“Always get in the car.”
This was the message Ernie Boch Jr., President and CEO of Subaru of New England, imparted to members of the Class of 2025 during a commencement address on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at Northwood University.
Boch keynoted one of two Northwood University commencement ceremonies. The other featured Midland Mayor Maureen Donker, recipient of this year’s Robert E. and Patricia L. Naegele Distinguished Community Service Award.
“Ernie Boch Jr. and Mayor Maureen Donker exemplify the values at the heart of The Northwood Idea — freedom, free enterprise, personal responsibility, and earned success,” said Northwood University President Kent MacDonald. “Not only their messages, but the lives they lead, provide our graduates with living examples of the kind of integrity, resilience, and service that America’s Free Enterprise University champions. Both have achieved distinction in their respective fields and have helped shape future generations of leaders who will drive global economic and social progress.”
A renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist, Boch leads Subaru of New England, the exclusive distributor of Subaru vehicles across six states, and Ferrari of New England and Boch Maserati.
A champion for the arts and community development, Boch founded Music Drives Us, a nonprofit supporting musical opportunities for underserved individuals, and the Boch Medical Center in Wajinja, Uganda, to improve healthcare access in underserved rural communities.
A strong supporter of Northwood University, Boch was instrumental in creating the Subaru of New England Professor of Automotive Strategy to support Northwood’s cutting-edge automotive industry programming.
During his address to members of the Class of 2025, Boch explained his grandfather started the family’s journey in the automotive industry in 1938. When it was time for his father to lead the family’s company, the odds of success for a second-generation business in the automotive sector were 30%. When Boch took over, the odds were 12%. But he didn’t let those odds intimidate him, and the family’s third-generation business is a present-day multi-billion-dollar company.
“So I have learned, as you have learned, it’s all about getting in the car,” Boch told graduates.
Boch encouraged students to trust their instincts and surround themselves with great people.
“The people that you surround yourself with will be your success,” he said. “I am very fortunate that I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer — ever. I never want to be. I always want to surround myself with people with more talent.”
Before his keynote address, Boch was bestowed an honorary doctorate, Northwood’s highest award, reserved only for individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to society. Boch joins the ranks of the other exceptional men and women who have been inducted into the Northwood University Gallery of Distinction over the past 64 years.
The commencement ceremony, including Boch’s full address, can be viewed here.
