Terry Lyons

2026 Distinguished Alumni Award

Lyons founded Academic HealthPlans (AHP) in December 1998, creating a company that provides student health consulting and plan administration services to higher education institutions. He grew AHP into the market leader in the student health insurance industry that serves more than 400 universities and provides coverage to over 500,000 students nationwide.   

In January 2020, Lyons sold AHP to a private equity firm. Today, AHP is part of Brown & Brown, the fifth-largest global brokerage firm, where he continues to serve as CEO of AHP.   

Before founding AHP, Lyons earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Texas Tech University and began his career as a certified public accountant in the Fort Worth office of Ernst & Young (EY). The experience and professional relationships he developed at EY led him to UICI’s Student Insurance Division, where his expertise in accounting, underwriting, and the student health industry shaped his vision for AHP.   

In December 2023, Lyons and his wife, Susan, endowed the Texas Tech University Lyons School of Accounting. He describes the gift as an investment in students and their future, reflecting his commitment to education and the next generation of business leaders.   

Lyons and his wife are proud parents of four children: Paige, Holden, Jameson, and Layton. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys traveling with his family, spending time outdoors at the lake, and attending Texas Tech sporting events.