CMU alumnus and Service Express CEO inspire students to lead with grit

When Ron Alvesteffer, president and CEO of Service Express, stepped into marketing faculty member Jeff Hoyle’s class at Central Michigan University, he wasn’t just revisiting his alma mater; he was coming full circle.

A 1992 CMU graduate with a degree in education, Alvesteffer built his career not in the classroom, but in the competitive world of IT services. Today, he leads a global company with more than 1,000 employees and 56 locations across the U.S. and Europe. But his message to students wasn’t about corporate milestones; it was about persistence, ownership, and the willingness to learn.

“I didn’t know what I was doing when I came out of school,” Alvesteffer said. “So I talked to people who were doing what I wanted to do. Now, I get to come back and help students the same way to offer advice I wish I’d known back then. It’s about paying it forward.”

Learning beyond the degree

Alvesteffer reminded students that graduation is just the starting line.

“You’ve learned how to learn now, keep applying it,” he said. “I had a teaching degree and wanted to go into business, so I spent 20 years reading 12 books a year to figure it out. Learning doesn’t stop when you graduate.”

That mindset, which he calls a “performance mindset,” has fueled Service Express’s growth from a $3 million regional firm in 1997 to a $350 million global company today.

Embracing the journey

When asked what advice he’d give his younger self, Alvesteffer paused.

“I almost don’t want to give myself advice,” he said. “Failure is what taught me the most. Go out there, try things, and don’t be afraid to fail. Embrace that journey of figuring things out because you will. There are magical moments in that process.”

He credits much of his success to the same traits he encourages in students: grit, ownership, teamwork, and character. His leadership philosophy, shared in his presentation titled Performance Mindset, urges young professionals to “fail forward,” take accountability, and “collect rejections and failures” as a measure of growth, not defeat.

From the faculty perspective

For Hoyle, having guest speakers like Alvesteffer reinforces the classroom-to-career connection at the heart of CMU’s College of Business Administration.

“The value of having guest speakers in class is the authentic perspective they bring,” Hoyle said. “They’re doing what students are reading about. It shows what success and the process of getting there can really look like.”

Hoyle hopes students will walk away not just with inspiration, but with confidence. “People doing amazing things are often those who didn’t have all the answers,” he said. “They were willing to risk failure to learn. I want students to see that they can do the same.”

A CMU foundation

When asked about his favorite CMU memory, Alvesteffer didn’t hesitate: the friendships and relationships he built as a student.

“They’re still some of my closest connections today,” he said. “CMU will always be home.”

From a teaching major in Anspach Hall to CEO of a multinational IT firm, Alvesteffer’s journey embodies what he hopes students will take away: confidence in leading, courage to fail, and commitment to keep learning.

As CMU’s College of Business continues to connect students with industry leaders and alumni mentors, Alvesteffer’s visit was a reminder that success isn’t about shortcuts; it’s about showing up, taking ownership, and growing through every challenge.