Keynote Address: William J. Pesce '73

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William J. Pesce '73, retired CEO, Wiley & Sons

A member of William Paterson University Board of Trustees and Retired President & CEO of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

William J. Pesce ’73, who has served on the Wil¬liam Paterson University Board of Trustees since 2002, retired as the president and Chief Executive Officer of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in April 2011. He earned a BA from William Paterson University and an MBA from New York University.


Pesce was a member of Wiley’s leadership team for 22 years, serving as president and CEO for 13 years. He has extensive experience leading a global company; recruiting and developing collaborative leadership teams; building and sustaining a high performance organizational cul¬ture; creating and executing strategic plans; and consummating acqui¬sitions and partnerships. While at Wiley, Pesce was actively engaged in the development of technology-enabled products and services for the academic and professional communities. Prior to joining Wiley, Pesce served as president of W.B. Saunders, one of the world’s leading medical publishers. He began his publishing career at CBS when it owned Saunders, Holt, Rinehart and Winston and the Dryden Press. He has received numerous honors, including his 2012 induction into the New Jersey Business Hall of Fame™, a lifetime achievement award for individuals making a significant, positive impact on New Jersey. He is on the Board of Overseers of the Stern School of Business at NYU and the Board of Directors of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.