The Milgard School of Business Executive in Residence Program is comprised of respected industry professionals and reflective practitioners who have expertise in their respective fields. It was created to provide students and faculty the opportunity to benefit from the expertise of these professionals, to strengthen the relationship between the Milgard School of Business and local and global businesses, and to help transition students into the business community.
Investing in tacoma's future leaders
Executives in Residence will:
- Share knowledge and provide industry, functional and leadership expertise.
- Engage with faculty by consulting and collaborating on research and other projects
- Engage with students and contribute to their students’ personal and professional development
- Engage with Community by assisting with referrals for executive education programming and sharing School initiatives.
The Milgard School of Business recognizes Executive in Residence by providing:
- Introduction to internal stakeholders with identified areas of engagement
- Access to University resources
- UW email
- Shared office space
Tom Everill
Until his retirement in 2016, Tom Everill served as President and CEO of Northwest Center, one of the largest and most successful social enterprise nonprofits in the region. During his tenure Northwest Center turned itself around financially, developed a collaborative culture aligned with its values, and established itself as an innovator and thought leader in the national disability rights community.
Before that Tom worked through a 27 year progression of accounting and finance roles in the global logistics industry at Airborne Express where he designed and managed cross-currency financial settlement systems, launched a highly
successful profit improvement program, led offshore merger and acquisition projects, and served as integration officer when Deutsche Post acquired Airborne under the DHL umbrella.
His 40 years of experience leading turnaround efforts and ambitious change projects in both sectors has given Tom a profound fascination with organizational transformation, complexity and uncertainty, group dynamics and conflict, the critical importance of culture, and the paradoxical power of leadership that evokes rather than directs. His experience at Northwest Center has also convinced him that business can be a potent instrument of social good.
He teaches the MBA capstone course in systems thinking and complexity at Milgard.
EDUCATION
- BA in History (with distinction), University of Arizona
- MS in Management, Antioch University Seattle
Benjamin Hill
Benjamin is strategic marketing executive with more than 30 years’ experience with Fortune 500 corporations. His expertise spans healthcare and technology industries, strategy, marketing, communications, and digital marketing with firms IBM, Ernst & Young, SapientNitro and Motorola.
Benjamin is currently Division Chair of Integrated Marketing and Demand Generation for Mayo Clinic. In this role, his teams are responsible for delivering marketing strategies and execution across audiences and channels Benjamin is
currently Division Chair of Integrated Marketing and Demand Generation for Mayo Clinic. In this role, his teams are responsible for delivering marketing strategies and execution across audiences and channels (e.g., B2C, B2B, B2E, B2D) in support of clinical practice, education and research priorities and facilitating expansion of clinical practice, education, and research impact.
Prior to Mayo Clinic, Benjamin was most recently Chief Marketing Officer and VP of Marketing for MultiCare Health System, a not-for-profit health care organization with more than 18,000 team members, ten hospitals and over 200 locations. In that capacity he was responsible for branding, marketing, communications, customer experience and media relations.
Previously, he served as Director of Regional Marketing for Northwestern Medicine, a seven-hospital academic medical system with over 4,000 physicians, Benjamin led the development of the Northwestern Medicine brand and marketing growth for multiple clinical service lines and hospital marketing. Benjamin helped the hospital achieve National Honor Roll status for the first time on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospital ranking in 2012 and subsequently in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Prior to joining Northwestern Medicine, Benjamin founded BW Hill & Associates, a strategic and digital marketing consultancy. BW Hill & Associates focused on helping Chief Marketing Officers “get more from their marketing” efforts and investments.
Prior to founding BW Hill & Associates, Benjamin led Motorola’s global interactive and relationship marketing function. Reporting to the CMO, he had responsibility for online marketing and promotions, global CRM, direct marketing, partner extranets, and the development, promotion, and operations of global websites. He led the online marketing effort for the world-renowned Motorola RAZR phone and his teams received numerous creative awards and media recognition including Cannes, FWA and NYF International Advertising Awards – Grand, Webby Honoree.
