The 2025 John J. Finley, ‘24, Award recipient Greg Bruce, MBA ‘81, has spent nearly half a century making significant contributions to La Salle University and the Explorer community.
Even after retirement, Greg Bruce, MBA ’81, is still a part of the Explorer community, serving on the Legacy Committee fostering relationships with alumni, teaching MBA students, and helping the School of Business with accreditation processes.
Dean Emeritus of La Salle’s School of Business, Greg Bruce, MBA ‘81, has had a long devotion to La Salle University, its community, and the students. La Salle University has been part of his life since he joined the MBA program in 1977. Now, 41 years after he graduated, he’s being honored with the John J. Finley, ‘24, Award.
Bruce is a clearly deserving recipient of the award. Finding out the news touched him deeply, he said.
“I was very, extremely honored. It’s not something you work for; you don’t do the work for that. But it’s just really nice to be honored by a place you think so highly of,” he said. “There are so many phenomenal people that have graduated from La Salle, I don’t necessarily see myself on that level with so many of them, so it was very humbling.”
Bruce’s Explorer journey started after he finished serving in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, which is incidentally where he first met the Christian Brothers. He moved to Philly and started thinking about an MBA. Living in the Olney area, he saw an ad for La Salle University and applied for the program.
Right when he was graduating, La Salle was looking for a new program director for the very same program he had just been a student in. Bruce applied for the job, and was hired, starting a long-running relationship with La Salle and, more specifically, the School of Business. He stayed in that role for seven years, before questioning whether he wanted to continue working in higher education.
“I’m living proof of never burn your bridges,” Bruce said. “After two years, I decided I did want to be in higher education and then got hired back as the MBA director.”
During his second stint as program director, Bruce helped the School of Business achieve AACSB accreditation. It was also during this time that the then dean stepped down. Someone suggested that Bruce should sit for the role.
“Lo and behold, in 1995 I became dean of the School of Business for 10 years,” he said, adding that the average dean stayed in the position for around four and a half years.
While he was dean, Bruce also spent a lot of time working with international business schools. The relationships he built and knowledge he gained benefited La Salle greatly. La Salle’s Business Scholars Co-Op Program was initiated after Bruce saw a successful co-op program in a Canadian business school. As well as being one of the most popular business programs at 20th and Olney, it’s also one of the things that Bruce is most proud of.
Even after stepping down as dean, Bruce stayed involved with the School of Business, working on projects with his successor, Paul Brazina, who was also Bruce’s instructor for his first course as an Explorer. These projects included establishing the Entrepreneurship Center, another moment of pride in Bruce’s long career.
Though he retired in 2014, the connection between Bruce and La Salle didn’t end. Even today he’s still a part of the Explorer community, serving on the Legacy Committee fostering relationships with alumni, teaching MBA students, and helping the School of Business with accreditation processes, noting that during the most recent renewal, the outside reviewer praised La Salle by saying that any catholic school would be proud to have the School of Business faculty that La Salle does.
And the 2025 honoree truly believes in his alma mater.
“My feeling is that the city of Philadelphia needs La Salle. We are a real anchor in this city. I don’t know if people appreciate how much of an anchor La Salle is to the neighborhood it’s in and the whole city,” he said. “I think it’s incumbent on all of us to very humbly get that message out. We don’t have to be quiet though!”
When it comes to the award presentation, happening during the 2025 Homecoming Weekend, as a father of three and grandfather of eight, Bruce is looking forward to sharing the moment with his family and loved ones.
“The one thing I’m most excited about is sharing it with my kids and grandkids,” he said. “And I’m excited about being part of it, seeing a lot of people that over the years I’ve gotten to know and respect. People I’ve worked with over the years, students I’ve taught, maybe even some people that I went through the MBA program with that I’m still in touch with.”
Even without all that he’s contributed to the School of Business and the recognition he’s about to receive, Bruce’s legacy would have lived on at La Salle. His brother, Ron Bruce, teaches business analytics part-time at the University. All three of his children, two nieces, and a nephew graduated from 20th and Olney.
“And I’m working on getting the grandkids there too,” he said.
–Naomi Thomas
Learn more about the Alumni Association Awards and register to attend the awards presentation on November 7th here. Registration is open until November 3rd.
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