Silicon Valley entrepreneur and University of Lethbridge alumnus Anil Pereira (BMgt ’87) will serve as the guest speaker for the inaugural 2014 University of Lethbridge Edmonton Alumni & Friends Dinner on Wednesday, March 19 at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald.

Anil Pereira is an entrepreneur and marketing executive with more than 20 years of hands-on experience at both start-up companies and global corporations.

Pereira is an entrepreneur and marketing executive with more than 20 years of hands-on experience at both start-up companies and global corporations. The founder and executive chairman of Verious, the world’s first code recommendation engine for software developers, Pereira is also the University of Lethbridge Faculty of Management’s first Executive in Residence.

“We’ve established this dinner as a means to bring alumni together in fellowship and to offer attendees compelling and engaging speakers who reflect the values and goals of the University of Lethbridge,” says President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon. “Anil epitomizes those attributes. Our 2000 U of L Alumnus of the Year, he is a dynamic, successful and influential entrepreneur who has made the most of his U of L education. That he aspires to serve as a role model for future generations of students is exemplary.”

Pereira is known as a tireless worker, serving as an advisor to numerous start-up and established businesses in Silicon Valley and around the world, among them a startup that teaches children how to code, a company that provides retailers with “intelligent CRM” and a cloud computing security company.

Pereira’s presentation at the Faculty of Management-sponsored Edmonton Alumni & Friends Dinner is the highlight of an extremely busy week. Pereira will spend time at each of the University’s three campuses, giving a number of presentations to students and alumni and even participating in a student vs. staff/faculty ball hockey game.

“We occupy a unique place among Western Canadian business schools in that we ensure our students get a significant amount of in-class and beyond-the-classroom learning experiences,” Faculty of Management Dean, Dr. Bob Ellis, says. “We know that learning from successful leaders like Anil – who have also had the U of L experience – will help to motivate students as they navigate the complex and dynamic environment in which business operates.”

Individual tickets for the 2014 Edmonton Alumni & Friends Dinner are priced at $50 each, with a table of 10 for $500. Tickets are available online at ulethadvancement.universitytickets.com/dinner.

For more information on the Faculty of Management and its programs, visit www.ulethbridge.ca/management.