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2025 Executive Speaker Series
by
Thu, Apr 10, 2025
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM CDT (GMT-5)
Richard M. and Maggie C. Daley Building
Daley Building, LL 105
14 East Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
155
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Details
Join the Driehaus College of Business and the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business in welcoming Dr. Julian Francis (MBA '96) back to campus for a conversation with Dean Sulin Ba, followed by an audience Q&A.
About the Event
As the CEO and President of a Fortune 500 company, Julian Francis is an expert in agile, strategic decision-making.
When he arrived at Driehaus, however, Francis was an international student and a career changer, searching for a path forward in a new place.
In this conversation with Dean of the Driehaus College of Business Sulin Ba, you’ll hear about Francis’s leadership journey: from student to the C-suite and everything in between. You’ll get an insider’s perspective on how he makes tough decisions in an industry where timing is everything. And you’ll get the chance to ask him questions of your own — about leadership, about finding your path, about current trends in business, and more.
Advanced registration is required. Seats are limited; max of 1 ticket per guest. Doors open for check-in at 6:00 p.m.
Where
Richard M. and Maggie C. Daley Building
Daley Building, LL 105
14 East Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
Speakers
Chris Hjorth
MBA Program Director
DePaul University - Driehaus College of Business
Bob Rubin
Professor, Associate Dean Department of Management & Entrepreneurship Doctorate in Business Administration
DePaul University - Driehaus College of Business
Sulin Ba
Dean of the Driehaus College of Business
DePaul University - Driehaus College of Business
Julian Francis
President & Chief Executive Officer
Beacon Building Products
https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianf/
Mr. Francis has served as Beacon’s President and Chief Executive Officer since August 2019.
Prior to Beacon, Mr. Francis was the President of the Insulation Business at Owens Corning, a global leader in insulation, roofing and fiberglass composite materials, since October 2014. Mr. Francis led Owens Corning’s largest business segment, with over $2.7 billion in revenue in 2018, to significant sales and EBIT growth in each of the preceding three years. From 2012-2014, he served as Vice President and General Manager for Owens Corning’s Residential Insulation Business.
Mr. Francis also has served as Vice President and Managing Director for Owens Corning’s Glass Reinforcements, Americas, in the Composite Solutions Business. Prior to joining Owens Corning, Mr. Francis was Vice President and Publishing Director at Reed Business Information, a $2.5 billion global leader in publishing, information, and marketing services.
Prior to joining Reed, Mr. Francis spent 10 years at USG Corporation rising through the marketing, strategy, and general management ranks. He last served as Vice President, Marketing, where he created the overall strategy for USG’s manufacturing business. Mr. Francis earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and his doctorate in materials engineering at Swansea University in the United Kingdom and earned his MBA at DePaul University.