Dean Larry Shirland announced Jim Schaefer will be this year's School of Business Administration graduation speaker.

"I am delighted that Jim Schaefer has agreed to be the School of Business graduation speaker this year," said Dean Larry Shirland, of the School of Business Administration.  "Jim has been a strong supporter of the School for many years in his role as a member and co-chair of the School's Board of Advisors and, most recently, he served as a member of the search committee that resulted in the hiring of our new dean."

Jim, who is a member of the School's Board of Advisors, is a Managing Director, Global Head of Renewable Energy & Cleantech / Americas Head of Power & Utilities at UBS Investment Bank, based in New York. Jim has been on Wall Street for 16 years. Prior to joining UBS, Jim worked in the power groups at Lehman Brothers, Salomon Brothers and Chase. Jim has extensive energy related mergers and acquisitions and financing experience, having completed over $65 billion of strategic advisory and financing assignments.  He has worked with leading energy companies such as Con Edison, Constellation Energy, Exelon, OGE Energy, and Pinnacle West .

Jim graduated with honors in Finance and Accounting from the University of Michigan's MBA program in 1995 and cum laude in Business (Finance concentration) from the University of Vermont in 1990.

Jim was an alpine skier at UVM from 1986-1990 and captain of the 1990 NCAA Championship Ski Team.  Jim returned to coach the UVM alpine team in 1993 after coaching overseas in 1991-1992.  Jim and his family own Berkshire East Ski Area in Western Massachusetts.

Jim and his wife Joni live in New Canaan, Connecticut along with their three children Lauren, Christopher and Spencer.

The Business School's graduation ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. on May 22 at the Flynn Theater.  A reception will be held after the ceremony at the Hilton Hotel.