The University of Akron College of Business has appointed William (Bill) Kroll as director of the Fisher Institute for Professional Selling, effective fall 2026.
 
Kroll currently serves as an associate professor of practice of sales in the Department of Marketing and will transition to a full-time faculty appointment this fall. He brings more than 26 years of professional selling and sales leadership experience to the role, following a distinguished career with Colgate-Palmolive, where he held progressive leadership positions in sales, account management, business development and sales training.
 
Beyond frontline selling, Kroll was a corporate sales trainer and sales leadership coach, designing and delivering programs for managers across multiple Colgate facilities. His work focused on professional selling systems, consultative selling, coaching for performance, pipeline management and feedback cultures. Over the past five years, he has applied that industry expertise in higher education, teaching Professional Selling, Advanced Professional Selling and Strategic Sales Leadership while preparing students for successful careers in modern business-to-business (B2B) sales.
 
As director of the Fisher Institute, Kroll will work closely with students, faculty and corporate partners to expand experiential learning opportunities, strengthen employer engagement and continue the institute's tradition of developing highly sought-after sales professionals.
 
"Bill's more than 26 years of sales leadership experience with Fortune 500 company Colgate-Palmolive, combined with his commitment to developing sales talent, make him an exceptional choice to lead the Fisher Institute for Professional Selling," said Dr. Vanja Djuric-Zoric, chair of the Department of Marketing. "His leadership will strengthen our corporate partnerships and provide students with meaningful experiential learning opportunities that prepare them for successful careers."
 
Kroll's teaching philosophy emphasizes helping students develop the credibility, structure and integrity needed to succeed in today's professional selling environment. In addition to his academic role, he leads Kroll Consulting Services, LLC, advising organizations on building high-performing sales teams and business development strategies, and is an active member of the Sales Educators Academy.
 
"I'm honored and consider it a privilege to be named director of the Fisher Institute for Professional Selling," Kroll said. "After spending the past several months working alongside our outstanding faculty, students and corporate partners, I couldn’t be more excited about getting started this fall. The Fisher Institute has a proud legacy, and I believe the best is yet to come as we continue providing value-added education experiences that allow our students to make an immediate impact in their careers and the region’s economic growth."
 
Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Kroll earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing) from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Arts in Corporate Communication and Technology from Rollins College.
 
The College of Business Department of Marketing invites students, alumni, corporate partners and members of the community to welcome Kroll during a special Meet the Director reception set for Wednesday, Sept. 2, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Held at the Fisher Institute, guests will have the opportunity to meet Kroll, connect with fellow sales professionals and learn more about the future of the institute. Heavy hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served. Those interested in attending can click here.

Story by CoB Marketing.

Media Contact: media@uakron.edu