Steve Tufts

Steve Tufts

  • Adjunct Lecturer

Location

  • Warrington College of Business
  • Marketing Department
  • Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center
  • Stuzin Hall 100E
CV
Steve is an accomplished businessman and educator. As a Clinical Professor at UF’s Warrington College of Business, Steve teaches classes in marketing, sales, real estate and personal finance. He is the Director of UF’s new Risk Management and Insurance Program.   He has a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida, an MBA from the University of Virginia and a DBA from the University of Florida. His areas of interest interest include salesperson performance, salesperson influence, insurance markets and real estate.   Steve was the recipient of the 2019-2020 UF Warrington College of Business Undergraduate Teacher of the Year Award and the 2022-23 and 2023-2024 Student Organization Advisor of the Year Awards.   Prior to joining the faculty at UF, Steve had a successful corporate career that included senior executive positions at Progressive Insurance, Great American Insurance and Anthem, Inc. as well as a CEO position with a specialty insurance company in Atlanta. Having spent much of his corporate career acquiring, merging and turning around distressed businesses, he focused on a similar strategy in his later entrepreneurial pursuits. Since acquiring his first business in 1998, Steve and various partners have started or acquired over 25 businesses.   Steve was the Founder and Operating Partner of the Atlantic Partners Group of Keller Williams Realty offices, with 10 locations and over 1000 real estate agents throughout North Florida. He is a member of the KW University International Master Faculty and a Licensed Real Estate Broker in Florida and Georgia. His group of real estate brokerages was recently recognized as one of the Top 100 in the nation.   Steve is a proud native of Florida. He was born in Jacksonville and spent his childhood on Merritt Island. In his spare time, he enjoys travel, music, fishing, and anything that puts him near salt water or snow-capped mountains. He is an avid sporting clays enthusiast and a Certified NSCA Instructor. He has 3 adult daughters and 6 grandchildren. He and his wife Barbara split their time between Ponte Vedra Beach and Gainesville.

Expertise and interest areas

  • Entrepreneurial Exit
  • Entrepreneurial Firm Development
  • Insurance Markets
  • Residential Real Estate Markets
  • Salesperson Influence
  • Salesperson Success Factors

Courses taught

  • Advanced Marketing Management (MAR6818)
  • Independent Study (MAR4905)
  • Individual Work (MAR6905)
  • Internship in Business Administration (GEB4941)
  • Professional Selling (MAR3400)
  • Sales Internship (MAR4941)
  • Sales Management (MAR4403)
  • Special Topics in Marketing (MAR6930)

Education

  • DBA, University of Florida, 2017
  • MBA, University of Virginia, 1980
  • BS – Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, 1976

Honors and awards

  • 2023-24 WCB Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award Heavener College of Business – Amer Marketing Assn — 2024
  • 2022-23 WCB Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award Heavener College of Business – Amer Marketing Assn — 2023
  • 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year Award (Undergraduate) Warrington College of Business — 2020