Eddie George now OSU’s vice president for business advancement

Heisman Trophy Winner and 2001 Ohio State University graduate Eddie George has returned to his alma mater to serve as assistant vice president for business advancement.

George will work with internal and external university constituencies to increase awareness of health and wellness initiatives, support efforts to engage alumni and friends of the university, assist with fundraising, alumni relations and communications for OSU, and work with student athletes as determined by the athletics director.

He will report to Jeff Kaplan, senior vice president and executive officer to President E. Gordon Gee.

“Eddie brings such a breadth of talent to the university, and his entrepreneurial spirit, business experience and leadership skills are great assets to our ongoing work,” said Gee in a statement. “Having Eddie return to our team is a great coup for the university.”

Over the past decade, George has built two businesses around wellness.

Launched in 2007, EGX Lifestyle helps people rid themselves of bad habits that have kept them from being their best in mind, body, and spirit. His planning and design firm EDGE, launched in 2008, aims to create places that are sustainable and promote healthy lifestyles.

He also owns Eddie George’s Grille 27, a sports bar that opened in 2006.

George has called his new gig, which he began in early November, an honor and a privilege, as OSU helped him grow personally and professionally.

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to apply what I’ve learned from my academic and football journey while at the university, along with the work I’ve been doing in the world of business, to support the transformative initiatives happening at my alma mater,” he added.

George’s bachelor’s degree from OSU is in landscape architecture. He earned his MBA at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2009.