Published: Feb. 9, 2015

John A. Ikard, president and CEO of FirstBank Holding Company, will deliver a talk titled "Leading an Ethical Organization in a Sometimes Unethical World" on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 5:30 p.m. in the Wittemyer Courtroom at the Wolf Law Building on the University of Colorado Boulder campus.

As the leader of FirstBank and the chairman of the American Bankers Association, Ikard has successfully addressed questions on whether and how, during the recent financial crisis, banks maintained (or failed to maintain) a commitment to ethical practices, trustworthy behavior, and the creation of long-term value for all relevant stakeholders. In his talk, he will reflect on how he practices ethical leadership and resists the sort of pressures that have led other companies to lose the confidence of customers, regulators and the public.

Ikard joined FirstBank in 1981 and in 1999 was elected president and CEO of FirstBank Holding Company. FirstBank is the second largest bank in Colorado, holdingjust under$15 billion in assets, employing 2,000 people, and has locations in Colorado, California and Arizona.

Colorado Law was recently selected as a new participant in the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative, and this lecture is one of several ways that the law school is advancing its mission to develop legal professionals who are capable of acting as principled leaders. “Effective lawyers who are leaders must integrate ethical traits and values into their overall mindset and approach to legal practice. With the support of the Daniels Fund, Colorado Law will continue to experiment with innovative ways of incorporating ethics and professionalism into the Colorado Law experience,” said Phil Weiser, dean of the University of Colorado Law School.

Reflecting Bill Daniels' personal commitment to ethics and integrity, the Ethics Initiative was established in 2010 to strengthen the teaching of principle-based ethics, fostering high ethical standards in students, and engage the overall community in an ongoing conversation about this important topic.

The lecture is free and open to the public but registration is requested. To register, please visit .

Contact:
Joanna Schmitz, CU Law School communications, 303-492-3084
Joanna.Schmitz@colorado.edu

“Effective lawyers who are leaders must integrate ethical traits and values into their overall mindset and approach to legal practice. With the support of the Daniels Fund, Colorado Law will continue to experiment with innovative ways of incorporating ethics and professionalism into the Colorado Law experience,” said Phil Weiser, dean of the University of Colorado Law School.