Newsroom

William Wang, founder, CEO and chairman of VIZIO, Inc., gave an engaging Distinguished Executive Commencement Speech during the 2017 ceremony to a graduating class of 565 students.  Included in the Class of 2017 were 159 undergraduates, eight PhDs, 91 Full-Time MBAs, 116 Fully Employed MBAs, 33 Executive MBAs and 23 Healthcare Executive MBAs. Also in this year’s graduating class were 107 Master of Professional Accountancy students, 14 Master of Science in Biotechnology Management students, and 14 Master of Science in Engineering Management students.  

Held June 19 at the Bren Events Center on the UC Irvine campus, Mark C. Kehke ’83, MBA’93 served as UCI Alumni Association Mace Marshal and UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman presided. 

“The opportunity to share my experiences and inspiration with the graduates from the Merage School is an honor,” said Wang. “The future of global business lies in the hands of these young leaders who, I am confident, will guide us to new frontiers in innovation.”

“Throughout his career, William has been a catalyst for change.  He is a true innovator who has transformed an entire industry through technology.  His insight is invaluable to our graduating students as they dare to define their place on the global stage,” said Eric Spangenberg, dean of the Merage School.

Wang began his career in marketing and sales for a successful computer monitor company. He then launched MAG Innovision and later, Princeton Graphic Systems. Following the U.S. government’s mandate to convert to digital TV, Wang saw enormous potential in delivering a superior TV to a mass-market audience. In 2002, he launched VIZIO with the mission to make high quality plasma and LCD technology affordable.  By forming close partnerships with retailers, component suppliers and original design manufacturers, along with creating industry-leading operational efficiencies, Wang brought VIZIO’s products to Costco shelves by the second quarter of 2003.  Four years later, millions of Americans owned VIZIO TVs, and by 2007, VIZIO became a leading HDTV brand in America.

Wang has received many accolades including Entrepreneur of the Year honors from Ernst & Young, Chapman University and the Orange County Business Journal, Chinese American Academic & Professional Society Model Entrepreneur, and Forbes’ 25 Most Notable Chinese Americans. An active philanthropist, Wang serves on the boards of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and the Tim Salmon Foundation.  He is a vice chair of the American Film Institute Corporate Council. Wang holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California. 

In addition to Wang, two graduating students – Fully Employed MBA graduate Shannon Shetty and undergraduate Arden Davis – gave commencement speeches during the ceremony. Shetty and Davis competed for the opportunity to represent the graduating Class of 2017.

Shannon Shetty, FEMBA ’17, is a Southern California native who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics and now a Master of Business Administration, both from UC Irvine.   

While enrolled in the FEMBA program, Shetty served as section representative of her class while working full-time at Anthem Blue Cross where she is currently part of the Labor and Trust Account Management team. On campus, she was active in various organizations including the Challenge for Charity and the Merage Healthcare Association. Shetty is an avid traveler with a passion to learn and experience different cultures. One of her most memorable trips was to Cuba earlier this year with Merage School classmates where she was able to broaden her perspective on the economic, government, business and social transformation of the country. 

“I’ve worked with Shannon for three years as a student leader in the Fully Employed MBA program. She’s been an enthusiastic, engaged and supportive leader at the Merage School during her tenure and an excellent representative for all of our graduate students.  We are delighted that she was given the opportunity to speak at commencement,” said Tony Hansford, senior assistant dean of the Fully Employed and Executive MBA Programs.

The undergraduate speaker, Arden Davis ’17, studied Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. Throughout her collegiate career she has managed to balance her studies with numerous other pursuits at UCI and beyond. For the past four years, she has been the Libero for the UCI Women’s Volleyball team, serving as captain for the last two, and named Big West Scholar-Athlete of the Year for 2016. Davis is also a member of Delta Gamma where she served as the director of financial obligations and was named the Greek Outstanding Sophomore of the Year in 2015. She has volunteered her time with CHOC Children’s for the annual toy drive with the UCI Police Department and with the Blind Children’s Learning Center in Santa Ana. For the past two and a half years, Davis has worked for the Irvine Company as the UCI campus brand ambassador, a talent acquisition associate, and as a corporate finance associate. Upon graduation, Davis plans to pursue a career in commercial real estate and eventually return to the Merage School to obtain an MBA.

“While the judging was based solely on speech content and delivery, Arden Davis – like all of the applicants – is a shining example of the student population we are proud to have at the Merage School,” said Denise Patrick, assistant dean of Merage School undergraduate degree programs.

Watch the 2017 Commencement Ceremony here.