Kelley School’s MBA program receives $750,000 gift from alumni

Education just got sweeter for IU’s business school. \nBrad Alford, 1980 alumnus of IU’s Kelley School of Master's of Business Adminstrationprogram, and chairman and chief executive officer of Nestlé Brands USA, is responsible for donating $750,000 to the Kelley School MBA program, according to an IU press release. The gift establishes the Nestlé Professorship and Fellowship in marketing. The gift will also endow a faculty chair and fellowship, and provide funding for the Kelley School’s Center for Brand Leadership, as well as for the Consumer Marketing Academy that is part of the MBA program.\nAfter receiving his Kelley MBA, Alford went to work as a sales trainee at Carnation Co., moving up to associate product manager in the pet foods division. In 1989, Alford transferred to Nestlé Australia to head sales and marketing for the Friskies PetCare Division. From there he advanced to the executive level of Nestlé USA, taking the vice president and then president positions in several divisions.\nIn 2006, Alford was promoted to chairman and CEO of Nestlé USA. \nAlford’s legacy will be passed on to current and future MBA students who have the opportunity to study in the Consumer Marketing Academy. With Nestlé’s investment in the Kelley School, Alford knows that the benefits will help create graduates who will be promising recruits for the company.\n“IU’s Kelley School of Business is one of the best places to find the people we need to move our company forward,” Alford said in an IU press release.