Executive Officers

Sara E. Armbruster is vice president of WorkSpace Futures and Corporate Strategy for Steelcase Inc. The global leader in the office furniture industry, Steelcase delivers a better work experience to its customers by providing products, services and insights into the ways people work. Its portfolio includes architecture, furniture and technology products.

Named to this role in May 2009, Sara manages Steelcase's research and applications development activities. Research focuses on understanding users and changing work patterns, as well as the impact of emerging technologies in the workplace. She is also responsible for all corporate business development activity, works closely with Steelcase's businesses on major initiatives, oversees the strategic planning process and leads the strategy organization. Previously, Sara was vice president of Corporate Strategy, a role she assumed in March 2007.

Before joining Steelcase, Sara was vice president of business development at Banta Corporation, a contract printing company based in Menasha, Wisc. (March 2003-March 2007). In that role, she led strategy development for the corporation and managed all merger and acquisition activity. She also served as interim chief marketing officer during a portion of her tenure at Banta.

Prior to that, she worked for McKinsey & Company in Boston, Mass. (September 1999-February 2003), helping clients with a variety of strategy and general management issues; and for Andersen Consulting as a business and research analyst in the firm's consumer products practice (August 1994-August 1997).

Sara holds a bachelor's degree in Slavic languages and literature from Yale University in New Haven, Conn.; a master's in international relations from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C.; and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.

Uli Gwinner is the president of Steelcase Asia Pacific. Steelcase Inc., the global leader in the office furniture industry, delivers a better work experience to its customers by providing products, services and insights into the ways people work. Its portfolio includes architecture, furniture and technology products.

In this role, Uli oversees all operations in the Asia Pacific region, including Japan, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore as well as emerging markets India and Greater China.

Previously, Uli served as president of Steelcase REMEA in charge of business operations in Eastern and Central Europe, Middle East, Africa and Italy. Uli is also a member of Steelcase's executive team, managing all Asian and European businesses since 2000.

Uli led Steelcase Werndl AG from 2000 to 2007, and was responsible for leading the post-merger integration between Werndl AG and Steelcase Inc., as well as managing the development of its export markets.

Before joining Steelcase in 2000, Uli was senior project manager and consultant at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in Munich. He also served in the German Army Service as a mountain ranger and is a certified ski instructor. He participates in swimming, cycling and waterskiing on a competitive level.

Born in Munich, Uli graduated from Munich's Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität with a bachelor's in economics, and gained a master's in economics from Universität Augsburg.

James P. Hackett is president and chief executive officer and director of Steelcase Inc., the global leader in the office furniture industry. Steelcase delivers a better work experience to its customers by providing products, services and insights into the ways people work. Its portfolio includes architecture, furniture and technology products.

The company and its subsidiaries serve their customers through a network of over 650 independent dealers and have approximately 10,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2011 revenue was $2.4 billion.

Jim oversees all operations of Steelcase Inc., including domestic and international operations.

Jim was named president and chief executive officer of Steelcase Inc. in December 1994. Previously, Jim served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Steelcase North America, a position he was named to in August 1994.

In April 1994, Jim was named executive vice president of Steelcase Ventures. He was responsible for the design and development of products for non-contract furniture industry customers in addition to developing new company opportunities.

In August 1993, Jim was named president of Turnstone, a Steelcase company created exclusively to meet the office furnishing needs of small businesses and home offices. The Turnstone model, designed to service new ways in which people do their work, was unique in the contract furniture industry.

In 1990, Jim was named Steelcase's senior vice president of Sales and Marketing. He joined Steelcase in 1981 and held a variety of sales and marketing positions in the company, including regional manager in Houston, Texas, in 1984 and director of national accounts from 1986 to 1990. Before joining Steelcase, Jim held sales and management positions at Procter & Gamble in Detroit, Michigan, from 1977 to 1981.

Jim serves on the board of directors for Northwestern Mutual Life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a member of the boards of advisors to the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the Life Sciences Institute at the University of Michigan. Additionally, he is a past president of the Institute of Design Board of Overseers at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Jim graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in general studies.

Nancy W. Hickey is senior vice president, chief administrative officer for Steelcase Inc., the global leader in the office furniture industry. Steelcase delivers a better work experience to its customers by providing products, services and insights into the ways people work. Its portfolio includes architecture, furniture and technology products.

Nancy was appointed to this position in November 2001 and has responsibility for Corporate Communications, Global Human Resources, Corporate and Community Relations, Aviation, Global Facilities and Real Estate, Steelcase University and Cultural Innovation.

Previously, Nancy was senior vice president of Global Human Resources, with responsibility for human resource practices and processes that are universal to Steelcase locations worldwide. She was named vice president, Human Resources, in May 1999, responsible for overall development and administration of human resources policies, processes and programs for Steelcase Inc.

From 1994 to 1999, Nancy was vice president, Dealer and Customer Alliances, responsible for relationships with Steelcase's North American dealers and overall development of the dealer network.

In May 1997, Nancy also became responsible for the Steelcase Furniture Management Coalition (FMC), a Steelcase Inc. subsidiary that offers the outsourcing of furniture-related management activities through a nationwide network of service providers.

