Retired ManpowerGroup Executive's Career Exemplifies Benefit of Technical Education
Terry Hueneke was a lead investor
in the campaign to establish
the MATC Promise.
A top ManpowerGroup executive when he retired, MATC alumnus Terry Hueneke demonstrates the value of a technical college education through his career advancement, business excellence, community service and support of technical colleges.
Hueneke excels at getting things done, a trait he developed starting at a young age with a paper route. "I was on a business path since I was 11 years old," said the south-side Milwaukee native. He purchased the paper route and was able to build it into one of the largest in the area, which required waking at 4:30 a.m. seven days per week.
His technical college education honed his raw talent and played a crucial role in the launch of his career. Hueneke attended MATC (then Milwaukee Institute of Technology) for an associate degree in Advertising and Marketing. His education prepared him well for his Assistant Advertising Manager role for the 140 A&P cooperative grocery stores across the area.
He transitioned into the service industry, heading up marketing for a global proprietary education firm; then joined ManpowerGroup, a Wisconsin-based world leader in innovative workforce solutions. Today, the company connects more than 600,000 people to work each day, across a wide range of skills and industries, helping to power the success of clients around the world. ManpowerGroup has grown from one office in Milwaukee in 1948 to a $22 billion business that works with 400,000 clients across the globe and 3.4 million associates each year.
Putting people to work is a noble cause in his eyes. "To be self-sufficient, to be independent is a much better option for life than depending on someone else. Work is the root of independence – contributing to the growth of a business or product and to the community as a taxpayer," he said. "Education does not have to involve a Ph.D. for everyone. Technical education can add so much to someone's independence."
Hueneke became ManpowerGroup's number two executive and continued to guide the company via its Board of Directors until 2014, when he retired as its longest-serving Board member.
A proud MATC graduate, he firmly believes "a two-year associate degree from a technical college is what is necessary to close the skills gap for employees and businesses."
He shared how the foundation for success within every level of employment can be learned at technical colleges.
In addition to the academic and technical part of my education, MATC formed my approach to problem solving, objective setting and execution, which I used throughout my business career.
Helping Others Achieve Success
Hueneke has always believed in giving back to his community and started doing so immediately upon graduation, when instructors invited him to present his career perspectives to MATC Marketing associate degree students on several occasions.
Upon retirement, he further dedicated his commitment to supporting arts and education causes in Wisconsin and New York. Hueneke currently volunteers with The Fortune Society, focusing on reintegrating former felons into society; Solar One, providing training and education for clean environment-related jobs; and a food bank.
Hueneke provided his professional experience at the national level as a member of the Business Advisory Council to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, garnering a unique perspective on employer needs.
For the MATC Foundation, he has made several generous contributions to support students via the Charlie Dee and Anne Landre First Generation Scholarship Endowment. A longtime friend to Hueneke, Dee is a retired MATC English instructor who served the college for 33 years.
Hueneke was also a lead investor in the campaign to establish the MATC Promise. The first program of its kind in Wisconsin, the MATC Promise for New High School Graduates welcomed its first students in fall 2016, providing free tuition to eligible high school graduates and opening the doors of college to students who never thought it was possible. Hueneke's commitment to the value of technical college education also compelled him to successfully encourage his network of colleagues and friends to make donations in support of student success at MATC.
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