Benjamin D. Wright is the Vice President of 3M Ventures, the venture capital arm of 3M Company, which advances 3M innovation by creating growth options in areas of strategic interest through minority equity investments, leveraging the global entrepreneurial and venture company. He has served in a variety of roles within 3M over his 11 years with the company, giving him a broad range of expertise including Corporate Venture Capital, Business Building, Mergers and Acquisitions, Strategy and Strategic Planning, Marketing and P&L Management; and New Product Development, Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma. Before joining 3M, Benjamin served as Vice President, Marketing and Sales for Appareo Systems, LLC. As Vice President, he was responsible for leading Appareo’s Marketing and Sales functions as well as driving the company's revenue growth. Under his leadership, Appareo Systems experienced significant revenue growth, which resulted in the company being named to the Inc. Magazine 500 – a compilation of the 500 fastest growing private companies in the country. He also spent nearly eight years in the Army as an Aviation Officer and helicopter pilot. During his time in the Army, Ben gained extensive leadership experience, including leading troops in combat. Benjamin earned a BS in Systems Engineering from the United States Military Academy and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
