Department of Integrated Business Advisory Board 

By Jim Gilkeson, Ph.D., CFA, Integrated Business Department Chair

The Department of Integrated Business is fortunate to have an active and engaged advisory board. The board currently consists of nine members, including six UCF alums and one parent of a current IB student. All have senior management or business ownership experience, but in a range of industries from banking and financial advising to consulting, the military, logistics/transportation, and property management/real estate investment.  

Board members meet 2-3 times per year, giving of their time and talent to improve our programs and keep them relevant. Meetings typically include a brief update on department activities but quickly move to areas of concern or possible change. Our board has advised and assisted us in making major curriculum changes, planning ways to teach students soft skills, developing strategies to introduce our students to area employers, and developing co-curricular events. They also stay after each meeting to have lunch with a group of our students, both to provide those students with insights and mentoring and to learn what our students think of our program. They are viewed by many in the college and university as the model advisory board. 

Board members are also actively engaged outside of these meetings. Members and their employers frequently engage with our students in classroom settings, especially in our Integrated Marketing and Sales class, and outside of the classroom as formal and informal mentors. They frequently attend student and alumni events. 

Our board members are also incredibly generous with their financial resources in support of our students and programs. Their board dues allow the department to support student events and scholarships, faculty development, and department events. Board members and their employers are sponsors of three major IB co-curricular events: The IB Business Case Competition (Enterprise Mobility, formerly Enterprise Holdings), The IB Sales Competition (Northwestern Mutual), and the IB High School Competition (anonymous). Board members have supported the construction of IB classroom space, providing laptops to students in need during the pandemic, and student scholarships. They frequently assist our students in gaining professional employment. Many of their companies offer internships to IB students and permanent positions to IB graduates. Most impressive, our board members often help students gain employment with competitors when their firms do not have positions or the competitor position is a better match for the student. 

Like our students, faculty, and programs, the Integrated Business Advisory Board is AWESOME!! 

Please click here to meet the members of our Advisory Board. Reach out and thank them for their support! We are so lucky to have them.