William J. DeLaney III: Sysco CEO

William J. DeLaney III graduated in 1977 from the University of Notre Dame. He earned in 1982 a Master of Business Administration from the prestigious Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

William joined Sysco which is traded in the New York Stock Exchange as assistant Treasurer at the firm’s corporate headquarters in 1987. He earned a promotion in 1991 becoming the company treasurer. William was appointed a Vice President in 1993 and held this position until 1994.

In 1996 he joined Sysco Syracuse as CFO. He moved up the ranks becoming Senior Vice President in 1998 and Executive Vice President in 2002. William transferred to Sysco Charlotte as President and CEO in 2004. He went back to Houston in 2007 and was appointed Executive Vice President and CFO of the company. William served this role for two years and was then promoted to CEO in March 2009; he joined the firm’s Board of Directors earlier in January 2009. Since February 2010, William has also served as Sysco’s President.

Outside of Sysco, he has served since September 2011 on the Board of Directors of Aristotle Holdings and Express Scripts. William also sits on the Board of Directors of the Center for Houston’s Future which was founded by the Greater Houston Partnership.

Sysco is a global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. The firm’s family of products also includes equipment and supplies for foodservice and hospitality industries.

Sysco runs 193 distribution centers catering to around 425,000 customers. In Fiscal Year 2013 that ended June 29, 2013, the firm produced record sales of over $44 billion. Sysco today is comprised of six business groups.

The largest part of its business is its 95 broad line operating companies that distribute a full line of food products and a wide variety of non-food products to both independent and chain restaurants customer and other “away-from-home” locations like healthcare and educational facilities.