Ashford offers career insights in Homecoming keynote

Orlando Ashford presented the 2015 Homecoming keynote lecture November 6 in Fowler Hall.

During the nearly hourlong presentation, Ashford discussed his experiences at Purdue and how they shaped his mindset. As a professional who has traveled the world, he is a proponent of cross-cultural competence. He tries to help others understand differences in communication styles, in business approaches, and in backgrounds. (Read more about Ashford in the November/December 2015 Purdue Alumnus.)

"Cultural competence helped me here and in my life," he said.

Before becoming president of Holland America Line in 2014, he was president of Mercer's Talent Business Segment. While there, he wrote "Talentism," a book about "how a shifting paradigm, enabled by technology and the power of human networks, can help bridge the skills gap, improve business performance, and lead to the betterment of society at large."

Orlando Ashford earned a bachelor's degree in organizational leadership and a master's degree in industrial technology in 1991 and 1993, respectively.

Watch Ashford's lecture on YouTube: