Potential presidential candidate to headline event in Charleston

By Ashley Heffernan
From:  Charleston Regional Business Journal

The former CEO of Hewlett-Packard will deliver the opening keynote address for a national conference in Charleston later this month.

Carly Fiorina — who led HP for six years and told Fox News that her chances of running for president in 2016 are “higher than 90%” — will open the State Financial Officers Foundation’s national conference April 13, according to a news release from the S.C. treasurer’s office. 

Carly Fiorina, former head of Hewlett-Packard, will open the State Financial Officers Foundation's national conference on April 13. (Photo/Christopher Halloran/Shutterstock.com)

The two-day conference, to be held at the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton in downtown Charleston, will also feature former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.

 “There is no better person to kick off our spring meeting than Carly Fiorina,” Derek Kreifels, president of the State Financial Officers Foundation, said in a statement. “To go from a secretary to the first female chief executive officer to lead a Fortune 20 company is an amazing accomplishment.”

S.C. State Treasurer Curtis Loftis said other treasurers and leaders from around the country will attend the conference.

“Charleston is not only rich in history and culture, but also financial and economic opportunities,” Loftis said in a statement. “This conference brings state financial officers together with members of the corporate community to discuss some of the nation’s most critical financial issues.”

Previous meeting topics included pension reform, municipal bankruptcies, 529 college savings programs, unclaimed property, financial literacy, banking and finance regulatory reform and retirement savings issues, the news release said.

Reach staff writer Ashley Heffernan at 843-849-3144 or @AshleyBHeff on Twitter.