Stitt appoints Eric Stevenson to OU Board of Regents

Photo courtesy from John Woods (Exec. Dir. of Gov't Affairs for OU) on Twitter

GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT ANNOUNCES NEW APPOINTMENT TO OU BOARD OF REGENTS

Oklahoma City, Okla. (March 1, 2019) – Governor Kevin Stitt announced today the appointment of Eric Stevenson to the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, a position that requires Senate confirmation.

“I am excited to appoint Eric Stevenson to the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents,” said Gov. Stitt. “Eric is a business-oriented and reform-minded leader who will be a dedicated representative for the students, employees, and staff.”

“I appreciate Gov. Stitt's thoughtful consideration of the needs of OU with his appointment of Eric Stevenson to our Board of Regents,” said James Gallogly, University of Oklahoma President. “Eric’s close ties to OU and our Price College of Business as well as his leadership role in a national business enterprise make him an excellent choice. OU has local, national and international reach with its students, alums and academic programs. I’m eager to tap into Eric’s expertise and to have him join us for the work ahead.”

“As Chairman of the OU, Cameron, and Rogers State Boards of Regents, congratulations to Governor Stitt on this nomination,” said Dr. Leslie Rainbolt-Forbes, Chair of the OU Board of Regents. “Eric brings a very unique complement of skills, including extensive strategic planning experience, large corporate management experience, and outstanding national level communication experience, that he has honed at some of the largest and most prestigious companies in the United States. His expertise will directly benefit the Board, the Universities we govern, all our students, and the State of Oklahoma.” 

“Governor Stitt has made an inspired choice for appointment to the OU Board of Regents,” said Bryan M. Burke, OU graduate, Sr. Vice President at Federated Investors and member of the Price College of Business Board of Visitors. “Eric Stevenson is an accomplished industry leader in financial services. I have seen firsthand his contributions on wide-ranging topics in the Price College of Business where he is a longtime trusted advisor and engaged listener.  Eric has a unique background and the fact he has been a successful small business owner in addition to rising to the highest levels of corporate America will inspire both fellow board members but, more importantly, our students.”

Eric Stevenson serves as the Senior Vice President of Retirement Plans Distribution at NationWide, across both the 401 (k) and 457 businesses. In this role, he leads one of the largest retirement plans sales forces in the United States with teams responsible for more than $127.5 billion in assets under management and the responsibility to help more than 2.5 million participants prepare for and live in retirement. Eric has built a culture of learning and development for his teams, recently launching a new sales process and coaching program that provides superior education and positions his team to deliver exceptional sales results. He honed his marketing skills at Quaker Oats and Warner Lambert managing marketing and sales strategies for consumer packaged goods and over-the-counter products before moving to Nationwide. In 2006, Eric started as a marketing leader for Nationwide Financial. As the vice president of retirement plans marketing, he led a team of marketers to develop and execute strategies for the Retirements Plans businesses. Eric translated his leadership skills from marketing to sales management in 2010 when he was named vice president for public sector retirement sales. Eric earned his Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance degree from the University of Oklahoma and his Master’s degree from Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He holds the NASD Series 6, 26, and 65 licenses. Eric is on the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business Finance Department Advisory Board, and he also serves as a Board Member for both the Salvation Army and the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP), the premier organization in the United States advocating for the inclusion of women and people of color in financial services.