Steve Odland

Last updated
Steve Odland
OccupationBusinessman
Years active2018-present
Known forPresident and CEO of The Conference Board

Steve Odland is an American businessman. He is the president and CEO of The Conference Board. [1] He also is the former chairman and CEO of Office Depot, Inc. and AutoZone, Inc., and the former president and CEO of Tops Markets and the Committee for Economic Development. [1]

Contents

Biography

Early life

Steve is a graduate of Mullen High School in Denver, Colorado. He received his Bachelor's of Business Administration from The University of Notre Dame, and a Master's of Management degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. [2]

Career

Since June 2018 Odland has been president and CEO of The Conference Board. [3] The non-profit business membership and research organization counts over 1,000 public and private corporations and other organizations as members, encompassing 60 countries. It convenes conferences and peer-learning groups, conducts economic and business management research, and publishes several widely tracked economic indicators. The organization's five core centers are Economy, Strategy & Finance; Public Policy/Committee for Economic Development; Marketing & Communications; Human Capital; and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG). Notable research and economic indicator data include US Consumer Confidence; [4] CEO Confidence; [5] Help Wanted OnLine; [6] Job Satisfaction; [7] surveys of the C-Suite's top priorities for the year ahead; [8] trends in CEO succession [9] and boardroom diversity; [10] and the leading economic and educational issues relating to public policy. [11] He is a host of the organization's weekly podcast, C-Suite Perspectives, [12] which features thought leaders discussing an array of topics relevant to business executives.

From 2013 to June 2018 he was president and CEO of the Committee for Economic Development, [13] a non-partisan, business-led public policy organization that delivers well-researched analysis and reasoned solutions to the nation's most critical issues. [14]

In 2017, in collaboration with Joseph Minarik, former senior vice president and director of research at CED, Odland co-authored Sustaining Capitalism: Bipartisan Solutions to Restore Trust & Prosperity. [15] The book lays out a clear plan for how business and policy leaders can generate prosperity for business and society now, all while making capitalism sustainable for generations to come. The book received coverage by, among other publications, Fortune, [16] Yahoo! Finance, [17] Bloomberg, [18] and CNBC. [19]

Steve began his career at the Quaker Oats Company. [2] From 1981 to 1996 he progressed through various positions and divisions at Quaker including pet foods, Golden Grain, international foods, and cereals. From 1996 to 1998 he was president of the Foodservice Division of Sara Lee Bakery. [2] He subsequently became president and CEO of Tops Markets, a position he held until 2000. [2]

From 2001 to 2005 Odland was president, chairman, and CEO of AutoZone. [2] At the end of his tenure, AutoZone had over $5.6B in net sales, and approximately 3,500 stores and 45,000 employees across the U.S. and Mexico. [20] He established the first corporate governance guidelines at the company. To drive teamwork and accountability he enacted, among other initiatives, the “40-headed CEO,” in which every month the 40 most senior executives (hence the "40-headed CEO”) convened for a half a day to review the company's operations, performance, and financials. [21]

He was named top new CEO in 2002 by Bloomberg Markets Magazine. [22]

From 2005 to 2010 Odland was chairman and CEO of Office Depot. [23] During his tenure he implemented award-winning environmental initiatives ranging from green products to green buildings and energy saving measures. [24] His commitment to diversity, including at the top echelons of the company, resulted in several awards and other accolades. The National Association for Female Executives named Office Depot as one of the top 30 companies dedicated to the advancement of women executives; [25] the Women's Business Development Council named it the Florida Corporation of The Year; [26] DiversityBusiness.com recognized the company as one of the top for multicultural business opportunities. [27] Also, Office Depot's Supply Chain Diversity team published a catalog to exclusively feature Historically Underutilized Businesses – a first for the industry and one of the few such efforts in all of retailing. [28] In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the Office Depot Foundation donated $10,000 to Doctors Without Borders to provide medical supplies; it also donated $10,000 to Feed The Children. [29]

He is the 2007 recipient of Florida Atlantic University's Business Leader of the Year. [30]

From 2011 to 2012 he taught as an adjunct professor in the graduate schools of business at Florida Atlantic University and Lynn University. [23]

He is profiled in the books, Nobodies to Somebodies: How 100 Great Careers Got Their Start, [31] and Leaders on Ethics: Real-world Perspectives on Today’s Business Challenges. [32]

He currently is a Director of General Mills, Inc. [33] He is a senior advisor at PJ SOLOMON, [23] a Trustee of The Conference Board, [34] and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. [35]

Odland is a Contributor to CNBC, [36] a frequent guest on CBS News, [37] and a former Contributor to Forbes. [38]

