MSU Means Business

400 Monroe Avenue Northwest,Grand Rapids MI 49503

01 November, 2022

Description

Join the West Michigan Spartans and the Michigan State University Broad College of Business for the 28th Annual MSU Means Business event on Tuesday, November 1st at Michigan State's Grand Rapids Research Center Downtown Grand Rapids. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive presentation from the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and hear from students in the program who are cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset. Interim Dean Judith M. Whipple will also be in attendance to meet alumni and share an update on the academic year. The presentation will be followed by a cocktail hour in the 7th floor lounge and rooftop deck of the adjacent Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building. The event on September 1 will begin at 5:30. Tickets are $10. Parking will be available for event attendees on-site, free of charge. The West Michigan Spartans honor a Businessperson annually for his or her contributions to Michigan State University, the West Michigan Spartans and our local communities. Previous award winners include Peter Secchia, Mike VanGessel, Blake Krueger, Steve Heacock, Mary Helen & Craig Crooks and Jim Williams, among others. The 2022 West Michigan Spartans Businessperson of the Year is Greg Williams, President and CEO of Acrisure. Greg Williams is the Chairman & CEO of Acrisure, which he co-founded in 2005. With a compounded annual growth rate of 63% since 2013, the Company is approaching $4 billion in revenue and has averaged more than 100 M&A transactions per year since 2017. Already the 6th largest insurance broker in the world, and largest independent Real Estate Services Company in America, Acrisure is now a global Fintech company with a broad product and service offering. Greg has extended Acrisure’s success into distinct social impact. In 2020, Acrisure pledged $15 million to establish the Center for Innovation in Children’s Health at the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, home to Acrisure’s global headquarters. And, more recently, Greg spearheaded the creation of Evolution Advisors, a joint venture between Acrisure, NFL Quarterback and Super Bowl Champion Russell Wilson and his wife, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, Ciara and NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook. This joint venture is focused on the insurance and financial service needs of minorities and diverse communities. Prior to founding Acrisure, Greg was an investor and Board Advisor to a variety of companies and was a Vice President for Michigan National Corporation (MNC), a $19 billion bank holding company. As a senior executive at MNC, Greg managed the Commercial Sales and Services Group, was a member of the Corporate Marketing Committee and chaired the Corporate Operations Committee.