Industry & Services >> CEO Interviews >> May 17, 1999
ROBERT L. MCGEEHAN is President and Chief Executive Officer of
Kennametal, Inc. in Latrobe, Pa. Mr. McGeehan joined Kennametal in 1973
as a service engineer, was elected president by the corporation's Board
of Directors in July 1989, and was elected Chief Executive Officer in
October 1991. Mr. McGeehan worked four years as a service engineer and
tooling systems engineer before moving into Kennametal sales management.
His sales management positions included area manager, regional manager,
manager of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) sales, and general
sales manager. He was named to direct all sales and marketing activities
for Kennametal metalworking products in 1984 and that year also was
elected a Kennametal vice president. He became general manager of the
Machining Systems Division in 1985 and was made director of the
Metalworking Systems Division in 1988. Under Mr. McGeehan's leadership,
Kennametal has built its $30-million research and development center,
has expanded globally in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, has
made a number of strategic acquisitions and formed several joint
ventures, and has reached its first $1 billion sales year. Mr. McGeehan,
62, is a native of Midland, Pa. Prior to joining Kennametal in 1973 as a
service engineer, he had taken engineering courses at Chaffey College in
Ontario, California, and Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, in
addition to serving on the staff of Kaiser Steel Corp. Mr. McGeehan and
his wife Carol reside in Greensburg, Pa. They have four children. Profile
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