Meet Scott Fergusson

Civil War buff and British car lover Scott Fergusson is returning to his alma mater to help students become leaders

B.S. Tri-State University

As dean of the Ketner School of Business, I get the opportunity to see our students develop into world class leaders and creators of wealth. It's the best job at the university. As an alumnus of Tri-State, I am amazed at the growth and momentum on campus. It's a great time to be connected to Trine.

I started and built an enterprise data aggregation business in Fort Wayne, found seed capital, and grew the business to 75 employees and several million in sales. The big day was when we closed on the sale of my company to a large New York-based firm. I spent an inordinate amount of time in New York City and that convinced me that the best place to create and run businesses is in the Midwest.

I love history and I love cars – Civil war and British cars, mostly. I'm the type that likes to ask the what-ifs about the war – what if General McClellan marched right away instead of waiting, for instance? As far as cars, I can't really fix them, but I'm good at driving them and detailing them.

My next personal project is the vineyard I'm starting with my father in Noble County. We're planting 18 acres of wine grapes in the spring of 2012. If you're in business at Trine, you'll get a chance to work on the marketing plan for it and help the business grow.

My wife, Sheryl, is a physician, and we have two sons, Logan, 6, and Austin, 12.