# Larry Gies

> Larry Gies is the Chicago-based founder and CEO of Madison Industries and president of the Gies Foundation. He built a career acquiring and operating industrial businesses and supports education through the University of Illinois and Chicago Jesuit Academy.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Madison Industries
- **Organizations:** Madison Industries, The Gies Foundation, Northwestern University, Accelerate Institute, Madison Air
- **From:** Mendota, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree in accountancy, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, MBA, Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management
- **Known for:** Founded and leads Madison Industries., With Beth Gies, made the $150 million gift recognized in the naming of Gies College of Business., Supported the founding and expansion of Chicago Jesuit Academy.

## Career timeline

- **1988** — Graduated from Illinois; began his career at Touche Ross.
- **1992** — Earned a Kellogg MBA; worked with Michael Heisley in acquisitions and operations.
- **1994** — Founded Madison Capital Partners.
- **2014** — Kellogg profiled the transition to Madison Industries and long-term ownership.
- **2017** — Larry and Beth Gies committed $150 million to Illinois business education.
- **2019** — Delivered the University of Illinois commencement address.
- **2025** — Received an honorary doctorate and announced a $100 million Illinois athletics gift.
- **2026** — Madison Air IPO; Order of Lincoln; completion of Filtration Group sale to Parker.

## Achievements

- Founded and leads Madison Industries.
- With Beth Gies, made the $150 million gift recognized in the naming of Gies College of Business.
- Supported the founding and expansion of Chicago Jesuit Academy.
- Received the 2026 Order of Lincoln.
- Received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Illinois in 2025.
- Serves as Madison Air’s chairman of the board, a position held since October 2017.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Parker completed its acquisition of Filtration Group from Madison.
- **2026-06** — Appeared on The Gies Download to discuss leadership, education and taking a company public.
- **2026-04** — Madison Air priced its initial public offering; Gies received the Order of Lincoln.

## Links

- Website: https://madison.net/about-us/executive-profiles/larry-gies/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-gies-5805a4291

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/larry-gies
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-08