William S. Fisher, MBA '84
Managing Partner
Manzanita Capital LLC
Bill Fisher is the managing partner for Manzanita Capital, a London-based private-equity
firm focused in the area of branded luxury companies in Europe, fast-moving consumer
goods, and retail. The firm continues to be active in London, New York, and Paris. He is a
member of the board of SpaceNK, a company-owned health and beauty retailer in London,
and Diptyque, Manzanita’s luxury French fragrance company in Paris.
Prior to founding Manzanita Capital, Mr. Fisher spent 15 years at the Gap, where he was
the stores director for Banana Republic and general manager for Gap in Canada. He also
started and built the Gap’s international division, including operations in Canada, France,
Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Today, Gap International is in 25 countries and
has sales in excess of $2 billion.
Mr. Fisher is a fourth generation San Franciscan. A graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy, he
received his BA from Princeton University in 1979 and his MBA from the Stanford
Graduate School of Business in 1984.
Before returning to San Francisco in 2002, Mr. Fisher spent four years in Paris with his
family. During that time, he lectured at INSEAD Business School, pursued investments in
private equity/venture capital, and traveled extensively throughout Europe. The highlight
of his time in Paris was taking his kids to school on his scooter and, of course, the food.
He serves as vice chairman of the Exploratorium, voted by its peer group as the top science
museum in the world, and is in the midst of a $300 million capital campaign to relocate
from the Presidio in San Francisco to the waterfront on Pier 15–17. He also is chairman of
the CityFields Foundation, a nonprofit focused on increasing the number of opportunities
for San Francisco children to play field sports by replacing grass with synthetic turf fields.
In 2009, Mr. Fisher became a director for Gap Inc.
Along with his wife of 25 years, Sakurako (Stanford AB ’82), he has three children and
currently resides in San Francisco.