William E. (Bill) Greehey

Bill Greehey is Chairman of the Board of NuStar Energy L.P., and NuStar GP Holdings, LLC, both of which are based in San Antonio, Texas.  NuStar Energy is a publicly traded master limited partnership that is one of the largest independent liquids terminal and pipeline operators in the nation.  Valero GP Holdings, LLC was formed as the general partner for Valero L.P. in 2006, and both companies assumed the NuStar name in April 2007 as part of their separation from Valero Energy.

Mr. Greehey became Chairman of NuStar Energy in 2001, when the company was known as Valero L.P., and the company has achieved significant growth and success since that time.  It has grown from 160 employees in 2001 to 1,600 today; from less than $400 million in assets to $5 billion; and from $100 million in revenues to $3.1 billion in 2014.

Mr. Greehey is responsible for implementing the same culture that made Valero such a success at NuStar.  For its commitment to its employees, NuStar most recently earned a rank of No. 18 on Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For.  What’s more, the company was named the No. 1 best large company to work for in Texas, and was recognized as a top employer through local media competitions in San Antonio, as well as in Wichita, Kansas and the Coastal Bend region of Texas. Employees showed their commitment to their communities by completing a record United Way campaign in 2014 with a per capita gift that was one of the best in the nation, and volunteering a record 93,000 hours in the communities where NuStar has operations.

Mr. Greehey previously served as Chairman and CEO of Valero Energy Corporation from the company’s inception in 1980 until he retired as CEO in January 2006, and then retired as Chairman in January 2007.  Under his leadership, Valero grew from a small, regional natural gas pipeline company to become the largest refining company in North America with approximately 22,000 employees, assets of $33 billion, and revenue of more than $80 billion, which ranked the company among the top 15 on the Fortune 500 listing when he retired as Chairman.

Bill Greehey and local government officials celebrated the groundbreaking for Haven for Hope in May 2007.

Under Mr. Greehey’s direction, Valero was consistently ranked one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” by Fortune magazine, rising to No. 3 in 2006, the year he retired.  Forbes magazine ranked Valero on its listing of the “Platinum 400-Best Big Companies” for its superior financial performance and shareholder return in 2005 and 2004; and for two consecutive years (2005 and 2004) Platts ranked Valero No. 1 among the world's refining companies on its Top 250 Global Energy Companies listing.  Investor’s Business Daily ranked Valero No. 3 on its “Big Cap 20” list for being one of the top performers on the S&P 500 Index, and BusinessWeek placed it at No. 4 among the “BusinessWeek 50.”  Forbes also recognized Valero on its 2005 listings of “Best-Managed Companies in America” and “Fastest-Growing Big Companies,” while Fortune named Valero one of America’s “Most Admired Companies” and the No. 1 oil and gas company among its “100 Fastest-Growing Companies.” 

For its commitment to community service, Valero received the “Spirit of America” Award, United Way’s highest corporate honor, in 1992 and 2003, making it one of only two companies to have received the honor twice.  It was also one of nine U.S. companies to receive the 1999 “Award for Excellence in Corporate Community Service” from the Points of Light Foundation; and it was ranked No. 15 out of the Fortune 500 in terms of corporate philanthropy by the Council on Economic Priorities and Worth magazine (at the time the company was ranked No. 259 in terms of revenue).  Also in response to the company’s significant contributions to its communities, Mr. Greehey and Valero were featured on the cover of Philanthropy magazine in September 2003.

Mr. Greehey established The Greehey Family Foundation in 2004, and it has already given tens-of-millions of dollars in grants to worthy charities.  This includes a $25 million grant to the University of Texas Health Science Center to fund research and treatment for children’s cancer. Mr. Greehey serves as Chairman of the Board for Haven for Hope, an innovative facility that will provide a wide range of social services to meet the needs of San Antonio’s homeless community in a “one-stop” setting. 

He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County and on the Board of the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research.  In addition, he has served on the Board of Trustees of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, which named him a Distinguished Alumnus in 1986, granted him an honorary doctorate of philosophy in 1998, and named its business school in his honor in 2005.  He also gave a $25 million gift to the business school to expand the university’s recruitment of top business students and attract internationally known business professors, and to promote business ethics and community service among future business leaders.  It is the largest single gift in the university’s 155-year history.  He acted as campaign chairman of the St. Mary’s $22 million Alumni Athletics & Convocation Center, and subsequently, the university named its arena in his honor.  Mr. Greehey joined the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in 1992, and has served as a member of the BSA National Advisory Council and is past president of the Alamo Area Council BSA.  In 1987, the Alamo Area Council presented him with the Silver Beaver Award for his support of Scouting and his distinguished service to youth.  And in 2001, he received the Good Scout Award, the Council’s highest honor, which is presented to individuals whose leadership in business, education and community service has made a difference in the community.  In addition, Mr. Greehey is past chairman of the board and past campaign chairman of the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County and past chairman of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation. 

In 2009, Mr. Greehey was presented with the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.  This international award honors an individual who demonstrates outstanding skills in coordinating and motivating groups of volunteers for fundraising projects for the benefit of charitable institutions.  In 2002, Mr. Greehey was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame, which honors members of the state’s business community whose visions and careers have helped to place Texas at the forefront of the 21st century economy.  In 2000, he was selected as one of 10 American leaders to receive the prestigious Horatio Alger Award, which recognizes individuals who have climbed from humble beginnings to personal and professional success, and have achieved the “American Dream.”  Also in 2000, the American Academy of Achievement presented Mr. Greehey with its “Golden Plate Award” and inducted him into the Academy’s Museum of the American Dream.  Previously, he received the 1999 International Citizen of the Year Award from San Antonio’s World Affairs Council.  In 1998, Mr. Greehey was presented with the Outstanding Philanthropist Award from the San Antonio Chapter of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives; and he was inducted into the San Antonio Business Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement.  Based on his community service record, he received the 1993 Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Socially Responsible Category.

A native of Fort Dodge, Iowa, Mr. Greehey served four years in the United States Air Force.