Eric Schutt, chief of staff, vice president of government affairs, and Mo-99 project director for SHINE Technologies, joined the La Follette School’s Board of Visitors (BOV) in 2016. A former chief of staff for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Schutt has more than 25 years of experience at the federal and state level in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. He received bachelor’s degrees in political science, history, and international relations from UW–Madison and an MBA from George Washington University.
At SHINE Technologies, Schutt is responsible for developing and executing the talent and cultural development strategy, plans and leads strategic government affairs activities, and oversees SHINE’s efforts to bring their diagnostic isotope production facility online.
In his role as chief of staff for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Schutt led day-to-day strategic management of government-wide operations and acted as the principal advisor to the governor. He also served as the lead negotiator for the governor on all high-profile matters and was responsible for management and hiring of gubernatorial appointees. As part of his role, Schutt managed a $73 billion biennial state budget comprised of 17 state agencies and over 60,000 state employees.
Previously, Schutt worked as senior vice president of external affairs and head of state government affairs for UnitedHealth Group, where he was responsible for developing and implementing the state external affairs strategy.
He also led the advocacy efforts for the Wisconsin Alumni Association, the American Cancer Society in Wisconsin, and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International in Washington, D.C.
“The La Follette School plays an important role in shaping public policy, and more importantly in shaping future leaders,” says Schutt. “Serving as a BOV member provides me with the opportunity to stay engaged in this important endeavor.”
Since 2015, the La Follette School BOV has played a vital part in providing guidance to the school. The BOV is comprised of business partners and other collaborators representing the public and private sectors who are interested in seeing the La Follette School succeed. Schutt brings his expertise in organizational leadership and his experience successfully navigating complex negotiations to his role as a BOV member.