Manufacturing
CEO
Husco International | Waukesha
Austin Ramirez is chief executive officer of Husco International, a Waukesha-based manufacturer of hydraulic and electro-mechanical components with about 1,500 employees. Ramirez, who succeeded his father, Gus, as the leader of Husco, also helped found St. Augustine Preparatory Academy, a high-performing private voucher school on Milwaukee’s south side that is heavily funded by Gus and the Ramirez family. Among other honors, Austin was named a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum in 2014 and a White House Fellow on the National Economic Council of both the Trump and Obama administrations.
Education: Bachelor’s, University of Virginia; MBA, Stanford University
What piece of advice has had the most significant impact on your career?
"Be a good person - It will put the wind at your back throughout your career."
What is one book you think everyone should read?
"Friedrich Hayek's 'The Road to Serfdom' - Timeless analysis of why individual liberty and free market principles are the foundation of the American way of life."
Favorite restaurant?
"Birch – whatever chef Kyle Knall will feed me!"
What advice would you give to a young professional?
"Spend as much effort cultivating your interpersonal skills as you spend developing your technical skills."
What is one thing you would change about Wisconsin to make it even better?
"Funding children rather than schools, also known as 'backpack funding.' In Milwaukee nearly 50% of kids attend choice or charter schools, but only receive about 60% of the funding as their district (MPS) peers."
Is there a nonprofit cause that has special meaning to you?
"Democracy Found. Updating the voting process in Wisconsin to implement single-ballot, top-five primaries combined with ranked choice voting in the general election. Our political system is suffering from a massive incentive problem, and we need to update our voting system so that our elected leaders are rewarded for serving their entire electorate, not just highly partisan primary voters."
