UofL hires Ernst & Young alumnus to lead industry partnerships

The University of Louisville has hired former longtime Ernst & Young partner David Calzi to guide industry engagement as part of its Office of Research and Innovation.

In his role as director of industry partnerships, Calzi will serve as the point of contact for companies looking to engage across the university to find talent, solve problems and innovate. He also will work with each of the university’s schools to launch new strategic alliances and business development initiatives, including corporate training and internship programs and corporate-sponsored research.

“I’m excited to continue to be of service to our community and to get started building strong relationships between UofL and our many industry partners,” Calzi said. “UofL offers a wealth of resources for companies looking to find solutions, innovate and grow, and I look forward to working with them to create meaningful partnerships.”

Calzi’s position at UofL is based in the Office of Research and Innovation and he will report to Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation Kevin Gardner. Gardner’s office works with industry to engage with the university by sponsoring research, licensing innovative campus-born technologies, launching major strategic partnerships and more.

“We are excited to have Dave on board and working with us to further the university’s relationships with industry,” Gardner said. “Orienting the university to better engage regional businesses began the day I started here, in keeping with the vision and priorities of President (Neeli) Bendapudi. UofL has made important changes so we are better aligned to partner with businesses, and we are excited for Dave to help us create, develop and foster these partnerships that are critical for economic development in Louisville and the Commonwealth.”

Calzi has broad experience in business development and leadership, specifically working to create collaboration among higher education, government and a number of industry sectors. He spent nearly four decades in public accounting with two of the world’s largest public accounting firms, including EY. During his tenure there, he served as Louisville office managing partner and led EY’s Government and Public Sector practice, encompassing a 14-state region including Kentucky, prior to his retirement from EY in June 2020.

He also is very involved in the community, currently serving or having served on numerous boards, including the Catholic Education Foundation, Community Foundation of Louisville, Endeavor Louisville, Evolve 502 Scholars Foundation, Greater Louisville Inc., Leadership Louisville, the Muhammad Ali Center and others.