Odland is a former Director of Analogic Corporation. [39] He also has been a member of the Business Roundtable and Chairman of its Corporate Governance Taskforce; [2] a U.S. Presidential Appointee as commissioner on the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission; [40] a member of the Committee on Capital Markets Regulation; [2] a U.S. Presidential Appointee on the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation; [2] a member of the Advisory Council of the Institute for Corporate Ethics; [2] a member of the Advisory Council of the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business; [2] Chairman of Memphis Tomorrow; [41] and a member of the Florida Council of 100. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Fink</span> American businessman, CEO of BlackRock

Laurence Douglas Fink is an American billionaire businessman. He is a co-founder, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, an American multinational investment management corporation. BlackRock is the largest money-management firm in the world with more than US$10 trillion in assets under management. In April 2022, Fink's net worth was estimated at US$1 billion according to Forbes. He sits on the boards of the Council on Foreign Relations and the World Economic Forum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Cohn</span> American businessman & politician (born 1960)

Gary David Cohn is an American businessman and philanthropist who served as the 11th Director of the National Economic Council and chief economic advisor to President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2018. He managed the administration's economic policy agenda. Before serving in the White House, Cohn was president and COO of Goldman Sachs, where he worked for more than 25 years. Cohn was appointed vice-chairman of IBM on January 5, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Conference Board</span> American non-profit research organization

The Conference Board, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit business membership and research group organization. It counts over 1,000 public and private corporations and other organizations as members, encompassing 60 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala</span> Filipino businessman

Jaime Augusto Miranda Zóbel de Ayala, also known as Jaime Augusto Zóbel, is a Filipino businessman from the prominent Zóbel de Ayala family. He currently serves as the chairman of Ayala Corporation since 2016. He succeeded his father, Jaime Zóbel de Ayala, as the company's president and CEO in 1994. He was the company's chairman and CEO from 2006 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Preston</span> CEO of Goodwill

Steven C. Preston is the president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. He formerly served as the 14th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 2008 to 2009 and the 22nd Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration from 2006 until his appointment as HUD Secretary. Before entering public service, Preston spent nearly 25 years in financial and operational leadership positions in the private sector.

Gregory David Wasson is an American businessman. He is the co-founder and president of Wasson Enterprise, a family-based investment office, the executive chairman of Innventure, co-founder of CoolerScreens, and the former president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Zients</span> American business executive (born 1966)

Jeffrey Dunston Zients is an American business executive and government official, serving as the 31st White House chief of staff in the administration of U.S. president Joe Biden. Earlier in the Biden administration, he served as counselor to the president and White House coronavirus response coordinator from January 2021 to April 2022.

Michael H. Jordan was an American businessman. He served as the chief executive officer of PepsiCo Worldwide Foods (1986–1990), Westinghouse Electric Corporation (1993–1998), CBS Corporation (1995–1998), and Electronic Data Systems (2003–2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Gorsky</span> American businessman (born 1960)

Alex Gorsky is an American businessman. He is the former chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson. Gorsky stepped down as CEO of Johnson & Johnson in January 2022 and was succeeded by Joaquin Duato. He was the seventh person who served as the company's chairman and chief executive officer since it became a publicly traded company in 1944. He is a board director of Apple and JP Morgan Chase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suphachai Chearavanont</span> Thai business executive

Suphachai Chearavanont is a Thai businessman, and CEO of C.P. Group, a multinational conglomerate owned by his father. Also chairman of telecommunications company True Corporation, of which he was the CEO from 1999, until 2017, when he was named C.P. Group's CEO. Also a vice chairman at Charoen Pokphand Foods and CP ALL, he is a director at companies including TrueMove and TrueVisions. Also, he is a chairman of CP Axtra, Retail e-commerce and wholesale business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Weinberger</span> American businessman

Mark A. Weinberger is an American businessman. He is the former global Chairman and CEO of EY. Weinberger currently sits on several boards of directors, including those of Metlife, Johnson & Johnson Saudi Aramco. and JPMorgan Chase. Earlier in his career he has also held several posts in the public sector in Washington, D.C., including time as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich Lesser</span> American businessman (born 1962)

Richard Lesser is an American businessman who has been the chair of American management consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG) since 2021. He previously was CEO from 2013 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas L. Peterson</span>

Douglas L. Peterson is the president and chief executive officer of S&P Global, formerly McGraw Hill Financial. He became president and chief executive officer in November 2013. Peterson has served on S&P Global’s Board of Directors since July 2013. He originally joined the company as president of Standard & Poor's Ratings Services in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darius Adamczyk</span> Polish-American businessman

Darius Adamczyk is a Polish-American businessman. He is the chairman of Honeywell, an American multinational conglomerate.

