William Jr. O'Rourke

Bill O'Rourke is executive director of the Beard Institute in the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business at Duquesne University.

O'Rourke retired from Alcoa in September 2011 after a 36-year career with the company. He had been named vice president, sustainability and environment, health & safety (EHS) for Alcoa in September 2008. Previously, he was vice president of global business services and the chief information officer (CIO) of Alcoa. O'Rourke had been an Alcoa vice president since 1997.

From the beginning of 2005 to 2008, O'Rourke served as president of Alcoa Russia, a $1 billion revenue business. He was responsible for the substantial manufacturing assets Alcoa acquired in Samara and Belaya Kalitva in the Russian Federation in early 2005. During the three years O'Rourke was in Russia, he spearheaded efforts to bring the facilities up to Alcoa's world class standards and integrate the Alcoa culture. He oversaw an investment program that exceeded $500 million.

After college, O'Rourke was an officer in the U.S. Army. He joined Alcoa in 1975 as a patent attorney after working as an industrial engineer for U.S. Steel.

O'Rourke is also a fellow of the Wheatley Institution in the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University and is the current board chair of Sustainable Pittsburgh.