Doug Pierson, MBA ’99 Promoted to Major General in the United States Marine Corps Reserves
Doug Pierson, MBA ’99 was honored with a second star during a promotion ceremony in late February 2022. He was joined at the ceremony by his wife, Maggie, BBA ’12 and their children, four-year-old daughter, Olivia and one-year-old son, Mason.
Pierson was nominated for appointment to the rank of Major General in the United States Marine Corps Reserves by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III in December 2021. He currently serves as the Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Marine Forces Cyber, Joint Force Headquarters Cyber at Ft. Meade, Maryland.
Previously, he served as the Commanding General of 4th Marine Logistics Group. Though he currently resides in Seattle, Washington, his active and reserve military career have led him to leadership roles around the world, including several deployments to Iraq. His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with gold star in lieu of Fourth Award, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
Since earning his MBA from the Raymond A. Mason School of Business, Pierson has applied the learnings of his William & Mary degree to make a difference in the world. On the civilian side, he serves as a Director with Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington where he has worked for 13 years. He is very active in the corporate social responsibility arm of the company, leading expeditions into rural regions around the world (examples include installing IT infrastructure into school houses in the remote Himalayan Khumbu region of Nepal, and Syrian refugee camps in Thessaloniki, Greece).
“The MBA allowed me to diversify my professional skills into new areas not previously available to me, grow a network of specialists in a variety of industries, and also help me develop a structured approach to leadership and problem-solving,” he said.
Pierson continuously engages with current Mason School business students. He and Maggie volunteer with the MBA Global Business Immersion Program, and he is an occasional guest lecturer on IT, military, and global cultural topics.
“In addition to the history and tradition of William & Mary, it was the community, manner under which students and faculty connected, and diversity of curriculum that drew me to the Mason School. My time there was memorable and I look back at how incredible an experience it was for me. For all those reasons, I am thrilled to return to campus regularly, see several faculty and administrator members as close family friends, and am honored that we have the opportunity from time to time to give back to students today as they learn and grow on their journeys,” he said.
Beyond his military service and professional work, Pierson sits on the Board of Directors for two international non-governmental organizations and non-profits. He is a climbing enthusiast and has been a member of the Seattle Mountain Rescue since 2007. He has summited four of the “Seven Summits” including Mt. Everest, Mt. McKinley, Vinson Massif, and Kilimanjaro, and climbs Mt. Rainier every summer.
