William D. Perez was appointed as a director of Whirlpool Corporation in December 2009. He is a member of the finance and human resources committees of the board of directors.
Perez is a senior advisor at Greenhill & Co., Inc., a leading independent investment bank focused on providing financial advise on significant mergers, acquisistions, restructurings, financings and capital raising to corporations, partnerships, institutions and governments.
Perez is the former president and chief executive officer of the William Wrigley Jr. Company. He was president and CEO from 2006 until 2008 when the company was acquired by Mars, Incorporated. Prior to his employment with Wrigley, he served as president and chief executive officer for Nike, Inc., from 2004 until 2006 where he held management responsibility for Nike’s worldwide operations and portfolio of brands.
Perez began his career at S.C. Johnson in 1970, where he was employed for 34 years. At S.C. Johnson, he held a series of progressively more responsible positions in sales, marketing, brand management, and general management, becoming president and chief operating officer of Worldwide Consumer Products in 1993, and president and chief executive officer of the company in 1996.
Perez is also a director of Johnson & Johnson and the Campbell Soup Company. Additionally, he is a director of the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and a member of the Cornell University Board of Trustees.
Perez received his bachelor of arts degree in Government from Cornell University in 1969 and a graduate degree in International Management from the Thunderbird School of International Management in 1970.