William S. Anderson to Speak at UCLA Anderson 2018 Commencement

May 18, 2018

William S. Anderson to Speak at UCLA Anderson 2018 Commencement

Anderson received his J.D. from the UCLA School of Law

LOS ANGELES (May 18, 2018) - UCLA Anderson School of Management announced that William S. Anderson (J.D. '88), executive chairman of Topa Equities Ltd., a Los Angeles-based diversified holding company, and chairman of Topa Insurance Group, will address this year's graduating classes. The graduation ceremony will take place on Friday, June 15, 2018, at 4:00 p.m. on Wilson Plaza at the UCLA campus.

Anderson, the son of John E. Anderson (B.S. '40), Topa Equities founder and benefactor of the UCLA Anderson School of Management that bears his name, first served as Topa's executive vice president and president of Topa Properties Ltd. In these positions he maintained responsibility for more than 75 middle-market acquisitions totaling some $1 billion in acquisition value and business development efforts across the company's six divisions. He subsequently founded First Beverage Group in 2005 to serve the beverage industry's need for a dedicated financial services firm. Through the company's private equity fund, First Beverage advises and invests in innovative and transformational beverage brands. In March of 2018, First Beverage sold its investment banking arm to Cascadia Capital, a leading boutique investment bank based in Seattle.

Prior to joining Topa, Anderson was an attorney with O'Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles and a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator George J. Mitchell (D-Maine). He holds board seats at numerous companies, including Topa Equities Ltd., Acacia Research, Health-Ade Kombucha, GEM&BOLT Mezcal and Cascadia Capital, and is a former board member of the New Belgium Brewing Company.

"Bill brings passion to all he does, in business and in the community," says Judy Olian, dean of UCLA Anderson School of Management. "He shares the values of his parents, and is a business leader who cares deeply about community building."

Bill Anderson has been engaged in a variety of community projects throughout his career. He is the former chairman of the Weingart Center, one of the nation's largest facilities for the homeless. He currently serves as a board member of Experience Camps, a national nonprofit organization that provides free, one-week camps for children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling or primary caregiver. He has also been an active angel investor in emerging consumer brands and startup technology companies, including Forager Project, WhistlePig Rye Whiskey, Blue Bottle Coffee, Foxtrot Systems and CREXI.

About UCLA Anderson School of Management
UCLA Anderson School of Management is among the leading business schools in the world, with faculty members globally renowned for their teaching excellence and research in advancing management thinking. Located in Los Angeles, gateway to the growing economies of Latin America and Asia and a city that personifies innovation in a diverse range of endeavors, UCLA Anderson's MBA, Fully Employed MBA, Executive MBA, UCLA-NUS Executive MBA for Asia Pacific, Master of Financial Engineering, Master of Science in Business Analytics, doctoral and executive education programs embody the school's Think in the Next ethos. Annually, some 1,800 students are trained to be global leaders seeking the business models and community solutions of tomorrow. Contact InformationUCLA Anderson Office of Media Relations, (310) 206-7537, Media.relations@anderson.ucla.edu