Gordon E. Heffern Lecture on Christian Ethics in Business returns to AU on Nov. 1

Published on Oct. 17, 2022

College of Business and Economics

ASHLAND, Ohio – Richard Veres, the founder of Highland Consulting Associates, Inc., will return to Ashland University to be the featured speaker of the Gordon E. Heffern Lecture on Christian Ethics in Business on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at the John C. Myers Convocation Center (638 Jefferson St.). Doors open at 11:30 a.m. for the event, with lunch served at 11:45. It is open to the public, but those interested in attending should RSVP by Oct. 24 to au-cobe@ashland.edu.

Veres, a member of the Ashland men’s basketball team that played in the 1977 NCAA Tournament, launched Highland from scratch along with co-founders Marc Williams and Bill Kinde. They saw a gap in the investment advisory marketplace for many organizations and proposed to close that gap by serving clients as fiduciary and as their Investor Advocates®. Under Veres’ leadership, Highland has experienced remarkable success since 1993, having built a client base that holds assets totaling $18 billion today and an annual client retention rate of nearly 99 percent.

Veres is active in the greater Cleveland community. He serves as the investment committee chair for the In His Steps Foundation, is a past president of the Bay Village Foundation, chairman of the NEO Leadership Foundation and past president of the Cleveland chapter of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists. He also founded the Bay Basketball Association, a youth sports organization, and is a member of the Vistage CEO Network and the Christian Business Owners Fellowship.

“We are excited to have Richard Veres here for our event this year,” said Dan Fox, interim dean of the Dauch College of Business and Economics. “This event reflects Gordon Heffern’s legacy of integrating his strong Christian faith with a successful business career.”

Heffern was a former chairman of the board of the Society Corporation (Key Bank) and president/CEO of The Timken Company, as well as a leader in the philanthropic and civic communities.

The Gordon E. Heffern Lecture on Christian Ethics in Business is an event in which guest speakers share their experiences in applying Christian ethics in the business world. Friends and family of Heffern have created an endowment at AU, which supports the ongoing lecture series. “In His Steps Foundation, founded by Gordon Heffern, is providing matching financial support and strategic advice to help make this lecture series a success,” noted Fox.

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland, and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.