CARROLL UNIVERSITY APPOINTS TIMOTHY SULLIVAN AS BUSINESS SCHOOL DEAN

Author: Tim Muma

Published Date: 10/3/2023

Categories: Academics Faculty and Staff School of Business Blog University News


Tim Sullivan
Tim Sullivan
Waukesha, Wis. (Oct. 3, 2023) – Carroll University is proud to announce the new Dean of the School of Business, Timothy W. Sullivan. In this role, he will focus on building strong relationships with various partners in the business community. Additionally, he will be a public spokesperson for the growth and expansion of market-driven programs with a global focus, a hallmark of the student experience in the Carroll School of Business. He will promote student success and the competitiveness of Carroll University Business School graduates in this region and beyond.
 
“We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Sullivan back to the Carroll family in this new way. As an alumnus from the Class of 1975 and former trustee, Mr. Sullivan is familiar with our strategic initiatives. His business connections and vast experience will be invaluable to our students and our School of Business will benefit from his leadership and guidance,” said Dr. Cindy Gnadinger, president of Carroll University.
 
Sullivan, current chairman of BitFire, Inc. and Bandit Productions of Phoenix, Arizona, has held several high-profile roles in successful businesses. In recent years, he served as president & CEO of the REV Group, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based manufacturer of specialty vehicles. Before that, he was chairman and CEO of Gardner Denver, Inc., a Milwaukee-based manufacturer of oil and gas, industrial and medical equipment.  
 
In 2011, Sullivan served as an advisor to CCMP, a New York-based private equity firm. Prior to 2011, Sullivan worked for Bucyrus International, Inc. for 35 years. He joined Bucyrus in June 1976, completing several domestic and international assignments. Between 1986 and 1998, Sullivan held various middle and senior management positions. Sullivan rejoined Bucyrus in January 2000 as CEO after serving as CEO of United Container Machinery in 1999. In the decade after returning to Bucyrus, Sullivan grew revenue 14-fold to $3.8B, EBITDA 850-fold to $850M and employment 12-fold to 11,800. After leading the eighth-best performing initial public offering in the U.S. in 2004, Bucyrus was the 25th and the eighth fastest-growing company in the U.S. in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Sullivan retired from Bucyrus in July 2011 after completing the sale of the company to Caterpillar, Inc. and growing shareholder value by more than 1,500% between 2004 and 2010. 
 
In 2012, Sullivan served as a special consultant to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and chaired the Wisconsin Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment and the Wisconsin Governor’s College and Workforce Readiness Council. His other professional accomplishments include serving on many boards, including Aurora Health Care, Bucyrus International, Inc., Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Cliffs Natural Resources, Inc., Crosby, Inc., GenAlpha, Inc., Greater Milwaukee Committee, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milacron, Inc., Milwaukee School of Engineering, National Mining Association, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, REV Group, Inc. and many more.
 
“I am very excited about this new role. It represents the culmination of my lifelong commitment to Carroll and my professional endeavors, allowing me to provide leadership to one of Carroll’s strategic initiatives, to elevate the prominence of the School of Business and have the opportunity to share the professional expertise I have cultivated over my professional career with the next generation of business leaders graduating from Carroll University,” said Sullivan.  
 
He will begin his service as the dean of the business school on Oct. 9, 2023.
 
To learn more about the school of business, visit www.carrollu.edu/academics/business.
 
Panoramic View of campus