In September of 2024, Bentley announced Rick Miller '80 as Executive-in-Residence supporting Bentley Athletics. In this new role, Miller works closely with Director of Athletics Vaughn Williams, Bentley coaches and the Athletics staff on initiatives to support the Athletic Department and Bentley student-athletes. He also directly supports student-athletes as they build skill sets to "Be a Force" both at Bentley and after graduation. Miller continues to serve as an adjunct professor at the McCallum Graduate School of Business, where he has taught leadership courses since 2021.
"Rick exemplifies everything great about Bentley Athletics," said Williams. "Not only was he an amazing student-athlete, but he also went on to reach the highest levels of achievement in his professional life, while maintaining a strong commitment to the community. We are fortunate to have Rick supporting our student-athletes in the classroom and in the community, as evidenced by our partnership with Boston Scores. This new position is an important milestone for our Athletics program. Rick is a world-class coach who can help all of us reach our potential.”
"It's difficult to imagine an individual who would be a better fit for this role," said J. Andrew Shepardson, Bentley's dean of students and vice president for Academic Affairs. "Rick represents the very best of Bentley University. He was dedicated to his studies, tenacious on the soccer field and continues to enjoy success in his professional endeavors while making time for significant community service. Moreover, Rick continues to focus on student success in our Bentley community."
Miller is currently best known professionally as a premier executive coach, an authority on sustainable growth and impact, and an author.
In 2025, Real Leaders magazine ranked Miller as the #2 Top Impact Executive Coach world-wide among a list of the top 80 executive coaches globally. He was also ranked at #1 in the U.S. East. Real Leaders has members in 130 countries and ranks coaches globally on values-based leadership and sustainable growth and impact. Miller has coached executives in both business and higher education as CEO at Being Chief LLC, a company he founded, since 2007.
Miller has written four books on leadership, including the most recent second edition of Be Chief: It's a Choice, Not a Title with author profits supporting veterans programs at Easterseals.
Prior to 2007, Miller built a reputation over 2 decades as a business turnaround expert. Starting as a sales trainee fresh out of Bentley, Miller quickly moved up the ladder to eventually serve as a VP/GM at Unisys. Miller went on to serve as a president at Nokia (Lucent), at start-up Opus360 and at AT&T as president of Global Services. Many of his leadership skills were developed at Bentley in the late 1970s.
Miller, a four-year starter in goal for the Falcons from 1976 to '79, still holds several school soccer records. Miller received the Edward J. Powers Award at graduation as the top student-athlete in his class. He was inducted into Bentley's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987, the same year he received his MBA from Columbia University.
In 2023, Miller became Bentley's second student-athlete to be inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame for success and positive impact after graduation. Joining former Bentley Board Chair, soccer standout, and 2014 inductee Terry Carleton '77, Miller was inducted in recognition of a career of both professional success and community service. In addition to Easterseals, Miller continues active support for non-profits ranging from Family Reach to the Joslin Diabetes Center.
"I chose Bentley many years ago for the school's focus on business with liberal arts. Today, we are still committed to teaching students to be a force both at work and in society," says Miller. "I'm excited about this new opportunity to support Bentley Athletics and our student-athletes."
