Cat's Oberhelman to chair Business Roundtable

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Doug Oberhelman, chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Inc., will become chairman of the Business Roundtable on Jan. 1, the organization announced Wednesday.

Oberhelman will serve a two-year term as chairman of the Washington. D.C.-based trade organization comprised of business leaders from throughout the United States. Oberhelman will take over from Randall Stephenson, chairman and CEO of AT&T Inc.

“Doug is an outstanding global business leader and a leading advocate for promoting jobs, innovation and economic growth in the United States,” Stephenson said in a news release.  “Doug’s leadership at Business Roundtable has helped secure congressional approval of trade agreements and has encouraged public investment in America’s infrastructure. He has a record of driving cooperation between government and industry, and the Roundtable is well-positioned moving forward with Doug at the helm.

“I am grateful to have worked with America’s top business leaders, President Obama and members of the House and Senate leadership from both parties over these past two years to advance pro-growth policies in America,” Stephenson said. “I look forward to working with Doug and all the other member CEOs to foster a more competitive, productive and prosperous future for the United States.”

Oberhelman assumes leadership of Business Roundtable at a pivotal moment for the U.S. economy, the news release said. Among the key priorities identified in the Business Roundtable economic growth agenda are expanding U.S. trade, adopting a smarter approach to regulation and enacting pro-growth tax reform.

“We need to get the U.S. economy firing on all cylinders,” Oberhelman said in the release. “This is a crucial time for action on pro-growth policies. Success requires working together with the Administration, Congress and the business community on concrete steps to move our economy forward and reignite America as a job-creating machine. I look forward to working with my peers at Business Roundtable to advocate and get this done.”

“Randall Stephenson has done a great job leading Business Roundtable,” Oberhelman added. “Following him is no small task. I will be honored to serve as chairman and continue the extraordinary progress Randall helped achieve.”

Oberhelman became chairman and chief executive officer of Caterpillar Inc. in 2010. He has since led Caterpillar through accelerated business cycles, implementing multiple measures to improve global manufacturing and operations. He has also led Caterpillar to renew its focus on customers and reinforced its dedication to quality, sustainability and innovation.

Caterpillar Inc. was an early member of Business Roundtable, joining the organization in 1974.

About the Author
Paul Gordon is the editor of The Peorian after spending 29 years of indentured servitude at the Peoria Journal Star. He’s an award-winning writer, raconteur and song-and-dance man. He also went to a high school whose team name is the Alices (that’s Vincennes Lincoln High School in Indiana; you can look it up).