Jeff Yabuki

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Jeffery W. Yabuki
NationalityAsian American
EducationCalifornia State University, Los Angeles
OccupationBusinessman
Years active1980s - present
EmployerMotive Partners
Known forAmerican Express • H&R Block • Fiserv, Inc. • Motive Partners
Honours2007 Innovator of the Year Award from Bank Technology • 2007 Innovation Hall of Fame Inductee from Bank Technology • 2017 UW-Milwaukee Chancellor's Innovation Award • Top American Innovators of 2019 from Forbes • 2021 Corporate Citizen of the Year from BizTimes Milwaukee • 2022 Donald Driver "Driven to Achieve" Award Honoree

Jeffery "Jeff" W. Yabuki is an American businessman and the current Chairman of Motive Partners.[1] He previously served as the CEO of Fiserv, a Fortune 500 Company, from 2005-2020 and the Executive Vice President and COO of H&R Block.[2][3][4] In 2019, Yabuki was named among the top 30 most innovative leaders in America by Forbes.[5]

Early life and education[edit]

Yabuki was born in the greater Los Angeles, California area as the eldest child of parents who faced significant adversity being American immigrants.[6] His father George is a first-generation Japanese American who was placed in an internment camp for two and half years during World War II.[7] Yabuki attended California State University, Los Angeles.[8]

Career[edit]

Early career[edit]

Yabuki began his career working in public accounting and as a CPA.[9] He spent twelve years working for American Express, where he held a progression of leadership roles and eventually became President and CEO of American Express Tax and Business Services.[10][11][12]

Yabuki joined H&R Block in 1999 as President of H&R Block International, where he led tax service operations and the development of financial strategies in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.[13] In 2002, Yabuki became H&R Block’s Executive Vice President and COO, a position he held until 2005.[14]

Fiserv[edit]

Yabuki interviewing Peyton Manning on stage at a Fiserv event.

In 2005, Yabuki joined Fiserv, a global leader in financial services and payment technologies, where he served as CEO, a member of the Board of Directors and as Chairman beginning in 2019.[15] Fiserv achieved substantial financial and business success under Yabuki’s leadership from 2005-2020, nearly tripling in revenue and delivering a shareholder return of 969%.[16][17] During this time, Fiserv outperformed the S&P 500 Index and saw double-digit adjusted earnings per share growth every year.[4] The company also saw increased associate engagement in the top quartile of all large employers and was routinely named a Fortune World’s Most Admired Company, including nine of the last ten years of his tenure.[18]

Yabuki led Fiserv’s business model and brand transformation from a traditional holding company to an integrated operating company as the organization became the leading global provider of fintech and payment software through the combination of internal investments and strategic acquisitions.[19][20][21]

First Data Acquisition[edit]

In 2019, Yabuki led the acquisition of First Data in a nearly $40 billion deal, including $22 billion in stock and the assumption of $17 billion in debt.[21][22][23] At the time, First Data was also a Fortune 500 company and the world’s largest payment processor.[24] The acquisition made Fiserv the largest merchant service platform in the world.[21] The deal also generated significant cost synergies, initially projected at $900 million annually and soon raised to at least $1.2 billion, and was described as a masterclass in mergers & acquisitions by acclaimed portfolio manager David R. Giroux in his book Capital Allocation: Principles, Strategies, and Processes for Creating Long-Term Shareholder Value:[25]

“From a process standpoint, this is one of the best large transactions I have come across in my career… The deal was very accretive to earnings. FISV provided guidance that the deal would be 20% accretive to Earnings per Share (EPS) in its first full year and 40% accretive to EPS once all the synergies were taken into account … Fiserv should be able to generate high-single-digit to low teens returns on invested capital by year five.”

— David R. Giroux, Author and Chief Investment Officer for Equities and Multi-Asset at T. Rowe Price

When the deal closed Fiserv became a $15 billion a year company with close to 50,000 employees.[23]

Fiserv Forum[edit]

Yabuki speaking at the official ribbon cutting of the Fiserv Forum in August 2018.

In 2018, Yabuki helped lead a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association on a 25-year naming rights agreement for Fiserv Forum, their newly built sports complex.[26][27] Yabuki participated in the official ribbon-cutting for Fiserv Forum in August 2018 with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Bucks Owners Marc Lasry and Wes Edens, Bucks President Peter Feigin, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, and Bucks players and legends including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Khris Middleton, Marques Johnson, Michael Redd, and Steve Novak.[28][29]

Fiserv Succession[edit]

Yabuki retired from Fiserv in 2020, consistent with his belief that organizations benefit from new leadership and fresh perspective.[4] He was succeeded as CEO by Frank Bisignano and as Chairman by Denis J. O’Leary.[30][31]

Motive Partners[edit]

