John Stap, B.B.A.'83

Blazing His Own Trail

John Stap, B.B.A.'83, had great things ahead of him after his time in the college of business and would eventually find himself with a pretty lengthy resume. He began his career at DMB & B in Detroit; he then moved to Biggs|Gilmore in Kalamazoo soon after where he worked as an account manager. Eventually, he became a partner at The Paul Deur Group, (renamed The Deur-Stap Company) in Grand Rapids. In 1990, he took matters into his own hands and established his own advertising agency, rightfully named, STAP. He later founded and sold Hunsberger-Stap, a design firm in Grand Rapids, Mich., and now presides as the president of STAP, which is celebrating over 20 years in business.

Stap has encountered many interesting experiences during his career like working under William R. Biggs at Biggs|Gilmore, who Stap describes as having a "lasting impact on his career," and beginning a partnership in 2001 with NAVTEQ, a creator of digital maps that partners with navigation, location and online mapping services. With the help of STAP and its digital, print and other creative branding strategies, NAVTEQ experienced monstrous growth, "We played an instrumental role in growing a global brand in over 80 countries. We helped NAVTEQ grow from an $80 million, privately held company to a 2004 IPO and an $8.1 billion acquisition by Nokia."

While continuously moving forward in his career and expanding his company, he remembers an important lesson about success that he learned while in school, "The college taught me that initiative, creativity, and putting in the hours would serve me well. It isn't about 'doing enough.' It's about excelling. It's about exceeding expectations. Not necessarily doing what others can't do, but doing what others chose not to do."