Ex-Johnson & Johnson executive to give Sutton ethics in business lecture at KU

LAWRENCE -- A former executive at Johnson & Johnson will give the annual Walter S. Sutton Lecture, offered by the International Center for Ethics in Business at KU, on April 22.

Terence E. Downer, presently senior partner at the International Sounding Board, LLC, will be the seventh speaker in this prestigious series, said H. Joseph Reitz, professor at the KU School of Business and co-director of the center. Downer will present þWorking in an Ethically Driven Company Ð Johnson & Johnson,ú at 7 p.m. in the Kansas Union Ballroom. The public is invited. Admission is free.

þRecent scandals involving major U.S. businesses have damaged confidence in our economic system. However, most business people and corporations understand the importance of ethical business practices and follow them faithfully,ú Reitz said Reitz. "Terence Downer, has spent his career in such a company -- Johnson & Johnson. J&J was founded on a set of strong ethical principles and has continued leadership in ethical practices for decades. Even before the Tylenol incidents many years ago, J&J followed its credo: its first responsibility is to the people who use its products.

þJohnson & Johnson is not just a company with ethics, but an ethically-driven company. Its corporate credo has served as a model for corporations throughout the world. Its ethics program includes mandatory training for managers and employees on a continuing basis and on a world-wide scale. In answer to those who argue that ethical practices arenÿt practical in a global marketplace, J&Jÿs stock value is 80 times greater than it was in 1965, whereas the average value of the S&P 500 is only fifteen times greater than in 1965.ú

Downerÿs lecture on ethics is part of the Sutton Lecture Series produced by the KU International Center for Ethics in Business, a cooperative effort of the School of Business and the College of Liberal Arts. The Sutton Lecture series began in 1993, promoting individual and corporate integrity in both U.S. and international business through research, service and education in ethical principles and behavior.

Downer is a senior partner at the International Sounding Board, LLC in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Since 1997 he has worked with clients in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America in licensing, acquisitions, strategic alliances and brokering opportunities. Prior to joining ISB, Terence worked 31 years at Johnson and Johnson, leading a sales force of more than 100 people, directing Phase IV clinical trials and starting three companies.

His work experience in pharmaceuticals and medical electronics has given him a varied background, where relationship building has played a major role. He credits his successes in science, marketing, licensing and research to his ability to build teams and establish networks of talented individuals.

The Walter S. Sutton Lecture series is made possible by a generous gift from Betsey G. Sutton. Mr. Sutton was a graduate of the KU School of Business in 1939 and served as managing partner of Peat Marwick, Mitchell & Co., now KPMG Peat Marwick, in its Kansas City and Los Angeles branches until 1975.

Previous speakers at the Walter E. Sutton Lecture Series include:

 • 1993 Ð William S. Kanaga, chairman, Center for International Private Enterprise;
 • 1995 Ð Hal T. Hansen, chairman, Cargill Investor Services, Chairman, National Futures Association;
 • 1997 Ð James Buchanan, Nobel Laureate in economic sciences;  • 1998 Ð Michael Novak, director of social and political studies, American Enterprise Institute;
 • 1999 Ð John Brooks Slaughter, president, Occidental College, chairman, National Science Foundation;
 • 2001 Ð Albert M. Erisman, director of mathematics and computing technology, Phantom Works, The Boeing Company;
 • 2002 Ð Mary Faith Marshall, professor of medicine and bioethics, University of Kansas Medical Center

For more information on the Walter S. Sutton Lecture Series, the International Center for Ethics in Business or the KU School of Business, call (785) 864-7581 or visit our website at www.business.ku.edu