GREEN BAY, Wis. –Students graduating from UW-Green Bay’s associate, undergraduate and graduate programs in May will hear from two outstanding speakers. Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry CEO Sachin Shivaram will speak at the 9:30 a.m. commencement ceremony; UW-Green Bay Alumnus and former CEO of Taylor Made Golf and Taco Bell, Mark King will speak at the 2 p.m. ceremony.  

More than 1,320 students have applied to graduate in May, and of those students, more than 1,050 have signed up to cross the stage at the Kress Events Center on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Two ceremonies will be held. Graduates of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. Graduates of the College of Health, Education and Social Welfare, Austin E. Cofrin School of Business and the College of Science, Engineering and Technology will be celebrated at the 2 p.m. ceremony.

Sachin Shivaram is Chief Executive Officer of Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry, a century-old manufacturing company based in Manitowoc. He graduated from Harvard University, where he studied History & Literature with a focus on Afro-American Studies and received language citations in Spanish and Portuguese. He later earned a master’s degree in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge and a law degree from Yale Law School.

Although his academic background was in the liberal arts, social sciences, and languages, Shivaram built his career in manufacturing and business, working in the metals industry in the United States and internationally before returning to Wisconsin. He serves on the corporate boards of GrafTech International, Broadwind Inc., Lodge Cast Iron, and Vollrath Company and is a member of the Green Bay Packers Board of Directors.

In addition to his professional work, Shivaram chairs the Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment and co-chairs New North, the regional economic development organization for northeast Wisconsin. He is a trustee of UW-Green Bay, volunteers on the board of the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation and teaches business ethics at St. Norbert College.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Shivaram lives in De Pere with his wife and two sons and remains a strong believer in the value of a liberal arts education and the many paths it can open.

A 1981 graduate of UW-Green Bay’s Business program, Mark King is the former CEO of Xponential Fitness, a leading global franchisor of boutique health and wellness brands. Prior to assuming the role of CEO at Xponential in 2024, King served as CEO/President of the iconic consumer brands TaylorMade Golf, adidas and Taco Bell.

As CEO of Taco Bell, King led the franchisor to positive same-store sales growth in each quarter but one during his nearly five-year tenure. Credited with establishing Taco Bell’s healthy domestic franchise system and accelerating its international growth, over 1,400 new franchise locations opened globally during his tenure.

Before he joined Taco Bell, King served as President of adidas North America, where he doubled the athletic apparel brand’s market share and tripled sales in four years.

King built his career at TaylorMade Golf Company, where he rose from a territory sales representative to CEO. Over his 34 years at TaylorMade, the brand became the most profitable golf equipment and apparel company in the world.

(Headshots of both speakers are attached.)

About UW-Green Bay

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a school of resilient problem solvers who dare to reach higher with the power of education that ignites growth and answers the biggest challenges. Serving 11,519 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students as well as 101,000 continuing education learners annually, UW-Green Bay offers 200 academic degrees, programs, and certificates. With campus locations in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Sheboygan and a theatre in Marinette, the University’s access mission welcomes all students who want to learn, from every corner of the world. Championing bold thinking since opening its doors in 1965, it is a university on the rise – Wisconsin’s fastest growing UW. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.