University of Iowa alumni include top executives at corporations like Bandag, Exxon, USWest, The Saturday Evening Post, and The Des Moines Register.
- Mikio Arie—Former president of Hokkaido University, Japan, and head of the design team for the ski-jump facility for the 1972 Olympic Games in Sapporo, Japan. MS, Mechanics and Hydraulics, 1955.
- Patrick Baird—Former president and CEO of AEGON USA, one of the largest insurance companies in America. He retired in 2009. BBA, 1976.
- Donald Bently—Before selling it to General Electric in 2002, the industrial machine engineering operation this entrepreneur launched from his garage evolved into a corporation with offices in 43 countries generating nearly $300 million in annual sales. BSEE, 1949; MS, 1950.
- Doris J. Biester—Retired President and CEO of the Children's Hospital of Denver. A pioneer in pediatric health care, she was the first nurse and woman to serve as the Denver hospital's CEO. She retired in 2007. BSN, 1963.
- Carolyn Brown—Founder of Breakthrough to Literacy, Inc., a leading developer of interactive programs that help teach young children to read. PhD, Speech Pathology and Audiology, 1981.
- Martin G. Carver—Former chairman and CEO of Bandag, Inc., one of the world's leading tire-retreading companies. BA, 1970.
- U.S. General James E. Cartwright—Vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and former commander of the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base. He is the nation's second highest ranking military officer and responsible for the global command and control of U.S. strategic forces to meet national security objectives. He attended UI in the early 1970s.
- Joseph Crowley—Former president of the University of Nevada at Reno (1977 to 2000) and president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association from 1993 to 1995. BA, Political Science, 1959.
- Bob Gebhard—Assistant General Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks and former general manager of the Colorado Rockies (1991-1999). BS, Physical Education, 1966.
- Dennis Green—Head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings (1992-2001). BS, Recreation Education, 1971.
- Katherine "Kay" Hammer—President and CEO of Evolutionary Technologies International, which helps corporations worldwide consolidate incompatible computer systems. BA, 1967; MA, 1969; PhD, 1973.
- Lou Holtz—The only football coach in NCAA history to lead six different programs to bowl games started his coaching career at Iowa. He was a graduate assistant coach and graduate student at Iowa in the early 1960s. MA, Physical Education, 1962.
- Edward Jackson—Chancellor of Southern University and A&M College at Baton Rouge since 1998. PhD, Political Science, 1968.
- Steve La Croix—Chief Marketing Officer for the Minnesota Vikings. BBA, 1990.
- David A. Levin—President and CEO of Casual Male Retail Group (a big-and-tall men clothier) since April 2000, and former executive vice president of eOutlet.com. As a UI student in the 1970s, he and a friend started a clothing business that was making $2 million by the time they graduated. BA, Sociology and History, 1973.
- H. William Lichtenberger—Retired chair and CEO of Praxair, Inc., the largest producer of industrial gases in the United States. BS, Chemical Engineering, 1959.
- Bernie Machen—President of the University of Florida, the fourth largest university in the country, and former president of the University of Utah. MS, Pediatric Dentistry, 1972; PhD, Education, 1974.
- Consuelo Madere—President of Monsanto Vegetable Seeds Division. MBA, 1991.
- Jack MacAllister—Former president of USWest, Inc. BSC, Commerce and Science, 1951.
- Randall Meyer—Retired president and CEO of Exxon USA. BS, Mechanical Engineering, 1948.
- William B. Morgan—As former head of the Hydromechanics Directorate at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Morgan was responsible for all hydromechanic research concerning U.S. Navy ships and submarines. He retired in 2001. MS, Mechanics and Hydraulics, 1951.
- Tiffani Orange—HR Labor Relations Representative at Ford Motor Co. MBA, 1995.
- W. Ann Reynolds—Former president of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (1997-2002), chancellor of the City University of New York (1990 to 1997), and chancellor of California State University (1982 to 1990). MS, 1960; PhD, Zoology, 1962.
- Eddie Robinson—Football coach at Grambling State University from 1942 to 1997. During his tenure, he was considered the winningest coach in college football history. MA, Physical Education, 1954.
- Richard J. Schnieders—Chairman and CEO of SYSCO, the largest food service marketing and distribution company in North America. BA, Mathematics, 1970.
- Mark Shapiro—Former executive vice president of ESPN, Inc., and former CEO of Six Flags, Inc. He currently is on the board of Live Nation, a national concert promoter. BA, Communication Studies, 1992.
- Cory SerVaas—Inventor, medical doctor, and editor and publisher of The Saturday Evening Post from 1975-2008. BA, Journalism and Mass Communication, 1946.
- Ted Skodol—Director of Marketing for Unilever Food Solutions. BBA, 1996.
- C. Maxwell Stanley—Founder of Stanley Consultants and co-founder of Hon Industries, Inc. BS, Engineering, 1926; MS, Hydraulic Engineering, 1930. He died in 1984.
- Mary Stier—Publisher of the Des Moines Register, 2000 to 2007. BA, Communication and Theatre Arts, 1978.
- Ted Waitt—The founder of Gateway Inc., one of the largest companies in the computer industry. He started his company in Sioux City, Iowa, with a $10,000 loan from his grandmother in 1985. He had dropped out of the business management program at Iowa the previous year.