William R. Gruver

William R. Gruver is a Senior Fellow at the Open Discourse Coalition and a Professor Emeritus at Bucknell University, where he held the Howard I. Scott Chair and was a Professor of Management Practice.

While at Bucknell he received the most prestigious teaching recognition (the Lindback Award) and the ECAC Award for contributions to NCAA athletics. His scholarship has been published by (among others) The Association of Governing Boards (AGB), Cornell University's Johnson School, Directorship Magazine, Economic and Business History Society, Financial History Magazine, The Financial Times, Finanz und Wirtschaft, Fox News, the Holocaust Centre (Beth Shalom), Humanities and Social Sciences Review, International Journal of Arts and Sciences, Journal of Applied Business and Economics, The Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, The New York Times, The Patriot-News, The Wall Street Journal, Physician Executive, Public Radio International, Real Clear Defense, Real Clear Markets, Real Clear Policy, Stanford University and USA Today.

Before joining the Bucknell faculty, Bill was a general partner at Goldman Sachs, where he was the Chief Operating Officer of the firm's largest division. In that role he oversaw the institutional sales and trading of equity securities, as well as the private wealth management capabilities of the firm. In addition to his focus on the bottom line, through his leadership the division expanded geographically - in Asia (Singapore) and Europe (Frankfurt) - and diversified by appointing the first woman to lead a regional office, by opening an emergency child care center at its home office and by initiating recruiting at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Bill holds an MBA from Columbia University and an A.B. (with distinction) from Dartmouth College.

He is a national arbitrator of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

 His past board seats were with:

• Lee Health, Inc., a $3Billion safety net hospital system in Florida, where he served as board secretary, chair of the audit committee and chair of the investment subcommittee (2025-2026)

• Lee Health Foundation, which raises charitable funds to support Lee Health, Inc., where he chaired the audit committee (2021-2024)

• Geisinger Health, a $7 Billion integrated health care system in Pennsylvania, where he chaired the audit and investment committees (2005-2020)

• Green Thumb Industries, a $3 Billion integrated cannabis company operating in 15 American states and listed in Canada, where he chaired the audit committee (2019- 2022)

• Private Client Bank, AG, a traditional private bank headquartered in Switzerland, where he held a seat on the governing board (2016-2021)

• lndivumed GMBH, a German Biotech firm, Co-Chair, Advisory Board (2014-2016)

• Hirtle Callaghan & Co., a Philadelphia based investment advisor (2009-2015)

• The Street, Inc., a publicly held web publisher of financial information, where he chaired the compensation and M+A committees (2003-2013)

• Diversified Information Technologies, (a privately held data and information management firm sold in 2013)

• Berea College (1994 - 2006), member of executive committee and chair of audit committee

• Cornell University Park Leadership Program (1997-2002)

• Woodbridge Developmental Center (a NJ hospital, Chair of the Board - 1986 to 1988) 

His other past not for profit responsibilities include: serving as a supply officer and qualified officer ofthe deck on a nuclear submarine in the US Navy during the Vietnam War, three terms as Mayor of Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania, president ofthe Eagles Mere Foundation, the Eagles Mere Historic Village (founder and secretary), Eagles Mere Community Church (trustee), founder of Bucknell Harvest (a volunteer group that now runs a soup kitchen), founding faculty member of Bucknell's Institute for Leadership in Technology and Management, and board of the Lymphoma Foundation