Inside: - UW-Milwaukee
Inside: - UW-Milwaukee
Inside: - UW-Milwaukee
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Great Journeys: An Inspirational Series<br />
Dennis Kuester Tells Students:<br />
“The Golden Rule is the Gold Standard”<br />
Dennis J. Kuester (’66), Chairman<br />
of Marshall & Ilsley Corporation, addressed<br />
Lubar business students last fall in Great<br />
Journeys: An Inspirational Series about a<br />
topic that he described as “critical to our<br />
company and to me personally” —<br />
business ethics.<br />
Marshall & Ilsley Corporation is a<br />
diversifi ed fi nancial services company<br />
headquartered in <strong>Milwaukee</strong> with $56.2<br />
billion in assets. Founded in 1847, M&I<br />
Marshall & Ilsley Bank is the largest<br />
Wisconsin-based bank. It also owns<br />
Metavante Corporation, which provides<br />
a full array of technology projects and<br />
services for the fi nancial services industry.<br />
Kuester was proud to note that Marshall<br />
& Ilsley won the Better Business Bureau’s<br />
2006 Torch Award, which recognizes<br />
business that demonstrate ethical business<br />
practices and help foster ethics within<br />
their industry and community.<br />
“Over the company’s 160 year history, we<br />
have remained consistent with some very<br />
basic principles regarding customers,<br />
employees, shareholders, and the<br />
community,” Kuester told students.<br />
“Most importantly, each decision that we<br />
make is guided by The Golden Rule.”<br />
Indeed, the company asserts that clearly<br />
in its mission statement.<br />
The Golden Rule — “do unto others as<br />
you would have them do unto you” — is<br />
not religion-specifi c, he noted. In fact,<br />
the concept manifests itself in all major<br />
religions of the world. “It is a universal<br />
idea. It transcends laws.”<br />
Put into practice, following The Golden<br />
Rule means doing the “right thing,”<br />
10 OUTLOOK<br />
Dennis J. Kuester<br />
possessing an “others fi rst” mindset,<br />
making character decisions, sacrifi cing<br />
fi nances for family, and basing your worth<br />
on your values.<br />
Looked at another way, he said, “it means<br />
developing a relationship with your<br />
activities — not a rationale for them.”<br />
Kuester also advised students not to confuse<br />
high moral standards with weakness.<br />
“99.9% of the companies we deal with insist<br />
on high ethical standards,” he stated. “The<br />
Enrons of the world are the exception.”<br />
And when facing ethical dilemmas, Kuester<br />
reminded students that they have a free<br />
will to pursue their convictions — whether<br />
that be attempting to win others over to<br />
your opinion, stepping away from the<br />
situation, or contacting authorities, if the<br />
situation warrants.<br />
A <strong>Milwaukee</strong> native who came from a<br />
modest background, Dennis Kuester<br />
graduated from the School of Business in<br />
1966. After ten years with IBM, he joined<br />
Marshall & Ilsley as Vice President of M&I<br />
Data Services — now known as Metavante<br />
Corporation. He rose through the<br />
corporate ranks to become president of<br />
Marshall & Ilsley Corporation in 1987,<br />
CEO in 2002, and Chairman and CEO in<br />
2005. He stepped down as CEO of the<br />
company this April, but continues in his<br />
role as Chairman of both Marshall & Ilsley<br />
and Metavante.<br />
Great Journeys: An Inspirational Series<br />
helps shape students’ understanding of<br />
ethics, integrity, and leadership. It<br />
features exceptional “role model” business<br />
leaders who share the guiding values,<br />
transforming infl uences, successes, and<br />
challenges in their lives, and inspire the<br />
next generation to embark on their own<br />
“great journeys.” The Series is sponsored<br />
by the School’s M&I Marshall & Ilsley<br />
Center for Business Ethics.