my journey.”

Accounting student Phu Aung wrote, “A memorable session for me was the keynote address.”

“The keynote speaker was my favorite part of the conference,” said marketing senior Jenna Bacon. “Raj has such an inspiring story and outlook on life. His work ethic, I think, inspired every person listening.”

Isaiah Proctor is a military veteran pursuing a double major in business management and biochemistry. This year’s BLC was his first, and he attended it because of Kannan’s background. “I wanted to get insight into the world of pharmaceuticals,” said Proctor. Kannan’s message also resonated with him.

“Other people should not define what success means for you,” said Proctor. “Only you know what you want to accomplish.”

Kannan pointed out that once an individual defines their version of success, a foundation of knowledge is needed and can be leveraged to jump-start a business venture or career.

“Education is the foundation. It helps shape your ability to think critically and how you solve problems,” said Kannan. “ECU COB gives you that essential framework for starting, managing and scaling a business.”

“To complement one of Raj’s messages at the BLC, an ECU College of Business degree will give you the skills and knowledge to help you reach your desired success,” said Mike Harris, interim dean, College of Business.

“Events like the BLC give our students opportunities to show off what they’ve learned in the classroom,” added Harris.