In Review
Robert Keegan ’72S (MBA), recently retired as chairman of the board of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., has been elected to a five-year term as a University trustee.
Keegan, who has long-standing associations at the University and within the Rochester community, stepped into Goodyear’s leadership ranks as president and chief operating officer in 2000, and in 2003 he was also named CEO and chairman of North America’s largest tire maker. He stepped down as president and CEO in April 2010, retiring as chairman in October.
“Bob Keegan has excelled as a leader in diverse and demanding business environments, and we are particularly fortunate to have him join our Board of Trustees at this exciting time,” says Ed Hajim ’58, chairman of the University’s board.
Under Keegan’s direction, Goodyear transformed its strategy and culture, and the company enjoyed improved profitability and a steady stream of innovative and award-winning new products. In 2008, Fortune magazine recognized Goodyear as the world’s most admired company in the motor vehicle parts industry. In 2009, Forbes magazine named Goodyear as America’s most respected automotive company.
Before joining Goodyear, Keegan—who earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from LeMoyne College before receiving his MBA with a concentration in finance from the Simon School—was the executive vice president of Eastman Kodak Co. and president of its consumer imaging business during his 26-year career there.
A charter member of the George Eastman Circle, Keegan received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Simon School in 2007, and the University awarded him an honorary doctor of laws degree at the 2010 Simon commencement.
—Sharon Dickman