Retired executive proudly supports Ilitch School students

Byron O. Pond, Jr. '61 grew up in Detroit. After his Army service, he returned home to pursue business education at Wayne State University.

"Wayne State had a reputation I wanted to identify with. It was more of an up-and-coming school and seemed in line with what I liked to do and who I wanted to be. It's where I began a long, fulfilling career," Pond said.

After completing his bachelor's in business administration, Pond was a leading business executive and an active board member at automotive companies and other organizations for more than five decades, lifting them to greater success regardless of their starting point.

Pond is a strong supporter of the Mike Ilitch School of Business, giving back to students in multiple, meaningful ways. In 2014, he and his wife, Margaret, established a scholarship in memory of their son, Byron Oliver Pond III. After Margaret passed away in 2015, Pond established the Margaret J. Pond Endowed Scholarship for M.B.A. Students. To date, these scholarships have assisted 63 Ilitch Business students.

More recently, Pond launched the Laptop Loan Program, which has provided nearly 200 laptops to the Mike Ilitch School of Business students since 2024.

"I heard a few stories about students not having enough money to buy a computer and thought that was ridiculous," Pond said. "I couldn't understand how anybody could be a business student without a computer."

Cheydan Hussain, a senior majoring in supply chain management, has been using a loaned laptop this year and said it has allowed him to meet his academic goals and stay on track to graduate.

"I used to struggle to complete my assignments. The high cost made it difficult for me to purchase a laptop on my own, so I had to rely on shared computers. Now I can complete assignments on time, take organized notes during lectures and stay highly engaged all day," Hussain said.

Kierra Davis, M.B.A. candidate, said the program provides a lifeline for learning.

"As a single mother, balancing the responsibilities of raising a child while trying to advance my education and career can often feel overwhelming. This program has provided me with more than just resources; it has given me hope, encouragement and a clear path forward," Davis said.

Pond said giving back to Wayne State made sense because, like students receiving laptops, the business school gave him his start, too.

"I've always felt highly indebted to Wayne State because I was a crummy student whom they decided to let in on probation after I got out of the Army. I didn't get great grades at first, but they really worked with me, and I ended up being an A and B student when I graduated," Pond said.

He explained that the challenges of those formative years refined his endurance and hard work ethic.

"I never left the library. My classes were three days a week. I went at 10 a.m. and was there til 10 p.m. All my time was in the study hall, and I worked for my father on the days in between. I was pretty much a monk," Pond said.

The dedication Pond displayed as a student was even more apparent as a worker, and it would not go unrecognized.

Pond was with Maremont Corporation from 1968-86, serving as president and CEO when Arvin Industries, Inc. acquired it. Pond led a management team through the merger and became Arvin's president, CEO and chairman.

Pond reduced Arvin's non-automotive assets and acquired profitable exhaust and ride control businesses that more than offset revenues from the operations that were sold. He also reformed company culture.

"We completely changed the way Arvin did business," Pond said. "We focused on the worker and uplifting people in the organization. It used to be if somebody had an idea, they'd have to go to management and it would get stuck there, but we said, 'Go ahead and implement it.'"

Under Pond, revenues rose to over $2.5 billion, reinvigorating operating margins and doubling market capitalization. By the time Pond retired in 1999, Arvin's reputation had been solidified as a global leader in automotive parts. Still, he remained active in his field serving on several boards and leading another company, Amcast, for years thereafter.

Reflecting on his life from humble Detroit beginnings to accomplished leader and philanthropist, Pond said he is grateful for what Wayne State taught him. Because he led companies to success, they compensated him well. Now, he empowers new generations of Wayne State business leaders to make their own mark.

"My career started at Wayne State, and it provided me with many memorable experiences which I will always cherish," Pond said. "Perhaps one of the most memorable was our last shareholder meeting where our employees received a standing ovation from the company's owners for the commendable job they had done to make their company successful."

- Steve Zoski, Senior Writer and Content Specialist, Office of Development and Alumni Affairs