Cynthia “Cindy” Ihlenfeld (BBA ’75) has been named the 2026 recipient of the Distinguished Business Alumni Award from the Wisconsin School of Business.
This award honors individuals with exceptional careers who have made far-reaching impacts in their community, their industry, and at UW–Madison.
Over the years, Ihlenfeld has become a foundational pillar of the Badger community. Originally from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, she followed in her father’s footsteps by studying business at UW–Madison, where she earned a finance degree and graduated with honors.
After graduation, Ihlenfeld held various positions across banking and finance before joining 3M in 1981. There, she would spend nearly 20 years across various roles and leadership positions around the world, including Germany, Belgium, and the Asia Pacific region. She would later hold positions with Ecolab and Jefferson Wells (now a division of Manpower) before leaving the corporate world to focus on two passions: making art and pouring her volunteer and philanthropic energy into the arts and education spaces.
In this new phase of her career, her dedication to UW–Madison and relationship with WSB grew significantly and with tremendous impact. She served on the Dean’s Advisory Board (now WSB’s External Advisory Board) and later served as the WSB co-chair of the university’s All Ways Forward campaign, which became the largest and most successful comprehensive campaign in UW–Madison’s history. The campaign raised $4.2 billion for UW–Madison during its six-year run, including nearly $300 million for WSB.
She also played a key role in the creation of WSB’s Venture Fund, which provides seed funding for projects critical to the school’s mission.
“What I admire most about Cindy is that she approaches every opportunity with both strategic insight and genuine care.”
—Alisa Robertson (BA ’94, MBA ’03), president and CEO, Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association
Ihlenfeld now serves on the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association Board of Directors, where she chairs its advancement committee.
Ihlenfeld and her husband, Jay Ihlenfeld (PhD ’78), have helped create new professorships in both WSB and UW–Madison’s College of Engineering. The Cynthia and Jay Ihlenfeld Professor for Inspired Learning in Business title is currently held by Fabio Gaertner, an accounting professor at WSB.
“What I admire most about Cindy is that she approaches every opportunity with both strategic insight and genuine care,” says Alisa Robertson (BA ’94, MBA ’03), president and CEO of the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association. “She understands that behind every scholarship, professorship, or program is a story. She has been extraordinarily effective at helping others see the impact of investing in UW–Madison and has inspired others to become part of the university’s mission.”
Read about the other 2026 WSB Alumni Award recipients.
From the Dean
“Cindy is a legendary member of the Business Badger community. Her distinguished career alone would have been enough to set her apart, but it’s her second act—lived in service to causes and institutions near to her—that has permanently cemented her legacy. With an unparalleled track record of leadership, strategic vision, and philanthropy, Cindy’s impact on UW–Madison and WSB will undoubtedly be felt for decades to come.”