photo by: The Associated Press

Carly Fiorina speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017, in Oxon Hill, Md.

A former business leader and recent Republican presidential candidate will deliver the University of Kansas’ prestigious Dole Lecture later this month.

Carly Fiorina, who was a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, will speak 4 p.m. April 14 at the Dole Institute, 2350 Petefish Drive. The event is free and open to the public. Fiorina is expected to speak about lessons in leadership that she learned during her career running for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Fiorina’s appearance for the lecture series will take place a few days after 2012 presidential candidate Herman Cain speaks at the university’s School of Business on April 10.

After Fiorina dropped out of the running in 2016, she joined U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign as his running mate, but Cruz suspended his campaign about a week after the announcement. The Cruz/Fiorina campaign was one of the last to drop out of the Republican primary before Donald Trump won the nomination.

Prior to running for president, Fiorina served as the chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard, becoming the first woman to run a Fortune 50 company. She served in the role from 1999 to 2005. She also previously served in leadership positions at AT&T and Lucent Technologies.

In the nonprofit sector, Fiorina served as the chair of Good360, a charitable organization that encourages businesses to donate unused merchandise to help with disaster relief. She also founded Unlocking Potential, a leadership coaching organization, and other nonprofit organizations.

Fiorina is the author of three books. Her lecture will draw from her most recent book, “Find Your Way: Unleash Your Power and Highest Potential,” according to KU.

The Dole Lecture, held each spring, is meant to commemorate April 14, 1945, when former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, a KU alumnus, was critically wounded while serving in Italy during World War II.

Previous Dole Lecture speakers include Dole and his wife, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole; former President Bill Clinton; news anchor Tom Brokaw; and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bob Woodward, among others.