Bill Pollard, now in his 80s, has the bearing of a man of great wisdom, who has lived his life with a clear sense of calling. I had the honour of conducting an interview / Q & A will Bill in front of a large audience at the ELO World Conference in Vancouver in October 2015. What shone through in the midst of his answers was his character. A spontaneous standing ovation after his remarks reflected the audience’s great respect for him and his insights.
For over a twenty-five year period, from 1977 to 2002, Bill participated in the leadership of The ServiceMaster Company and served not once but twice as its Chief Executive Officer. He also served as Chairman of the Board of ServiceMaster from 1990 to April 2002 and was elected Chairman Emeritus in 2002 when he retired from the Board.
During his leadership of ServiceMaster, the Company was recognized by Fortune magazine as the #1 service company among the Fortune 500 and also was included as one of its most admired companies. During this period, ServiceMaster also was identified as a “star of the future” by The Wall Street Journal and recognized by the Financial Times as one of the most respected companies in the world. The Company also achieved market leadership in each of its markets and substantial growth in shareholder value.
Bill has lived out his calling. He has served in the business arena with great impact. He has used his business skills in ministry contexts. He noted in his recent book, The Tides of Life (Crossway, 2014), that “The bottom line for people seeking to integrate their faith with their work is the people you work with.” [94]
To Bill it is second nature that business is ministry. Of course, it is. Billy Graham is the one who said that business will be the mission field of the 21st Century. Bill is living very purposefully and is intent on finishing well. He is a gracious man and servant-hearted.
For over 25 years he served as a director and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and currently serves as a director emeritus. He is a trustee emeritus of Wheaton College, where he served over 31 years as a Trustee of the College and twice as Chairman of the Board.
He has the unique privilege of having known three giants of our era. He is a good friend of Billy Graham and has served as legal counsel and board member to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He was mentored by Peter Drucker, the management guru, when he was running Service Master. Lastly, one of the investors in Service Master was the legendary Warren Buffet.
He explained to me that he can have a great impact through all the relationships he has developed through business opportunities. He has met a wide range of leaders around the world who he has had an opportunity to introduce to the Christian faith. Bill’s faith was imbedded in the ethos of ServiceMaster. The Service Master objectives were simply stated: To Honor God in All We Do; To Help People Develop; To Pursue Excellence; and To Grow Profitably.” [95]
He noted in his book The Tides of Life, “My prayer has been, and continues to be, that I will run the race of life in such a way that when it is over, my barns will be empty and my investments in sharing and serving will be completed.” [80]
Bill has lived out his calling in the marketplace. Bill explained that, “One of the best ways I found to respond to God’s call to the marketplace and to led in the development of the firm as a moral community was to seek to serve as I led—to reflect the principles that Jesus taught His disciples as He washed their feet, including that fact that no leaders is greater than those being lead. As I sought to serve, the truth of what I said could be measures by what I did.” [103]
His faith was evident in his business dealings and he had an opportunity to impact a wide number of people. Further, he used his well-honed market skills by helping to lead non-profit entities such as the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Wheaton College and the like. He has also been strategically contributing on a financial basis to various causes.
Bill Pollard has clearly been engaged in ministry for decades in various arenas of involvement, from the corporate environment to the nonprofit context. He has living his calling to use his resources for maximum Kingdom impact, to keep fighting the good fight and finishing strong. He has been clear on his calling and has used his resources effectively. He has indeed been a good and faithful servant.