With the breathless pace of change in today's global economy, companies can be successful only if their work forces are both functioning efficiently and adapting quickly to shifting conditions. Managing people is much more complex now than in previous decades, yet employees are also more important than ever to business success.

Many of the foremost thinkers on managing workers in today's constantly changing business climate will share their expertise at "Creating Value through People," a daylong series of discussions organized by Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management. This annual European symposium will be held Saturday, March 20, at the May Fair Inter-Continental Hotel in London.

The program's keynote speaker is Sir John Browne, group chief executive of the newly merged BP Amoco. He will share his personal reflections on managing both before and after the merger and will take questions after his comments. The balance of the day will feature sessions with experts with in-the-trenches experience and the latest research on managing people.

Presenters include:

• Geoff Armstrong, director general of the Institute of Personnel and Development, with more than 20 years' experience in corporate management in motors, engineering and banking, specializing in human resources.
• David Kimbell, chairman of the worldwide practice of the executive recruiting firm Spencer Stuart. Kimbell spent 13 years in the automotive industry with Leyland Motor Corp. both in the United Kingdom and Europe, and he has 20 years of experience in executive recruitment.
• Richard Shafer, the newly appointed dean of corporate relations at the Johnson School. He is a 20-year veteran of human resources management at Deloitte and Touche and a leading scholar on developing agile work forces.
• Robert Frank, author of the widely acclaimed book Luxury Fever: How Money Fails to Satisfy in an Era of Excess. Frank will describe how escalating appetites for high-priced consumer goods is damaging our prospects for happiness.

Come to learn of the latest trends in human resources management in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. For press credentials and a copy of the symposium program, contact Shannon Dortch at the Johnson School at (607) 255-6417; e-mail sd63@cornell.edu.