Benjamin is a member of the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development, the Direct Marketing Association (DCMP), the American Marketing Association (PCM) and the Public Relations Society of America. He was an advisory board member the Harold Washington College in Chicago. Benjamin was an adjunct professor for the City Colleges of Chicago and the University of Washington Tacoma Milgard School of Business. Benjamin is the former Board President for Ladies of Virtue, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of young women in underserved communities. He is a current board member for Food Lifeline, a non-profit organization that supplies food to over 300 different food banks, shelters, and meal programs across Western Washington.
Benjamin obtained his Master of Business Management degree from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, where he concentrated in Marketing, Strategy and Finance, his Master of Science in Business Analytics from the Milgard School of Business at the University of Washington Tacoma and his Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Troy Rucker
Troy spent 22 years in institutional asset management at Russell Investments, ultimately serving five years as the Managing Director, President & CEO of Russell Investments Implementation Services.
Troy had full accountability and responsibility for the global growth, daily product delivery, risk management and associate management of the business, which consisted of over 100 associates across Russell’s key offices in North America, the UK, Japan, and Australia. The services included exposure management (derivatives and currency overlay), specialty asset management (transition management, interim portfolio management), and execution management (global trading, commission management). He was recognized for unique skill at combining deep and diverse technical
knowledge with an outstanding ability to communicate how the product or service could provide value to a client.
During his tenure at Russell Investments, Troy was one of the chief architects and leaders of Russell’s global Implementation Services business. He held numerous roles focused on business growth and daily operations – advancing from Technical Analyst to Portfolio Transition Manager, then into senior leadership roles as Chief Operating Officer, then Managing Director.
Currently, Troy is co-owner of Performance Footwear and Outdoor Gear. It is a customer service focused retail store specializing in premium brand recreational footwear, apparel and gear. Troy enjoys leveraging his skillset in business growth and development and operational efficiency to help lead this thriving business.
Troy is also an investor and advisor for a startup ‘Insights as a Service’, data, and analytics company. The business supports Institutional Asset Managers and Asset Owners, with a mission to empower clients to make better-informed decisions about their ‘Culture, Controls, and Business Model.’ The platform enables clients to benchmark their organization against competitors, allowing them to make data-driven decisions to reduce risk and optimize their business.
Kirk Mandlin
Kirk's service at the Milgard School of Business surrounds financial literacy. In addition to instructing classes, Kirk advises the Finance Club and works with the educational team to develop, present, and fund programs of the Milgard Business School and the Financial Wellness Lab.
Kirk has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. Since 2017, Kirk has distinguished himself as a financial advisor for Edward Jones. Dedicated to service on behalf of others in his professional and personal life, he has earned distinction as a client-oriented advisor, specializing in wealth management, estate planning, and retirement planning. He also provides coaching and guidance to fellow financial advisors as a way to give back to his company and his professional community.
Kirk earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree, with an emphasis on finance, from Western Washington University. He has also attained a Master of Management degree from Chancellor University. He is certified as an investment management analyst (CIMA®) and is a chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC™). He has worked for the biggest names in the financial advisement industry including serving as an Executive Director for both Morgan Stanley and UBS. In 2008, he became a Managing Director for Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and there was named as a Premier Manager in recognition of his work. In addition, he was named among the Top Ten Branch Managers in the United States by On Wall Street Magazine in 2012, 2013, and 2014. In 2017, he joined Edward Jones as a financial advisor in his hometown, Olympia, WA.
Once I understand exactly what they wish to achieve, I then create strategies to achieve those goals. We then meet where I explain the long-term diversified strategy in language and terms that can be easily understood. Once this process is completed, I help them to grow, manage, protect, and transfer their wealth in the most effective manner.
In addition to his serving as a financial advisor, Kirk is an instructor for a course entitled "Maximizing Your Retirement" at South Puget Sound Community College. He also serves as a board member for New Beginnings Church, which is based in Oklahoma City, and was previously the president of the Beaverton Aloha League, a local little league, and the Valley Christian Junior High School Parent Teacher Prayer Fellowship in San Jose, CA. While the President of the little league, Kirk spearheaded the building of an indoor practice facility that has served thousands of youth players in the Beaverton, OR area. The story of this facility buildout was filmed and distributed throughout Wells Fargo's 280,000 employee intranet, and this short film won a bronze Telly Award for outstanding corporate communication.
