James E. Rohr

Jim Rohr was born in 1948 in Cleveland, Ohio, the fourth of five children in his family. His father owned a small restaurant in downtown Cleveland. "My grandfather was an immigrant from Alsace-Lorraine," Rohr says. "He started as a cook in a hotel and later bought a small restaurant with a partner. By the time I was born, my grandfather had passed away, and my father ran the restaurant, which was referred to as a fish house. My dad worked long hours and usually didn't get home until two in the morning. But he was a great father to me, and whenever he was home, I made sure I was near him."

Rohr describes his parents as being religious, family-oriented, and imbued with respect and a strong work ethic. Catholicism was central to the Rohr family, and Rohr served his church as an altar boy. He was also a busboy and dishwasher in his father's restaurant.

Rohr's father had suffered from rheumatic fever as a child, which weakened his heart. He survived a heart attack in his twenties, but when Rohr was 10 he had a second, fatal heart attack. "My dad's death was devastating for our family," says Rohr. "My mother and I became very close. For the rest of my youth, she served as my adviser and confidant. But without my father, our livelihood was in jeopardy. My mother, who had never even written out a check before, tried to run the restaurant with my older brothers, but it just didn't work out. There was an economic downturn, and our restaurant suffered along with the rest of Cleveland. My mother closed the restaurant and sold some other small real estate holdings my father had, and that was enough to secure my education."

Rohr was active in Boy Scouts and became even more so after his father's death. He enjoyed the camaraderie of his adult leaders and participated in scouting for many years. He also enjoyed his classes at St. Ignatius High School, even though it was challenging. "The Jesuits instilled strong discipline in me, and I received a very good education," he says. "The students there were from all walks of life, both rich and poor. I think that experience taught me how to get along well with all people."

Rohr attended the University of Notre Dame, his father's alma mater. "In my family it was God, family, and Notre Dame," says Rohr. He enrolled there in 1966; to help pay his way, he worked in the school's dining hall and at a pizza shop. He had different jobs during the summers and worked in a steel mill, at an engineering firm, and for his older brother who was an accountant.

His time at Notre Dame had a lasting effect on Rohr. "It is a values-oriented school," he says. "My college roommate got me involved in the Council for the Mentally Retarded, and we worked there in our free time. It was my first opportunity to give back to my community, and that experience laid the foundation for my future philanthropy."

After graduating in 1970, Rohr accepted an offer from Ohio State to teach statistics in exchange for free graduate tuition and $300 a month. He also married Sharon, his sweetheart from Cleveland. As he was finishing his MBA, he landed a position at a small bank titled Pittsburgh National, which eventually became PNC.

"My first job title was assistant secretary," he says. "Next, I became assistant cashier. That doesn't sound like a lot of progress, but it took me several years to get there. I became an assistant vice president when I was still in my twenties. I hadn't set out to make banking my career, but I was fortunate to be given different assignments that kept me interested in the industry."

As a manager, Rohr took on more and more responsibility. He was elected vice chairman of PNC in 1989, named a director in 1990, elected president in 1992, and named chief operating officer in 1998. He became CEO in 2000 and chairman in 2001. "Thirty-eight years is a long time to be at any one place," he says of his steady rise through PNC. "I joined PNC in the beginning because I liked the people. They were dedicated to their customers and their community. Their integrity level was extremely high. The respect they had for one another was evident in their conversations. I think that is the culture the bank has tried to maintain over time despite a number of acquisitions and growth."

Mentors have played an important role in Rohr's life, beginning with his parents. "They had definite expectations of integrity. They were very kind, giving people, and that was instilled in me at an early age," he says. "I also had several teachers and professors who influenced me. One professor at Ohio State taught me that showing up is an important part of success. My first boss at PNC was a stickler for detail, which was something I needed to learn at the time. Another boss I had for a number of years who preceded me as CEO taught me how to treat people with genuine care and concern. And yet another colleague helped me develop my work ethic and dedication to goals. My wife, Sharon, and I have been married for 40 years. Our relationship has endured through lots of hard work. She has certainly been a positive influence on my life."

Asked for his thoughts on success, Rohr says, "You have to redefine success often in your life. As you begin to have accomplishments, you develop new opportunities and challenges. From a business point of view, I've been very lucky. I have also been successful in my family. I think when you are able to do the things you love with people you love and help others to do a better job, then you are successful."

Rohr advises youths to embrace change. "This is an exciting time for young people," he says. "Some people worry about the fast pace of change, but I think it's important to embrace it because if there is no change, there are no opportunities. My grandfather came to this country 130 years ago. It was a huge change for him, but he embraced the change and was able to create a wonderful small business and a wonderful family."

Rohr serves in a number of civic, cultural, and educational organizations. He is past chairman of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. He is also a board member and former chairman of the Greater Pittsburgh Council of the Boy Scouts of America. In addition, he has chaired the local Salvation Army and United Way. He is a director of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Pittsburgh's McGowan Institute for Generative Medicine. He is also trustee at Notre Dame.

Rohr has encouraged PNC to be an active partner in the communities it serves. "About 10 years ago, we asked our employees what we should focus on in our philanthropy, and the answer was education and children," he says. "We launched a $100 million program called Grow Up Great. We also partnered with Mister Rogers, Sesame Street, and PBS Kids. Consequently, we now have 25 percent of our employees giving their time at child-care centers. We pay them up to 40 hours a year for volunteering there. And for the past three years, PNC has been a finalist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Philanthropy Award. We serve our community because that is where our customers and employees live and work."

Over the course of his career, Rohr has helped raise or contribute more than $300 million for charitable organizations. In 2006, he received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship, and in 2007, he was named American Banker magazine's Banker of the Year. In 2010, The Banker, a British publication, named PNC its U.S. Bank of the Year. Rohr accepted that award on behalf of PNC at a ceremony in London.