MSED Dinner Meeting

"Detroit 2.0"
Matt Cullen
President & C.O.O., Rock Ventures LLC

Matt Cullen will provide an overview of the unique marketing opportunities for the Quicken Loans family of companies, and will discuss the company’s emphasis on investing in Detroit’s infrastructure to create an inviting destination for all.

Speaker Bio:
Matthew P. Cullen is president and chief operating officer of Rock Ventures LLC, an umbrella entity formed to provide operational coordination, guidance, and integration for Dan Gilbert's portfolio of companies and investments. Cullen also has responsibility for Gilbert's "Detroit 2.0" initiative, which is an effort to spark development in downtown Detroit.

Cullen was a 29-year veteran of General Motors (GM) where he was General Manager of Economic Development and Enterprise Services. In addition to coordinating economic development initiatives in the communities in which GM operates, he created a shared services organization and had responsibility for the corporation's vast 450 million-square-foot global real estate portfolio.

A native Detroiter, Cullen was chief architect of GM's $500 million acquisition and development of the Renaissance Center as GM's global headquarters, and the billion dollar redevelopment of the Detroit Riverfront. He is founding chairman of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and was appointed by Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Executive Committee, which he chairs.

In addition to chairing the MEDC Executive Committee, Cullen also serves as volunteer CEO of the M1-RAIL light rail line initiative that will be the foundation of a regional transit system. The 3.4 mile light rail line along Woodward Avenue will connect the city's largest cultural, entertainment and employment centers and drive economic development for a stronger Detroit. It will be the catalyst for a broader regional transit system that will make the Detroit area more globally competitive by fostering new investment and helping retain and attract top talent.

Cullen also serves as Chairman of the Detroit Investment Fund, the Parade Company and the Metropolitan Detroit YMCA; Vice Chair of Downtown Detroit Partnership; former chair of the Metropolitan Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau; and is on numerous charitable and educational boards.

Cullen earned a degree in economics from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Detroit Mercy. He also completed the Senior Executive Program at Harvard University.