His service at the Milgard School of Business surrounds financial literacy. In addition to instructing classes, Kirk advises the Finance Club and works with the educational team to develop, present, and fund programs of the Milgard Financial Wellness Lab.
Bob Whitsitt
Bob Whitsitt is the former President and General Manager of the Portland Trailblazers and the Seattle Supersonics as well as the President of the Seattle Seahawks. During his seventeen year tenure as a NBA General Manager, Whitsitt’s teams made the playoffs 16 times, including four trips to the Final Four.
As President and General Manager of the Seattle Supersonics from 1986-1994, Whitsitt converted a non-playoff team with the lowest attendance in the NBA into a championship caliber team. Whitsitt’s last season in Seattle earned him the NBA Executive of the Year award as the Sonics had the best record (63-19) in the NBA.
During Whitsitt’s tenure in Portland, the Blazers made the playoffs every year and were one of the top 5 NBA teams in sponsorship and ticket revenue
As President of the Seattle Seahawks from 1997 to 2005, Whitsitt negotiated the acquisition of the team for Paul Allen and led a successful statewide referendum that secured $300 million in public funding for the Seahawks’ new football and soccer stadium. Bob built a team that made its first three playoff appearances in nearly a decade, won two division championships and played in Superbowl XL.
Whitsitt also served as president of a wide range of companies in Portland including Rose City Radio, Oregon Arena Corporation, Red Lion Hotel, Action Sports Media, Portland Fire (WNBA).
Whitsitt recently completed a two-year consulting agreement as Chief Sports Advisor to the company building Climate Pledge Arena and launching the NHL’s Seattle Kraken expansion franchise. In addition to his consulting, Bob graduated Magna Cum Laude from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in 2021.
Richard Wilkinson
Richard Wilkinson, Milgard’s recently appointed Executive in Residence, has held HR/OD leadership roles in three industries: municipal government, global health, and higher education. He has masters degrees from USC in public administration and from Antioch University Seattle’s Organization Systems Renewal program.
Creating healthier workplaces has been a consuming interest of Richard’s since his undergraduate days, with a particular interest in the pivotal role skilled managers play in creating positive, productive workplaces.
Retiring in 2019 from his position as Associate Vice Chancellor for HR and organization development at UWT, he has since served as adjunct faculty in both the MBA and MCL programs and in the MBA program in Portland State University. He is a skilled facilitator, enthusiastic educator, and evangelist for better management.
Richard currently serves on Milgard’s MBA Refresh Task Force. Earlier played a key role in helping create the current strategic plan for the School, including updating the School’s mission.
In 2018 Richard received the Lisbeth Claus Trailblazer Award from the HR Roundtable/Global HR Consortium, a regional forum of HR leaders. He was also a featured practitioner in the 25th anniversary edition of Marvin Weisbord's notable book on the history and practice of organization development, Productive Workplaces.
Sandeep Verma
Executive in Residence, University of Washington Tacoma
Sandeep has more than 40 years of international auditing and accounting experience, including 20 years at Deloitte. Before retiring from Deloitte, he served as their Global Risk Advisory leader in Mining and Metals sector working with Fortune 200 companies. At Deloitte, his responsibilities included providing oversight to global outsourced internal audit functions, communications with senior management and Board of Director’s Audit Committees, coordination with external audit leadership and providing overall direction and advice to the global project teams.
He specialized in Business Controls, Process Re-engineering, Financial, Operational, and Compliance Audits, Forensic Investigations, Anti-fraud Programs and Controls, Fraud Risk Assessments, Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance, Internal Audit Risk Assessments and Internal Audit Management.
While at Deloitte, Sandeep has also provided specialized internal audit services to clients in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, financial services, telecommunications and real estate. Prior to joining Deloitte, he acquired a broad and diverse background in commercial finance as a Principal with a regional public accounting firm, specializing in providing due diligence and fraud investigation services to major banks and financial institutions serving clients in various industries.
Mr. Verma holds a Bachelor of Laws from University of Delhi Law School . He is also a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor, and Certified Fraud Examiner.
