Born: United States of America
Primarily active in: United States of America

1970-2023

Gregory Weyerhaeuser Piasecki, born in 1970, grew up in Haverford, Pennsylvania, the youngest of seven children born to helicopter pioneer Frank Piasecki and civic leader Vivian Weyerhaeuser Piasecki. He lived with a keen sense of responsibility to the world, guided by the importance of family, a strong work ethic and a uniquely vivid imagination.

A scholar and athlete, Piasecki excelled at The Haverford School, concurrently serving as student government President and captain of the crew team during his senior year. He majored in Bioengineering at Yale University (graduating in 1992) and was a member of Yale’s varsity crew team. Following Yale, he received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business in 1997 and then joined Morgan Stanley. With characteristic entrepreneurial energy and foresight, he co-founded Pacific Solutions Group in 2000, a boutique investment bank in China. Despite the internet bubble burst and SARS, he persisted, closing deals with high-growth Chinese companies and initiating fund proposals with state-owned entities.

Greg Piasecki maintained a life-long commitment to family enterprises, using his bold and visionary instincts to shape a diverse set of institutions. He was an early pioneer in uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), joining his brother Michael Piasecki at Dragonfly Pictures, Inc. from 2004 to 2013. Later he served on the board of Piasecki Aircraft Corporation. From 2013 until 2021, he served as CEO of the Rock Island Company, a family investment holding company.

Throughout his entire career, Piasecki’s business acumen was grounded in a unique leadership style, unifying people of all ages and cultures with his enthusiasm, imagination and positivity. Always a committed teammate, he rowed for the United States in the 2011 and 2013 Dragon Boat World Championships, earning silver and gold medals for his country.

Piasecki moved to New Hampshire in 2013 to raise a family. A newcomer to the region, he embraced the community and its natural surroundings as an avid hiker, hunter, camper, skier, woodworker, rower and pilot. He volunteered as a Nordic ski coach and rowed for the Upper Valley Rowing Club. He was Treasurer and a member of the Upper Valley Land Trust Board of Trustees and served on the school Equity Committee, where his earnest curiosity and discipline contributed to the development of a district-wide equity policy. Always looking beyond the horizon, Piasecki had recently qualified as an instrument-rated private pilot and was working towards a commercial rating.

Above all, Greg Piasecki was a deeply thoughtful and loving father to his three young children. Steadfast and generous, he raised his children with an extraordinarily creative zest for life. He was full of brilliant ideas for the “next great adventure.” When one project was completed, another was sure to follow.

Gregory Piasecki, 52, of Hanover, New Hampshire, entrepreneur and business leader, died on August 5, 2023 of sudden cardiac death, shortly after a morning row on the Connecticut River. He is survived by his six older siblings: Lynn, Nicole, Frederick, Frank, Michael and John.

Society Update: Vertiflite September/October 2023