Eric Butler BS/CIT (1981), MSIA (1986)
Eric Butler, a highly successful corporate executive, is also recognized as a generous volunteer and philanthropist, giving his time, talent, and support in service of numerous organizations.
Raised in inner-city New York, Butler earned both his undergraduate degree (1981) in mechanical engineering and his MSIA (1986) from Carnegie Mellon University. Upon graduation, he began a 32-year career with Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha, rising to executive vice president and chief administrative officer before his retirement in 2018. At that time, he had been responsible for six major business units producing nearly $20B in revenue.
Butler is currently founder and CEO of Aswani-Butler Investment Associates, providing capital for start-ups and community micro-loans and is a current board member of the Omaha Airport Authority, NiSource, Eastman Chemical Company, and West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. He is a former chair and board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Omaha Branch.
A founder of the first CMU Gospel choir, Butler is the founder and current pastor of Joy of Life Ministries in Omaha as well as a bishop in the Church of God in Christ.
Butler’s honors include the 2024 Tepper School Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2019 Carnegie Mellon Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award for his exceptional business accomplishments and volunteer service; as well as his selection as one of Black Enterprise Magazine’s 100 most powerful corporate executives.
A consistent and strong advocate of the Tepper School of Business, Butler has served on the Tepper Business Board of Advisors and Tepper School Alumni Board, been a W.L. Mellon Speaker, and acted as a mentor, advisor, and recruiter for the students.
Among other generous efforts, he and his wife established the Eric and Cynthia Butler Fellowship Fund and generously supported the Tepper Quad Building Project.
Recalling his Tepper School years, Butler highlighted a few memorable individuals, such as Professor Srikant Datar, whose class was his first “eye-opening experience” and Edward Mosier, the placement director who fortunately begged a reluctant Butler to take that interview with Union Pacific Railroad’s finance department.
“I’ll be forever indebted to Carnegie Mellon,” he added, “because I recognize that this school didn’t just give me skills, which they did, or give me training, which they did. This school helped me to broaden my perspective and understanding of the world, which was the foundation for whatever success I have achieved.”