University of Idaho presidential finalist Scott Green — a proud Vandal alumnus — has managed banking companies and law firms for 25 years.
Green has worked as Global Chief Operating and Financial Officer of the law firm Hogan Lovells since 2015. He graduated from UI in 1984 with a B.S. in Accounting and from Harvard Business School in 1989 with an MBA in General Management.
Green has expressed a passion for the University of Idaho and our community. While he was on campus March 8, Green told stories of growing up in Moscow with Memorial Gym as a sort of ‘second home.’
Former UI Athletic Director Leon “Doc” Green — himself an alumnus and football player from 1934 to 1936, according to the Vandal Athletics website — was Scott’s grandfather.
Green currently lives in New York with his wife and children, but the family owns a cabin in Idaho. He said in a community meeting on March 8 that coming back to Idaho helps him feel grounded.
Although Green is a Vandal through and through, his work has not resided in the realm of academia. According to his Curriculum Vitae, Green spent the first three years of his career working for the Boise Cascade Corporation as an auditor. He then moved on to become the Manager of the TRAC Program at Deloitte and Touche, LLP — a professional services network — for five years.
Moving up the chain of management positions, Green served as Vice President of Management Control for Goldman Sachs and Company for three years before becoming the Director of Internal Audit for the Americas and Managing Director of Operations for ING Barings, LLC over the course of his four years with the company. Both companies are banking groups.
Green then spent four years as Global Head of Audit and Compliance and Chief Administrative Officer of Weil, Gotshal and Manges, LLP. This marked Green’s switch from managing banking groups to law firms.
In 2007, Green began a five-year stint as Executive Director of WilmerHale, another law firm, before his time as CEO of Pepper Hamilton from 2012 to 2014. Green was the first non-lawyer to lead a major U.S. law firm, according to a question and answer style article from Leaders League.
“As CEO, I am responsible for both the business strategy and the operations of Pepper Hamilton,” Green said in the 2014 article. “I work with the chair and the members of the firm’s Executive Committee to execute Pepper’s strategic plan. I am also responsible for the efficiency and effectiveness of the firm’s back office activities, including finance, IT, marketing, HR and business development.”
According to a 2015 press release from Hogan Lovells, Green’s work as CEO of Pepper Hamilton led to three consecutive years of record growth for the firm. The press release also said Green was ranked as one of The American Lawyer’s 50 Most Innovative in the Past 50 years in 2013.
“(Green) is very focused on strategy and execution,” said Pepper Hamilton, LLP partner James Rosener, who heads the firm’s International Practice Group. “He’s a good guy to work with and understands his role.”
Rosener said people at Pepper Hamilton resistant to change may not have liked Green due to his focus on strategy. However, he emphasized that if UI wants change and strong leadership, Green would be a good fit. He described Green as personable, approachable, well-mannered and a good leader.
Green believes his passion for UI, combined with his experience in high-level management positions, would allow him to become a good president of the university. If chosen, Green plans to hit the ground running.
“I care about the university and I care about what’s happened,” Green said. “I truly want to help revitalize the University of Idaho.”
According to a news release from the Idaho State Board of Education, UI’s 19th president will be announced by April.
Editor’s note: This is the third article in a series of profiles on finalists for the UI presidency.