William McCormick

Who is William McCormick?

William P. McCormick is an American businessman and diplomat. He served as the United States ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa from October 21, 2005 until January 10, 2009. He is married and has six children.

McCormick attended Roger Williams University and Boston University while serving in the United States Army Reserve Military Police until he was honorably discharged in 1963. He then moved to northern California and worked in the brokerage office of Connecticut General Life Insurance Companyin San Francisco until 1965. It was at this time that he became a partner in the Refectory Steak House Restaurant chain. By the early 1970s McCormick had moved further north to Portland, Oregon, and sold his interest in the Refectory Restaurants.

In 1974 he purchased the restaurant Jake's Famous Crawfish and within the year had partnered with Doug Schmick. While growing the restaurant company, he attended the Harvard Business School, Executive Management Program, in 1979. There are 90 McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants in 24 states employing over 8,000 people. The company went public in July 2004 and is traded on the NASDAQ. McCormick currently serves as Chairman Emeritus.