UHV business speaker series to feature UHV alumnus
Ben Gonzalez loves to take any opportunity to return to the University of Houston-Victoria to speak with and encourage students. In April, the 2012 UHV graduate will share his knowledge and expertise with students and others as part of a business speaking series.
Gonzalez will be the featured speaker in the UHV College of Business’s Spring 2024 Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on April 10 at UHV Katy, Room 106, 22400 Grand Circle Blvd. The event will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by Gonzalez’s presentation at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
“The Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series is an excellent opportunity for our students and business leaders to network and learn from people who are current leaders in the field,” said Xavier Garza-Gomez, interim dean of the business college. “I am looking forward to learning from Ben Gonzalez’s presentation, and I hope our students will come out to meet one of our most supportive alumni.”
In the 12 years since he graduated from UHV with a Global MBA in international business, Gonzalez has returned to the university to share his experiences with students regularly, including in events such as the business college’s annual Alumni Week. Much like his previous visits, Gonzalez hopes to inspire students by sharing things he has learned during his career.
“I want to use my own career path as an example to share advice and some important lessons learned,” he said. “Things change so quickly in today’s world, but some things stay relevant. It’s important to know which advice to follow and which things to let go of in order to move forward.”
Gonzalez is the head of data and analytics at Poten & Partners, a ship brokerage and marketing company. In his role, he handles data involved in running the business and its logistics. That gives him a first-hand understanding of the importance of knowing how to handle and understand data in today’s business world.
“Data is everywhere today, so it’s imperative that students who want to move forward in the business world spend time learning about it,” he said. “Technology and Artificial Intelligence are growing and changing so quickly, it’s vital that higher education keeps abreast of those changes and prepares students for a fast-paced marketplace.”
Most of all, he hopes that students will take away an understanding of the importance of networking, especially in the wake of the pandemic, which led many people to behave more like hermits than engaged members of the community, he said.
“Having a network and knowing people in your industry and community is still very relevant and important in today’s world,” Gonzalez said. “Most of my jobs have come through networking and getting to know people who knew me and my reputation for doing good work. That’s an important thing to understand and cultivate in today’s world.”
For more information about the event, contact Rhiannon Smith, assistant dean of administration and student services for the business college, at smithr@uhv.edu.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.