OXFORD, Miss. – Jackson businessman Ashby Foote III
discussed how to thrive in a technology-driven economy at
the University of Mississippi Thursday.
Foote founded Vector Money Management in 1988 and manages
portfolios for individuals, foundations and institutions.
As part of the Otho Smith lecture series, Foote gave an
overview of the history of technology and offered key
lessons and paradigm shifts.
“I think this is the most relevant to the technology-driven
economy,” he said of Peter Drucker’s philosophy of not
solving problems but instead pursuing opportunities.
The exponential growth of technology and rapid
technological changes have all affected the way businesses
operate, Foote said. “As you go out into business, it’s not
for the faint of heart or those who want to work from 9 to
5, and it helps to have a healthy dose of paranoia along
the way,” he said.
MBA student Donal Parker said he has learned several
principles Foote discussed, including Moore’s Law, in his
strategic management class.
“He gave you a bird’s eye view of technology from his
standpoint,” said the Kennett, Mo., native.
Foote received a B.S. degree from the United States
Military Academy at West Point and served as an artillery
officer in the U.S. Army until 1980. He then worked as a
retail broker with McLarty and Duddleston in Jackson before
becoming a trust officer at Sunburst Bank. He is a member
of the board of directors of the Mississippi Technology
Alliance and the Institute of Technology Development.
The Otho Smith Lecture Series, initiated in 1981 through a
grant from the Phil B. Hardin Foundation, brings prominent
business executives to the UM campus as guest speakers. It
is named for the late Meridian businessman, philanthropist
and former president of the UM Alumni Association.
For more information on the School of Business
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