Presentation Topic: "Purpose" Before "Profit"
Richard K. Smucker is Chief Executive Officer of The J.M. Smucker Company,
a leading manufacturer of food products, including coffee, fruit spreads, peanut butter, shortening and oils, etc. Founded more than a century ago by Mr. Smucker's great-grandfather, The J.M. Smucker Company has appeared numerous times on FORTUNE magazine's annual listing of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in the United States, ranking first on the list in 2004.
Mr. Smucker has served on the board of The J.M. Smucker Company since 1969; is now deputy chairman of the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland; and serves as a director of the Sherwin-Williams Company, Grocery Manufacturers Association, and
The Consumer Goods Forum.
He has also held a variety of board trustee positions in the past, including International Multifoods Corporation, William Wrigley, Jr. Company, and Buttonwood Capital Partners Limited. He is a past chairman and trustee of the Miami University Board of Trustees and is a trustee emeritus of the Culinary Institute of America. He also is a member of the Musical Arts Association of the Cleveland Orchestra.
He and his brother, Tim, were recognized by "Market Watch" as CEO's of the year for 2009.
Mr. Smucker received his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Commerce and Finance and his bachelor's degree in finance from Miami University of Ohio. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1970 to 1976.
He and his wife, Emily, have one daughter and two grandchildren.