Carthage College President John R. Swallow has announced Snap-on CEO Nick Pinchuk as the 2020 commencement speaker.
The ceremony for graduates and their families is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, May 23, in the Field House of the N. E. Tarble Athletic and Recreation Center.
“Nick Pinchuk is a brilliant speaker, combining deep business acumen and insightful cultural observations, and his commitments to Snap-on and its history and legacy in Kenosha are extraordinary,” said Carthage president John Swallow. “I know that he will have truly remarkable advice for the Class of 2020.”
Widely recognized as a leader in U.S. business, global commerce, and the development of the American workforce, Pinchuk has served as the chief executive officer of Snap-on since 2007 and chairman since 2009. Headquartered in Kenosha, Snap-on is an S&P 500 company that develops and manufactures tools, equipment, diagnostic systems, and software and data solutions for professionals across transportation, aviation, power generation and other critical industries. Snap-on is connected to workplaces of all sizes, having direct contact with hundreds of thousands of businesses around the world.
Before joining the company in 2002, he was president of a multibillion-dollar unit at Carrier Corporation and held various financial and engineering positions with Ford Motor Company. He also served in Vietnam as an officer in the U.S. Army.
Pinchuk has drawn widespread acclaim for his contributions to the growth of a skilled American labor force. Trade publication IndustryWeek inducted him into its Manufacturing Hall of Fame, and SkillsUSA, a nation-wide organization, named him Champion of the Year.
A member of the Carthage Board of Trustees since 2011, Pinchuk also serves on the boards of Columbus McKinnon Corporation and several industry associations. He frequently appears on media outlets such as CNBC and Bloomberg, providing commentary on the global economic scene, trends in manufacturing and transportation technology, and the skills Americans need to compete for jobs.
Pinchuk earned an MBA from Harvard University, along with master’s and bachelor’s degrees in engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He serves on the Senior Advisory Board for the Syracuse University School of Management and is a regular contributor to the German American Catholic Philosophy Colloquium.