Columbus, Ohio (November 9, 2021) – The National Center for the Middle Market (NCMM) at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business today announced Visa, the world’s leader in digital payments, as a new corporate sponsor. The multi-year collaboration will enable the NCMM to continue providing insights and analyses that can help drive growth, jobs and competitiveness in the middle market.
“The power of partnerships between academic research centers and the organizations that support thought leadership cannot be overstated,” said Anil K. Makhija, dean and John W. Berry, Sr. Chair in Business at Fisher. “We are delighted to welcome Visa as an NCMM sponsor. Together, we look forward to turning middle market research into actionable insights that will continue to broaden the understanding and power of this critical driver of the U.S. economy.”
Visa’s sponsorship will advance and elevate the NCMM’s focus on research, thought leadership and education across a number of middle market audiences and industry sectors. Visa’s expertise serving mid-size companies will strengthen the NCMM’s research capabilities and its content platforms by combining data with company profiles to better understand and address challenges within the middle market.
“We are excited to embark on this partnership with Visa,” said Doug Farren, managing director of the NCMM. “The insight and perspective afforded by our sponsors will enhance the NCMM’s work to further our mission to improve the prosperity of the middle market.
In addition to Visa, the NCMM continues to partner with Chubb, a global provider of insurance products and part of the largest publicly traded property and casualty company in the world. These organizations will join Fisher College of Business — a founding partner of the NCMM — in helping shape the strategic direction of the NCMM moving forward.
“The Middle market is a critical but often overlooked segment that is going through significant transformation,” said Veronica Fernandez, SVP, North America Head, Visa Business Solutions. “We’re looking forward to collaborating with NCMM and are excited to further advocate for Middle Market companies and continue developing solutions that meet their needs.”
The U.S. middle market is comprised of 200,000 companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $1 billion. Together, they account for 44.5 million jobs, or one third of total private employment, generating more than $10 trillion in combined revenues annually.
Throughout the year, the NCMM hosts and participates in a number of events, in addition to funding research reports, which includes its flagship quarterly Middle Market Indicator. Areas of critical focus in the past year include digitization, innovation, mergers and acquisitions, and access to capital, among many other topics that consequently help drive growth in the middle market.