Burke W. Whitman


Burke W. Whitman is an American executive, board director, and former general. He serves and leads national and global organizations in business, civil society, and national service.

Business

Whitman is Chief Executive of, which provides capital and governance to enterprises committed to the common good. He is a member of the Boards of Directors of two publicly listed companies:, a global biotech and biopharma company which provides advanced therapies for rare diseases; and, a global health and real estate company which invests capital in the future of senior care.
Previously, he served as CEO, CFO, and President of four nationwide companies, two of them Fortune 500, all successfully sold.  In reverse chronology, he was CEO of Health Management ; founding CFO of Triad Hospitals ; founding President of Deerfield Healthcare ; and Vice President of . Earlier he was a corporate and real estate investment banker with .

Civil Society

Whitman serves national missions in education, defense, and health. He serves or has served on the board of directors of the, the Board of Trustees of, the Board of Directors of the, the Board of Directors of the, the Board of Visitors of, the Founders Group of the, and the Reserve Forces Policy Board which advises the Secretary of Defense. He sponsors service leadership programs for students, and has given the commencement address at . He has delivered service addresses at Dartmouth College,, and the Union League Club of New York.

National Service

Concurrently through 2018, Whitman served as a Major General and the senior reserve officer of the U.S. Marine Corps, capping three decades of uniformed service, including a dozen years on active duty, with multiple combat deployments, tours in the Pentagon, and command at every level. As an infantry officer, he conducted seven deployments and commanded platoons, companies, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, and 25th Marine Regiment. As a general, he was recalled to active duty, led three more deployments, served as the Commanding General of Marine Forces Reserve and the 4th Marine Division, and was tapped by the Secretary of Defense to serve as the Department’s Uniformed Spokesperson. Following completion of active duty in 2018, he retired as the senior reserve officer in order to return to civilian service.

Early life and education

Whitman holds masters degrees in business, strategy, and ministry. He is a graduate of, the, and . He earned a BA from on a scholarship, where he was a member of the and Sphinx Senior Society. Reared in Atlanta, he earned a diploma from .

Awards

Dartmouth College awarded him its first annual James Wright Award for Distinguished Service, named for a president of the college and presented to an alumnus whose “lifetime exemplifies the ideals of service, college, and country.” Dartmouth Alumni Magazine featured a cover article on him which explored the commonalities between his business and military service leadership.
Institutional Investor Magazine named him a repeat Best CFO and Best CEO. The Washington Examiner reported on its editorial page that he was worth $580 million to corporate shareholders based on stock market reaction to the announcement of his appointment as CEO. Fortune Magazine recognized Triad as the fastest growing Fortune 500 company in earnings per share during the period he was CFO.
The United States of America awarded him the Distinguished Service Medal, Combat Action Ribbons, Presidential Unit Citation, and other military decorations.
Military awards: :
Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge