Jimmy Peltier, A Legacy of Success

Written by Gracie Weston

After nearly four decades of shaping students, programs, and partnerships at UW-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics, Dr. James (Jimmy) Peltier is turning the page and stepping into retirement. Before joining UW-Whitewater in 1986, Jimmy brought with him business experience as a consultant, Research Director in an Advertising Agency, and as President of a marketing consulting firm. Since arriving on campus, he has worn many hats—marketing professor, department chair, director of the Institute for Sales Excellence, and longtime advisor to the award-winning AMA chapter. To say he’s been involved would be an understatement.

At a spring ceremony surrounded by peers, students, and admirers, Dr. James (Jimmy) Peltier was honored with the 2025 Marketing Innovator Award from the Marketing Management Association (MMA) — a recognition reserved for visionary educators whose scholarship and service have meaningfully advanced the field of marketing education. In receiving the award, Peltier joined a prestigious group of past Marketing Innovator Award recipients, including renowned scholars like Philip Kotler (2002), Jagdish Sheth (2003), and one of Jimmy’s personal mentors Don Schultz (2013). The full list of honorees is available on the MMA's official website.

“Congratulations Jimmy! You have inspired many colleagues over your amazing career,” said Dr. Brian Vander Schee, MMA’s Executive Director and a former doctoral student under Jimmy’s mentorship.

The Marketing Innovator Award is one of several lifetime achievement honors Dr. James (Jimmy) Peltier has earned during his nearly four decades at UW-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics. His contributions have been recognized both within the university and across the broader academic and professional communities.

At UW-Whitewater, Dr. Peltier has been honored with numerous awards, including the W.P. Roseman Excellence in Teaching Award (2016), Excellence in Research Awards (1999, 2005), and the Excellence in Service Award (2009), reflecting his all-around impact as a teacher, scholar, and servant leader.

Beyond the university, Dr. Peltier has received multiple lifetime achievement honors, including the Robert C. Clarke Lifetime Educator Award from the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (2001), Wisconsin Social Entrepreneur of the Year (2009), the AMA Collegiate Faculty Advisor Lifetime Achievement Award (2011), and most recently, the USCA Lifetime Achievement Award (2024).

"Jimmy Peltier represents what we strive for in higher education—a scholar who doesn't just teach, but transforms," said Dr. Paul Ambrose, Dean of UW-Whitewater's College of Business and Economics. "Over nearly four decades, he has built world-class programs that have elevated our entire college's reputation. What impresses me most is how thoughtfully he has developed the next generation of faculty and staff leaders. Jimmy didn't just create programs; he created a sustainable culture of excellence that will thrive long after his retirement. That's the mark of a true leader—building something bigger than yourself."

 

Innovator. Builder. Mentor.

From his early days on campus in the 1980s, Peltier didn’t just teach—he built. In 1986, he began advising the UWW Collegiate Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and launched Creative Marketing Unlimited (CMU), a student-run consulting division under UWW AMA. Today, UWW AMA is one of the most decorated AMA chapters in the world. During his time as faculty advisor, Jimmy guided the chapter to an astounding 21 International Chapter of the Year titles—14 of which were consecutive—creating a culture of excellence rooted in his vision.

In addition to his leadership at UWW AMA, Dr. Peltier is a Past-President of both the University Sales Center Alliance and the American Marketing Association Collegiate Chapters Council.

“Jimmy Peltier is the reason I came to UW-Whitewater and one of the biggest reasons I have stayed,” said Dr. Pavan Chennamaneni, a current AMA advisor and colleague. “For nearly 40 years, his visionary leadership and tireless dedication have transformed the lives of thousands of students, shaping not only careers but character. His legacy will live on in every student he believed in, every program he built, and every colleague he inspired.”

 

Beyond Marketing: Championing Entrepreneurship and Sales

Peltier’s influence didn’t stop at marketing. He was also an early supporter of UW-Whitewater’s online education initiatives, which were launched in 1998 and have since gained national recognition and serve thousands of learners worldwide. Today, these programs are ranked among the best, with notable distinctions including:

• #1 Single-School Online MBA Program in Wisconsin
• #1 Online Graduate Business Program in Wisconsin
• #1 Online Undergraduate Business Program in Wisconsin
• #1 Online Business Program for Veterans in Wisconsin

Furthermore, in 2006, in conjunction with the management department, Peltier helped launch the UW-Whitewater Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO) chapter — a student-run group focused on promoting entrepreneurial thinking and opportunity creation for all students, regardless of major.

What is CEO?

CEO is part of a global network of more than 240 chapters that supports the next generation of entrepreneurs. UWW’s CEO chapter encourages students to explore business creation through guest speakers, startup competitions, business pitch contests, and leadership development opportunities. With programs like the Warhawk Business Plan Competition and Launch Pad student accelerator, students are not only learning about entrepreneurship — they’re living it.

What is ISE?

In 2012, Peltier was instrumental in founding the Institute for Sales Excellence (ISE) — a transformational hub for experiential learning in professional selling.

Part of UW-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics, ISE is an elite sales institute and an accredited member of the University Sales Center Alliance. It offers students from any major a wealth of real-world experiences, including:

• Certificate programs and sales training
• Career fairs and job shadowing
• National sales competitions
• The “Partners in the Classroom” event series, connecting students directly with employers

This past year alone, ISE hosted:

•  8 Competitions at the UWW AMA Regional Conference
• 3 career fairs, resulting in 2,736 student-employer interactions
• 2 “Partners in the Classroom” events with 3,815 student-employer interactions
• 6 certificate events averaging 261 students per panel
• 10 internal competitions

The UW-Whitewater Sales Team, supported by ISE, has consistently ranked among the top nationally. This year, students involved in ISE competed in 12 external competitions. A notable highlight includes 5th place in the National Collegiate Sales Competition (72 universities total) with the UWW Sales Team ranked 3rd place for 2026.

