William (Bill) Ferko is an undisputed powerhouse in the field of financial management, gaining over 45 years of experience with companies located throughout the United States and abroad.

A shrewd businessman, Bill has a knack for cutting wasteful spending and improving the bottom line of each company he has managed. Bill is a member of the Board of Directors for Sypris Solutions, Inc., a publicly-traded company manufacturing defense electronics. He also serves as an Instructor of Equine Finance at the University of Louisville, where he hopes to pass along the value of fiscal responsibility to the next generation of local business leaders.

Giving back to his community is an important part of Bill’s life. He is the current Chairman of Dismas Charities in Louisville and was appointed by the Governor to serve as Commissioner for the Kentucky Horse Park – an appointment that ended in 2019. Bill also served previously as president and member of the Pastoral Council & Finance Committee for St. Bernadette Church and St. Mary's Academy.

Bill and his wife, Debbie, have lived in the Prospect area for about 23 years. Debbie is a retired nurse from the Louisville Veterans Hospital. They operate Turning Leaf, a horse farm in Brownsboro and enjoy spending as much time as they can with their dogs and their three grown children.

 

EARLY LIFE & EDUCATION:

Bill Ferko was born and raised in a modest, Christian family in southeastern Wisconsin. As a teen, Bill spent evenings and weekends stocking shelves at his parent’s business, a small family grocery. After the family sold the store, Bill undertook a variety of community jobs including washing dishes at a local Chinese restaurant and door-to-door sales for Fuller Brush cleaning products.

Bill’s ultimate goal was to save for a college education. Thanks to his hard work and frugal disposition, Bill was able to pay his way through the University of Wisconsin Parkside. When he wasn’t studying, he was cutting his teeth in the finance sector as a local bank teller.

After earning a degree in Business Management, Bill began his career in finance with Case IH, a subsidiary of Tenneco, Inc. that manufactures farm and construction equipment. While working, Bill eventually earned his MBA from the University of Wisconsin Parkside and his CPA certificate from the University of Illinois.

 

A CAREER IN FINANCE & COMMUNITY GIVING:

For the first half of his career, Bill served in multiple leadership roles with Tenneco, the 18th largest Fortune 500 Company in the United States. After Tenneco, Bill continued to gain experience leading large, multi-billion dollar companies to success. Today, Bill is a well-known finance executive with extensive experience in public company leadership. His efforts have helped many organizations cut waste, while creating better-quality jobs for their workers.

Bill has been a resident of Oldham County for 23+ years. He enjoys spending his time today helping others and empowering his community.

Notable Roles and Positions:

  • CFO of Genlyte (At the time, Genlyte was the 5th largest publicly traded company in Kentucky).
  • CFO for Monroe Auto Equipment.
  • Treasurer for Tenneco Automotive.
  • CFO for Goss Graphic Systems, Inc. (a $1 billion printing press manufacturer).
  • Chief Risk Officer and the Chief M&A Officer for Republic Bank.
  • Commissioner for the Kentucky Horse Park, an appointment by the Governor.
  • Past President and member of the Pastoral Council & Finance Committee, and Strategic Planning Committee for St. Bernadette Church and St. Mary's Academy.
  • Instructor of Equine Finance and the MBA course Contemporary Financial Management at the University of Louisville

Notable Accomplishments:

  • Increased shareholder wealth at Genlyte from $400 million to $2.8 billion.
  • Closed two bank acquisition deals for Republic Bank that each delivered over $30 million of profit during the first two years.
  • Initiated the Best in Finance program with FEI and Business First (originally known as CFO of the Year).
  • Raised and managed $16 million to construct and operate a church, school and athletic facilities for St. Bernadette Church and St. Mary's Academy.

Businesses & Charitable Organization Involvement Today:

  • Sypris Solutions Inc., Member, Board of Directors.
  • Dismas Charities Inc., Chairman of the Board.
  • Oldham County KY GOP, Member.
  • Hunting Creek Country Club, Board Member, Treasurer, and Finance Committee Chair.
  • Financial Executives International Board of Directors, past President.
  • Turning Leaf Farm, Owner.
  • Brownsboro Alliance, Member.