Mr. Gies is the Founder and CEO of Madison Industries, one of the largest and most successful privately held companies in the world. Madison builds entrepreneurially driven, branded market leaders that are dedicated to making the world safer, healthier and more productive by creating innovative solutions that deliver outstanding customer value. The team at Madison is committed to building something truly remarkable that long outlasts them while coaching others to reach their highest potential.
Madison has built market leaders in the filtration, medical diagnostics, life sciences, safety, rescue & firefighting equipment, industrial equipment, marine, instruments & controls, advertising, service outsourcing and indoor air quality industries. In April 2026, Mr. Gies led Madison Air (NYSE: MAIR) through a successful initial public offering, an important milestone that will allow this remarkable business to long outlast us.
Mr. Gies serves as President of The Gies Foundation, which is dedicated to democratizing education and enhancing health. He was instrumental in establishing The Gies Campus of Chicago Jesuit Academy, a full-scholarship school for 3rd–8th grade boys and girls on Chicago’s West Side. He serves on the boards of Northwestern University, Amsted Industries (2016–2022), one of the largest ESOP’s in the United States, and the Accelerate Institute, which is working to close the achievement gap in U.S. education.
He holds degrees from the University of Illinois and Northwestern University and is a featured speaker at universities across the country. A lifelong champion of the University of Illinois, Mr. Gies has spent decades teaching and mentoring students while advancing the university’s mission. His enduring commitment is honored through the naming of both the Gies College of Business and, in honor of his US Army veteran father, Gies Memorial Stadium. In 2025, the University of Illinois awarded Mr. Gies an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
