Davenport University and the Perrigo Company achieved gold together. The university’s Institute for Professional Excellence (IPEx) and Perrigo, a global leader in consumer self-care products, received the Gold Award in the Excellence in Academic Partnerships category at the 2025 Chief Learning Officer (CLO) Learning in Practice Awards.

The award-winning program, titled Leadership in Action (LIA), was designed to strengthen Perrigo’s global leadership pipeline through a strategically aligned, interactive learning experience. The program was selected for the Gold Award based on its innovation, impact and effectiveness in aligning academic excellence with real-world business needs.

“This recognition is a testament to the power of academic-industry collaborations and the shared commitment to developing world-class leaders,” said Dan Rundhaug, Ph.D., executive director of IPEx at Davenport. “We’re honored to partner with Perrigo to deliver a program that meets their leadership goals and also drives measurable business outcomes, while providing lifelong learning opportunities to employees.”

Developed and delivered collaboratively by Davenport’s IPEx and Perrigo, the LIA program engaged 60 leaders across two global cohorts—30 in the United States and 30 in Europe. The curriculum focused on critical leadership capabilities, such as change management, and strategic execution.

Perrigo has already reported a significant return on investment. Alumni of the program have demonstrated measurable growth in key leadership competencies, contributing to higher retention rates and enhanced team performance across the organization.

The program’s success continues to grow. The 2025 cohort has recently completed the LIA experience, and Davenport and Perrigo anticipate continued positive outcomes and strong results for the company and those taking part in the program.