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Five Alumni Honored by Wisconsin School of Business

November 10, 2008 

Five individuals have been honored by the Wisconsin School of Business with Distinguished Business Alumnus Awards. Presented annually, the Distinguished Business Alumnus Award is the highest honor given by the school, recognizing alumni whose efforts and achievements have made extraordinary contributions towards the advancement of business, community and the school.  

Recipients include graduates of the school who not only achieve outstanding success in their career, but also have given back in meaningful ways to the community. In the school's more than 100-year history, only 71 individuals have been honored with this award.

The 2008 recipients are:

Thomas Falk (BBA’80) Falk is the current chairman and CEO of Kimberly-Clark based in Dallas, Texas. Falk currently serves on the board of directors of Centex Corporation, Grocery Manufacturers of America, Inc. and the University of Wisconsin Foundation, and is a governor of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Previously, he served on the Dean’s Advisory Board at the Wisconsin School of Business and was named a Distinguished Accounting Alumnus in 2002.

Jon Hammes (MS ’74) Hammes is the chairman and CEO of Hammes Company in Brookfield, Wis. Last November, he and his wife, Ann Hammes, were among 13 alumni responsible for an unprecedented $85 million gift to the Wisconsin School of Business, which will preserve the Wisconsin name for at least 20 years. In addition, he has served on the Dean’s Advisory Board at the Wisconsin School of Business and is a past recipient of the Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Julie Richardson (BBA ‘85) Richardson is the managing director at global private equity firm Providence Equity Partners, Inc. In her role as managing director, she oversees a New York-based team seeking global investment opportunities, and manages several accounts, including Open Solutions, SunGard Data Systems and USIS.  Richardson has previously served on the Dean's Advisory Board of the Wisconsin School of Business, and has been instrumental in placing UW-Madison students in finance positions.

Gerald “Jerry” Stephens (BBA ‘55) Stephens is the founder, past-president and CEO, and current chairman of the board of RLI Corp., a NYSE holding company based in Peoria, Ill. Stephens has served on the Dean’s Advisory Board at the Wisconsin School of Business, and teaches in the school’s executive education program on insurance. In 2003, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Risk Management and Insurance program, where he endowed a faculty chair and program fund.

Keith Weikel (Ph.D. ‘66, MS ‘62) Weikel is the retired senior executive vice president and COO of HCR Manorcare, and currently director emeritus of Manor Care, Inc. In 2007, he and his wife Barbara became the sponsors of the Wisconsin MBA Executive Leadership Speaker Series, now named the M. Keith Weikel Executive Leadership Speaker Series, which provides opportunities for students to interact with and learn from successful business leaders in a variety of fields. He also chairs the Development Committee of the Dean’s Advisory Board of the Wisconsin School of Business.

The awards were presented in October during a Homecoming Gala reception at the school’s Grainger Hall.