Catching Up with
Ron Noble ’79
Former head of Interpol honors parents with gifts to UNH
Ron Noble ’79, former head of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), was back on campus last October to deliver the keynote address at the annual Paul College Finance Symposium. His visit had a personal meaning as well: he was here to honor the mentors and supporters who helped him during his life and career, especially the two most important ones: his parents. UNH Magazine caught up with him during his visit.
Honoring James and Rosemarie Noble, Helping His Alma Mater
James first met Rosemarie while he was serving in the U.S. military in World War II in Germany, Rosemarie’s home country. On their 70th wedding anniversary last year, son Ron made his first gift to establish the Rosemarie and James L. Noble Sr. Faculty Endowed Fund to fuel excellence in research and teaching by attracting new faculty, and rewarding and retaining existing faculty members at Paul College. He made a second gift to the Paul College Financial Policy Center, which will support Paul College’s Finance Symposium, partnerships with industry and policy organizations, and hands-on financial policy experiences for students. Both will perpetuate Rosemarie and James L. Noble Sr.’s legacy and the value they placed on education.
Ron Noble
at a Glance
Education: Graduated in 1979 from UNH with degrees in economics and business administration; earned a law degree from Stanford Law; awarded an honorary degree of laws by UNH in 2012, when he was the Commencement speaker.
Career: Served as prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District, Pennsylvania; held pivotal roles in the U.S. Department of Justice, and was a key leader in enforcement at the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Big Gig: Most prominent role came in 2000, when he became the first American and youngest secretary general of Interpol, a position he held until 2014.
Current Ventures: Now in the private sector, Noble is the founder of RKN Global, a multinational security consulting group that helps businesses and financial institutions strengthen compliance programs, particularly in sanctions and anti-money laundering.
Noble’s parents worked long hours to support him; his father worked as a janitor, and his mother worked as a cleaning woman. Inspired by their drive, he wanted to make them proud.
“All I wanted to do was get the job that paid me the most, and back then, I was telling myself and I told my parents, ‘If I make $20,000 a year, my life is set forever, and I will make sure you retire,’” Noble says.
Looking Back at Interpol
“I’m proud that we, for the first time in history, connected all countries to the same communication system,” Noble says. “I’m proud that we created incident response teams where we responded to a tsunami or a terrorist attack or a series of serious crimes.”
Among his most impactful initiatives was expanding the organization’s database of stolen and lost passports — what began with just 12,000 entries grew to over 68 million by the time Noble left.
“Now it’s 128 million stolen passports,” he told the Paul College audience. “So now if a country doesn’t check Interpol’s database and someone enters their country with a passport that’s stolen, and that person’s a terrorist … or a thief or a violent criminal, then that government is going to face consequences.”
Noble says navigating complex international relationships was challenging, but he approached every situation with respect and humility — traits he credits to his upbringing.
“I came from a modest background,” he says. “I still saw myself as the same person even though I was secretary general of Interpol … I think that seeing that human side of me, not looking down upon anyone and not being prejudiced toward anyone irrespective of their race, religion or nationality, was something they felt over time.”
Words of advice
“For those who are creative and have an entrepreneurial spirit, my advice is simple: just try. Get that first job or work on that first project. Whatever it is, don’t worry if it’s not perfect or the best opportunity you think you could achieve. Use it as a stepping stone.”