Michael Warmuth BBA '85

Mike Warmuth receives the Distinguished Alumni Award for Service to UW-Whitewater

Written by Kristine Zaballos | Images submitted

DeForest native Michael Warmuth had no plans to go to college. His dad owned a small concrete company, and he figured his future lay there.

A job lifting heavy forms while pouring cement when he completed his senior year in high school changed all that. A back injury — and a close friend who was thinking about going on to college — caused him to reconsider his plans, and he figured the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater was close enough so he could get home to work on the weekends.

The first-generation student initially only planned to take a semester of college while his back healed. But he found he not only liked the campus, he enjoyed the hands-on, operational aspects of the business classes he was taking. 

That unexpected path would lead him to his wife of 38 years — Stefanie, who also graduated from UW-Whitewater — and an international career with Abbott Labs, rising through the ranks over the course of three decades while managing as many as 30,000 employees. 

Warmuth, who went on to earn a BBA in production operations management in 1985, is being awarded the 2024 UW-Whitewater Distinguished Alumni Award for Service to Whitewater, presented to a graduate of UW-Whitewater in recognition of outstanding support in the development of the university, its goals and mission, and university affairs.

As a self-professed “hands-on guy who didn’t like numbers that much,” Warmuth gravitated to the production operations management program on campus. His experience included an internship at Sundstrand aerospace factory in Rockford, Illinois — a nine-month commitment that included a full summer of work. When he was ready to graduate and companies came to interview on campus, he received two offers — from Frito Lay and Abbott Laboratories — and a rejection from Kimberly Clark. 

“Abbott offered me slightly more pay,” said Warmuth. “And I liked that they had a great professional development program, which sent me on four 6-month assignments in different places.”

Warmuth quickly started rising through the ranks. An especially meaningful experience in 1990 cemented his connection to the company. He had been working in the facility that manufactured Survanta, which is used to treat breathing problems in premature babies. The medication requires a complex manufacturing process that meant he had to stay near the plant while the line was being set up.

To show appreciation for his part in the medication’s success, Abbott Labs flew him to Columbus, Ohio, where they demonstrated the product’s use on a premature baby.

“I stood there, with tears coming down my face,” he said. “I thought, ‘I found something to do. This is what passion feels like — I want to help people. I don’t think I’ll work for another company again.’”

While deeply engaged in his role at Abbott, he earned an MBA at Northwestern in 1993. At Abbott, Warmuth served in a variety of management roles, including senior vice president, diagnostics, heading Abbott’s global core laboratory diagnostics business; vice president and general manager, hematology; vice president, global engineering services; divisional vice president of pharmaceutical operations; and divisional vice president of corporate quality operations. 

He moved to Europe to launch Abbott's branded generic pharmaceuticals division as their executive vice president. He reported directly to the CEO of Abbott Labs, Miles White, before retiring early in 2017.

Warmuth, who credits much of his success to his ability to solve problems quickly and the solid base in operations management he gained while at UW-Whitewater, was encouraged to re-engage with his alma mater and the supply chain management program by his fellow alum Mike Lindert, who also earned a BBA in production operations management in 1985. Soon he joined the program’s advisory board.

“I said I was willing to do it, but if I do, don’t expect me to be passive — I have opinions and am not afraid to share them,” said Warmuth. 

Warmuth quickly knew that he wanted the program to have a more dynamic curriculum and deeper engagement with companies that offered supply chain opportunities. 

“The advisory board and academic leaders were open to change, and we started to revamp things — including getting some recent graduates to come back.”

One of those alumni was Sean Fahy, who earned his MBA with an emphasis in project management in 2017 and lectures in the program.

“He runs the advisory board, and he’s a big thinker and a realist,” said Warmuth. “I would run through walls for that guy.”

“I can’t say enough about Mike’s impact on our supply chain management program,” said Fahy. “He thinks strategically, leads by example, and brings out the best in those around him. I have personally benefited from Mike’s input on numerous occasions, but what I have enjoyed most is his ability to connect with our students. His passion for the program is infectious and we’re extremely grateful for his support.”

Along with his wife, Warmuth, who served as operating partner of EW Healthcare Partners, a private equity firm, from 2018 to 2023, has funded scholarships for students in supply chain at UW-Whitewater, including the Warmuth Supply Chain Management Excellence Fund. Scholarships he has funded support up to 15 supply chain students every year.

He also serves on the advisory board for ENACTUS, an international social entrepreneurship project student organization with a thriving chapter on campus, and serves as an adjunct professor at Northwestern. 

But he reserves a special passion for the supply chain management program, devoting much of his energies toward making the program one of the top supply chain management programs in the country.

“His contributions have positively impacted the lives of many students and faculty while they’ve improved the quality of the curriculum and overall effectiveness and competitiveness of the program,” said Andy Ciganek, chair of the information technology and supply chain management program. “Since his involvement, his support has enabled the UW-Whitewater’s program to climb each year in Gartner's Top 25 University SCM Programs, from the mid-40th rank to #26 this past cycle, just outside the Top 25.” 

Warmuth remains focused on identifying and implementing the changes needed to earn a spot in the top 25 in 2024, during their next ranking cycle. 

“UW-Whitewater offers a solid quality of education,” said Warmuth. “It’s a great environment, and they do very well with enrollment.” 

“It’s time to reimagine our future,” he added. “How do we create that vision?”