Another standout opportunity introduced under Dr. Peltier’s leadership is the Sales Cup—a unique incentive program that awards up to $25,000 in cash prizes each year. Through initiatives like this, the Institute for Sales Excellence (ISE) not only equips students for success but also recognizes and rewards their dedication.

 

A Global Connector

Jimmy’s impact has extended far beyond state and national lines, helping UW-Whitewater build meaningful international partnerships that continue to shape students’ global perspectives. His collaboration with Justus Liebig University (JLU) in Germany is a standout example.

“Jimmy helped our students make meaningful connections with marketing and sales students in the U.S., creating cross-cultural learning experiences that have been incredibly impactful,” said Alexander Haas, a faculty member at JLU.

Haas recalled their first meeting at the 2016 USCA fall conference:

“I ran into Jimmy for the first time and found myself moments later deep in conversation about the differences in sales education between the U.S. and Europe. At the time, JLU was the only non-U.S. member school. That evening, Jimmy invited me to dinner and proposed we link our sales programs through mutual visits—and within six months, UWW’s sales students visited us in Bremen. Another six months later, we returned the visit. Our schools have continued the exchange ever since.”

This global vision has not only elevated UW-Whitewater’s presence in international marketing and sales education but also fostered a lasting intercultural exchange between institutions. As Alexander Haas noted, “Not only has Jimmy again and again raised the bar in terms of leadership and impact, but he has also been a role model as a researcher, teacher, and mentor and, last but not least, a dear friend to all of us.”

 

Research That Resonates

Dr. Peltier began his publishing journey in 1989. Since then he has authored more than 200 academic contributions, which have been cited over 12,300 times, spanning everything from customer relationship management to pedagogical innovation. Many of these works have earned awards, further underscoring the scholarly impact of his work.

“Jimmy has been an innovator on the UW-Whitewater campus and beyond,” said Dr. Andy Dahl, Chair of the Department of Marketing. “He helped revise our marketing curriculum to integrate AI and drove cutting-edge programs that set us apart nationally.”

 

Leaving a Legacy

Jimmy Peltier’s career reflects the best of what academia can be — scholarship with purpose, mentorship with heart, and innovation with impact.

To honor Dr. Peltier’s legacy, the Department of Marketing is doubling down on the values he championed: experiential learning, student engagement, innovation, and staying ahead of industry trends. Incoming Marketing Department Chair Andy Dahl reflects, “Under Jimmy’s leadership, the department has consistently prioritized high-impact practices like student organization involvement and experiential learning. He also built a culture of success beyond the classroom, dedicating countless hours to coaching students in sales and marketing competitions."

Dahl adds, “In honoring Jimmy’s legacy, we are making student success and mentorship outside the classroom—through student organizations, sales competitions, and other experiential opportunities—a top strategic priority. At the same time, we’re committed to continuing his entrepreneurial spirit by driving innovation in our programs and ensuring we prepare the next generation of marketing leaders.”

"If marketing is your passion, there's no better place to be than right here at UW-Whitewater," said Dean Ambrose. "Jimmy's extraordinary success has built our marketing department into a national powerhouse—we're the reigning title holders, and that's no accident. We're boldly embracing the future of marketing education, integrating cutting-edge technology and industry partnerships that keep us ahead of the curve. I know Jimmy will be proud as we continue to build on the unshakeable foundation he's created. This is where marketing excellence lives."

In his MMA Marketing Innovator Award acceptance speech, Dr. Peltier left fellow educators with three pieces of advice:

●       Seek out and enjoy the company of other researchers

●       Serve as a resource for others, including finding ways to help young scholars

●       Don't be afraid to let others be the lead author

That third point is especially telling. Even at the height of his own success, Jimmy Peltier has always been most concerned with lifting others up. And that’s the essence of a true legacy — one that will continue to grow through the students, colleagues, and programs he’s touched for generations to come.

Photos

Above: Jimmy Peltier greets attendees of The 2022 AMA Regional Conference which was held on Oct. 7, 2022, in Hyland Hall. (Photo Credits: Nick Pook)

Above Left : Jimmy Peltier receives the 2025 Marketing Innovator Award from the Marketing Management Association (MMA) (Photo Credits: Submitted)

Above Right : Jimmy Peltier, AMA chapter adviser and chair of the Marketing Department, goes to the podium to welcome students to the 2016 UWW AMA Regional Conference. (Photo Credits: Craig Schreiner)

Above: Jimmy Peltier studies slide content during Patrice Achu's dissertation defense. Peltier is the second chair of his dissertation. (Photo Credits: Nick Pook)

 

Above: From left, Jodi Gissel, dissertation committee chair, Patrice Achu, and Jimmy Peltier, dissertation committee second chair. (Photo Credits: Nick Pook)

 

Above: Jimmy Peltier speaks to students who attended the first AMA meeting of the 2021 fall semester. (Photo Credits: UWW AMA)

 

Above: Jimmy Peltier, left, carries the Mace during the processional of the 2016 winter commencement ceremony, an honor accorded to the W.P. Roseman Excellence in Teaching Award recipient. (Photo Credits: Craig Schreiner)

 

Above : Jimmy Peltier welcomes attendees to the 2023 UW-Whitewater American Marketing Association Regional Conference.