Our leaders in global companies

Winter 2025-26 Inventing tomorrow
Portrait of Jim Anderson smiling in a dark blue suit

Jim Anderson

Coherent | Chief Executive Officer
Electrical Engineering '95

"CSE taught me to turn knowledge into results—through internships and co-ops, the undergraduate research program, and its emphasis on humble leadership and innovation."

 

 

Ashish Khandpur

Avient Corporation | Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Chemical Engineering '95

"I learned the importance of having curiosity and courage to tread into brand new areas— and how to prioritize problems and use analytical and scientific reasoning to solve them. These lessons continue to guide my decision-making process."

Portrait of Ashish Khandpur smiling while dressed in a gray suit
Portrait of Yao Morin in a gray suit smiling

Yao Morin

JLL | Chief Technology Officer
Electrical Engineering MS '08, Ph.D. '09

"University of Minnesota taught me that engineering is about solving human problems. This training laid the foundation for pairing technical expertise with diverse perspectives in my leadership today."

 

 

Jay Puri 

NVIDIA | Executive Vice President,
Electrical Engineering '76

"University of Minnesota welcomed me, nurtured my growth, and inspired confidence. Its academic rigor and leadership opportunities gave me the springboard to build a successful career in the U.S."

Portrait of in a dark blue suit slightly smiling
Portrait of Julie Marquardt smiling while wearing a black suit and a necklace

Julie Marquardt

Ecolab, Inc. | Vice President of Research, Development & Engineering, Corporate Technologies
Chemical Engineering '99

"University of Minnesota taught me the value of working together to tackle technical challenges. That’s been essential to my career at Ecolab, where we’re developing innovation that helps millions of customers globally."

 

The survey says…

According to our recent University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering Alumni Engagement Survey, our alumni love hearing about each other’s successes.

Learn more: z.umn.edu/alumnisurvey25