The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University is pleased to announce that founder, chairman and CEO of Banyan Technologies Group, Tanvir Arfi, has been named the School’s Spring 2023 Executive-in-Residence. Residents provide Barton School students, faculty and the Wichita community with vital perspectives and knowledge from industry leaders.
“Tanvir brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise, insights and thoughtful opinions,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, Dean of the Barton School. “I think our college and community will greatly benefit from having him as our Spring 2023 Executive-in-Residence.”
In this role, Arfi will provide mentorship opportunities to students, exchange ideas with Barton School faculty and host a conversation with business leaders. As a guest lecturer, he will bring “Real Case Studies on Digital Marketing Technologies,” from Banyan’s portfolio that operate over 100 eCommerce websites and provide multi-channel Digital Marketing technologies for some of the best known brands in the world. In addition, Arfi will also deliver a keynote presentation titled “Future of Mobility: Electric Vehicles (EVs), Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) and Emerging Technologies that will change the future of Human Mobility”.
“I’ve spent a large portion of career in technology and the impact it has on variety of industries,” said Arfi. “Technology has and will continue to change the way we move, think, interact, work and live. It’s imperative to understand where we are and where we’re headed.”
Arfi launched Banyan Technologies Group, a B2B services and software company in 2018, after leading two successful exits in large cap publicly traded companies while serving as CEO of Automotive Aftermarket businesses serving Auto OEMs; their Franchised Dealer networks; and the independent Aftermarket. Arfi led the $1.25B carve out of SPX Corp’s auto business in 2013 and was part of the leadership team that led the $6.5 billion public to private transaction of Solera Holdings in 2016.
He has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bangalore University and a master’s degree from Wichita State University. Arfi is a certified Lean Enterprise and Six Sigma Expert, an American Society of Quality (ASQ) Certified Reliability Engineer and a certified Malcolm Baldrige Examiner. He is an auto enthusiast who loves 1960s and 1970s American muscle cars and a licensed private pilot. He currently resides in the greater Dallas area with his family.
“We are so excited to welcome Tanvir back to Wichita State,” said Dr. Shirley Lefever, Executive Vice President and Provost at Wichita State University. “The Executive-in-Residence program has been a great asset to the Barton School and this university. We look forward to Tanvir adding his mark on this experience.”
For more information on the Barton School, visit www.wichita.edu/academics/business/.