Bert F. Wertman Alumni Service Award

Established in 1989, this award recognizes an alumnus or alumna of the business school for outstanding service to the school and/or to the university. The award was established in honor of Bert F. Wertman, who served for more than 60 years as president of the Class of 1928. Through his leadership and caring, the class remained a cohesive and vital group and held a record number of continuous reunions.

2025 Winner

Karn Chopra, BBA ‘01

Partner  |  Centerview Partners

"Karn Chopra: Bert F Wertman Alumni Service Award, Michigan Ross 2025 Alumni Awards" over blue backdrop and photo of Karn

Karn Chopra

Karn Chopra has 25 years of experience advising and executing restructuring, liability management, financing and M&A transactions across a wide range of industries.

Company-Side Experience: Alkegen, American Commercial Lines, Castleton Resources, Chicago Bridge & Iron (CB&I), Confluence, CTI Foods, Danimer, Dhanani Group, ERA Group, Exactech, Eyecare Partners, FORMA Brands, GE Capital, Gopher Resources, JOANN Stores, JUUL, Li-Cycle, MagnaChip Semiconductor, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation/Foxwoods, McDermott International, Methanex Corp., Neovia Logistics, Northland Cranberries, Permian Holdings, PHH Corporation, Prime Clerk, Rayonier Advanced Materials, Residential Capital (ResCap), Sears Corp., Simmons Bedding, Springs Window Fashion, St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers, Superior Industries, Syncora Holding, The Palisades Center, THQ, Trinseo, Tronair, Ultra Petroleum, Ventas and Vonage.

Creditor-Side Experience: AccentCare, Anthology, Atlas Resource Partners, Avaya, Brazos, Cobalt International Energy, Covia Holdings, Cubic, Diamond Sports Group, Ditech, DS Waters of America, EagleView Technologies, EchoStar Corp, Endeavour International, Energy & Exploration Partners, Exela Technologies, Garrett Motion, GTT Communications, Intelsat, IPC, Kerzner Resorts, Learfield, Magenta Buyer, Magnum Hunter, McDermott International, McGraw Hill, Midstates Petroleum, National CinMedia, Pluralsight, PG&E, Rackspace, Radiology Partners, Revlon, Riverbed, SandRidge Energy, Serta Simmons Bedding, Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village., Tosca Services, Transworld Systems, Vanguard Natural Resources, Walter Investment and Zohar Funds.

Mr. Chopra joined Centerview Partners in 2011 to help establish its debt advisory and restructuring practice. Mr. Chopra was formerly a Vice President at Miller Buckfire & Co., and before that was a Vice President at AlixPartners LLC.

Mr. Chopra is an active board member of two charitable organizations, Friends of the Children New York and Her Justice. He also developed and teaches a Corporate Restructuring class to BBA students at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

Mr. Chopra has an M.B.A. with distinction from the Kellogg School of Management, a B.B.A. with distinction from the University of Michigan and is a CFA charterholder. He lives in Westchester with his wife and three children.

Previous Recipients

2024 Tamika Curry Smith

2023 No Award Given

2022 No Award Given

2021 Edward T. Hightower, MBA 1995

2020 Chris Adelsbach, BBA 1995

2019 Mark Petroff, MBA 1998​

2018 Cathy Bessant, BBA 1982​

2017 Robert Neary, BBA 1955

2016 David Carson, BBA 1955

2015 David Parent MBA 1995

2014 Michael & Nancy McLelland MBA 1979, BS 1975 & MBA 1979

2013 Jeffrey Gelfand BBA 1988

2012 Yehuda Cohen MBA 1983 

2011 Ralph Johnson MBA 1992

2010 Elizabeth D. Black MBA 1987

2009 Philippe Prufer MBA 1988

2008 John C. Morley MBA 1958

2007 Daniel Hennessy MBA 1981

2006 William Hall MBA 1967, PhD 1969

2005 Tom Jones BBA 1968, MBA 1971

2004 Cecil Shepherd MBA 2000

2003 Roslyn Braeman Payne BBA 1968

2002 Michael R. Hallman BBA 1966, MBA 1967

2001 Thomas Porter MBA 1967

2001 Mary Campbell MBA 1979

2000 Richard H. Rogel BBA 1970

1999 Eva Chang MBA 1993

1998 Bonnie R. Proctor AB 1970, MBA 1974

1997 Bruce L. Cook BBA 1950, MBA 1951

1996 John F. McCarthy ABED 1949, MBA 1951

1995 Frank T. Westover BBA 1961, MBA 1962

1994 No Award Given

1993 Sharon Reed Walker BBA 1974, MBA 1981

1992 William T. Dobson AB 1942, MBA 1948

1991 Gary T. Walther BSE 1960, MBA 1963

1990 Wilbur K. Pierpont MBA 1938, PhD 1942

1989 John R. Edman BBA 1950, MBA 1951

exterior of Ross building at sunset
Never miss an alumni update, networking opportunity, or event.
Never miss an alumni update, networking opportunity, or event.

Update Your Profile

Keeping your profile updated allows us to inform you of events in your area and enables other Ross alums to connect with you.