Rick Alexander, quality and support manager at ON Semiconductor to speak at the ISU College of Business Wells Fargo Speaker Series

Lunch will be served at noon followed by Alexander’s presentation from 12:20 to 1 p.m.  in the Pond Student Union Ballroom on the Pocatello campus.

Alexander, a College of Business alumnus, will share his unique story of landing in Pocatello by chance, attending ISU and making his way through various management positions at ON. ON, a major Pocatello employer, supplies semiconductor technologies internationally for companies producing computing, communication, consumer, automotive, medical, industrial, military and aerospace equipment.

Originally from Southern California, Alexander ended up in Pocatello after running out of money during his post-high school travels around the country. Alexander worked in retail for several years, eventually landing a job at ON (formerly AMI) as a line operator in 1981.

“I realized the company offered unlimited opportunities for people with the right skills,” Alexander said. “So, I made the commitment to start taking business classes as a non-traditional student while working full-time, often working 55 or more hours per week, and raising a family.”

Despite many hours of lost sleep and hard work, Alexander graduated from the ISU College of Business with his Bachelor of Business Administration Degree.

“After graduating, I’ve worked my way through the management ranks at ON, including production lead, shift supervisor, production section manager, and as the production fab manager for 12 years,” said Alexander.

As a fellow non-traditional student, working full-time with a family, Alexander’s story is one that many students at ISU and the College of Business can relate to.

“We are excited to have Rick speak about his experiences as a student in this type of situation that so many of our students are facing right now,” said John Ney, College of Business Professional development director. “I think it will be inspirational for our students and community members to hear about the success his journey has lead him to.”    

Thanks to generous contributions made by Wells Fargo, the College of Business Professional Development program is able to host an executive-level speaker each semester as part of the Wells Fargo Speaker Series. These events bring in a large crowd of students from throughout the University as well as community members and ISU faculty and staff, providing tremendous value for students planning their future careers.

The Speaker Series event is open to students, ISU employees and the public.