David J. BenDaniel Ethics Lecture: Fred Keller, Chairman & CEO of Cascade Engineering- "Why Business, Why Now: Solving the World's Toughest Problems"

Fred P. Keller is Chairman and CEO of Cascade Engineering, a leading multi-business manufacturer in the transportation, recycling, office furniture, and renewable energy industries, specializing in plastic injection molding with 1200 employees in five worldwide locations. A materials science engineer by training, Fred started the company in 1973. Today Cascade Engineering is comprised of 13 strategic business units and is one of the largest Certified B Corporations in the world, widely recognized for its business achievements and community involvement.

Fred believes that business has the unique opportunity to complement its focus on financial performance with important work in the social and environmental arenas. A strong advocate for “sustainable” business practices, Fred has emphasized the key role business can play in building financial, social and ecological capital, often through partnerships with government and community agencies. His innovative management approach and work in advancing sustainability are featured regularly in business and industry publications.

Fred teaches a course on “Sustainability as a Driver for Innovation” at the Samual Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. He is a former member of the U.S. Department of Commerce Manufacturing Council, advising Secretaries of Commerce from 2004- 2011, serving two years as Chairman. Fred currently serves as Chairman of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Board of Trustees and has served as a Director of Fifth Third Bank and Meijer, Inc. A Grand Rapids, Michigan native, Fred earned a B.S. degree from Cornell University and an M.S. in business management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.