The University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business is honored to present Jennifer L. Sherman, BBA ’86, with the 2020 David D. Alger Alumni Achievement Award.
Jennifer L. Sherman is President and Chief Executive Officer of Federal Signal Corporation. She was appointed to the position on December 2, 2015 and assumed leadership of the Company on January 1, 2016. Prior to her promotion to CEO, she served as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary.
Ms. Sherman has worked with the board and executive leadership team to strengthen the Company’s strategic focus and growth, promote margin improvements, and achieve record financial results. Ms. Sherman’s continuing focus on new product development has earned the Company a 2016 Chicago Innovation Award and a 2017 nomination for CEO Innovator of the Year from the Executives’ Club of Chicago.
Ms. Sherman serves on the Board of Franklin Electric Company, Inc. and is the Chair of its Management Organization and Compensation Committee and was the previous Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee.
Ms. Sherman is involved in charities in the Chicago area and serves on the boards of The Community House, a non-profit social services organization that provides for the greater Chicago area (where she previously served as Chair of the Board), and the Center for Disability and Elder Law (CDEL), a Chicago-based non-profit dedicated to helping disadvantaged citizens obtain legal assistance. Ms. Sherman also serves on the Board of Trustees for The Field Museum of Chicago and serves on the Board of Trustees for WTTW/WFMT.
CDEL awarded Ms. Sherman with Outstanding Corporate Counsel awards in 2005 and 2006. In 2013, she was selected as one of the “Women Worth Watching” by the Diversity Journal. Womanetics recognized Ms. Sherman as a Chicago POW! Award Honoree in 2015. In 2018, the Manufacturing Institute named Ms. Sherman a STEP Ahead Award Honoree and the Chicago Chapter of 2020 Women on Boards honored her with a CEO Ambassador Award.
Ms. Sherman earned both her business degree in finance and a law degree from the University of Michigan. She is also a Fellow of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University’s CEO Perspectives.
About the Award
Established in 1989, this award recognizes an alumnus or alumna of the business school whose attainments in their professional field have brought distinction to themselves, credit to the school, and benefit to their fellow citizens.
The Alumni Achievement Award has been named in honor of David D. Alger, MBA 1968, and 2001 recipient of this award. David was a dynamic, involved, passionate member of the Michigan Business School community and a member of the School’s Visiting Committee. David perished in the events of Sept. 11, 2001.