Dean's Advisory Council

Norm Blake
(Retired) Chairman & CEO
Comdisco

Norm Blake served as Chairman & CEO of Comdisco, a computer leasing company, during its post-bankruptcy organization. Before that, he served as Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Before taking the reins of the U.S. Olympic Committee, Dr. Blake had achieved a successful business career in a variety of different industries. After holding several senior leadership positions with General Electric, he became CEO of Chicago-based Heller International Corp. in 1984.

In 1990, he led a successful eight-year turnaround of Baltimore-based USF&G, one of the largest property and casualty companies in the United States. During that period, the company posted a 200 percent increase in cumulative shareholder return, and market capitalization improved by more than 300 percent.

In 1999, Dr. Blake became chairman and CEO of Memphis-based Promus Hotel Corp., the third-largest hotel chain in the United States. After having successfully repositioned the company, he negotiated its merger with the Hilton Hotel Corp., realizing an almost 300 percent return on shareholder value.

Dr. Blake earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Purdue. Purdue presented him with an honorary doctorate in economics in 1995.