Intentionality and choice are what make us.
Warren Rustand is a husband, father of seven, grandfather of nineteen, entrepreneur, athlete, educator, speaker, and philanthropist. Warren spent his early years on a farm in Minnesota before his father moved the family to Southern California. He became an elite-level basketball player, eventually was drafted to what would become the Golden State Warriors, enlisted in the Army, and worked in the White House before beginning on his own as an entrepreneur.
In 1961, Warren was recruited to play basketball at the University of Arizona under former National Basketball Coach of the Year Bruce Larson. He went became an Academic All-American, student body president, and he met the love of his life, Carson. “I asked my future wife out every week for an entire year before she finally said yes,” Warren remembers.
After graduation, Warren was drafted by the San Francisco Warriors, now the Golden State Warriors. He played there only briefly, choosing to move to the most successful AAU team in the country, the Phillips 66ers. Following that season, he was selected for the USA Basketball Team in the World Basketball Championships in Santiago, Chile, winning the silver medal.
In 1973, Warren was selected as a White House Fellow and appointed as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of Commerce. There, he co-led the first-ever Executive Level Trade Mission to the Soviet Union. Following this success, he found himself as the Special Assistant to Vice President Gerald Ford. In the wake of Watergate, Warren heard the words of a senior White House official say to Ford, “Mr. Vice President, prepare to be President.” After Vice President Ford became President Ford, he asked Warren to serve as the Appointments Secretary and Cabinet Secretary to the President.
Warren Rustand’s return to the private sector created opportunities to build successful businesses and further develop his leadership. He served as CEO for six companies—including Providence Service Corp., a $2.1 billion company; Rural Metro, a $600 million company; and TLC Vision, a $400 million company—and chairman of many others. Additionally, he served on the boards of directors of some fifty-two for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.
In one of his more significant roles, Warren was Global Chair of the World Presidents Organization, an organization serving 10,000 CEOs in 100 countries. Today, he is the Dean of Learning for the EO Global Leadership Academy.
A recognized speaker on leadership, personal development, strategy, scaling businesses, entrepreneurship, and family, Warren has been presented with many honors and awards. Among his accolades are: The Visionary Leadership Award, The Distinguished Citizens Award, The Robbie Award, and the Father of the Year Award.
To learn more about Warren’s life and career, take a look inside his book.