Steve Van Andel

Chairman

Steve Van Andel serves as chairman of Alticor Inc.

Van Andel was a prime architect of the global effort to develop the business strategy and restructure the operations of Amway Corp., culminating in the decision to create a sibling company, Access Business Group LLC, and join it with Amway and Quixtar Inc. under the Alticor banner.

He has been responsible for managing daily operations of the $6.3 billion company since 1995, when he was named Amway's chairman. Van Andel shares Alticor's office of the chief executive with president Doug DeVos.

Van Andel is the oldest son of Amway co-founder Jay Van Andel. In 1959, Jay and his lifelong friend and business partner, Rich DeVos, started Amway from their homes in Ada, Mich. In four decades, Amway grew from a small company selling a single cleaning product to one of the world's largest direct selling companies. Van Andel succeeded his father as chairman in 1995. As chairman, he led the expansion of Alticor into a stronger and more diversified company to be more competitive in the new economy.

Before becoming chairman, Van Andel was Amway's vice president – Americas, overseeing the company's business operations in North and South America. He also served as vice president of marketing.

On June 12, 2002, Van Andel concluded his one-year term as the chairman of the United States Chamber of Commerce. During his term as Chamber chairman, he traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and to eleven countries in Europe, Latin America and Asia where he was a tireless advocate of free trade issues.

Following his term as Chamber chairman, Van Andel served as chairman of the board's executive committee. He currently holds the position of past chairman and member of the board. He also continues his work on behalf of free trade as vice chairman of the U.S. Korea Business Council, and as a member of the U.S. China Business Council. In addition, Van Andel serves on the U.S. Chamber International Policy Committee, and is chairman of the U.S. Chamber Audit Committee and Pension Plan administration/Investment Committees.

Van Andel is dedicated to the renewal of downtown Grand Rapids, lending his time and support to the Grand Action Committee, the Van Andel Museum Center, and the Van Andel Institute, a major health research center in Grand Rapids. He serves as vice chairman of the Metropolitan Hospital and on the Dean's Advisory Board for the Seidman School of Business at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.

Van Andel serves on the boards of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation, Center for International Private Enterprises, LaSalle Bank Corporation and Grand Rapids John Ball Zoo Society. He also serves on the boards of the Borgess Metro Health Alliance, the Metropolitan Health Corp. and the Metropolitan Hospital Foundation in Grand Rapids.

Van Andel earned a bachelor's degree in economics and business administration from Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Mich., and is a current member of the school's Board of Trustees. He earned an MBA in marketing from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.