A CEO Who's Who Of Trump's Manufacturing Council

A group of more than two dozen CEOs have been tapped by President Donald Trump to create recommendations to grow the American manufacturing sector.

The group convenes at a time when Trump is pledging to cut corporate taxes, slash regulations and also heavily tax companies that outsource manufacturing jobs.

Who are the C-suite occupants selected by the new president? Let’s take a look.

Update: On August 16 at 1:14 pm. ET, Trump tweeted that he was disbanding the council.

Andrew Liveris

Andrew Liveris has led Midland, Michigan-based Dow Chemical Co DOW for more than a decade and worked at the company for 40 years. Before chairing Trump’s manufacturing council, Liveris served as co-chair of former President Barack Obama’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership steering committee and as a member of the U.S. President’s Export Council, according to Dow.

Bill Brown

Bill Brown, who oversees 21,000 employees at Harris Corporation HRS, was appointed president and CEO in November 2014, according to the company. He previously held senior leadership roles at United Technologies Corporation UTX. Notably, Brown once worked at UTC subsidiary Carrier Corporation — which was targeted by Trump late last year for its plans to move manufacturing jobs from Indiana to Mexico.

Michael Dell

Michael Dell founded the business bearing his name, Dell Technologies Inc DVMT, in 1984 with $1,000, according to the company. He was 19. The IT giant now has more than 140,000 employees and $74 billion in revenue.

John Ferriola

John Ferriola first joined Nucor Corporation NUE in 1991 and served in a variety of roles at the steel company before being appointed CEO in January 2013 and as chairman of the board of directors in January 2014.

Jeff Fettig

Jeff Fettig has worked at Whirlpool Corporation WHR since 1981 and as CEO since July 2004, according to the company. A Tipton, Indiana native, Fettig serves as lead director on Dow Chemical’s board, as a well as serving on the board of the Kohler Co.

Mark Fields

Mark Fields was appointed to the CEO post at Ford Motor Company F in July 2014 and has overseen the Dearborn automaker’s fastest global manufacturing expansion in 50 years, according to the company.

Update: Fields stepped down from his position at Ford in May. The company currently doesn't have a representative on the council.

Ken Frazier

Ken Frazier, an attorney who holds a J.D. from Harvard, went to work at Merck & Co., Inc. MRK in 1992 and was promoted through the company’s ranks before becoming CEO in 2011.

Update: Frazier resigned from the council on August 14, saying, "I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism. " In response, Trump tweeted, "Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President's Manufacturing Council,he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!"

Alex Gorsky

Alex Gorsky has, with the exception of a four-year detour to Novartis AG (ADR) NVS beginning in 2004, worked for Johnson & Johnson JNJ since 1988. He’s a “longtime advocate of diversity and inclusion,” according to the consumer, medical and pharma company.

Greg Hayes

Greg Hayes became CEO at United Technologies Corporation UTX in November 2014. In a previous role as chief financial officer and senior vice president, Hayes was key in reshaping the company’s portfolio to focus on its core aerospace and building systems businesses, according to the company.

Marillyn Hewson

Marillyn Hewson served as president, chief operating officer and executive vice president at Lockheed Martin Corporation LMT before being named CEO. She has been with the aerospace and defense contractor for more than 30 years.

Jeff Immelt

Jeff Immelt, the CEO of General Electric Company GE, has been asked to serve by presidents before — he was chairman of Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. He went to work at after graduating from Harvard in 1982 and was named to GE’s top job in 2001, making him the ninth person to have held the position.

Jim Kamsickas

Jim Kamsickas was appointed CEO of Dana Inc DAN in August 2015 after prior stints at International Automotive Components and Lear Corporation LEA. He serves on the board for the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation.

Klaus Kleinfeld

Klaus Kleinfeld, the CEO of Arconic Inc ARNC, was CEO at Alcoa Corp AA from 2008 until November, when he led the split of Alcoa into two companies. Prior to his career at Alcoa and Arconic, Kleinfeld worked at Siemens AG (ADR) SIEGY for 20 years, finishing as CEO before leaving the German electronics company.

Update: Kleinfeld left Arconic in April. The company currently doesn't have a representative on the council.

Brian Krzanich

Brian Krzanich, the leader of Intel Corporation INTC, started work there in 1982 as a process engineer and ascended through the ranks, serving as COO before being promoted to CEO in May 2013.