In September 2021, Yabuki became Chairman at Motive Partners, a private equity firm founded by Rob Heyvaert focused on control-oriented growth and buyout investments in software and information services companies that serve the fintech industry.[32][33][34][35]

Board Member[edit]

Yabuki is currently a member of the Board of Directors for Nasdaq and the Royal Bank of Canada, and serves as Chairman of Sportradar.[36][37][38] In 2021, he was elected as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Milwaukee Art Museum, and, in 2023, he joined the board of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.[39][40][41] In 2023, Yabuki was also appointed to the Board of Directors for Project Healthy Minds, a mental health tech non-profit.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee[edit]

In September 2022, Yabuki was named Executive-in-residence at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Sheldon B. Lubar College of Business, where he teaches courses on fintech and business strategy and serves as a mentor to students.[42][10][43]

Philanthropy[edit]

Yabuki onsite at Children's Wisconsin leading up to the announcement of The Yabuki Family Foundation gift.

Yabuki founded The Yabuki Family Foundation in 1999, which supports initiatives with a focus on mental and emotional health, family, education, arts, and social justice.[44]

In July 2021, the foundation jointly announced a $20 million gift to Children's Wisconsin, the largest single gift in the history of the institution, to integrate mental and behavioral healthcare services in primary and urgent care locations.[45] The gift also launched the “Change the Checkup Challenge” – a $5 million match campaign that served as a call-to-action for others to help transform the response to the growing pediatric mental health crisis.[45][46][47]

Yabuki at the 64th Annual Chicago / Midwest Emmy Awards where "A Brother's Journey" won the Midwest Emmy for Human Interest – Short Form.

The money raised will add at least 36 full-time, master’s-trained mental health therapists at every Children’s Wisconsin primary care office and urgent care location – an effort that has the potential to benefit more than 175,000 kids, roughly a third of the pediatric population in southeastern Wisconsin. The funds also created two endowed mental health research chairs – one focused on studying pediatric mental health and another focused on reducing the rising rate of suicide among children and adolescents.[45]

The gift to Children’s Wisconsin was made in honor of Jeff’s late brother Craig, who died by suicide in 2017 after a lifelong battle with depression. A mental health walk-in clinic was also opened in Craig's name in March 2022, offering help to children and adolescents who are experiencing mental health problems[45][48]

In 2021, the short documentary “A Brother’s Journey” was produced and released to tell the story behind the foundation’s record-setting gift and underscore the importance of transformational solutions for kids’ mental health. Much of the film is delivered from Yabuki’s perspective, as he describes his family’s journey and their vision to ensure every child has access to the care they need.[49] The documentary won a Midwest Emmy in the category of “Outstanding Achievement for Human Interest – Short Form” at the 64th Annual Chicago / Midwest Emmy Awards held in Chicago on December 3, 2022.[50]

