The Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character (ACLC), alongside the Program for Leadership Character, recently hosted entrepreneur and whistleblower Tyler Shultz for a two-day visit, September 22-23.
At the age of 22, Shultz uncovered and exposed significant fraud at the Silicon Valley biotech company, Theranos. Today, Shultz speaks on the vital importance of integrating ethics and moral courage into business practices. He shared these firsthand lessons with over 475 students,
faculty, staff, alumni and community members at Broyhill Auditorium on Monday. (A complete recording of the event can be found here.)
The focus on leadership, integrity, and character particularly resonated with ACLC Scholar and Master of Science in Accounting Student, Chris Douglas. “…if you are to be a leader, you have to be able to develop that sort of foundation,” Douglas stated. “And looking at what he has done, and looking as to what I can do and what other people can do to develop into being a good leader that’s ethically sound, that’s morally grounded, you have to be able to practice what you preach.”
Shultz also took part in a conversational lunch with more than 25 Program for Leadership and Character and ACLC Scholars, Entrepreneurship Minors, ROTC students and special guests.
Of the entire experience, Sailor Troutman, ACLC Scholar and Master of Science in Management student, said “I think the biggest insight that I learned from this whole thing was just to stay grounded in your values, even when the cost feels overwhelming and everything like feels like it’s crashing down…and that maintaining that integrity within yourself and within your values has a lasting impact beyond the organization and beyond the company.”
Shultz’s visit left the Wake Forest community with a deeper understanding of ACLC’s purpose which is to develop leaders of character who enhance the business profession by achieving results with integrity.