Michele Buck is an American businesswoman. In March 2017, she became the first female Chairman, President, and CEO of The Hershey Company, an American food manufacturing company, replacing former CEO John Bilbrey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramon Laguarta</span> Israel business executive

Ramon Laguarta is a Spanish businessman who is the chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo. He became CEO on 3 October 2018 after Indra Nooyi stepped down. He is the sixth CEO in the company's history and the first Spanish CEO of a large American multinational company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Kempczinski</span> Chief executive officer (CEO) of McDonalds since 2019

Christopher John Kempczinski is an American business executive, and the president, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of McDonald's Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethan Brown (businessman)</span> American businessman (born 1971)

Ethan Walden Brown is an American executive who is the founder, president and CEO of Beyond Meat. Before founding Beyond Meat, Brown worked on alternative energy and electricity grid restructuring at the National Governors Association's Center for Best Practices before joining fuel cell manufacturer Ballard Power Systems.

Daniel A. Ninivaggi is an American automobile executive who Formerly served as the executive chairman of Lordstown Motors until its bankruptcy, and formerly its CEO. He is also the chairman of Garrett Motion, and was formerly the CEO of Icahn Enterprises as well as co-chairman, co-CEO of Federal-Mogul.

References

  1. 1 2 "Steve Odland" . Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "CNBC Profile - Steve Odland". www.cnbc.com. 21 July 2015.
  3. Board, The Conference. "The Conference Board Names Its 11th President and CEO". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  4. Guilford, Gwynn (2020-04-28). "Coronavirus Prompts Record Souring of Consumers' Outlook—and Hope Pain Will Be Short-Lived". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  5. Rabouin, Dion. "Consumer confidence is wilting as the pandemic ravages the economy". Axios. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  6. "Online job ads index rises in August". www2.staffingindustry.com. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  7. Weber, Lauren (2019-08-29). "Younger Workers Report Biggest Gains in Happiness With Pay". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  8. Feintzeig, Rachel (2020-01-02). "Recession Rises on List of CEO Fears for 2020". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  9. "Exclusive: #MeToo Pushes CEO Firings to a 15-Year High". Fortune. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  10. Fuhrmans, Vanessa (2019-04-24). "What's Keeping More Women From Board Seats: Little Turnover". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  11. "Sustaining Capitalism: 2020 Election Series". Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  12. "CEO Perspectives".
  13. "Press Releases" . Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  14. "CED Press Release: Steve Odland Announced as CEO" (Press release).
  15. "Sustaining Capitalism: Bipartisan Solutions to Restore Trust & Prosperity". Archived from the original on 2017-07-09. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  16. "Capitalism at the Crossroads".
  17. "Odland: Capitalism's biggest risks". 23 February 2017.
  18. "Former ODP CEO Steve Odland on New Book, Sustaining Capitalism". Bloomberg News .
  19. "Trump's economic overhaul". CNBC .
  20. "Office Depot Names Steve Odland as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer".[ permanent dead link ]
  21. "AutoZone's "40-Headed CEO"". Bloomberg News . 16 May 2003.
  22. "Office Depot names Steve Odland as chairman and chief executive officer".
  23. 1 2 3 "PJSC Profile".
  24. "Office Depot Wins 'Outstanding Environmental Leadership Award' from Office Products International".[ permanent dead link ]
  25. "Office Depot Recognized as a Top Company for Female Professionals by National Association for Female Executives (NAFE)". Archived from the original on 2017-07-02. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  26. "Office Depot 2010 Corporate Citizenship Report" (PDF).[ permanent dead link ]
  27. "Office Depot 2010 Corporate Citizenship Report" (PDF).[ permanent dead link ]
  28. "Office Depot 2010 Corporate Citizenship Report" (PDF).[ permanent dead link ]
  29. "Office Depot and the Office Depot Foundation Provide Free Faxing to Haiti to Help Families and Businesses with Earthquake Recovery". Archived from the original on 2017-12-28. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  30. "FAU Business Leader of the Year". Archived from the original on 2013-06-03.
  31. Han, Peter (2005). Nobodies to Somebodies: How 100 Great Careers Got Their Start. Penguin. ISBN   1591840864.
  32. Knapp, John C. (2007). Leaders on Ethics: Real-world Perspectives on Today's Business Challenges. Bloomsbury. ISBN   9780275996710.
  33. "General Mills Board of Directors".
  34. "The Conference Board Trustees".
  35. "Council on Foreign Relations Membership Roster".
  36. "CNBC Profile". CNBC .
  37. "Consumer confidence declines for third straight month - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  38. "Forbes Profile". Forbes .
  39. "Bernard Bailey Appointed Chairman and Steve Odland Joins Analogic's Board". Analogic Corporation. Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  40. "Commissioners of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission". Archived from the original on 2008-01-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  41. "Business Notables Bring Expertise to Fogelman College EMBA Speakers Series". Archived from the original on 2006-09-01.