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Russ Lucas, BMW of North America, will speak at Lycoming College as part of the James W. Harding Executive Speaker Series on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 5:30 p.m., in the Shangraw Performance Hall, Mary Lindsay Welch Honors Hall. His presentation, “The Fast Lane to Success: From Lycoming College to BMW,” will address his career and what it’s like to work in the BMW culture. The event is free and open to the public.
A 30+ year veteran of the auto industry, Lucas ’79 began his career with BMW of North America, LLC, in 1985, and was named the vice president for recall implementation in 2018. Prior to that, Lucas served as vice president of the southern region, taking charge of the largest sales opportunity region in the United States. Lucas has held multiple other positions at BMW of North America, including vice president of the eastern region, pre-owned manager, southern regional aftersales manager and multiple other positions. He began his career at Subaru of North America.
Lucas’s talk will provide an overview of his career, including a peek into the work culture of one of the most famous automobile companies in the world. He will also provide insight into where the auto industry is headed and the roles that American politics and government play.
“It’s important for our students, and for the Williamsport community, to see how a liberal arts and sciences degree can guide a student through a successful career,” said Elizabeth Moorhouse, Ph.D., associate professor of economics, chair of the department, and director of the Institute for Management Studies at Lycoming College. “Russ is coming back to campus to discuss how his years at Lycoming helped him navigate his way through the auto industry.”
Lucas is a member of the Workforce Development Advisory Board at ACT, Inc. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science and history from Lycoming College, and master’s degree in business administration from Rider University.
The presentation is sponsored by the College’s Institute for Management Studies. The James W. Harding Executive Speaker Series is named for James W. Harding, a 1938 graduate of Lycoming College and an executive with Kemper Insurance. As the result of a grant from the James S. Kemper foundation to endow the series, students have the opportunity to meet and network with some of America's top business executives from numerous internationally-recognized companies and firms.