By Jeff Wilson

Brian Wilson has deep roots at SIU, and his decision to endow a $100,000 scholarship fund in the College of Business and Analytics only strengthens that connection.

“My mother and father met at SIU, and several other family members went there,” he said. “It was probably the first university I was exposed to as a kid.”

The Brian Wilson and Family Finance Scholarship Fund will benefit students from Southern Illinois who are studying finance and other business-related majors.

A Waterloo native, SIU was on the short list of possible universities for Wilson to attend, but the scholarship support he received his freshman year made the choice simple.

“That really clinched the deal for me and my parents,” he said. “I always thought that someday I would like to pay that back.”

Wilson had a typical college experience. He lived at Thompson Point and studied finance. He participated in intramural sports and played pickup basketball at the Student Recreation Center. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1991.

“I enjoyed the experience all around – the academics, the social life, the campus, everything. It was very positive,” he said.

After SIU, Wilson earned a master’s degree from the University of Miami and took a job with Ryder System. Over a 15-year career with Ryder, he worked in Miami, Detroit, Dallas, Toronto, and Singapore. He was then recruited into the world of private equity and is now the chief financial officer in North America for Barentz, a Dutch chemical distributor.

Today, he and his wife, Kris, live in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and have two adult children who make their homes in the Chicago area.

“It all started back with the finance education at SIU,” he said.

His SIU and professional experience intersected when fellow Saluki, Chuck Lounsbury, became senior vice president for supply chain solutions at Ryder System in the early 2000s.

As a student, Wilson had heard of Lounsbury from his professors. Lounsbury, a 1965 SIU graduate and member of the COBA Hall of Fame, had an illustrious career in the business world.

Recently, Lounsbury made a $500,000 donation to establish the Charles and Barbara Lounsbury Endowed Scholarship in the College of Business and Analytics.

“Chuck Lounsbury ended up working two offices down from me, and we got to know each other and shared memories of SIU,” Wilson said. “I saw an article about his gift in the SIU Alumni Association magazine, and it sparked interest in me to go ahead and fulfill my plan to repay my scholarship.”

Beyond financially supporting SIU students, Wilson hopes his scholarship helps drive the college and SIU forward.

“I want to do whatever I can to help the school continue to attract the best students and professors and allow more people the opportunity to get their education from SIU’s College of Business and Analytics,” he said.

To learn more about making a similar gift, visit siuf.org.