Retired Hanesbrands leader Howard Upchurch to deliver School of Business hooding ceremony address

Wake Forest University School of Business will honor master’s degree recipients in the management, accountancy, business analytics, and business administration programs at a hooding ceremony on Sunday, May 15 at 9 a.m. The ceremony will be held at Wait Chapel on the University’s Reynolda Campus.

Howard Upchurch will serve as the keynote speaker. An accomplished and respected leader, Upchurch recently retired as the Group President of Innerwear Americas, the company’s largest business segment, which generates over $3 billion in annual sales.

During his tenure, he built and sustained a market leading brand portfolio of Hanes, Bali, Maidenform, Playtex, and Champion and aided creativity and innovation by leading the development and introduction of new products into mature categories. He also developed strategic plans that expanded retail placement of Hanes brands in new channels, such as dollar stores and department stores, and expanded direct to consumer business, including the development of a business partnership with Amazon.

Throughout his extensive 34-year career with the company, Upchurch helped to drive significant profit growth and returns for Hanesbrands, and was essential to the company’s position as an industry leader.

Upchurch earned both a B.A. in economics and an MBA from Wake Forest University. He currently serves as a member of the Wake Forest University School of Business Board of Visitors.

A livestream of the hooding ceremony will be available. More information can be found at commencement.wfu.edu.

Media Contact: Danyelle Gary, garyd@wfu.edu, 336.582.0622