Bill Scherr

Bill Scherr is a Managing Director/Investments and the Director of Stifel’s Upper Midwest Region with oversight and responsibility for an area covering 8 states. He joined Stifel in December of 2015 as part of the firm’s acquisition of Barclays Wealth and Investment Management, Americas. Bill started his career at Goldman Sachs where he worked for over 20 years as a financial advisor with their Private Client Group prior to joining Barclays in 2010.

Bill was appointed manager of Barclays’ Chicago office in July of 2012.  Under his leadership the office doubled revenue and assets under management by 2015 to become the second largest office by revenue in Barclays Americas.  In 2014, Bill was asked to assume an expanded role as Head of the West Region for Barclays, supervising the Chicago, Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, and Los Angles offices.  He was named a Managing Director of Barclays in 2014.

At Goldman, Bill co-founded and developed a five-member team of financial advisors ultimately managing more than $2.5 billion in client assets. He and his team focused on holistic wealth management going beyond investments to assist clients with every area of their finances including financial planning, investment banking and credit.

Bill’s leadership experience extends beyond business to significant community roles. He served as a board member of Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics, working closely with the mayor and city leadership during the three-year long bid process. He remains President of the bid’s legacy organization, World Sport Chicago. Bill won an NCAA title wrestling for the University of Nebraska and a bronze medal as a member of the USA Wrestling team in Seoul in 1988.  He is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.  Bill holds an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Bill Scherr is a nationally recognized leader in the sport of wrestling.  He Chaired the Committee to Preserve Olympic Wrestling in a successful effort to have wrestling reinstated into the Olympic Games and was named “Man of the Year” by USA Wrestling in 2014 for his efforts.  A  professional in finance, Scherr has stayed involved in wrestling as a speaker, instructor, coach and national leader.  As a board member of the Chicago Olympic Bid he worked closely with the International Olympic Committee, the International Wrestling Federation and USA Wrestling. He was a long-time board member of USA Wrestling.  Bill currently serves as President of World Sport Chicago, the Olympic bid’s legacy organization which provides sport (including wrestling) opportunities to urban youth.  He also is a member of the Board of Directors of the Wildcat Wrestling Club at Northwestern University.

He has a long and successful resume as a wrestling coach of young men and women.  He assisted in leading Indiana University beginning in 1985 from a 2-17 record to an undefeated season within four years.  Under his tenure as an assistant coach at Northwestern University from 2004 to 2008, the school improved from last in the Big Ten Conference to a 4tth place finish in the NCAA Championships. He helped to coach three NCAA Champions and many Big Ten title holders. His athletes have gone on to success internationally as well, achieving World Medals and Olympic Team berths. He coached the USA Women’s team to a third place finish in the 2005 World Championships and was named “Women’s Coach of the Year” by USA Wrestling.  Scherr is known for his positive attitude and strong belief in his student’s ability to succeed.  He takes particular pride in his ability to help less highly regarded or successful athletes to develop into Champions.

Scherr is one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the history of the sport.  He was one of only a handful of  USA athletes ever to win five consecutive World and Olympic Medals.  He won the World Championships in 1985 and an Olympic Bronze medal in 1988.  He was an NCAA Champion and three time All-American at the University of Nebraska.  Scherr won 6 national freestyle championships and was a greco-roman national champion.  His career  culminated in his last international meet when he won gold in the 1990 Goodwill Games by defeating his Russian opponent in the final seconds of the match.  Sportswriters voted his win as the most exciting moment of the entire Goodwill games across all sports.

Bill is a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.  He was the first ever wrestler elected to the University of  Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame and is a member of the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.

Coaching Experience

NCAA Division I Coaching Accomplishments 

•Head Assistant Coach – Indiana University (1985-1989)

•Assistant Coach – Northwestern University (2004-2008)

•4th place NCAA Division I Championships at Northwestern.

Post-Collegiate Coaching

• Volunteer Coach Wildcat Wrestling Club, Northwestern (1990-2015)

•2005, 2006 Head Coach Women’s Freestyle World Team (Team 3rd place)

Wrestling  Achievements.

Competitive Accomplishments

•NCAA Champion and three time All-American

•6 time Freestyle and a Greco-Roman National Champion.

•1985 World Champion

•Pan American Champion

•5 time World and Olympic Medalist.

•Twice Big Eight Champion

•Goodwill Games Champion

•2 time SD State Champ

•Junior National Champion

Education

BA, University of Nebraska

MBA, Kelly School of Business at Indiana University