Overview: Bob Perna ’85 Bus serves as the senior vice president, general counsel, and secretary at Knowles Corporation in Itasca, Illinois. Bob joined Following the Gong to share his experiences as an early University Scholar at both Penn State Shenango and University Park. Bob provided insights on success in law school as a business student and the work of in-house attorneys in a business setting. He also shared perspectives on working for a primarily business to business, or b2b, company as a major supplier for household name products. This episode will be helpful for any Scholar, and particularly those starting at a smaller Commonwealth Campus, majoring in business disciplines, and those looking into legal or business careers, particularly in supply focused or leadership roles. Bob’s full bio and a detailed breakdown of the topics discussed are available in the show notes below. Guest Bio: Robert (Bob) Perna ’85 Bus is senior vice president, general counsel, and secretary at Knowles Corporation in Itasca, Illinois, where he manages the company’s global legal affairs, as well as all corporate governance and compliance functions at Knowles. He advises and counsels the Board of Directors and the leadership team on a broad range of legal, business, governance, compliance, policy and strategic matters, including key operational initiatives, risk assessment and mitigation, major transactions, litigation and corporate citizenship. Before joining Knowles, Bob served as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary at Rockwell Collins from 2014 to 2018, where he oversaw global legal support, import/export compliance, and the office of ethics and business conduct for the $8 billion aerospace and defense company. As a member of the senior leadership team, he also provided counsel to the Board of Directors on securities law, corporate governance and other legal matters. Previously, Bob was vice president, general counsel and secretary at A.M. Castle & Co., a specialty metals and plastics distributor and value-added processor. He also held various in-house counsel positions of increasing responsibility at CNH Global, Navistar International and GE Capital Rail Services. Bob started his law practice as an associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson in Washington, D.C., providing legal advice to private and publicly held corporations and financial institutions. A Pennsylvania native, Bob earned his bachelor of science in finance with High Distinction and with Honors from Penn State’s Smeal College of Business and his JD degree with High Honors from George Washington University. Episode Topics: Choosing to start the Penn State experience close to home at Penn State Shenango The value of the honors thesis for a career in law no matter the topic Deciding on a career in law as a business student Adjusting to a major metro area coming from small town PA Strategies for succeeding in law school including study habits and preprofessional opportunities Law firm work vs. in-house work How chief legal officers fit into the c-suite and business decisions and business ethics The importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace and world of business Working for a major B2B – business to business – company Living in the Chicago area General tips for career success in law, business, and any other discipline or industry ----- Schreyer Honors College Links:  Website  Instagram