Carl H. Lindner College of Business Names Director for New Center for Insurance and Risk Management

The Carl H. Lindner College of Business has proudly named professor Steve Slezak as director of the new Carl H. Lindner III Center for Insurance and Risk Management. The center is the first of its kind in Ohio as it will support academic programs and research as well as industry outreach.

The center was established in 2012 through a $5 million combined endowment in the memory of the late Carl H. Lindner Jr. ($4 million from Carl H. Lindner III and his wife, Martha, through The Psalms Foundation, along with $1 million in support from Great American Insurance Group).

“Professor Slezak is a highly accomplished teacher, senior researcher and administrative leader,” says Lindner College of Business Dean David Szymanski. “He is committed and passionate about leading the Carl H. Lindner III Center to become a foremost professional resource for students and industry partners throughout Ohio and beyond.”

Slezak, professor of finance in the Lindner College of Business, will be charged with shaping the program’s curricula with Lindner College of Business faculty and industry advisors. The center will launch both an undergraduate major and minor in insurance and add graduate level and certificate programs in the future. The center’s vision is to act as the hub for industry events and symposia, student organizations and mentoring programs.

“The center will create significant academic training and experiential-learning opportunities for students participating in the program through relationships with industry partners,” Slezak says. He added, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to educate students about this exciting field and to build a top-notch program with the support of the nation’s insurance industry leaders.”

An industry advisory board will be established to enable involvement from a broad cross-section of industry leaders and companies. Carl H. Lindner III, chairman and CEO of Great American Insurance Group, adds, “insurance is a dynamic industry that provides students with a wide variety of career paths across a multitude of disciplines ranging from sales and marketing to finance, risk management and information systems.  The center’s innovative program design will create a multifaceted learning environment for UC’s students. I am pleased thatp rofessor Slezak shares my passion for this business and the important role it plays in our economy.”

The Carl H. Lindner III Center’s core faculty expertise will be enhanced by collaborations with colleagues in the Lindner College of Business’ Centers for Entrepreneurship, Professional Selling, Business Analytics and the Goering Center for Family and Private Business.

For more information regarding the Carl H. Lindner III Center for Insurance and Risk Management, please visit business.uc.edu/insurance.