West Virginia University’s business school will kick off the second half of its speaker series on March 1 with international marketing expert and author Dr. Juracy Parente.

The Brazilian professor, who is a Visiting Scholar at the University of Florida this semester, is the first guest in the 2012 lineup of the WVU College of Business and Economics 60th Anniversary Speaker Series. Parente will present “The Emerging Market for Low Income Consumers: A Brazilian Perspective” in B&E Room 459 at 6 p.m. The presentation will include a view of the growing economic and political importance of emerging countries such as Brazil, China and India.

“Dr. Parente is an international marketing expert, a renowned author and a highly successful educator,” said Dr. Jose Sartarelli, Milan Puskar Dean, WVU College of Business and Economics. “He has a complete understanding of his subject matter and comprehensive knowledge that is greatly beneficial to all who come in contact with him.”

Over the last 30 years, Parente has been an associate professor in Marketing and Retailing at FGV-EAESP (Funda��o Getulio Vargas – Escola de Administra��o de Empresas de S�o Paulo) or the S�o Paulo School of Business Administration in Brazil. While at FGV-EAESP, he was also the head of the Marketing Department and the founder of the school’s Center for Excellence in Retail. He holds an MBA from Cornell University and a Ph.D. from the University of London.

Parente is the author and co-organizer of five books about retailing, corporate responsibility and low income retailing and dozens of chapters in books and research papers presented in scientific conferences and published in academic business journals. His research interests are in retailing, areas of new store location, low income markets, consumer behavior and corporate social responsibility. He spent 15 years at Pao de Acucar Group, the largest Brazilian retailer, as an executive in the areas of marketing, merchandising and market research. He has also been a consultant for dozens of companies in the areas of retailing strategy, merchandising and executive training.

This guest speaker also holds special significance for Sartarelli, as the business school dean was a student of Parente’s at the S�o Paulo School of Business Administration during his undergraduate studies.

“Dr. Parente’s expertise had a significant impact on me,” said Sartarelli. “His areas of research have been extremely valuable in Brazil, and most certainly can be applied in U.S. markets. The impact he has on his audience here will be immediate, and will bring back fond memories of when I was a student.”

A reception for Parente will be held in the atrium of the College of Business and Economics following his presentation.

For more information about the 60th Anniversary Speaker Series in the WVU College of Business and Economics, visit www.be.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

02/23/12

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CONTACT: Patrick Gregg, College of Business and Economics
patrick.gregg@mail.wvu.edu, (304) 293-5131