As Wisconsin celebrates the Milwaukee Brewers’ World Series championship, Concordia University Wisconsin will welcome a leader next year who helped reshape how baseball teams find talent and build winners.
Billy Beane, whose innovative use of analytics helped the Oakland Athletics reach the playoffs in four consecutive seasons from 2000 to 2003 despite one of baseball’s smallest payrolls, will headline CUW’s Ignite & Inspire Conference on May 12, 2027, on its Mequon campus.
Hosted by the Batterman School of Business, the conference will explore the theme, “Imagine More: Leading with Creativity, Purpose, and Vision.”
As general manager of the Oakland Athletics from 1997 to 2015, Beane challenged conventional approaches to evaluating baseball talent. By using data to identify undervalued players, including those whose ability to get on base was overlooked, he helped build winning teams on a limited budget. His approach became the subject of Michael Lewis’s book Moneyball and the subsequent 2011 film starring Brad Pitt.
The analytical movement Beane helped popularize continues to shape baseball, including in Milwaukee. Teams such as the Brewers combine advanced data with scouting and player development to uncover overlooked talent, improve performance, and compete against clubs with greater financial resources.
Those lessons extend beyond baseball. Beane’s experience illustrates how questioning assumptions, recognizing overlooked value, and using data to guide decisions can help organizations make the most of their resources.
Ignite & Inspire will feature other keynote presentations and workshops. Additional speaker and workshop information will be announced as details are finalized.
Early bird registration is $80. Tickets are available here.
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Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world.