He was the chief executive officer of the Wausau Paper Corporation from 1989 to 1990, 1994 to 1995, and chairman from 2000 to 2012.
He was also on the boards of directors of MDU Resources, First American Bank, Wausau Insurance Companies and Marshall & Ilsley.
[5] From 1987 to 1989, he chaired the Board of Visitors of the UW-Madison School of Business.
He was appointed to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents for a seven-year term by Governor Tommy Thompson in 1993.
[8] A Republican, he supported George W. Bush, Jim DeMint, Pete Coors, Rand Paul, the Club for Growth and the Free Enterprise Fund.