Glenn Renwick, a beloved 1978 UF ISE graduate who went on to become the chairman and president/CEO of the Progressive Corp., died earlier this year at age 70.
Renwick and his wife, Deborah (BSN, ‘77), were substantial UF engineering donors, including a $3 million gift that established the endowed Glenn and Deborah Renwick Leadership Professorship in AI and Ethics and the Renwick Faculty Fellows in AI and Research. Their donations also funded the Renwick Engineering Scholars Fund.
He was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2011.
During Renwick’s 32 years at Progressive, annual revenues grew from about $800 million in 1986 to $30 billion in 2016. Forbes twice listed him as one of the 40 most admired CEOs in the world.
Renwick also received a Congressional commendation for having all water-damaged, Progressive-insured cars in New Orleans destroyed, protecting unsuspecting buyers from purchasing them later.
In establishing the professorship in AI and ethics, Renwick empowered faculty and students to dig deep into not only what AI can do but should do.
“AI started out as an engineering issue, but it concerns everyone. Literally everyone, every age. And he challenged us to do this the right way so that another generation does not have to pay the cost,” said Sonja Schmer-Galunder, Ph.D., the Glenn and Deborah Renwick Leadership Professor in AI and Ethics.
“Really what this course does is allow us to think, which will ultimately shape the tech leaders of tomorrow on AI,” added student Christopher Tressler, a student in the course (known as the Renwick Program for Ethical, Safe and Beneficial Intelligence).
Renwick was born on May 22, 1955 in New Zealand, where he developed his life-long passions for learning, travel, rugby, sailing, sports of any nature and sheep farming. In 1977, he graduated from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand with a Bachelor of Science in Economics.
Following his graduation, he moved to the United States to be with Deborah and continue his education at UF, where he was a member of Tau Beta Pi and Alpha Pi Mu honor societies.
He started his professional career as a technologist at Bell Laboratories and later joined Ernst & Whinney as a management consultant. In 1986, he joined Progressive as a product manager and quickly rose through the management ranks, becoming president and CEO in 2000. He retired as CEO in 2016 and from the Board of Directors in 2018.
After retiring, Renwick helped create and teach a program at UF on ethical decision-making in business and the ethical use of artificial intelligence.
Renwick’s love for New Zealand and its environment prompted him and Deborah to plant tens of thousands of trees with a goal of 1 million plants on their farm, dubbed Matapihi. They helped others plant more trees, re-establish native bird populations and develop environmentally sustainable farming techniques.