Jeff Yabuki Inducted into Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame

MILWAUKEE, Wis.— Jeff Yabuki, long-time CEO of Fiserv Inc., and life-long entrepreneur, philanthropist and educator, was inducted into the Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame™ in May at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. Yabuki joins a short list of outstanding and distinguished leaders honored over 34 years since the annual inductions began in 1990.

After 15 years with Fiserv, Yabuki is currently Chairman of specialist private equity platform, Motive Partners, and Chairman and CEO of financial technology and management company, InvestCloud.

Yabuki chairs the Milwaukee Art Museum Board of Trustees, is a Trustee at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, founder of the Yabuki Family Foundation and recently joined the United States-Japan Foundation Board of Trustees.

Born in Los Angeles, Yabuki was the first child of WW II era parents who struggled as a result of the political turmoil of the day. His father, a first-generation Japanese American, survived over two years in an internment camp during the war. Yabuki was the first of his family to graduate from high school but opted not to begin college until he was 21. His professional journey began as a CPA before he joined American Express, where he eventually became one of its youngest senior officers.

After six years as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at H&R Block, in 2005, he made what he calls the most important decision of his career – making the move to Milwaukee to lead Fiserv. Over nearly 15 years as CEO, Yabuki transformed Fiserv into a fintech leader, growing equity value from $8 billion to $80 billion and delivering 900% total shareholder return. Under his leadership, Fiserv Forum – home to the NBA Milwaukee Bucks in downtown Milwaukee – became a symbol of innovation and community pride.

Grounded in the belief that business should be a force for good, Yabuki says he measures leadership by the lives it improves along the way. His commitment to people-centered causes came into focus after the loss of his brother Craig in 2017. He and his family established the Craig Yabuki Mental Health Center at Children’s Wisconsin through a $20 million gift. The center has impacted over 500,000 lives since 2021.

On top of his other credentials, Yabuki serves on Boards of Directors for the Royal Bank of Canada, Nasdaq, Project Healthy Minds and as Chairman of Sportradar. In September 2022, Yabuki was named Executive-in-residence at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Sheldon B. Lubar College of Business, where he teaches courses on fintech and business strategy and serves as a mentor to students. Forbes magazine has named Yabuki among the most innovative leaders in America. He received an honorary Ph.D. in business and delivered the commencement address for the university at the May 2024 graduation ceremony.

About the Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame

Established in 1990, the Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame honors individuals whose business innovations, effective management, and civic involvement have made a significant impact on their companies and communities throughout the state. At the annual induction ceremony benefitting Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, laureates are recognized for the high standards they set as role models for Wisconsin’s young people and as innovative business leaders who have positively shaped Wisconsin’s business climate.

About Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA learning experiences are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on lessons that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, Junior Achievement is expanding its reach to 18-to-25-year-olds to provide young adults with critical life skills. Since 2021, more than 14,000 Junior Achievement volunteers have taught JA life skills to 340,000 Wisconsin students. For more information, visit Wisconsin.ja.org.

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