Prosperity Through Innovation Topic of Wilson Lecture in Business Economics

Former DuPont Vice President Jeffrey Keefer to Speak Oct. 26 at The College of Wooster

WOOSTER, Ohio — Jeffrey Keefer, retired Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President at The DuPont Company, will present “Building Prosperity Through Business Innovation” at the James R. Wilson Lecture in Business Economics on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at The College of Wooster. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7:30 p.m. in Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University St.).

Keefer, a 1974 College of Wooster graduate, will address the role of creativity and innovation in business as a way to provide solutions for larger social issues, such as world hunger and the development of sustainable energy platforms. His presentation will focus on spurring student imagination and providing appropriate educational support.

At DuPont, Keefer moved up through the ranks, from a financial analyst to managing director of the Asia Pacific region for the company’s titanium technologies. He was later named director of new ventures and then vice president and general manager of DuPont Titanium Technologies.

Currently, Keefer serves on the Advisory Board of CVC Capital Partners, the Patients Council of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the Advisory Board for the Institute for Aging at the University of Pennsylvania, the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Delaware, and the Board for Delaware Guidance Services. Previously, he was a board member at the National Paint & Coatings Association and the Paper Industry Management Association.

In addition to his degree in economics from Wooster, Keefer has a master of management degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

The James R. Wilson Lecture Series in Business Economics brings business and financial leaders to Wooster’s campus to share their insights with students, faculty, and the broader community. The series is supported by the James R. Wilson Fund for Business Economics, established in 2001 by a gift from James R. and Linda R. Wilson. The list of previous speakers includes Peter Guber, CEO of Mandalay Entertainment; Donald Kohn of the U.S. Federal Reserve System; Katharine Lee Reid, former director of The Cleveland Museum of Art; James W. Griffith, CEO of Timken Corporation, and Craig R. Barrett, former Chairman and CEO of Intel Corporation.

Additional information about the lecture is availably by phone (330-263-2145) or e-mail.

- Written by Libby Fackler '13