WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.— Gary Y. Kusumi, president and chief executive officer of GMAC Insurance, personal lines division, will deliver a Babcock Leadership Series lecture at 2 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 16, in Room 1312 at Worrell Professional Center on the Wake Forest University campus in Winston-Salem. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Kusumi, who has been in the insurance industry since 1981, is a graduate of the General Motors Institute and earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. Prior to joining GMAC, he served as chief executive officer for Windsor Insurance Co. and president of Leader National Insurance Co., both subsidiaries of the American Financial Group.

GMAC Insurance's personal lines division has more than 2,500 employees and home offices in Atlanta, St. Louis and Winston-Salem. As the 22nd largest U.S. auto insurer active in 48 states, its primary focus is on automobile, recreational vehicle and homeowner insurance.

The Babcock Leadership Series, which is organized by Wake Forest MBA students, focuses on current issues affecting business. Kusumi is the first lecturer of the 2004-05 academic year. Other scheduled BLS speakers include:

• Warren Stephens, chairman, president and CEO, Stephens Inc., at 2 p.m., Oct. 19
• Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, president and CEO, Pace Communications, at 2 p.m., Nov. 16
• David Farr, CEO, Emerson, at 2 p.m., Jan. 19
• Jeffrey Hollender, CEO, Seventh Generation, at 2 p.m., Jan. 31
• Outsourcing Panel Discussion at 10 a.m., March 17

The Outsourcing Panel Discussion will include panelists Justin Catanoso, executive editor of the Business Journal of the Triad; Jean Davis, senior executive vice president and head of information technology, ecommerce and operations at Wachovia Corp.; N.C. State Sen. Eric Miller Reeves; and Richard Sneider, director of InterUnity Group.

Dates for additional speakers will be announced later and will be added to the Babcock Leadership Series web page.