MACON – Mercer University's 2016-2017 Executive Forum, presented by BB&T, continues Feb. 21 with Joe Lawrence, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Porsche Cars North America Inc. (PCNA), as keynote speaker.
Lawrence will give a noon lunch presentation at the Capital City Club in downtown Atlanta and a 7 p.m. dinner presentation in the Presidents Dining Room inside the University Center on the Macon campus.
PCNA, headquartered in Atlanta, is the importer of Porsche sports cars, the Macan and Cayenne sport utility vehicles, and the Panamera sports sedan for the U.S.
As executive vice president and COO, Lawrence is responsible for sales and dealer network development in the U.S. He also oversees PCNA's field operations and the Porsche Academy. He assumed his current role in August 2013 after serving as president and CEO of Porsche Cars Canada Ltd. for four years.
Lawrence earned a B.A. in economics from Southern Methodist University and an M.B.A. from Emory University. He began his career selling cars in his hometown of El Paso, Texas, in 1989. Prior to arriving at Porsche, he worked for 15 years at BMW in a variety of sales and marketing positions in the U.S., Germany and Canada.
PCNA, which has called Atlanta home since 1998, opened its new U.S. headquarters at the northeast corner of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2015. The campus is home to more than 400 employees and welcomes some 30,000 visitors per year.
The $100 million headquarters and Porsche Experience Center is the largest investment made by Porsche outside of Germany. It features a 1.6-mile driver development track on the grounds that allow prospective buyers to test drive any of Porsche's six models. The headquarters boasts a Porsche history center, full-service restaurant, gift shop and the Human Performance Center, where fitness experts can analyze one's physical attributes.
BB&T is celebrating its 10th consecutive year as presenting sponsor of the Executive Forum. This year's co-sponsors include Cox Communications, Georgia CEO, Georgia Trend and The 1842 Inn.
The Executive Forum is a membership organization composed of businesses, organizations and individuals. Events are by invitation only to members. For more information on membership, call (800) 837-2911 or (478) 301-4169, or visit forum.mercer.edu/membership.
About the Executive Forum, presented by BB&T
The Executive Forum, presented by BB&T, is a business outreach program of Mercer University's Eugene W. Stetson School of Business and Economics and the Office of University Advancement. The Executive Forum provides business professionals with an opportunity to hear nationally noted speakers while networking with other business leaders. For more information, call Mercer's Office of University Advancement at (800) 837-2911 or (478) 301-4169, or visit forum.mercer.edu.
