President’s Business Council Honors Francis J. Dubas Jr. and Bernard R. McIlhenny, S.J., at Annual Dinner
The University of Scranton’s President’s Business Council (PBC) 15th Annual Award Dinner will be held on Thursday, Oct. 6, at The Pierre Hotel in New York City. At this year’s dinner, Francis J. Dubas Jr. ’75, global managing partner for Sovereign Financial Institutions (SFIs) at Deloitte, and Bernard R. McIlhenny, S.J., H’98, dean of admissions emeritus at Scranton, will each be presented with the University’s President’s Medal.
In his current role, Dubas oversees an international network of approximately 1,700 Deloitte professionals from over 100 countries serving SFIs, which include sovereign wealth funds, central banks, development banks, and export credit agencies. He works closely with partners in Deloitte member firms around the world, including the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, South America and North America.
Dubas was previously the managing partner of Deloitte’s global structured finance practice, a position he held for 13 years, and was a member of the board of directors of Deloitte’s Global Financial Services Industry. Throughout his 42 years with Deloitte, Dubas has held a number of client service leadership roles and built a distinguished track record of service to many multinational clients. He regularly participates on panels throughout the world to share his perspectives on global business and investment trends. During his tenure, a number of Scranton graduates have been hired at Deloitte and have benefitted from Dubas’ mentorship.
A graduate of Scranton Preparatory School, Dubas received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University in 1975 and presently serves on the PBC Executive Committee and the Advisory Committee to the Kania School of Management. He is a certified public accountant, has been a partner with Deloitte for over 29 years, and has served as a global leader for 20 years. Dubas is on the board of directors of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce and serves on its executive committee. A native of Jessup, Dubas and his wife, Marigrace, reside in New Canaan, Connecticut, and have three children.
Fr. McIlhenny, S.J., arrived in Scranton in 1958 to serve as the fourth headmaster of Scranton Preparatory School, which at the time was owned by the University. While at Prep, he oversaw the school’s relocation to its present site. Fr. McIlhenny was appointed dean of admissions at the University in 1966. Known to many as “Father Mac,” his tenure as dean of admissions spanned 31 years during which time he is credited with admitting more than two-thirds of the University’s living alumni.
In 1966, the University was all male and mainly comprised of commuting students with a small number of residential students. The campus was just beginning to develop. A special summer program that he attended at Harvard University in 1967 introduced Father Mac to the changing dynamic and future competition of higher education admissions to a “buyer’s market.” In his approach to promoting the University, beyond the academic programs, to prospective students, Father Mac highlighted the close community, family atmosphere where students could get personal attention and make friends for life, a fact that he witnesses presently during class reunions. He retired from admissions in 1997 and continued to serve the University as minister of the Scranton Jesuit Community.
A native of Philadelphia, Father Mac is a graduate of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School and St. Joseph’s University. He entered the Society of Jesus at the age of 18 and celebrated his 70th anniversary as a Jesuit in 2014. He remains an avid golfer and maintains close friendships with those alumni whom he knew during their student days. In 2009, the University dedicated the Rev. Bernard R. McIlhenny, S.J., Ballroom in The DeNaples Center in honor of Father Mac’s years of service to the University.
In presenting the President’s Medal, the University and the PBC recognize individuals who have achieved excellence in their fields and demonstrated extraordinary compassion for others. The proceeds from the Annual Award Dinner go directly to the University’s Presidential Scholarship Endowment Fund. The black-tie gala is a celebration of Scranton and the honorees whose lifetime achievements reflect the University’s mission of Catholic and Jesuit excellence and service. Through its 14 dinners, the PBC has generated more than $12 million for the scholarship fund.
For more information on the PBC and the ways to participate in this year’s dinner, please contact Timothy J. Pryle ’89, executive director, at 570-941-5837, pbc@scranton.edu, or visit our website at scranton.edu/pbc.