Professional Achievement Award

WILLIAM J. KRUEGER, ENG '87

Brentwood, Tenn.

Bill Krueger’s father, Sid Krueger, was a firefighter and electrician. When Bill was old enough, Sid had him work as his helper. Bill loved the work and decided early on he wanted to be an electrical engineer, which led him to Marquette.

A native of Janesville, Wis., Bill started his career as a Co-op student at the local General Motors assembly plant. GM awarded him a fellowship to attend Northwestern University, where he earned a master’s in business administration and engineering management. He later worked for Harley-Davidson’s Utilimaster Corp., as well as Toyota in Indiana and Kentucky. Almost seven years ago, Bill was hired by Nissan. 

He worked his way up to senior vice president of manufacturing, purchasing, supply chain management and total customer satisfaction, overseeing Nissan’s industrial operations in the United States and Mexico.

In May 2011, at the age of 46, Bill was appointed vice chairman of Nissan Americas, a newly formed role. He is the company’s highest-ranking resident executive with responsibility for Nissan’s day-to-day operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and 37 other Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Asked whom he would most like to have dinner with, Bill replies, “my father, Sid Krueger,” who passed away while Bill was still at Marquette.

Bill is on the Committee of Visitors for Vanderbilt's School of Engineering and is director of the Nashville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He is on the board of directors of the American Red Cross Nashville Area Regional Chapter, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and Anchor Hocking Co.

Fun facts about Bill:
Hometown: Janesville, Wis.
Favorite book: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Someone alive or dead he’d like to have dinner with: His father, Sid Krueger
The Marquette faculty members who had an impact on Bill: Sue Michaelson, Rev. James Manning, S.J., and James Robb
Favorite Marquette memory: Attending Mass at Gesu
In grade school, Bill wanted to be an electrical engineer.
Most influential people in his life: His parents and his wife