William J. Pesce, who retired as President and CEO of John Wiley & Sons,
Inc. in April 2011 and is currently a member of the Company’s Board of
Directors, has been selected as one the 2012 New Jersey Business Hall of
Fame™ Laureates for his contributions to Wiley and the state.
This lifetime achievement award, which will be presented at an event on
Thursday, April 19, 2012, honors business and community leaders who have
a significant, positive impact on New Jersey. Inductees have
consistently demonstrated business excellence; visionary, innovative
leadership; community involvement; and high ethical standards.
“Throughout his career at Wiley, Will’s strong leadership helped to
enable the Company’s tremendous growth and success. At the same time,
Will has been a passionate advocate for Wiley’s culture and corporate
citizenship, referring to the Company as “the place to be,” where
colleagues are respected and valued as human beings first and
professionals second. I can think of no one who deserves this honor more
than Will. He is an extraordinary and inspiring role model,” said
Stephen M. Smith, who succeeded Mr. Pesce as President and CEO when he
retired.
“As a New Jersey native, a product of the state’s public schools, and a
first-generation college graduate, I am truly honored to be recognized
by the NJ Business Hall of Fame,” said Mr. Pesce. He continued, “I am
pleased that the awards event will support the noble efforts of Junior
Achievement of New Jersey. I believe it is critically important for
leaders to serve as role models for children, who represent the next
generation of leadership for our society.”
Mr. Pesce is guided by a strong sense of community and corporate
responsibility. After Wiley moved its headquarters from New York to
Hoboken in 2002, Mr. Pesce launched Wiley’s Volunteer Program. At
Hoboken’s Wallace Elementary School, where over 70% of the students
qualify for lunchsubsidies, Wiley colleagues contribute time during
office hours reading to students. High school students experience
real-world learning by shadowing Wiley volunteers through a typical
workday and participating in an after-school work program. Each year a
college-bound high school senior is awarded a Wiley Scholarship.
Mr. Pesce’s commitment to education extends beyond Wiley through his
service as a member of the Board of Trustees of William Paterson
University and the Board of Overseers of NYU’s Stern School of Business.
He frequently addresses students at universities across the country
about leadership, ethics, and integrity.
Event and sponsorship opportunities are provided on the attached
announcement from Junior Achievement of New Jersey. The contact is:
Dawn Schwartz
Vice President, Development & Communications
Junior
Achievement of New Jersey
917-453-7683
www.janj.org
/ dschwartz@ja.org
