Honoring the Legacy of Cresa's Founder, Bill Goade

At Cresa, we recently experienced a tremendous and sudden loss with the passing of our company’s founder, William (Bill) Goade. Over 30 years ago, Bill's vision and leadership set the foundation for Cresa as it stands today.  


Bill exhibited a rare form of integrity and was selflessly devoted to Cresa, especially to the well-being of its people. He founded the company on the fundamental principle of doing the right thing for our clients, partners, and employees. In addition to being a visionary, Bill shared his witty sense of humor with all of us at our annual Spring Meetings, in the Boardroom and as the leader of our Boston office. 

Bill was a true Bostonian and successful businessman. He attended Tufts University and only left Boston for two years to attend Wharton Business School. When he returned to Boston, he founded Avalon Partners, later Cresa Partners, and then Cresa, in 1985. With the partners he brought into the company, he grew the firm to more than 50 global offices. 


“Although he officially retired a few years ago, he continued to be a guiding figure for so many of us, including myself. Personally, I wouldn’t be where I am today without Bill’s mentorship, influence, advice, and friendship.” – Gary Gregg, Chairman of the Board  

Under Bill’s leadership, the Cresa Boston office was consistently named to the “Best Places to Work” list. He was a mentor to many and was always available to lend a helping hand or offer valuable advice. When asked about a problem, his last words would always be "do the right thing." He was loyal and had many close friends at Cresa. His life philosophy was to treat others as you wish to be treated, be kind, be tolerant, and always over-tip. 

“Bill was always focused on bringing together a likeminded group of people who enjoyed working together to provide the highest level of service to our clients globally. He succeeded on many fronts in growing and uniting our global Cresa community. Bill was my friend, partner, mentor, and a wonderful leader, and this is a great loss to us all.” – Jack Burns, Managing Principal  


While Bill's absence will be deeply felt, we are committed to honoring his legacy by upholding his philosophy of "Do the right thing" and advancing the vision he set forth for our company over three decades ago.