The CU-Boulder College of Business Dean Steven Manaster has appointed five new members to the college's Business Advisory Council, all accomplished executives who will bring invaluable experience to their roles of advising the school's administration.
The advisory council members are Marvin Gill, Richard Knowlton, Paul Larkins, Thomas Lewis and John Lillicrop.
The advisory council is comprised of college alumni and friends who meet with college representatives twice a year to provide advice on recruitment, establishing business partnerships and improving the education of students at all levels in the college.
The council has played a leadership role in some of the college's major advances, including the restructuring of the MBA program, the establishment of the Robert H. and Beverly A. Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, the formation of a marketing plan for the college and the development of an innovative undergraduate curriculum.
"The tremendous amount of business knowledge and experience that the council members contribute is crucial to the overall success of the college," said Steven Manaster, dean of the College of Business. "They integrate their familiarity with CU and outside business perspectives, which provides the ideal combination for great leadership."
The executives of the new advisory council include the following:
Gill sold his successful insurance-services business two decades ago and now manages his investments. He is the president and donor to the Marvin D. Gill Family Foundation, Inc. Gill attended the University of Colorado after serving in the Korean War and graduated in 1960 with an undergraduate degree in finance.
Knowlton is chairman of the board of the Horatio Alger Association and the former CEO and chairman of the board of Hormel Foods Corp. During his 39-year career with Hormel, Knowlton held numerous executive positions including chief executive officer, president and chief operating manager. The college honored him with the Distinguished Business Service Award in 1995. Knowlton holds a bachelor's degree in geography and economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Larkins is president and chief executive officer of Key Equipment Finance. Prior to this position, he was the senior executive vice president of KeyBank U.S.A. and IBM. Larkins earned his bachelor's degree in economics and business from St. Mary's College and is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking.
Lewis is a managing director at Goldman Sachs and a member of its Equities Division's Institutional Client Services group. He joined the company in 1980 and has held several leadership positions including co-head of the Chicago Institutional Department and co-head of the company's U.S. Shares Equities business. He became a managing director in 1996. Lewis received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Colorado and his MBA from the University of Chicago.
Lillicrop is the shareholder representative and former CEO and vice chairman of OECO, LLC, a manufacturer of electro-magnetic devices and power conversion products. Prior to OECO, LLC he served as senior vice president at Black and Co. and president, CEO and director of Springtime, Inc. Lillicrop received his bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado and became a certified public accountant while employed by Coopers and Lybrand. He also holds an Executive MBA from the Claremont Graduate School.