The Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering added two more successful executives to its Alumni Hall of Fame on Sunday, honoring two men who took their University of Florida degrees to new heights.
Inducted were Kevin Teehan, a 1988 UF graduate and current technology consultant, and Eric R. Stern, a 1983 (bachelor’s) and 2011 (master’s) UF graduate and current executive partner at global research firm Gartner. Both serve on ISE’s Advisory Board.
The UF ISE Alumni Leadership Awards program was initiated in 2009, with an inaugural class being inducted into the Hall of Fame at the department’s 75th Anniversary celebration. ISE Hall of Fame inductees must have worked professionally for 15 or more years after graduation, created exemplary engineering outcomes, and made significant service contributions to the engineering discipline or UF. Nominees are submitted by either the ISE Advisory Board or faculty, along with faculty review and a vote on candidates.
“Receiving this recognition is an extraordinary honor, one that has given me a moment to pause and reflect on just how much Florida’s flagship university has shaped my journey,” Teehan said. “I carry deep gratitude for the faculty, mentors, and classmates who challenged me, supported me, and helped lay the foundation for everything that’s followed. This isn’t just a professional milestone, it’s a personal one. I’ve always been, and always will be, proud to be a Florida Gator, a graduate of one of the premier public universities in the nation.”
Teehan credits ISE for the ability to solve complex problems through systems thinking strategic design, and human-centered innovation.
From leadership at Motorola to global transformation at lock-technology company ASSA ABLOY, Teehan has led high-impact initiatives and advanced innovation in everything from manufacturing and healthcare to secure identity and critical infrastructure.
“My early career at Motorola began with the opportunity to contribute to breakthrough innovation in paging, wireless technology, semiconductor packaging, and access control —while actively building my engineering skills and gaining hands-on experience with advanced technologies,” he said. “I stepped into an environment where the pace of invention was constant and the expectations were high, and I quickly learned how to bring ideas to life through technical rigor, operational focus, and cross-functional collaboration.”
He now serves as a senior consultant, strategic advisor, and fractional C-suite executive with the partners at Future Point of View, a technology strategy firm focused on helping organizations navigate disruption and lead through innovation
“I help executive teams move beyond hype to design AI systems that align with their values, culture, and long-term goals,” he said. “It’s not just about deploying technology—it’s about building the strategic frameworks and leadership capacity to manage change and maximize impact.”
Teehan holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and has completed executive programs at Harvard and IMD. He remains committed to education, mentorship and lifelong learning through his advisory roles, volunteer work, and support of the UF community.
As an undergraduate at UF, Stern worked extensively with Luis Martin-Vega, Ph.D., on research with the U.S. Army.
After graduation, he joined Rockwell International (now Collins Aerospace) as an industrial engineer, focusing on manufacturing support and new facility layout and design. In management, he led manufacturing engineers, production leadership teams and program managers in Florida and Iowa. In 2007, Stern was promoted to senior director of operations, responsible for the Melbourne Operations of Rockwell Collins.
In 2012, Stern became the chief operating officer with Esterline Controls Systems in Los Angeles, leading the turnaround of an underperforming business.
In 2015, Stern was appointed vice president of regional operations, Americas for Meggitt customer services and support. Meggitt is a global company specializing in components for aerospace, defense, and energy companies.
Since 2017, Stern has worked as an executive partner in supply chain with Gartner, where he advises Fortune 500 senior executives.
“I am honored to be receiving the Alumni Leadership Award from the ISE department at the University of Florida,” Stern said.
“The education and support I received from UF during my undergraduate years and later as I earned my master’s degree through the Outreach Engineering Management program have been instrumental in shaping my career and achievements. I enjoy staying connected to the school through my work on the [ISE] advisory board and in other ways, helping the ISE department grow and adapt to meet the needs of our future engineers.”