The event is free and open to the public. It will be in Kettering’s McKinnon Theater, which is located inside the Academic Building on the corner of Third and Chevrolet avenues in Flint.

Olson lectures and publishes in the areas of leadership, ethics, adult development, religion and ethics, and social theory. He holds a doctorate in Ethics and Society from Emory University, a master's in Religion from Yale University, and a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and History from Calvin College.

His talk is part of Kettering’s Thompson Lectures on Leadership and Ethics, funded by an endowment from Francis Willson Thompson. The lectures occur three to four times each year and are administered by the holder of the Thompson Chair of Leadership Studies. Currently, the Kettering University Thompson Chair of Leadership Studies is faculty member Dr. Ben Redekop.

Redekop said, Olson “is a leading thinker in the field of leadership ethics and sustainability, with extensive experience training corporate leaders to be more ethical, effective, and aware of the environmental constraints on business. His ability to blend theory and practice is highly relevant to our students, who are constantly challenged to reconcile what they learn in class with their experience in industry.”

Previously, Olson served as director of Business and Professional Ethics at Emory University's Center for Ethics in Public Policy and the Professions from 1994-1999. Olson also is a well-known consultant and leadership coach. He has trained more than 1,000 senior executives and managers in the areas of leadership, strategy, conflict management, ethics and organizational development.

For more information on the Thompson Lectures on Leadership and Ethics, contact Dr. Redekop via email at bredekop@kettering.edu.