{"id":18089,"date":"2026-03-20T17:38:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T21:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/bewell\/2026\/03\/20\/whitman-school-announces-alumnus-business-leader-as-2026-convocation-speaker\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T17:38:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T21:38:18","slug":"whitman-school-announces-alumnus-business-leader-as-2026-convocation-speaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/bewell\/2026\/03\/20\/whitman-school-announces-alumnus-business-leader-as-2026-convocation-speaker\/","title":{"rendered":"Whitman School Announces Alumnus, Business Leader as 2026 Convocation Speaker"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"block-page-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n<div class=\"block-post-page block-interior-page\">\n<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n<section class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero\" data-layout=\"two-columns\" data-has-image=\"true\">\n<div class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__inner\">\n<div class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__image_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__category\" href=\"https:\/\/news.syr.edu\/section\/business-entrepreneurship\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness &amp; Entrepreneurship\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Whitman School Announces Alumnus, Business Leader as 2026 Convocation Speaker\" src=\"https:\/\/news.syr.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Steven-Barnes-feat-1120x840.jpg\" class=\"block-image__image\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__content\">\n<div class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__category-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__category\" href=\"https:\/\/news.syr.edu\/section\/business-entrepreneurship\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness &amp; Entrepreneurship\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__heading\">Whitman School Announces Alumnus, Business Leader as 2026 Convocation Speaker<\/h2>\n<div class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__description\">Steven W. Barnes \u201982, H\u201919, a senior advisor at Bain Capital and former Board of Trustees chair, will address graduates at the May 9 ceremony.<\/div>\n<div class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__author\" href=\"https:\/\/news.syr.edu\/author\/mjandros\/\">Meg Androsiglio<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__date\">March 20, 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__share-bar\">\n<div class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__share-bar-reading\" data-word-count=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__share-bar-reading-label\">Estimated Reading Time: <span class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__share-bar-reading-time\"><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__share-bar-group\">\n<div class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__share-bar-reading-print\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__print-btn\" aria-label=\"Print this article\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrint<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__share-bar-reading-share\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"block-deluxe-page-hero__share-btn\" aria-label=\"Share this article\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShare<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>\t<!-- Video Modal --><\/p>\n<div class=\"video-modal\" role=\"dialog\" aria-labelledby=\"video-modal-title-deluxe-page-hero\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"video-modal__overlay\">\n<div class=\"video-modal__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"video-modal__close\" aria-label=\"Close video modal\" title=\"Close video\">\u00d7<\/button>\n<h2 class=\"sr-only\">Video Player<\/h2>\n<div class=\"video-modal__iframe-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block-block-area-narrow-post block-block-area-narrow narrow-block-area\">\n<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n<section class=\"block-text\" data-width=\"wide\" data-margin-top=\"standard\" data-margin-bottom=\"standard\">\n<div class=\"block-text__inner\">\n<p>Steven W. Barnes \u201982, H\u201919, a devoted alumnus, University trustee and generous supporter of Syracuse University, will deliver the keynote address at the <a href=\"https:\/\/whitman.syracuse.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Whitman School of Management<\/a>\u2018s 2026 Convocation Ceremony. Barnes, who majored in accounting in the Whitman School, has maintained close ties to the University throughout a career spanning nearly four decades in private equity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-sans\">Bain Capital LP is one of the world\u2019s leading global private investment firms, managing more than $215 billion in assets under management across private equity, venture capital, public equity and leveraged debt. Barnes has been affiliated with Bain since 1988 and previously served as chairman of global private equity, head of North American private equity, co-head of European private equity, and founded and led the global portfolio group.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-sans\">He also served in various leadership positions within Bain\u2019s portfolio companies, including as CEO of Dade Behring, a global diagnostic company, president of Executone Business Solutions, a telecommunications company, and president of The Holson Burnes Group, a publicly traded consumer products company.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-sans\">Barnes served as chairman of the University\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.syracuse.edu\/about\/leadership-administration\/board-of-trustees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Board of Trustees<\/a> from 2015-19 and as chairman emeritus from 2019-23. He currently serves as vice chair of the board. Outside of Syracuse, Barnes serves on the board of directors of the Boston Celtics as a member of ownership, and is a board member of MV Youth, The Park of West Palm Beach and the Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. He previously served on the boards of Boston Children\u2019s Hospital, New Profit, the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Boston City Year and was the former chairman of the board of The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-sans\">\u201cWe are thrilled to welcome Steve Barnes back to campus to speak to our graduates this year,\u201d says Whitman Interim Dean <a href=\"https:\/\/whitman.syracuse.edu\/faculty-and-research\/faculty-staff-directory\/details\/mckelvie\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alex McKelvie<\/a>. \u201cSteve\u2019s extraordinary career in private equity, combined with his lifelong commitment to this University and its students, make him an ideal voice for our Class of 2026. His story, from his time as a student at Whitman to the heights he has reached in business and in his service to Syracuse University, is one that will truly inspire our graduates as they take their next steps.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-sans\">Barnes\u2019 connection to the Whitman School is long-standing and wide-ranging. He is a longtime member of the <a href=\"https:\/\/whitman.syracuse.edu\/about\/leadership\/whitman-advisory-council\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Whitman Advisory Council<\/a>, a founding investor in the Orange Value Fund and served as the founding co-chair of the <a href=\"https:\/\/ivmf.syracuse.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">D\u2019Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families<\/a> Advisory Board. He received the Whitman School\u2019s Jonathan J. Holtz Alumnus of the Year Award in 2011.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-sans\">The generosity of Barnes and his wife, Deborah, has had a transformative impact across campus, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"font-sans\">providing the lead gift for the <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/bewell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Barnes Center at The Arch<\/a>, the University\u2019s integrated health, wellness and recreation complex;<\/li>\n<li class=\"font-sans\">endowing the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities and the Barnes Professorship in Entrepreneurship at the Whitman School and establishing the Barnes Award for Academic Excellence, a merit-based scholarship recognizing outstanding first-year Whitman students; and<\/li>\n<li class=\"font-sans\">supporting Remembrance Scholars, Syracuse Athletics, the Office of Disability Services and other initiatives across the University.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Barnes was recognized with an honorary doctorate degree from Syracuse University in 2019 and he received the Dritz Trustee of the Year Award in 2014.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-sans\">The Whitman School\u2019s Convocation Ceremony will be held Saturday, May 9, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the JMA Wireless Dome.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block-block-area-sidebar-post block-block-area-sidebar sidebar-block-area\">\n<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block-block-area-wide wide-block-area\">\n<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/news.syr.edu\/2026\/03\/20\/whitman-school-announces-alumnus-business-leader-as-2026-convocation-speaker\/\">Whitman School Announces Alumnus, Business Leader as 2026 Convocation Speaker<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/news.syr.edu\/\">Syracuse University Today<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Business &amp; Entrepreneurship Business &amp; Entrepreneurship Whitman School Announces Alumnus, Business Leader as 2026 Convocation Speaker Steven W. Barnes \u201982, H\u201919, a senior advisor at Bain Capital and former Board of Trustees chair, will address graduates at the May 9 ceremony. Meg Androsiglio March 20, 2026 Estimated Reading Time: Print Share \u00d7 Video Player Steven&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":258,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18089","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/258"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18089"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18089\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18089"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18089"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}