Burke W. Whitman | |
|---|---|
 Burke W. Whitman | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/ |  United States Marine Corps |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Commands held | |
| Awards | |
Burke W. Whitman is an American executive, board director, and former United States Marine Corps general. He serves and leads national and global organizations in business, civil society, and national service.
Whitman is Chief Executive of Colmar Holdings, which provides capital and governance to enterprises committed to the common good. [1] He is a member of the Boards of Directors of two publicly listed companies: Amicus Therapeutics (Nasdaq: FOLD), a global biotech and biopharma company which provides advanced therapies for rare diseases; [2] [3] and Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI), a global health and real estate company which invests capital in the future of senior care. [4]
Previously, he served as CEO, CFO, and President of four nationwide companies, two of them Fortune 500 , all successfully sold. [5] In reverse chronology, he was CEO of Health Management (NYSE Fortune 500); [5] founding CFO of Triad Hospitals (NYSE Fortune 500); [6] [7] founding President of Deerfield Healthcare (private); and Vice President of Almost Family (Nasdaq). Earlier he was a corporate and real estate investment banker with Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS). [2] [8]
Whitman serves national missions in education, defense, and health. He serves or has served on the board of directors of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, [9] the Board of Trustees of The Lovett School, [10] the Board of Directors of the Federation of American Hospitals, the Board of Directors of the Toys for Tots Foundation (a Forbes 100 charity), [1] [11] the Board of Visitors of Marine Corps University, the Founders Group of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, [2] and the Reserve Forces Policy Board which advises the Secretary of Defense. [12] He sponsors service leadership programs for students, and has given the commencement address at The Lovett School. [12] [13] He has delivered service addresses at Dartmouth College, Harvard Business School, [14] and the Union League Club of New York. [12]
Concurrently through 2018, Whitman served as a Major General and the senior reserve officer of the U.S. Marine Corps, capping three decades of uniformed service, including a dozen years on active duty, with multiple combat deployments, tours in the Pentagon, and command at every level. [15] As an infantry officer, he conducted seven deployments and commanded platoons, companies, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, and 25th Marine Regiment. [15] As a general, he was recalled to active duty, led three more deployments, served as the Commanding General of Marine Forces Reserve and the 4th Marine Division, [16] and was tapped by the Secretary of Defense to serve as the Department’s Uniformed Spokesperson. [17] Following completion of active duty in 2018, he retired as the senior reserve officer in order to return to civilian service. [12]
Whitman holds masters degrees in business, strategy, and ministry. He is a graduate of Harvard Business School (MBA), the Army War College (MSS), [1] and Nashotah House Theological Seminary (MM 2021). [12] [18] He earned a BA from Dartmouth College on a scholarship, where he was a member of the rugby team [19] and Sphinx Senior Society. [12] Reared in Atlanta, he earned a diploma from The Lovett School. [13]
Dartmouth College awarded him its first annual James Wright Award for Distinguished Service, [20] named for a president of the college and presented to an alumnus whose “lifetime exemplifies the ideals of service, college, and country.” Dartmouth Alumni Magazine featured a cover article on him which explored the commonalities between his business and military service leadership. [19] [21]
Institutional Investor Magazine named him a repeat Best CFO and Best CEO. [22] [23] The Washington Examiner reported on its editorial page that he was worth $580 million to corporate shareholders based on stock market reaction to the announcement of his appointment as CEO. [24] Fortune Magazine recognized Triad as the fastest growing Fortune 500 company in earnings per share (EPS) during the period he was CFO. [25]
The United States of America awarded him the Distinguished Service Medal, Combat Action Ribbons, Presidential Unit Citation, and other military decorations. [12]
Military awards: :
 | Parachutist Badge |
 | Naval Aviation Observer Badge |
 | Rifle Expert Badge |
 | Pistol Sharpshooter Badge |
Distinguished Service Medal 
Defense Superior Service Medal 
Legion of Merit with gold star device
Bronze Star Medal 
Defense Meritorious Service Medal 
Meritorious Service Medal with gold star device
Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal 
Combat Action Ribbon with gold star device
Presidential Unit Citation 
Joint Meritorious Unit Award 
Navy Unit Commendation 
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation 
Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal with four bronze stars
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star device
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal 
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with four bronze stars
Iraq Campaign Medal with one bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal 
Korean Defense Service Medal 
Armed Forces Service Medal 
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with three bronze stars
Reserve Forces Medal with bronze hourglass, letter M, and numeral 3
NATO Medal with one bronze star
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the U.S. Armed Forces who has served during any one of four specified periods of armed conflict or national emergency from June 27, 1950 through December 31, 2022. Combat or "in theater" service is not a requirement for the award.
A "V" device is a metal 1⁄4-inch (6.4 mm) capital letter "V" with serifs which, when worn on certain decorations awarded by the United States Armed Forces, distinguishes an award for heroism or valor in combat instead of for meritorious service or achievement.
The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Navy's variant of the Good Conduct Medal was established in 1869, the Marine Corps version in 1896, the Coast Guard version in 1923, the Army version in 1941, and the Air Force version in 1963; the Air Force Good Conduct Medal was temporarily discontinued from February 2006 to February 2009, followed by its subsequent reinstatement.
The Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM) is a service medal of the United States Armed Forces that has existed since 1950. The medal recognizes service performed by members of the reserve components and is awarded to both officers and enlisted personnel. The medal is considered a successor award to the Naval Reserve Medal and the Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon, which were discontinued in 1958 and 1967, respectively.
The Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) is a military award presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969.
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