The University of West Alabama College of Business will host a retired Nestle executive next week as a guest speaker.

Colin Taylor worked for three decades in more than 50 countries. He will be the featured speaker in the UWA College of Business Executive Speaker Series on Oct. 2 at 5:30 p.m. in Wallace Hall room 210.

The event will include refreshments before and after in 213 Wallace Hall and will be free and open to the public.

Taylor will also speak to several business classes and tour local business and industry throughout the week of October 1–5.

“Colin’s presentations are lively and entertaining, full of real-world examples from his 30 years of experience,” said Dr. Ken Tucker, dean of the UWA College of Business. “We are absolutely delighted to bring to UWA and the West Alabama region someone of his international stature. His outstanding reputation and global business experience make him the ideal candidate to kick off the College of Business Executive Speaker Series.”

One of Taylor’s presentations inspired two UWA professors to invite him to campus. Dr. Janie Gregg, associate professor of management, and Dr. Mitzi Green, department chair of accounting, finance and economics, heard Taylor speak at a conference a few years ago.

“We were very impressed,” said Gregg. “He’s an extraordinary speaker, and an ideal choice for the College of Business’ first speaker’s forum.”

Born in England, Taylor joined Nestle in London in 1982. In 1992, he transferred to the company’s headquarters, in Switzerland, where he was in charge of European strategy.

Four years later, he moved to Poland, where he was marketing manager for Winiary, a Nestle subsidiary and the largest culinary business in Eastern Europe.

In 1999, Taylor moved to South Africa, where he was regional coordinator for culinary products, cultivating markets in South Africa, Mauritius, Uganda, Tanzania and Ghana.

Seven years later he moved westward, working as business executive manager for cocoa beverages in central and West Africa.

Today, Taylor lives in Dubai, where he runs a consulting firm specializing in developing markets.

For more information about Colin Taylor’s presentations or the College of Business Executive Speaker Series, visit www.uwa.edu/cob, e-mail ktucker@uwa.edu or call (205) 652-3471.