Corruption and underhanded dealings are things Lynn Brewer knows all too well. As a former Enron executive, Brewer witnessed numerous illegal activities and eventually blew the whistle on the company. Because of her experiences and ethical decisions, Brewer was chosen as this year's Mission Week keynote speaker. She will speak about her career at Enron and the promotion of ethical decision-making Thursday at 4 p.m. in the Varsity Theatre.

"Enron is one of the biggest ethical dilemmas of the past 20 years," said Stephanie Russell, executive director of the Office of Mission & Identity. "It's helpful for us to examine and discuss it since it's a more dramatic example."

Brewer was chosen because of how her message can relate to students and faculty.

"We wanted to focus on domestic issues," said Mary Ferwerda, assistant director of the Manresa Project. "This opportunity allows us to look at an American scandal from a variety of perspectives. Enron is an issue in the current student population's memories."

Additionally, Brewer's talk reflects the Mission Week theme of "Challenged to Choose, Courage to Act" and can easily be applied to everyday life, according to Russell.

"It's important for everyone to notice the decisions that present themselves in our daily lives," she said. "We often rush through the day to day without noticing all the small decisions we make. This allows us to take notice of the smaller choices that reflect who we are as ethical people and people of faith."

Individuals are constantly confronted with ethical decisions regarding their careers and lives. Making good decisions in those instances is far more important than obeying rules and regulations, according to Thomas Bausch, professor of management.

Brewer will "talk about what it was like to be so excited to work at a company ranked so highly and then to be faced with the disillusionment of what was really happening," Ferwerda said. "She will speak of her own decision making process, of deciding whether to continue to be a part of what she knew was an impropriety or to do something different."

Students who attend "can be motivated by her, her personality, what she has done and why she did it," Bausch said. "We can recognize these things happen at times and apply it in our own careers. We can all learn from her to be more alert and to act quicker."

Professors who attend can also learn from Brewer and take their new knowledge to students.

"Faculty members will gain one more perspective and background to use and apply in the classroom," Bausch said. "It will give the principles of business and ethics more of a concrete context."

"It will create recognition of how we as staff are encouraged to help educate students on decision making," Ferwerda said. "We don't want them to forget what they learned at Marquette, but to remember the values Marquette stands for."

After hearing Brewer speak, students can attend a reception in the Alumni Memorial Union Ballrooms to take the message further.

"It's an opportunity to meet her, to ask any follow-up questions and to engage in conversations with others that attend the talk," Russell said.

Tickets for the talk are free and available at the Brooks Lounge. There is a two ticket limit per MUID. Doors open at 3 p.m.