The Walsh board of trustees has appointed Michael Levens as Walsh’s eighth president and CEO. Levens will be replacing Gerald Schafer, who served as interim president and CEO from March 1 until July 31, 2020. Walsh is based in Troy.
Levens brings academic and business experience to his new role. He previously served as Walsh’s interim provost and professor and academic chair of the marketing department, and has held senior leadership positions at General Motors Co., working in research, product development, and brand management for both OnStar and Saab.
“President Levens’ blend of academic and business leadership experience mirror Walsh’s mission to provide an education combining theory, application, and professional experience,” says Michael Plotzke, chair of the Walsh board and double alumnus. “We welcome his leadership during this unique time in our history as we approach the 100th anniversary of our founding.”
Levens is the creator of his own textbook, “Marketing: Defined, Explained, Applied,” and has had it featured in more than 200 colleges and universities worldwide. He has also worked on more than 100 research projects internationally and is a Fulbright peer reviewer and scholar, a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and a member of the Scientific Committee of the annual international conference “Emerging Trends in Economics, Culture, and Humanities.”
Levenshas a post-doctoral qualification from Tulane University, as well as a Ph.D. from Capella University, a Master of Business Administration from Bond University in Australia, and a bachelor’s degree from Kettering University.
Walsh is a private all-business school with satellite locations in both Clinton Township and Port Huron.
