Fred Sitzberger’s story is anything but ordinary. A Lubar College of Business alumnus (’78, BBA, Accounting) and the president of Bultman Investment Management, Sitzberger has built a remarkable career by combining grit, humility, and a deep belief in human connection. Today, his success as a business leader and philanthropist reflects both his early challenges and his unwavering optimism.
“I never wanted to be poor,” he says. “So what I am is a successful failure. I just never gave up.”
Sitzberger’s path wasn’t linear. He flunked out of engineering, served in the Army, and eventually turned to accounting—because, in his words, “it was the hardest.” Along the way, he got fired five times in corporate roles. “I realized I needed to create my own position if I didn’t want to get fired again,” he says.
In 1994, he started his own accounting firm—Sitzberger & Company—with a $500 office and a handful of credit cards. He acquired two practices right away, leveraging credit card cash advances to fund the deals. “At one point, I had $150,000 in credit card debt and never paid a penny of interest,” he says. “You manage it a day at a time.”
His model was bold but effective: purchase small firms, retain their employees, raise rates, and focus on relationships. “Millions of people make millions doing mundane things very efficiently,” he says. “That’s what I did in accounting.”
Eventually, Sitzberger merged his firm into Bultman Investment Management, where he now serves as president. Bultman is a multi-generational financial services firm specializing in comprehensive wealth management and retirement plan consulting. Its growth, Sitzberger says, continues to follow his acquisition-based model: “You can always buy a company that’s a third your size and grow.”
But business success wasn’t enough. “Success at first was about money,” he reflects. “But now, success is a great relationship with my wife. I’ve achieved the two most important things: financial freedom and personal peace.”
A committed UWM alumnus, Sitzberger recently donated $2 million to support UWM Athletics. “Making money is fun. Having money isn’t,” he says. “Giving money away is freeing.” His dream? A top-tier UWM basketball team that builds campus pride and draws national attention.
For today’s aspiring entrepreneurs, Sitzberger offers this advice: “Set written daily, yearly, and decade goals. Always have a smile. Be future-oriented.”
And the key to his enduring optimism? “Happiness is a choice,” he says. “For me, life is happiness—and it’s about gratitude.” From humble beginnings on Maryland Avenue to million-dollar philanthropy, Fred Sitzberger’s story is a powerful testament to perseverance, generosity, and the belief that life—like business—is what you make of it.