Former CEO of TIAA-CREF to speak at WFU
John Biggs, recently retired chief executive officer of the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), will present a lecture titled “The Long-Term Effects on Corporate Governance from the Turn-of-the-Century Business Scandals” March 27 at Wake Forest University. The free public event will be held at 4:30 p.m. in Benson University Center’s Pugh Auditorium.
TIAA-CREF, the pension system for educators in the United States, is one of the largest financial service providers in the world and has operated for more than 80 years. While Biggs was CEO, TIAA-CREF launched a Web site featuring full-service transaction capability via the internet, passed the $200 billion in total assets milestone and established the TIAA-CREF Trust Company, the TIAA-CREF Institute and the TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company.
Under Biggs’ leadership, TIAA-CREF created principle-based investment criteria and continues to play the role of shareholder activist for better corporate governance. Because he is known for setting high standards for ethical business practices, Biggs was considered to head the Accounting Oversight Board established by former SEC chairman, Harvey Pitt.
Biggs’ lecture will discuss past efforts to improve accounting standards and discuss how these efforts will influence the future of American business practices.
