Richard K. Davis

Richard K. Davis (born 1958 ) is an American businessman. Since January 2, 2019 Davis has served as the chief executive officer of Make-A-Wish America, having previously served as Executive Chairman and President of U.S. Bancorp.

Biography Davis is a native of Southern California and spent his childhood there. Davis began his banking career at 18 Davis chairs U.S. Bancorp's management committee, composed of the 14 highest-ranking executives within the organization.

Leadership positions

In 2015, Davis served on the boards of the Twin Cities YMCA, Minneapolis Art Institute, University of Minnesota Foundation, Greater MSP, National American Red Cross, University of San Diego, Minnesota Business Partnership, The Clearing House, Itasca Group, Twin Cities United Way, Dow Chemical and the Financial Services Roundtable, of which he previously served as chairman. He also serves as the lead director of Xcel Energy Inc. and serves as Executive Chairman of U.S. Bancorp.

Honors

Davis has been honored by the Banking and Finance Division of the UJA-Federation of New York and has been the recipient of the President's Lifetime Volunteer Service Award. In 2010, American Banker selected Davis as the Banker of the Year, and he was chosen "2010 Executive of the Year" by the Twin Cities Business Journal. In 2011, he received the Hendrickson's Award for Ethical Leadership. He was instrumental in starting Step Up, a Twin Cities program that has given more than 18,000 distinguished teenagers their first "professional" summer jobs.

Under Davis' leadership, U.S. Bank earned the 2011 Spirit of America Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a company by United Way. U.S. Bancorp was awarded the 2013 Freedom Award, the highest recognition given by the U.S. Department of Defense to employers for their support of employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. In 2015, U.S. Bank was recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies.

Involvement in Minnesota Orchestra lockout

Davis' tenure on the Board of the Minnesota Orchestra has been marked by controversy, mainly due to his involvement in the 2012-2013 musician lockout. In October 2012, Davis said to the Star Tribune of the Minnesota Orchestra musicians, "There's a risk that they find their way to another place, and those who can leave will. It's going to be a personal decision where they want to perform." The handling of the lockout has been a controversial topic in the Twin Cities and in the music world. In April 2013, celebrated music director Osmo Vänskä wrote an open letter to the Minnesota Orchestra Board of Directors, signaling his intent to resign by September if the lockout was not settled.

When the Minnesota Orchestra balanced its budget in 2010, Davis said, "This was a season characterized by disciplined budget management and significant expense cuts, which kept our operations stable in an unpredictable environment." However, when contract talks with musicians began in 2012, Davis walked back that statement, writing, "In Minnesota, we were able to deliver balanced budgets through large, unsustainable endowment fund draws and 'bridge-the-gap' fundraising." A state auditor report later found that, when petitioning for $14 million in state money to renovate Orchestra Hall, Minnesota Orchestra CEO Michael Henson "did not indicate to legislators that he and some association board members were beginning to have significant concerns about the association’s financial condition."