The Pilliod Lecture Series will kick off its first lecture of 2006 with speaker Greg Hackett. The Pilliod Lecture Series started in 1987 and was created to bring distinguished business speakers to Kent State.

Hackett, an alumnus of Kent State’s College of Business Administration, was the founder and president of the Hackett Group. He completed an extensive study of American businesses and has identified causes that lead to business failures.

Hackett will be sharing facts such as how long businesses like Microsoft and Google will last. He said 80 percent of all companies are stagnant or in decline.

There are several reasons why Hackett feels students should attend this lecture.

“If you are in the College of Business Administration, you should come and understand what you are going to be faced with and all the things that have to be balanced,” Hackett said.

Hackett will be discussing five industries to stay clear of and how to know when to get out of investments.

“Everyone will be involved with business one way or another,” Hackett said. “You are all going to be investors.”

The lecture will be at 6 p.m. tomorrow in the Student Center Ballroom.

– Nicole King