Number of Current Board & Advisor Roles 7
CB Rank (Investor) 28,624
  • Primary Job Title Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
  • Primary Organization 
    General Atlantic
  • Investor Type  Investment Partner

As Chairman and CEO of General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm, Bill Ford has over three decades of experience investing in and helping to build leading growth companies including IHS Markit, e*Trade, Priceline, and First Republic Bank. Under William Ford’s leadership, General Atlantic has expanded its global presence, increased its

capital base, and deepened its capabilities to identify and partner with high-potential growth companies across multiple business sectors and geographies.

William Ford joined General Atlantic in 1991 and became CEO in 2007. He serves on the boards of current portfolio companies Bytedance and Sierra Space. He was formerly a director of prior General Atlantic investments, including First Republic Bank, NYSE Euronext, e*Trade, Priceline, NYMEX, Axel Springer Digital Classifieds, Royalty Pharma, and Tory Burch. William Ford serves as Chairman of the firm’s Management Committee and is a member of the Executive and Investment Committees.

Ford serves as Chair of Rockefeller University, and serves on the board of trustees of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Lincoln Center. He also serves as Co-Chair of the Partnership for New York City, on the Board of Directors of BlackRock, Global Private Capital Association, McKinsey Advisory Council, and the New York State Life Science Advisory Board. Furthermore, he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, The Business Council, and a member of the Steering Committee for The CEO Action for Diversity.

Ford also serves on the Advisory Board of Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management. He served as a trustee of Amherst College from 2001-2013 and is a member of the Investment Committee for the College's endowment.

Number of Current Jobs 1
Number of Past Jobs 4
William E. Ford is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at General Atlantic. Additionally, William E. Ford has had 4 past jobs including Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at General Atlantic.
Organization Name  
Title At Company  
Start Date  
End Date  
General Atlantic
Managing Director and Chief Executive OfficerJan 1, 2007Feb 18, 2021
General Atlantic
PresidentFeb 18, 2005Jan 1, 2007
General Atlantic
Managing Director19912007
Morgan Stanley
Investment Banker19871991
Number of Current Board & Advisor Roles 7
Number of Past Board & Advisor Roles 9
William E. Ford holds 7 board and advisor roles including Board Member at BlackRock, Chair at The Rockefeller University, and Board Member at Sierra Space.
Organization Name  
Title At Company  
Start Date  
End Date  
Oak Hill Advisors
Partnership Committee Member2018
Lincoln Center
Board Member
IHS Markit
Board Member
Royalty Pharma
Board Member
Tory Burch
Board Member
First Republic Bank
Board Member
National Committee on United States–China Relations
Board Member
Axel Springer Digital Classifieds
Board Member
Endeavor
Board Member