Heroes of Ethics Speaker Series
Each year, our signature Heroes of Ethics Speaker Series features a prominent individual who shares their firsthand experience navigating ethical dilemmas in the business world. Through powerful keynote speeches and thought-provoking discussions, the series invites audiences to reflect on integrity, accountability, and the challenges of making ethical decisions in complex environments. The event is free and open to the public.
2026 Hero of Ethics:
Mr. Michael Woodford, former President & CEO of Japan's Olympus Industries
- First CEO in history to become a whistleblower of his own corporation
- Discovered billions in accounting fraud leading to one of the longest and largest financial scandals in Japanese corporate history
- Leader in corporate governance and social responsibility
- Author of Exposure: Inside the Olympus Scandal: How I Went from CEO to Whistleblower.
Mr. Woodford excels as a speaker and author. Recounting the details of his appointment as the first foreign-born CEO of Japanese corporate giant, Olympus, to the boardroom coup that led to fleeing the country in fear for his life, he will engage and captivate.
Register by Friday, September 4, 2026
Event Address
Xavier University
Cintas Center, Schiff Family Conference Center, Duff Banquet Room
1624 Musketeer Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45207
Please contact wcbevents@xavier.edu to register a group, for any questions, or to be added to this annual event's invitation list.
Past Heroes of Ethics Speaker Series
2025 Ethics in Action: Navigating High-Stakes Legal and Ethical Dilemmas
Featuring: Mr. Tyler Shultz
Tyler Shultz is a scientist at heart, a founder by nature, a whistleblower by accident, a speaker by day, a venture partner by night, and a dad 24/7. His professional life began by exposing unethical practices at Theranos, a revelation that led to the collapse of the $9 billion company and the criminal convictions of its CEO and COO. Since then, he has co-founded two diagnostics companies: a deep tech spinout from Stanford’s Center for Magnetic Nanotechnology and a direct-to-consumer diagnostics and telehealth company. Beyond building companies, Tyler advises startups and venture funds, helping them navigate the technical, commercial, and ethical challenges of scaling groundbreaking ideas. As a speaker, he shares his experiences with audiences worldwide, addressing lawyers, founders, executives, employees, students, investors, board members, regulators, and compliance experts. He explores themes of truth, courage, and integrity, demonstrating how ethical decision-making can be a competitive advantage.
Theranos promised to revolutionize the healthcare industry, raised nearly $1B in funding, attained a $9B valuation, and assembled a high-powered board of directors of former secretaries of state, secretaries of defense, 4-star generals, and senators. Tyler was 22 years old, fresh out of college, and eager to join a company that was being touted as "the Apple of healthcare." He quickly realized, however, that behind the facade of a charismatic founder, powerful board, high-profile investors, and magazine cover stories, Theranos was built on lies. Tyler recounts his experiences as he navigated complex ethical, regulatory, legal, and personal dilemmas as he exposed one of the biggest corporate frauds since Enron. Tyler’s story offers a compelling perspective on the power of courage and integrity in the face of immense pressure.
2024 Courage at the Crossroads: Ethical Leadership for the 21st Century
Featuring: Cynthia Cooper
Cynthia Cooper is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, thought leader, and advocate. In 2002, Cynthia blew the whistle on fraud at WorldCom. WorldCom, once a Wall Street darling boasting the largest acquisition in history, the fifth most widely held stock, and ranked by the Wall Street Journal as number one for the highest return to shareholders over a ten-year period, became the largest fraud, bankruptcy, and civil settlement in corporate history.
Cynthia Cooper LinkedIn. Retrieved October 2, 2024.