Department of Accountancy Outstanding Alumni Award

Keith LaVanway, B.B.A.’86
Chief Financial Officer, Pregis, LLC

Keith LaVanway has spent over 20 years as a chief financial officer in the private equity space. He is currently the chief financial officer and board member at Pregis, LLC, a leading manufacturer of protective packaging products based in Chicago. Prior to working at Pregis, he was CFO of Associated Materials.

LaVanway’s comprehensive experience was garnered from a career spent in varying financial roles at Nortek, Abbott Laboratories and Ernst & Young. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, treasury, and relationships with the lender community. Furthermore, he has been a part of three company sale processes during his time as a CFO, two of which resulted in shareholder returns of more than 3.5 times and 30% internal rate of return (IRR). 

LaVanway recognizes that Western Michigan University laid the foundation for his professional success. He was a first-generation college student, paying for his education through a combination of student jobs, Pell grants and scholarships offered by the Department of Accountancy. He and his wife LeaAnne established an endowed scholarship fund for WMU accounting students to help ensure their future successes.

He would like to note the profound impact Western had on his life. As a lower-middle class student entering college, he had relatively modest expectations for his future. The greatest gift he received as a student was the support and encouragement from his professors, who sparked the confidence in him to pursue a career in which he has found significant personal and professional satisfaction. LaVanway would like to thank all his professors, including David Rozelle, Dr. Gale Newell, Dr. Robert Neubig and Dr. Kathleen Sinning, for believing in him and helping change his life.