BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Three Indiana University Kelley School of Business alumni who are remarkable leaders in their industries have made immense contributions to the school and its leadership network — Steve Coverick, Shannon Watkins and Eric Derheimer. Their terms on the board of the Kelley School of Business Alumni Association end June 30.
They are being honored June 5, during their last board meeting, which was held virtually due to the pandemic.
Coverick, B.S. ‘09, a director with Alvarez & Marsal’s North American turnaround and restructuring practice in Dallas, served as president of the Kelley School of Business Alumni Association in 2018-19. Watkins, (pictured above) MBA ’02, Aflac’s senior vice president, brand and creative services, has been on the board since 2017. Derheimer, B.S. ‘04, managing director at CID Capital, was an inaugural member of the Kelley Leadership and Development Council in 2014 and has served as its Chair since July 2015.
“Steve, Eric, and Shannon represent some of our most invested and involved alums. Their contributions to the Kelley School of Business Alumni Association range from updating our mission and guiding principles to providing thought leadership to our board and councils,” said Derek Hicks, MBA ’02, current president of the Kelley School of Business Alumni Association and vice president, corporate development at Pfizer Inc.
Idalene “Idie” Kesner, dean of the Kelley School and the Frank P. Popoff Chair of Strategic Management, praised contributions made by everyone serving on the KSBAA board and thanked Derheimer, Coverick and Watkins for their efforts benefiting fellow alumni as well as current students and faculty.
“The Kelley School of Business simply wouldn’t be as good as it is without our alums, and these three alumni have been valuable leaders as Kelley has increased in size and influence over the last few years,” Kesner said. “We will definitely miss their work with the KSBAA, but I know they will continue to be valuable ambassadors for Kelley.”
Steve Coverick
Coverick (pictured left) has enjoyed a successful career in corporate financial advising and has worked with clients across a wide range of industries, including telecommunications, media, technology, professional services, education, energy, life sciences, hospitality, chemicals and manufacturing. He played a pivotal role on the KSBAA’s Executive Committee and previously served in numerous roles on the board, from leading its Leadership and Development Council to enhancing the strategy and structure of the board.
Kelley undergraduates receiving their degrees in 2018 and 2019 may fondly recall Coverick as their recognition ceremony speaker, who asked them each year to join him in a selfie during the ceremony.
“Steve is one of the proudest and most passionate Kelley alums that I know,” Hicks said. “He also served as a mentor and friend to me and I will truly miss his wisdom and passion for the Kelley School of Business.”
Shannon Watkins
Watkins is responsible for brand strategy, advertising, media, experiential marketing, creative services, and event production at Aflac. Previously, she served in various brand and general management roles at The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods, Conagra Foods, and Procter & Gamble. In 2017, she was recognized with a Cannes Award for her work on POWERADE’s “Just a Kid” campaign that featured entertainers Tupac Shakur and Al Pacino, and athletes such as the NBA player Derrick Rose, the NFL tight end Jimmy Graham and U.S. Women’s Soccer Team co-captain Alex Morgan.
Other honors include being recognized as a “woman to watch” from Brand Innovators and the recipient of the Kelley Brand Leaders Award from Indiana University in 2018.
“Our board has been very fortunate to have Shannon contribute her time and resources to advance the mission of the KSBAA Board of Directors,” Hicks said. “Most recently, Shannon agreed to co-lead our Marketing council to help the KSBAA take our branding and marketing efforts to another level. I will miss Shannon’s participating the board, and we look forward to her continued insight and support even as she moves on from this role as a board member.”
Eric Derheimer
Derheimer (pictured right) is a managing director at CID Capital, a private equity firm in Indianapolis that has invested in privately held businesses across the United States and Canada for more than 35 years. His primary responsibilities include managing the investment process for new investments and portfolio company support. He serves on the board of CID’s investments in Classic Accessories, Giftcraft and Strahman Valves and previously was a vice president in Greenhill & Co.’s industrial mergers and acquisitions group in Chicago.
“Eric has dedicated a significant amount of his time over the last several years to our alumni network in Indianapolis and across the country,” Hicks said. “In addition, he has made significant contributions to our board in this capacity and also as a strategic though leader to our Executive Council.
“I would personally like to thank all three of these amazing alums for their commitment to our board, and we look forward to engaging with them in different ways in the future. On behalf of the KSBAA, we would like to thank each of you for your tremendous contributions to this board and our alums.”