Steelcase Inc. President and CEO Jim Keane, left, Deloitte LLP CEO Cathy Engelbert, and Daniel Howes, who is a business columnist and associate business editor at The Detroit News, are in a panel discussion at the Detroit Economic Club on May 2, 2016.
The eight sophomores, juniors and seniors who made the trip downtown with Andy Guest, Notre Dame’s executive vice president, were chosen because of their interest in business and technology and a willingness to experience a “real-world,” high-profile gathering of business executives. The May 2 event, which featured Steelcase Inc. President and CEO Jim Keane and Deloitte LLP CEO Cathy Engelbert, was moderated by Daniel Howes, who is a business columnist and associate business editor at The Detroit News. Mark Davidoff, Michigan managing partner at Deloitte, presided over the meeting.
Andrew DeLave (jr.), Ben Lytle (jr.), Daniel Fox (soph.), Madelaine Morris (soph.), Anna Chick (soph.), Jacqueline Kenny (jr.), Eileen Haig (jr.), Katarina Kovac (sr.) and others in attendance on Monday heard Keane talk about how important is is for an agile company to be able to make good decisions quickly. But, he also said, his role as CEO is not necessarily to make those decisions himself, but it’s to “build a culture that allows others in the company to make good decisions.”
Deloitte CEO Engelbert told those on hand that in business, it’s not always just about the latest shiny new technology. “It’s taking those shiny new technologies and coupling them with existing assets and know-how and packaging them from a value perspective,” she said. “And that’s sometimes how business leaders have to manage innovations within their companies.”
More on Engelbert
Cathy Engelbert is CEO of Deloitte LLP, whose subsidiaries provide audit, tax, consulting, and advisory services. Cathy leads the largest professional services firm in the US and is responsible for over 70,000 professionals in nearly 90 US cities and India. She previously served as chairman and chief executive officer of Deloitte LLP’s audit subsidiary. She is the chairman of the Center for Audit Quality Governing Board and is listed as one of FORTUNE’s 2015 Most Powerful Women and among Crain’s 50 Most Powerful Women in New York for 2015. Engelbert received a BS in accounting from Lehigh University and is a certified public accountant licensed in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. She is a member of the Accounting Advisory Board for Lehigh University and is married with two children.
More on Keane
Jim Keane is president and CEO of Steelcase Inc, a leader in the office furniture industry. After a 17-year Steelcase career, Jim was appointed CEO in March 2014. He is only the ninth person to lead the company in its 104-year history. Founded in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Steelcase today is a $3.1 billion company with factories and sales offices around the world. More than half of its 12,000 employees are now based outside of West Michigan. Keane serves on the boards of Rockwell Automation and IDEO. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accountancy from the University of Illinois, and a Master's in Management degree from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.