Anderson is stepping down from the Greater Akron Chamber, where he’s most recently been the vice president of the polymer industry cluster, after working on the initiative almost since he came to the chamber as a researcher in 2019.
“Brian was one of the guys we brought on originally to be on the research team for Elevate Akron,” said Chamber CEO Steve Millard, referring to the city’s blueprint for economic development that the chamber also played a large role in developing. “One of his early projects was to dive deep and do some research and focus groups around Polymers. He’s been on that dive ever since.”
Anderson said, Millard affirmed, that he’s not leaving because he hasn’t loved the work, nor is his departure connected to some recent controversy over potential cuts in the polymer school factory at the University of Akron, a key member of the cluster. Anderson told Millard and his coworkers at the chamber he was leaving back in early October.
Anderson said he’ll be there until Dec. 31, and plans to stay in touch and be available as a resource if he’s needed after that.
It’s more of a professional wanderlust, and perhaps a bit of burnout, that’s behind Anderson’s departure from the chamber, he said.
That’s not unusual for Anderson, who tends to look for a new challenge after conquering the last one. Over the last 10 years, he has been a research analyst at the University of Texas, the CFO for a wearable technology company and a senior business analyst for KeyBank, all before he devoted five years to the Akron Chamber.
It's that work that earned Anderson recognition as one of Crain's 2024 40 Under 40 class.
“I feel like my career is episodic. I’m not a work at the same place for 35 years kind or person,” Anderson said. “When we (he and his wife Casey Shevlin) left Texas, I took a little sabbatical and I think I’ll do that again.”
Anderson’s always cooking up something new, which is the second thing he plans to do during what he figures will be a break of two to four months before he gets stir-crazy and goes back to work, on something yet to be determined.
But first: “In January, I’ll probably be sleeping,” he said with a laugh.
Then he plans to feed his soul a bit, and his wife. “I’m not the best cook by any means, but I think we’re both looking forward to me working through some of our cookbooks,” Anderson said.
When he does go back to work, it seems likely it’ll probably be at something dealing with analysis, perhaps finance—he has an MBA in finance from the University of Akron and a master’s degree in finance from UT—and almost certainly something that requires a bit of mental stretching.
“I like to learn new things and I like a new challenge,” he said.
Millard predicts that whatever he does, he’ll be good at it. After all, Anderson knew almost nothing about polymers when he came to work for the chamber and now, though he’s not a polymer scientist, he’s become an expert on the polymer industry in the region.
“I’ve known some people like him in my career—because I’ve been fortunate,” Millard said. “There’s nothing you put in front of them that they can’t figure out … He’s a good guy, he’s a smart guy, and he’s someone I think will have a great career. I hope it’s here in the region”
Anderson’s on the same page, he plans to stay in or near his native Akron.
“I’m not planning to make a geographic move,” Anderson said. “We’re happy Akronites.”
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