Ed Grier is the dean of the Leavey School of Business. Previously the dean of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Business, he successfully transitioned his corporate expertise to academia resulting in national attention and rankings for the VCU School of Business and a renaissance of corporate and community partnerships.
Prior to VCU, Ed spent 29 years with the Walt Disney Company where he served in a variety of progressively more responsible roles around the globe. Most recently, he was the president of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim California where he oversaw Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park, the Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the Paradise Pier Hotel and Downtown Disney, comprising nearly $2 billion in revenue, 20,000 employees.
A sought-after speaker on topics including diversity, leadership, and corporate creativity, Grier earned his B.A. in accounting from Duquesne University, becoming a certified public accountant while at Ernst & Ernst (now known as Ernst & Young) for four years before joining Disney.