Marathon Process Improvement Expert Gene Fernandez Serving as UF’s Fall ’19 Dana Chair

Gene Fernandez ‘77, Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s (MPC) process improvement manager, is serving as the University of Findlay College of Business Dana Chair.

The Dana Chair and Scholar Program provides an opportunity for business students to benefit from those who have worked in the field. Ten were selected this fall as Dana Scholars.

Fernandez has more than 37 years of managerial experience, which means the students he is mentoring will benefit greatly from his expertise. Coaching and motivating people to improve their decision making are his strengths. He has served as a change management leader, earned a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and has a strong background in internal controls. The Findlay resident has managed workers in seven geographic locations, has led process improvement projects, been trained and taught continuous improvement methods, and presented at the PEX conferences in Houston, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia in 2017 and 2018 respectively. Fernandez has also negotiated favorable settlements, and trained staff in optimal communication skills.

At MPC, he served several roles that ranged from international banking analyst to asphalt marketing sales. He also served as director of operations and retail division controller for Norwalk Furniture Corporation in Ohio, and was the CEO/CFO of Fernandez & Kaiser Inc. in Bellevue, Ohio. In 2010 and 2011 he taught two managerial accounting courses at UF.

Fernandez earned a Bachelor of Science from University of Findlay, where he triple majored in accounting, marketing, and business administration while playing football. He earned his MBA in 2007 from UF, and became a Certified Internal Auditor in 1979.

This year’s Dana Scholars include: Sydney Brown, an accounting major from Findlay, Ohio; Jenna Delarber, accounting major, Tiro, Ohio; Parker Gdula, financial accounting major, Chagrin Falls, Ohio; Tyler Glander, business management and human resource management, Richmond, Indiana; Laura Harper, financial accounting and finance major, Findlay; Hanna Kieffer, business management and marketing major, Bloomville, Ohio; Stephen Markley, finance major, Findlay; Drew Prater, sport and event management major, Xenia, Ohio; Makenna Ricker, accounting major, Leipsic, Ohio; and Sullivan Sanders, marketing major, Holland, Ohio.