The Yabuki Family Foundation has also supported a number of institutions including the Milwaukee Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Milwaukee Film, American Red Cross and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee.[51]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Parker, Kevin (2021-09-22). "Jeff Yabuki Joins Motive Partners as Chairman". citybiz. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  2. ^ "Former Fiserv CEO Jeffrey Yabuki named executive-in-residence at UWM College of Business". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  3. ^ BizTimes Staff (2022-12-02). "Jeffrey Yabuki - Wisconsin 275 Most Influential Business Leaders". BizTimes - Milwaukee Business News. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  4. ^ a b c "JEFF YABUKI: WHAT'S NEXT?". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  5. ^ "America's Most Innovative Leaders". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  6. ^ Linnane, Rory. "Four years after his brother died by suicide, former Fiserv CEO gives $20 million to put a therapist at every Children's Wisconsin site". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  7. ^ "How Fiserv's Super-Successful CEO Takes 'Two-Hour Vacations'". Investor's Business Daily. 2020-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  8. ^ "Jeffery Yabuki". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  9. ^ "Jeff Yabuki". www.motivepartners.com. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  10. ^ a b Weiland, Andrew (2022-09-22). "Former Fiserv CEO Jeffrey Yabuki named executive-in-residence at UWM College of Business". BizTimes - Milwaukee Business News. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  11. ^ Dietvorst, Saar (2021-09-21). "Jeff Yabuki joins Motive Partners as Chairman and will Co-lead the Firm". manley. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  12. ^ "Jeffery Yabuki joins RBC's board of directors". Investment Executive. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  13. ^ "H&R Block Board Elects Jeff Yabuki Chief Operating Officer".
  14. ^ "Fiserv's Muma to retire early; firm taps H&R Block for new CEO". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  15. ^ "Yabuki named Fiserv president, CEO, board member". www.atmmarketplace.com. 2005-11-07. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  16. ^ "Sportradar Finds New Chairman in Former Fiserv CEO". Yahoo News. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  17. ^ "Fiserv Announces CEO Succession Plan".
  18. ^ kpiwek@uwm.edu (2022-09-20). "Jeff Yabuki Named Sheldon B. Lubar Executive-in-Residence". Lubar College of Business. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  19. ^ "Under Jeff Yabuki, Fiserv takes off". www.jsonline.com. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  20. ^ "Fiserv CEO's focus on strategic acquisitions paying off". www.jsonline.com. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  21. ^ a b c "Fiserv, First Data complete $22B merger". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  22. ^ "Fiserv pays $22bn to acquire PE-backed First Data Corp". Financier Worldwide. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  23. ^ a b "Jeff Yabuki orchestrated $22 billion acquisition of First Data". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  24. ^ "The First Data/Fiserv combo is bigger, but still slow". American Banker. 2019-01-24. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  25. ^ “Capital Allocation: Principles, Strategies, and Processes for Creating Long-Term Shareholder Value.” David R. Giroux. October 26, 2021. McGraw-Hill LLC.
  26. ^ "With arena deal, Fiserv, Yabuki bet on a new stage for marketing". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  27. ^ Nelson, James B. "Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Inc. strike 25-year naming rights deal for new downtown arena". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  28. ^ Winston, Kahrima (2018-09-03). "Bucks Celebrate Grand Opening of New Arena". UWM Post. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  29. ^ "Fiserv Forum Ribbon-Cutting, Open House and 4th Annual Bucks Summer Block Party Presented by Klement's Set for Sunday". www.nba.com. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  30. ^ Taschler, Joe. "Fiserv announces CEO succession plan; Bisignano to take over top job on July 1". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  31. ^ "Denis J. O'Leary Appointed Chairman of the Fiserv Board of Directors".
  32. ^ Partners, Motive. "Jeff Yabuki joins Motive Partners as Chairman and will Co-lead the Firm". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  33. ^ Primack, Dan (2017-01-24). "Motive Partners aims for $1 billion". Axios. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  34. ^ Southall, Brooke. "InvestCloud -- long tagged an 'Envestnet killer' -- sold at $1-billion valuation level, gets added to Tegra118, but some say, not so fast | RIABiz". InvestCloud -- long tagged an 'Envestnet killer' -- sold at $1-billion valuation level, gets added to Tegra118, but some say, not so fast | RIABiz. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  35. ^ Parker, Kevin (2021-09-22). "Jeff Yabuki Joins Motive Partners as Chairman". citybiz. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  36. ^ "Nasdaq Board of Directors". June 22, 2023.
  37. ^ "Jeffery Yabuki appointed to the Board of Directors of Royal Bank of Canada". markets.businessinsider.com. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  38. ^ "Sportradar announces appointment of Jeffery Yabuki as Board of Directors Chairman".
  39. ^ "Yabuki eyes Milwaukee Art Museum's social, digital future as he becomes chair of museum board". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  40. ^ Durón, Maximilíano (2023-03-09). "Nearing Goal for Zumthor Building Capital Campaign, LACMA Adds 11 Board Members, Including Cheech Marin, Lionel Richie, and Boojin Lee". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  41. ^ "Lacma adds more high-profile board members as it inches closer to $750m fundraising goal for new building". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. 2023-03-09. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  42. ^ "Jeff Yabuki to serve as executive-in-residence for UW-Milwaukee school of business". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  43. ^ "Former Fiserv CEO Jeffrey Yabuki has been named Executive-in-Residence at the UWM College of Business - Wisconsin News". 2022-09-22. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  44. ^ "Yabuki family donates $20 million to transform response to pediatric mental and behavioral health crisis". childrenswi.org. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  45. ^ a b c d Anderson, Lauren (2021-07-26). "Yabuki Family Foundation gifts Children's Wisconsin its largest-ever single donation". BizTimes - Milwaukee Business News. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  46. ^ "Join the Change the Checkup Challenge". giving.childrenswi.org. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  47. ^ Anderson, Lauren (2022-03-23). "Children's Wisconsin completes $5 million campaign as part of Yabuki Family Foundation challenge grant". BizTimes - Milwaukee Business News. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  48. ^ Anderson, Lauren (2022-03-11). "Children's Wisconsin opens mental health walk-in clinic on Wauwatosa campus". BizTimes - Milwaukee Business News. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  49. ^ "Turning tragedy to hope: A brother's journey with Children's Wisconsin". childrenswi.org. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  50. ^ Roche, Barbara (2022-12-05). "The 64th Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards. And the envelope goes to..." Reel 360 News. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  51. ^ Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Brandon (2013-05-09). "Yabuki Family Foundation, Full Filing - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. Retrieved 2023-03-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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