When it comes to giving back to George Washington University, Mitch Blaser believes in what he calls the “three Ws”: work, wisdom and wealth.
As chair of GW’s School of Business Board of Advisors, Mr. Blaser, B.B.A. ’73, encourages alumni to choose at least one of the Ws.
“There are three main ways you can make a difference,” he says. “You can work by participating in activities and events. You can share your wisdom by offering internships and jobs to recent graduates, mentoring students and guest lecturing. And you can give your wealth by making a financial contribution to the school.”
Mr. Blaser, who has served on the school’s Board of Advisors since 1996, was one of six people to receive an Alumni Outstanding Service Award last month. The award is given to graduates who advance the mission of GW through volunteering their time to ensure the university’s impact on its community and future generations of students.
A successful executive and entrepreneur, Mr. Blaser often asks fellow alumni “Have you hired a GW graduate today?”
“His enthusiasm, I’d say, is contagious,” says Susan Phillips, dean of the GW School of Business.
Mr. Blaser played an integral role in expanding the reach of the school’s career center to include both undergraduate and graduate counseling. He developed a mentoring program that has matched more than 100 second-year MBA students with Board of Advisors members. He has recruited local alumni to proofread student resumes and conduct mock interviews. And he has hired at least a dozen students at Swiss Re’s Americas Division, where he worked from 2001 to 2005, and to his current employer, property and casualty insurance specialist Ironshore.
“There are so many things you can do to help young people,” he says.
After graduating from GW in 1973 with a B.B.A. in accounting, Mr. Blaser joined Marsh & Company as a staff accountant. He later became the global chief financial officer and eventually the head of global planning and technology. In 2001, he became the chief financial officer of Swiss Re’s Americas Division, one of the world’s largest reinsurers.
And in 2006, he jumped at a new opportunity by joining Ironshore, a Bermuda-based specialty property and casualty insurance company as a founding executive. As chief operating officer and chief financial officer, as well as chief executive officer of Ironshore’s Bermuda subsidiary, he is responsible for all non-underwriting functions including finance, information technologies and risk management.
“He’s getting busier and busier, but from the school’s perspective, Mitch shows no sign of letting up,” says Dean Phillips.
When his oldest daughter, Ali Blaser, B.B.A. ’07, decided to come to GW in 2002, Mr. Blaser was asked to launch and chair the Parents Council, which he is still a member of today. His youngest daughter, Heather Blaser, will be graduating next week with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in business.
“Now that my daughters will have both graduated from here, it’s an even deeper connection with GW,” he says.