The William Davidson Institute was created in 1992 when Guardian Industries Corp., an international manufacturer of glass products, made a major financial commitment to establish an institute at the University of Michigan Business School. Named in honor of Guardian Industries' chairman, president, and CEO William Davidson, WDI represents an aggressive and visionary response to global economic transformation. Davidson said his vision for the Institute was to “forge a path for those responsible for economic change in these emerging markets – that it will give them the knowledge, the methods, and the blueprints for a successful transition to a market economy.”