An accomplished expert in financial investigation and healthcare economics visited the Department of Business & Economics on October 24 and 25 to share his insights with students and faculty. Kurt Spear ’97, Vice President of Financial Investigation and Provider Review at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Highmark Health, captivated audiences with his engaging presentations on data analytics, fraud investigation, and healthcare economics. His attendance at the departmental Lunch & Learn event drew a group of B&E majors eager to learn from his professional experience.
Students in Dr. Jim Morell’s Data Analytics course, Professor Grace Johnson’s Accounting Research senior seminar, and Dr. Greg Delemeester’s Healthcare Economics course gained insight into the business world by hearing about Spear’s extensive business experiences. He tailored conversations in each of these courses to the content and interest of the students. Internship and career advice, international job opportunities, and skillsets for workplace success were some of the topics explored during Spear’s October 25 Lunch & Learn event.
At the conclusion of his two-day visit, Spear expressed his gratitude at being invited to return to the department.
“Thanks so much for the opportunity to come back to MC and share my background and insights with your students,” Spear said. “I truly enjoyed our time together. It was a nice change of pace to be in the classroom and hear from students about how they are approaching their college years and how they are thinking about their future careers. I especially enjoyed the fact that we covered a pretty diverse set of topics. From analytics and economics to more casual conversations about navigating careers it was a rewarding experience for me, and I hope for the students as well.”
Spear spoke to a Business Analytics class, where students like Franko Rome ’27 found his insight incredibly informative.
“I left with two key takeaways: his insights into the importance of data and AI in his industry, and the overview of his career path,” Rome said. “More specifically, the key components that contributed to his success.”
B&E Assistant Professor Dr. Jim Morell said Spear went above and beyond in his preparation and presentation to a variety of student audiences.
“His messaging was clear and appropriate for undergraduate students. I think the one-on-one discussions with students during the Lunch & Learn were most helpful,” Morell said.
One of the observations McCoy Professor of Accounting Grace Johnson had about Spear’s lunchtime conversation focused on the subject of work-related travel.
“Kurt Spear’s Lunch & Learn comments about domestic and international work travel opened students’ minds to the joy – and sometimes drudgery – of business travel,” Johnson said. “It’s not always going to be glamorous and exciting, and perhaps after a while may feel like a burden.”
B&E Chair Rick Smith was thankful for the quantity and quality time Spear spent with students.
“His perspective on the value of the Liberal Arts education came through clearly when talking with the students at lunch when he described his experience of approaching conversations from many angles and not solely a business angle,” Smith said.
In addition to his work experience at Highmark Health, Spear’s career included positions in audit, accounting, and finance-related roles with Deloitte & Touche, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting.
Spear’s visit is just one of the many instances of the Department of Business & Economics’ efforts to introduce its students to successful alumni and facilitate professional relationship-building in and out of the classroom.