Holz to kick off Writers@Work series

Update: This event has been postponed until later in the academic year.

SUNY Fredonia alumnus Karl Holz, ’73, is the guest for the first Writers@Work series event of the 2023-2024 academic year, “The Art of Storytelling: New Perspectives, Innovative Thinking and Creative Solutions,” on Oct. 18 and 19.

Mr. Holz, who earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, is former President of Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations. A 22-year veteran of the Walt Disney Company, Mr. Holz has deep expertise in building organizational culture, customer experience, operations, strategic planning, international business and start-up ventures. In 2004, Mr. Holz was appointed President and COO of Disneyland Resort Paris, and shortly thereafter, became Chairman and CEO. Currently, Mr. Holz is a Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Company. He is also a board member for CRUISE SAUDI, Radisson Hotel Group and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Village Resort.

Mr. Holz serves SUNY Fredonia as a current member of the Fredonia College Foundation Board of Directors, and was the recipient of the Fredonia Alumni Association’s Outstanding Achievement Award in 2005.

Highlights of Mr. Holz’s two-day residency include:

• On Wednesday, Oct. 18, Mr. Holz will present a session for Honors Program students on career preparation, will meet with School of Business students, and later lunch at the Fredonia Technology Incubator with incubator tenants, local businesses and students. An opportunity for members of the campus community to meet Mr. Holz is slated for 3 p.m. at Williams Center Room S204DE, hosted by the Career Development Office (CDO). At 5 p.m. an event targeted mostly to students, “Are You Ready? Networking 101” will be hosted by the CDO and feature Mr. Holz, in Williams Center Room S204ABC.
• On Thursday, Oct. 19, a session at 9:30 a.m., “The Lost Art of Writing,” a writing workshop conducted by Mr. Holz, will be hosted by the CDO at Science Center Room 126. Open to the public, students attending will include Keeper of the Dream Scholars and students in business communication classes. At noon, the event, “Disney Fans & More!” focusing on career prep, will be hosted at the Career Development Office on the second floor of Gregory Hall and will include one-on-one conversations with Mr. Holz. Students should call (716) 673-3327 to reserve an appointment time. The final event in the residency, “Success After Graduation – ROI” in Williams Center Room S204ABC at 3:30 p.m., will feature Mr. Holz sharing his perspective on his career trajectory and challenges, and his Fredonia experience, with current students.

Residency sponsors include the Carnahan Jackson Fund for the Humanities of the Fredonia College Foundation, the School of Business, the Faculty Student Association, the Fredonia Alumni Association and the Fredonia Technology Incubator. Series partners are the Office of Alumni Affairs, the Career Development Office, the Department of English, the School of Business, the Fredonia Honors Program, the Office of Admissions, and the Fredonia Technology Incubator. Partners for the residency include Beta Gamma Sigma, the School of Business, the Department of Communication, the Keeper of the Dream Scholars.