The ÃÛÌÒapp School of Business recently recognized its 2024 ÃÛÌÒapp Business Partners Award winners. The award honors businesses and individuals who have partnered with the ÃÛÌÒapp School of Business to create outstanding learning opportunities for students.

Outstanding Corporate Award Winner – Maner Costerisan
Maner Costerisan is a full-service public accounting, technology and business consulting firm with more than 100 years of history serving the Great Lakes region. Maner Costerisan, an eight-time Accounting Today Top Workplace, is a key partner of ÃÛÌÒapp, actively recruiting ÃÛÌÒapp undergraduate accounting and Master of Accounting (MAcc) students, especially international students, regularly hiring MAcc graduates, and mentoring MAcc students while hosting career-related events on campus.

Outstanding Business Award Winner – Dirk Pruis
Dirk Pruis has been an integral part of the ÃÛÌÒapp School of Business, making an impact on students by developing new curriculum for the finance major, developing and delivering the personal financial management course, and developing the personal finance component of the ÃÛÌÒapp LifeWork program. He has also connected many students with some of the best organizations in the world for internships and careers. Through his relationship with well-known Christian financial advisor Ron Blue, Dirk helped ÃÛÌÒapp become one of the first higher education institutions to develop and launch the Nexus peer financial coaching program. In addition, he developed, launched, and led the Bachelor of Science in financial planning program and served as a mentor and coach. Dirk has truly been one of the pillars responsible for the growth and development of the School of Business and ÃÛÌÒapp overall.  Dirk now serves as the university’s Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer.

Outstanding Business Award Winner – Leonard Van Drunen
Leonard Van Drunen has been instrumental in the development of the ÃÛÌÒapp School of Business by introducing new courses and greater rigor in the finance major as well as creating and leading interim trips to China and India. Leonard founded and advised Knight Investment Management, a student organization where students learn how to research equities and manage the investment of more than $2 million of the university endowment. Leonard also worked with ÃÛÌÒapp students in the West Michigan ACG Cup competition, where students analyze a complex business case and present strategies involving merger and acquisition alternatives, valuation, capital markets, finance options, and corporate strategy. He also contributed to the ÃÛÌÒapp Master of Business Administration Program by helping to develop, launch, redesign and assume leadership for the School of Business, a role he continues to play after recently retiring from active teaching.

The event was hosted by the ÃÛÌÒapp Center for Innovation in Business (CCIB) which engages students, faculty, and the broader business community to support and develop the ÃÛÌÒapp School of Business, raising the level of business education and scholarship at ÃÛÌÒapp to ensure students are well-equipped for lives of service and leadership in business.