Five accomplished business executives recently kicked off the first in the UCR School of Business Executive Fellows Industry Discussion Series. All have served as Executive Fellows. Here are some selected insights they shared: 

ON BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS 

Darin Anderson, chairman and CEO of Salas O’Brien, Inc.: “You've got to be able to connect with people, you've got to be able to lead and motivate. And if you aren't one who is listening well, and people don't want to follow you, you're not going to be successful.” 
 

ON VALUING DIVERSITY 

Susan Atherton, independent philanthropist: “We definitely can continue to improve on diversity, equity and inclusion. Besides the moral reason why that’s important, we need to be reflective of our customers, our donors, whoever our stakeholders are – we need to reflect who they are.” 
 

ON HIRING 

Beverly Bailey, president and CEO of Stronghold Engineering, Inc.: “When we're hiring people, we tend to look for humble, hungry, and smart. It's a great characteristic in trying to define those people who will fit with our core values and our culture, our team.” 
 

ADVICE THEY MIGHT GIVE THEIR YOUNGER SELVES 

Timothy Greenleaf, venture capital investor: “Figure out who you are, what makes you tick. What gets you up every day? What makes you operate? … As you get some success behind you, put it in the bank. Don't change your lifestyle. Live lean, be aggressive, be hungry.” 
 

ON GIVING BACK 

Michael Zemetra, executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer of Veritone, Inc.: “On the social side, I want our company to give back as much as we can. There is social importance in giving back to the community. It's so meaningful and we need to make sure it's part of our DNA and our culture.”