Ross Perot Jr., chairman of the Dallas-based real estate investment/development company Hillwood and The Perot Group, was named Thursday as the new board chair of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He was elected to a two-year term by the chamber’s board, succeeding Mark Ordan, the CEO of Sunrise, Florida-based Pediatrix.

Perot was previously vice chair of the chamber’s board and has been “an engaged member” of it since June 2020, the chamber said.

“Since joining the board, Ross Perot Jr. has become a trusted advisor, assuming numerous leadership roles to help drive the Chamber’s long-term strategic goals,” U.S. Chamber President and CEO Suzanne P. Clark said in a statement. “He is recognized as a visionary and influential business leader with a global mindset, largely responsible for complex development projects that have spurred transformative economic growth. As chair, he will bring his global leadership, passion for free enterprise, and pioneering spirit to help the chamber advance policies that unlock greater economic growth at home and abroad.”

Clark called the departing board chair Mark Ordan “an exceptional chair who led an important transition period for the chamber. He exemplifies what it means to be an engaged leader, and we’re grateful for Mark’s dedication and continued engagement on the board,”

‘Leading voice fighting for free enterprise’

As the gavel passes to Perot, the chamber said it continues advocating to enact pro-growth policies, “including making tax reform permanent, expanding domestic energy production, finalizing new trade agreements, and advancing permitting reform.” The chamber said focusing on policies that sustain economic growth encourages more investments in America, creates jobs, and fosters innovation.

“The U.S. Chamber is the leading voice fighting for free enterprise and American businesses of all sizes, and I’m honored to serve as board chair,” Ross Perot Jr. said in a statement. “The free enterprise system is what allowed my family to create and live the American dream, and there’s no other organization standing up for economic freedom around the world like the chamber. Suzanne Clark is an outstanding leader, and I look forward to working even closer with her and the executive team to serve the American business community.” 

From oil & gas to global real estate development

At last November’s Venture Dallas Summit kickoff event at Circle T Ranch, Aaron Pierce, Ross Perot Jr., and Anurag Jain took part in a fireside chat. [Photo: Grant Miller Photography/Venture Dallas]

As chairman of the Perot Group, Perot oversees a holding company which manages various family interests, including real estate, oil and gas, and long-term investments in businesses. As chairman of Hillwood, Perot oversees a leading global real estate development company he founded in 1988, one that has put a major stamp on North Texas, including the massive Alliance Texas development located within Denton and Tarrant counties. 

Perot also co-founded Perot Systems Corporation, where h served as CEO and chairman of the board until its 2009 acquisition by Dell Inc., whereupon Perot joined their board of directors through 2013. 

Among other notable accomplishments in recent years, Perot joined Anurag Jain, the chairman of Access Healthcare and managing partner of Perot Jain LP, as key investors in the launch of Major League Cricket, which took the field in Grand Prairie in 2023. Last November, Perot and Jain spoke on the strength of the North Texas economy at the Circle T Ranch VIP kickoff event for the 2024 Venture Dallas Summit. In March, Perot received the inaugural Nasdaq Lifetime Achievement Award at a luncheon in Dallas.

“Ross is a forward-thinking leader whose dedication to growth and opportunity is an incredible asset to the chamber team,” Ordan said in a statement. “Ross has a lifetime of experience working collaboratively within the public and private sectors, and his expertise is highly valued by the other directors. He is a staunch and full-throated supporter of the chamber’s mission and work, and I know Ross will do great work on behalf of American businesses as chair of the board.”

Perot is very familiar with serving on boards. In addition to his work with the U.S. Chamber, he currently serves on the boards of the American Enterprise Institute and the Hoover Institution and is a member of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences. He’s also a board member emeritus for Vanderbilt University, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and St. Mark’s School of Texas.  

Record-setting youthful achievement

In 1982, at the age of 23, Perot completed the first circumnavigation of the globe by helicopter, piloting a Bell 206L-1 Long Ranger II named “The Spirit of Texas.” The 26,000-mile trip was completed in less than 30 days and covered 26 countries and 17 bodies of water, the U.S. chamber noted.

He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1983, flying F-4 Phantom jets for eight years. He earned his BA in business administration from Vanderbilt University.

Stepping into Perot’s former role

In another move, the U.S. Chamber board elected Jill Wyant, the president and CEO of Chicago-based Madison Air, to a two-year term as vice chair, succeeding Perot. The chamber described Wyant as a senior strategy and operating executive with over 25 years of experience leading Fortune 500 businesses in the industrial and healthcare sectors. She has serviced on the chamber’s board since March 2023 and is a member of its executive committee.  

Wyant also serves on the board of directors for Dow and the Brain Tumor Network, and previously served on the boards of the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and the Greater Twin Cities United Way. 

“I look forward to working closely with Suzanne and Ross, especially at this time, when the stakes for American business, and American workers, is high,” Wyant said. “The U.S. Chamber is where leadership meets impact—and the future of American industry is forged. I’m excited to get to work.”

Don’t miss what’s next. Subscribe to Dallas Innovates.

Track Dallas-Fort Worth’s business and innovation landscape with our curated news in your inbox Tuesday-Thursday.