Tony Rucci

Tony Rucci serves as President Emeritus of the America250 Foundation, while also serving as an active member of the Board of Directors. As the first and now-former President & CEO of the Foundation, Rucci steered the Foundation’s early days while serving on a pro-bono basis.

He is also Professor Emeritus from Ohio State University, having retired as a Clinical Professor and University Distinguished Teaching Professor in December 2018. During his career in business, academia, consulting and community service, Rucci has held a broad range of professional roles.

In a nearly 30-year business career, Rucci served as a senior corporate officer for three Fortune 50 companies: Cardinal Health, Sears Roebuck, and Baxter International. Throughout his professional career in business, he has held a broad range of senior officer responsibilities, including extensive board of directors and governance experience, merger and acquisition responsibilities, large-scale organizational transformation efforts, as well as international responsibilities. An in-demand speaker, Rucci has delivered over 150 invited speeches and keynote addresses at major conferences and events during his career while also producing an impressive academic and business publication record. He holds bachelors, masters, and Ph.D. degrees in industrial and organizational psychology from Bowling Green State University.

Academically, Rucci has held both teaching and administrative roles, some of which include: Full Clinical Professor and University Distinguished Teaching Professor, Ohio State University (2006-2018), Interim CEO, Ohio State University Physicians, and Senior Associate Vice President for Health Sciences (2006), and Dean of the College of Business and tenured professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago (1998-1999). He has taught over 100 courses in his academic career, primarily at the graduate level, at a number of universities. And he has published over 25 articles and book chapters, including the Harvard Business Review and Fortune magazine. Rucci has been on the editorial board of three professional journals, as well as an editorial book reviewer for Harvard Business School Press and Josey-Bass publishers.

He has maintained an active advising and consulting practice at the board and executive leadership levels with companies and organizations. Current and recent clients have included: American Battlefield Trust; Abercrombie & Fitch; Scotts/MiracleGro; Wendy’s; NetJets; Home Depot; and M/I Homes.

Rucci’s community service efforts have included extensive pro bono strategic advising roles including Ohio Department of Education, Mid-Ohio Food Bank, LifeCare Alliance, Homeport, Ohio Children’s Hunger Alliance, Columbus City Schools, and Catholic Social Services.  He is also currently the Treasurer and co-creator of the BRIGHT New Leaders for Ohio Schools; and a Board Member of the Bowling Green State University Foundation Board. Earlier in his career he served on a number of non-profit boards, including the Ohio State University Medical Center Advisory Board, the University of Illinois-Chicago Chancellor’s Advisory Board, and a Trustee of the Columbus Museum of Art.

Noteworthy professional recognitions have included: 2019 Emeritus Academy Inductee Ohio State University; 2018 Emeritus Professor awarded by Ohio State University; the 2017 invited commencement speaker at Bowling Green University; 2015, 2016, 2017 National Poets and Quants Favorite Professor recognitions; 2013 Ohio State University Distinguished Teaching Award; 2013 Bowling Green University Distinguished College Alumni Award; 2008 Distinguished Career Executive Award from the National Academy of Management; 2008 invited keynote speaker at the International Conference of the Society of Industrial/Organizational Psychology; appointed to White House Fellows regional selection panels 1989 & 1990; and earned more than a dozen annual graduate teaching awards from the Fisher College of Business since 2007.

He is also the proud father of five children:  Kelly, Heather, Joshua, Jordan and Sage, and five grandchildren: Kathryn, Anthony, Michael, Everett and Emma.