Bill Herbes '79, Science Alliance
ENVISION Magazine, 2006

A Bachelor of Science degree, a minor in art, a teaching license and a master of business administration degree -- Bill Herbes ’79 has tried it all, but where did it lead him?

Herbes is executive vice president of supply for the Americas confectionery division of Cadbury Schweppes, one of the largest beverage and confectionery chains in the world.

“The good thing about UW-Whitewater was that I was able to try different things and explore my options,” Herbes said.

He first explored mechanical engineering but moved on to look at alternatives in ceramics, social work, physics and chemistry.

Herbes said his professors helped to steer him in the right direction: education. After a short time teaching high school science at Stillman Valley School District near Rockford, Ill., he decided to accept a job at a nearby confectionery plant, which was eventually bought by Cadbury Schweppes.

While advancing within the company, Herbes earned his master’s degree from Rockford College. Now, he does strategic planning with employees all over the world to improve Cadbury Schweppes’ confections manufacturing.

His teaching skills come in handy when he’s working with teams of people, and his science background helps him to understand the products.

He said he doesn’t think about where he’ll be 10 years from now; rather, he looks for ways to add value to his current position. – Cassandra Sura