Dec 5, 2017
William F. Pickard, PhD, is CEO and chairman for multiple enterprises, including VITEC L.L.C., Global Automotive Alliance L.L.C., Grupo Antolin-Wayne, ARD Logistics, L.L.C., and Commonwealth Regal Industries. He is also the owner of several McDonald’s franchises and a co-owner of five black-owned newspapers.
Dr. Pickard is also CEO of Bearwood Management and author of Millionaire Moves: Seven Proven Principles of Entrepreneurship.
LEARNING TO DREAM BIG
Pickard caught his first glimpse of the automotive world in
the 1950s when his parents moved the family from Florida to Flint,
Michigan, a city built on the car industry. While his parents
worked on the assembly line at General Motors, the young Pickard
attended school, where he was treated as an outcast for being both
new to the neighborhood and African American. He
struggled in his schoolwork until an English teacher encouraged him
to work to his fullest potential.
Pickard considered this teacher his first mentor and
the person who introduced him to the importance of helping others
to achieve their best. With his new ambition in
place, Pickard pushed ahead to earn an associate's degree at Flint
Mott College in 1962 and a bachelor's degree at Western Michigan
University in 1964. He then earned a master's degree in social work
at the University of Michigan.
STARTING A CAREER, HELPING OTHERS
Armed with his training, Pickard began his good
works. He started his career in 1965 as the director
of education at the Cleveland Urban League and then, in 1967,
joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People as executive director. In 1969 Pickard
returned to school to earn a PhD in psychology at Ohio State
University in Columbus. On completing his studies he worked in
several professorial positions at various institutions in
southeastern Michigan and northern Ohio.
At the same time he started on a new path into the world of
entrepreneurship, allowing his business and investment skills to
emerge-skills that would be tested through several ventures and
eventually lead him to success.
FROM GOOD DEEDS TO GREAT SUCCESS
Soon after a chance meeting with a McDonald's corporate
executive, Pickard began his first business endeavor
as the owner of several McDonald's franchises. He was also
investing, not too successfully, in car dealerships around that
time. Later, a lunch with Henry Ford
II led him from dealerships to the automotive supply
industry. Ford told him, "We need black
suppliers," and Pickard took that to heart (Detroit
News , May 21, 2002). Soon he began investing in minority firms
that produced automotive parts. This move led to his creating the
Global Automotive Alliance (Alliance), one of the country's leading
minority-owned companies.
SHARING THE WEALTH
With the means to help others on a larger scale, Dr. Pickard
created a company wide internship program to recruit the next
generation of minority employees in plastics processing. He also serves on the
board of the National Urban League, and is a member of the Detroit
Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP).In addition, he continues teaching, is an avid
volunteer and donor to charities and
mentors many aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders.
In 2001 the Detroit News honored him as
a Michiganian of the
Year for his accomplishments as an entrepreneur , teacher, and mentor to future
leaders.