Ed Grier
Dean, School of Business, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
Ed Grier joined the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business as dean on March 8, 2010. Before coming to VCU, Grier spent 29 years as a top-level executive for Walt Disney Company, a $38 billion member of the Fortune 500. His work with Disney spanned the globe from Tokyo to Paris, giving him priceless insight into the international perspectives needed for students to flourish now and in the future.
He has served in numerous leadership roles that have given him the expertise necessary for successful company–and school–operations, including brand management, administration, finance and planning, marketing, and public relations.
As President of Disneyland Resort, an operation that comprises nearly $2 billion in annual revenue, 20,000 employees, and 28 labor unions, he was responsible for growing operating income and cutting costs by record-setting amounts, as well as successfully negotiating eight union agreements to ensure long-term labor stability and growth.
Grier earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Duquesne University in 1977 before starting his career as a CPA and auditor at Ernst and Young. He joined Disney in 1981.
His operational savvy led to numerous appointments including commissioner of the California Travel and Tourism Commission, member of the California Economic Recovery Task Force, and board member of the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, CA. The Black Chamber of Commerce of Orange County honored Grier with the Michael R. Jones Business Impact Award in August 2011.
At VCU Mr Grier also serves as a board member of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Richmond Forum. He also serves as a trustee of Brandman University, part of the Chapman University System in California.
