The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s International Business Council will highlight the importance of language acquisition as it relates to success in business on Thursday from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at the INCubator, located at 100 Cherokee Blvd. Admission is $10, and light hors d’oeuvres will be provided.
The program will begin with comments from Javier Munoz, general manager of Quality Assurance Manufacturing at Volkswagen Group of America, Chattanooga Operations. He credits proficiency in several foreign languages for his professional success and ability to compete in a global marketplace.
He will share his perspective on language acquisition and competitiveness in the global economy. A panel discussion with local international leaders will follow. Panelists include:
· Dr. Carlos Parra, dean of the Department of Modern Languages, Southern Adventist University
· Dr. George Yu, founder/CEO, Variable Technology
· Emmanuel Becquet, president, French American Chamber of Commerce Chattanooga Chapter
· Javier Munoz, general manager, Quality Assurance Manufacturing, Volkswagen Group of America, Chattanooga Operations
“Through technology and the continued interweaving of global economies, our world is getting smaller,” said Mitch Patel, president & CEO of Vision Hospitality Group, Inc. “Chattanooga exemplifies this as international companies such as Volkswagen, Wacker, and Alstom locate to our city. Many of the 1,000-plus associates at Vision Hospitality Group come from various cultures, and affording all of our associates opportunities for language education is important to our company. Supporting diversity is an important part of our corporate identity and we embrace the evolving culture we enjoy.”
The International Business Council’s April program will be sponsored and catered by Chicken Salad Chick.
For more information about the International Business Council, please contact Nasera Souidi at 423.535.8391 or Nasera_souidi@bcbst.com.