Sykes Hall of Fame Speaker Series Kicks Off Oct. 16 with Vinik, James

The University of Tampa will welcome Jeff Vinik, owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Tom James, chairman of Raymond James Financial, on Thursday, Oct. 16, who will speak to a sold-out crowd as part of the Sykes Hall of Fame Speaker Series.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. in Falk Theatre, 428 W. Kennedy Blvd., with networking and refreshments. The presentation, Matching Wits with Wall Street, begins at 6 p.m. The discussion will be moderated by Geoff Simon of Simon & Associates Wealth Management of Raymond James.

Vinik managed the Fidelity Megellan Fund, the world's largest mutual fund, at age 33. Four years later, he started one of the nation's largest and most successful hedge funds. Now, he's turned his passion into hockey and real estate development.

James built Raymond James Financial from a small local investment firm into one of America's largest full-service investment firms, with 14,000 employees around the world. He's a rock-solid entrepreneur in an industry that's ever changing.

The two have built successful careers "matching wits with Wall Street," in very different ways. They will share their insights into what it takes to succeed in business and investing.

For more information, contact Joyce Keller at (813) 257-3704 or jkeller@ut.edu.