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Ranked #4 by U.S. News & World Report, the Michigan Ross BBA Program is one of the best undergraduate business program in the world. Explore what makes our inclusive community of learners so unique.
At Michigan Ross, you gain more than just a first-class business education. Our collaborative, supportive, inclusive community enriches your experience, and sets you up with a lifetime network of friends across the globe.
The work of Michigan Ross faculty influences the world’s largest companies and global economies. Every day we’re creating real-world solutions for the most pressing challenges in our world.
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Discover more about the history, people, milestones, and contributions that have shaped Michigan Ross.
Thomas Kelly, MBA '93, serves as CEO and Executive Director of Automation Alley, the team-oriented organization since 2016 which is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2019. As technology continues to change the way we live and work, our organization has responded strategically and aggressively; our crowning achievement is Automation Alley’s reinvention from a highly effective networking business accelerator into Michigan's Industry 4.0 Knowledge Center. At the same time, we have expanded our long-popular trade missions, with 2018 marking $1 billion in export sales for Michigan companies as a result of trade mission and export activities. Est. 11.2019
John Ivascu, BBA ‘99, was appointed as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Forum Energy Technologies. He has served as the company’s Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Secretary since February 2018. Prior to that, he served as Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary from August 2015 to February 2018, and Assistant General Counsel from June 2011 to August 2015. From 2006 to June 2011, John practiced corporate law at Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., representing public and private companies and investment banking firms in capital markets offerings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and bankruptcy matters.
Richard (Dick) Kempthorn, BBA ‘51, died at the age of 92 on Friday, Feb. 8, 2019. At the University of Michigan he was on the 1947 and 1948 National Championship football teams and an All American. His fame on the football field led him to be nicknamed "Killer Kempthorn." Dick followed his father, James O. Kempthorn, as the President of Kempthorn Motors. He was a former trustee of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and also served on the Akron Canton Regional Airport board of Directors.
The Michigan Ross Community keeps Mr. Kempthorn and his family and friends in our thoughts.
Joshua Bernard, BBA ‘15, joined Southfield-based Bernard Financial Group as a member of the senior management team. Bernard Financial says it closed $1.274 billion in commercial real estate mortgages in 2018, with $750 million-plus of that in the city. Most recently, Bernard worked as an associate with New York City-based TPG Capital in the company's national real estate lending group.
Vivek Sankaran, MBA ‘93, will become CEO of Frito-Lay North America starting in March after the retirement of current PepsiCo CEO Albert Carey. Prior to the CEO role, Vivek was serving as the President and Chief Operating Officer of the company, responsible for PepsiCo’s $15 billion snack and convenient foods business.
Bryant Ison, MBA '00; has been named Chief Marketing Officer for NY based Columbia Care - one of the largest multi-state operators of Medical Cannabis in the US. Medical Cannabis is one of the fastest growing new industries in the past decades and building new brands and the industry is part of Bryant’s remit. [EST 07.2023]