WMU HOME > ABOUT WMU > WMU NEWS Aseritis, Holden elected to lead trustees Feb. 20, 2005 KALAMAZOO--Peter L. Aseritis of Williamsburg, Mich., and James P. Holden of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., have been elected to serve for 2005 as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Western Michigan University Board of Trustees. The election took place at the board's annual formal session Feb. 18, as provided in its bylaws. Each will serve a one-year term in office. Aseritis, who was appointed to the WMU Board in 2001, is president and primary owner of Portfolio Performance Analysis Inc., an expert witness and investment advisory firm based in Traverse City, Mich. Before taking his current position in 2001, Aseritis spent a year as a business consultant and for 17 years before that was a New York-based equity research analyst. He was a senior aerospace analyst and director for Credit Suisse First Boston from 1989 to 1999, a senior aerospace analyst and vice president at Smith Barney from 1986 to 1989, and a defense electronics analyst and vice president at E.F. Hutton from 1982 to 1986. He earned his bachelor's degree from WMU in 1973 and went on to earn an MBA in finance from Pennsylvania State University in 1982. From 1973 to 1980, he was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. The two-time president of the New York Aerospace Analysts Society has served as a guest business lecturer at New York University and at Penn State. Holden was appointed to the WMU board in 2002. He is the former president and chief executive officer of DaimlerChrysler AG. Holden earned a bachelor's degree in political science from WMU in 1973 and an MBA from Michigan State University in 1990. He began his career in the auto industry with Ford Motor Co. shortly after graduating from WMU. After eight years at Ford, Holden joined the Chrysler Corp. in 1981 as a fleet development manager for truck operations and began a rapid rise through the Chrysler ranks. By 1996 he was one of six executive vice presidents at Chrysler and in 1998, he helped create the new corporate structure for DaimlerChrysler, ultimately emerging as president in 1999 of the entity created from the merger of Chrylser with Daimler Benz. By June 2000, Holden had added the role of CEO to his responsibilities. He held both titles until leaving the firm late that year. Other WMU board officers elected to one-year terms at the Jan. 24 meeting were: Betty A. Kocher, secretary to the board; Robert M. Beam, treasurer and assistant secretary; and Lowell P. Rinker, assistant treasurer. Beam is the University's vice president for business and finance, and Rinker is associate vice president for business. Media contact: Cheryl Roland, 269 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu WMU News Office of University Relations Western Michigan University 1903 W Michigan Ave Kalamazoo MI 49008-5433 USA 269 387-8400 www.wmich.edu/wmu/news