UT’s Sykes Hall of Fame Business Speaker Series Welcomes Heads of HSNi and Bloomin’ Brands on Oct. 22

The University of Tampa will welcome Mindy Grossman, CEO of HSNi, and Liz Smith, CEO of Bloomin’ Brands, on Thursday, Oct. 22, as part of the Sykes Hall of Fame Business Speaker Series. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. in Falk Theatre, 428 W. Kennedy Blvd., with networking and refreshments. The presentation, Entrepreneur or Intrapreneur: Dare to be Different, begins at 6 p.m.

Grossman and Smith have “been there, done that” at places like Nike, Avon Products, Tommy Hillfiger, Kraft Foods and Ralph Lauren, and each has been named one of the “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” by Forbes Magazine.

The two will discuss how a great “entrepreneur” takes an idea and grows it into a billion-dollar business. While a great “intrapreneur” takes that billion-dollar business and transforms it to new heights.

Grossman oversees a $4 billion direct-to-consumer retail portfolio that includes HSNi and the Cornerstone portfolio of home and family lifestyle brands. A 37-year veteran of the retail and apparel industries, Grossman joined IAC, HSNi’s former parent company in 2006 as CEO of IAC Retail. She took the company public in 2008, transforming HSNi into a lifestyle network offering an exciting array of products, personalities and experiences.

As CEO of Bloomin’ Brands, Smith oversees its portfolio of casual and fine dining brands, which include Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. Since joining the company in 2009, Smith’s leadership has been instrumental in the revitalization of the company’s core brands, both domestically and internationally. From menu to ambience, her focus on innovations in customer experience has resulted in “best in category” recognition and sales growth that has outpaced the industry.

To register, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sykes-hall-of-fame-business-speaker-series-feat-liz-smith-and-mindy-grossman-tickets-18291405085. For more information, contact Whitney Vance, Coordinator of Sykes College of Business Operations, at (813) 257-3782 or wvance@ut.edu.