Update: On the evening of August 14, Krzanich left the council and said, "I stand with others for equality and improving US competitiveness. Both require improving in todays environment."

Richard Kyle

Richard Kyle was named CEO at bearings manufacturer Timken Co TKR in 2014 after serving as a COO and, previous to that, president of the company’s aerospace and mobile industry segments.

Thea Lee

Thea Lee, a former economist, serves as deputy chief of staff at the AFL-CIO.

Mario Longhi

Mario Longhi is leading United States Steel Corporation X through a transformation plan titled “The Carnegie Way,” according to the company, to “return U.S. Steel to sustainable profitability.” He’s considered a leading voice in the steel industry on global trade, the company said. Longhi joined the steelmaker in 2012.

Denise Morrison

Denise Morrison has led Campbell Soup Company CPB since August 2011 and has worked in the food business for more than 30 years, including at Kraft Heinz Co KHC, Nabisco, Nestle SA (ADR) NSRGY and PepsiCo, Inc. PEP.

Update: On August 16, Morrison resigned from the council, saying, "I will continue to support all efforts to spur economic growth and advocate for the values that have always made America great."

Dennis Muilenburg

Dennis Muilenburg was named CEO of Boeing Co BA, the world’s largest aerospace company, in March 2016. While serving as Boeing’s COO, Muilenberg worked on aerospace business operations and global relationships, leadership initiatives and development program performance, according to his company biography.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk, the co-founder of Tesla Motors Inc TSLA, oversees the electric car manufacturer’s product strategy, which includes the production of “more affordable electric vehicles for mainstream consumers,” according to his company biography. Before Tesla, Musk founded the internet companies Zip2 and Paypal Holdings Inc PYPL.

Update: Musk resigned from the council on June 1 amid the US withdrawal form the Paris climate deal.

Doug Oberhelman

Doug Oberhelman retired as CEO of Caterpillar Inc. CAT on December 31 after a 41-year career at the manufacturer. Oberhelman will continue as Caterpillar’s executive chairman of the board until March 31, 2017, according to the company.

Scott Paul

Scott Paul is president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a partnership of American manufacturers and the United Steelworkers that was formed in 2007.

Update: In a tweet the morning of August 15, Paul said, "I'm resigning from the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative because it's the right thing for me to do."

Kevin Plank

Kevin Plank launched Under Armour Inc UAA from his grandmother’s basement with a T-shirt prototype and grew it into a multi-billion dollar brand, according to his company bio.

Update: On the evening of August 14, Plank left the council and said, "I love our country & company. I am stepping down from the council to focus on inspiring & uniting through power of sport."

Michael Polk

Michael Polk, the CEO of Newell Brands Inc NWL, leads a consumer goods company that generates more than $16 billion in sales annually. Newell Brands was formed last year with the merger of Newell Rubbermaid and Jarden Corporation. A former Unilever plc (ADR) UL and Kraft executive, Polk was named as Newell’s CEO in July 2011, according to the company.

Mark Sutton

Mark Sutton has spent his career at International Paper Co IP and became CEO in November 2014, according to the company. Sutton serves on the Business Council and Business Roundtable, and is also the appointed chairman of the U.S. Russian Business Council and a member of the U.S.–Brazil CEO Forum.

Inge Thulin

Inge Thulin oversees a company with 90,000 employees and $30 billion in sales at 3M Co MMM. The R&D-intensive company has been named as one of the world’s most ethical companies, as well as one that millennials would most like to work for, under Thulin’s watch, according to his biography.

Update: On August 16, Thulin released a statement announcing his resignation from the council.

Richard Trumka

Richard Trumka was elected president of the 12.5-million-member AFL-CIO in 2009. He’s worked toward the goal of “adopting progressive, pro-worker laws and policies at every level to improve life for working families,” according to the union.

Update: On the evening of August 15, Trumka resigned. In statement, he said, "We cannot sit on a council for a President who tolerates bigotry and domestic terrorism."

Wendell Weeks

Wendell Weeks has worked at Corning Incorporated GLW since 1983, becoming CEO in 2005. Weeks is focused on new growth opportunities and the building of a “bigger, more balanced company,” according to his biography.

Image Credit: By Doug Coulter, The White House (The White House on Facebook) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons