ADA – Social media expert Maira Moraes Ollila will deliver the 2013-2014 Boswell Lecture, Social Media in the Business World, on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 1 p.m. in Foundation Hall at East Central University’s Chickasaw Business and Conference Center.
According to Boswell Endowed Professor of Business Administration Dr. Pat Fountain, Ollila has distinguished herself in her field.
“Maira is doing an outstanding job of developing and implementing her company’s social media strategy in Latin America,” said Fountain. “Her company has recognized her efforts and she really is a rising star in this field.”
Ollila received a business administration degree from East Central University in 2007 and was named a School of Business Distinguished Graduate. On campus, she was the leader of a number of organizations and was named a top 10 senior in 2007. She earned an MBA, with a concentration in international business and marketing, from Oklahoma City University, in 2010. Today, she holds the position of associate program manager, marketing, Latin America for Liberty Mutual Insurance.
She was awarded a “Bravo Award” for outstanding project management by Liberty Mutual earlier this year for her work on “The Responsibility Project – The Place to Discuss What it Means to do the Right Thing.” She is fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish and has responsibilities in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. She and her husband, Ada area native Chris Ollila, call Miami home.
“So many think of social media only as a way of connecting with Uncle Fred, but for so many for profit and not for profit organizations, it can be so much more,” explained Fountain. “Social Media in the business world is not so much a sales tool as a tool for connecting with and better understanding customers and/or those in a value chain and helping them understand your company and its offerings, procedures, processes and culture.
“The bottom line is that these relationships will increase revenues.”
Ollila will be returning to ECU in December to be the co-instructor, along with Fountain, of a two credit hour intercession class listed as Seminar: Social Media. The class will also be offered to the community through the Center of Continuing Education and Community Services and listed as, “Making Social Media Work for You.”
The class is divided into four sessions and is described as being for those who want to put social media to work while building relationships with customers and clients that increase revenues. Participants can enroll in any or all of the sessions.
Session one will examine the pros and cons of different social media tools. Session two will explore how and why to make social media a part of organizational strategy and then, in session three, participants will learn about the science of engaging and connecting with customers and clients through social media. Finally, in session four, participants will learn how to measure the success of social media strategy.
Olilla will touch on some of these topics during her lecture, but will mostly be concentrating on showing some best practices she has learned in her social media endeavors. There will be a question and answer session following her talk.
Boswell was a respected Ada businessman who served on the Board of Regents for Oklahoma Colleges for 18 years. He donated funds for the construction of ECU’s Boswell Chapel in memory of his wife Kathryn. He helped organize the Ada Industrial Development Corporation and establish Valley View Regional Hospital in 1935. Boswell was president of the hospital’s board of directors for 12 years.
The Boswell Trust was established through the ECU Foundation Inc. in 1975 by Boswell’s daughters, Sara Boswell and Jane Boswell Maher, in order to help attract and hold outstanding faculty members in business.
Fountain serves as ECU’s S.C. Boswell Professor. The S.C. Boswell Award, based on effective classroom teaching, professional development, involvement in student activities and contributions to the department, school and university, is presented to a faculty member in ECU’s School of Business. The Boswell Endowed Professor receives a stipend based on income from the S.C. Boswell Memorial Charitable Trust and sponsors a free, public lecture or forum on topics of interest related to business.
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