She joined Steelcase in 1986 as a district manager, where she was responsible for the sales of Steelcase furniture through Boston, Mass., and Northern New England dealers. In 1990, she was named regional manager and area sales director in Boston, Mass.

Before joining Steelcase, Nancy worked at Philips Information Systems, in Dallas, Texas, from 1982 to 1985 and in Boston from 1985 to 1986. During that time, Nancy held positions as branch manager, national marketing support manager and assistant regional manager.

From 1978 to 1982, Nancy held a variety of sales and marketing positions for Exxon Office Systems working in New York, NY, Orange County, Calif., San Francisco, Calif., and Dallas, Texas.

Nancy earned a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in education from Albright College, in Reading, Pa., in 1973.

She is on the board of directors of Fifth Third Bank, a Michigan banking corporation, and Meijer, Inc.

James P. Keane is president of the Steelcase Group brand of Steelcase Inc. The global leader in the office furniture industry. Steelcase delivers a better work experience to its customers by providing products, services and insights into the ways people work. Its portfolio includes architecture, furniture and technology products.

Named to this role in October 2006, Jim oversees the sales, marketing and product development activities of the Steelcase brand and subsidiary companies Details, PolyVision and Vecta.

Previously, Jim was senior vice president and chief financial officer, responsible for financial planning, reporting and analysis across Steelcase Inc., as well as treasury and tax functions, and Steelcase Financial Services, Inc. He also oversaw the corporate strategy function, which handles long-term strategy development, mergers and acquisitions, and the Steelcase Design Partnership, a group of brands focused on higher end design furniture products and niche applications.

Jim joined Steelcase in 1997. Other roles he has held include senior vice president, Advanced Concepts, Research and Development for Steelcase, focusing on understanding the future of work and the impact of emerging technologies in the workplace.

Prior to joining Steelcase, Jim worked as an auditor with the public accounting firm of Peat Marwick, Mitchell & Co., and held various financial positions at Motorola, Inc. From 1987 to 1992, Jim was a consultant with McKinsey and Company in Chicago, Ill., where he worked with clients in a number of industries. He was also chief financial officer at Cloud Corporation in Des Plaines, Ill.

Jim serves on the board of the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association (BIFMA).

Jim earned a bachelor of science degree in accountancy from the University of Illinois, and a master's in management degree from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, with concentration in finance.

Hamid Khorramian is senior vice president, global operations officer, for Steelcase Inc., the global leader in the office furniture industry. Steelcase delivers a better work experience to its customers by providing products, services and insights into the ways people work. Its portfolio includes architecture, furniture and technology products.

Appointed to this role in April 2012, Hamid is responsible for operations at all Steelcase manufacturing facilities around the globe. Previously, Hamid was vice president, North America Operations, with responsibility for manufacturing at all Steelcase North America plants, including manufacturing services (skilled trades, facilities maintenance and operations engineering). He also oversaw key customer and dealer touchpoints, including Solutions Fulfillment, Specials Engineering, Physical Distribution and Corporate Quality. Prior to that, he was vice president, North America manufacturing.

Hamid joined Steelcase in 1994 when the company acquired Anderson Desk, where he was chief operating officer. He became general manager of that facility for Steelcase, and in 2000, he also became general manager of our former City of Industry plant.

In 2002, he added responsibility for Steelcase manufacturing plants in Athens, Ala., and Atlanta, Ga. In this capacity, he was responsible for overseeing all operations at those facilities and working with each plant's manager.

A native of southern California, Hamid earned a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Frank H. Merlotti, Jr. is the president of Coalesse , a premium furnishings brand that includes offerings from the companies Vecta, Metro and Brayton and is wholly owned by Steelcase Inc. He also oversees Designtex, a subsidiary focused on textiles, wall coverings and other design solutions. The global leader in the office furniture industry, Steelcase delivers a better work experience to its customers by providing products, services and insights into the ways people work. Its portfolio includes architecture, furniture and technology products.

Frank has served as leader of Coalesse since the brand was unveiled in May 2008. Previously, he was the leader of the Steelcase Premium Group, which was the first iteration of the Coalesse brand and was formed in 2006.

Prior to assuming these roles, Frank was president of Steelcase North America (September 2002 - October 2006). In that role, he had total responsibility for Steelcase's North American business and was responsible for helping to grow and advance its strategic vision. He also provided leadership for all sales and marketing activities related to Steelcase's core business in the United States and Canada.

Frank's prior experience with Steelcase includes eight years (1991-1999) as president and CEO of the Metropolitan Furniture Company, a Steelcase Design Partnership company in San Francisco. While at Metro, he led the development of a portfolio of user-centered products that resulted in steady top-line growth and improved profitability.

Frank's career in business began in 1977 with Terpstra Associates, a manufacturer's rep firm in Detroit. In 1985, Terpstra joined with G&T Industries, a leading supplier of foam and soft-surface materials to the office furniture industry. Frank took over management of G&T's Business Furniture Division until 1991, when he left for Metro.

In 1999, Frank returned to G&T as president and CEO, a position he held until returning to Steelcase in 2002.

Born in St. Louis, Frank grew up in Grand Rapids. He spent eight years traveling as a jazz drummer before beginning his career in business.

Frank is a member of the boards of Trex Company, Davenport University and the Institute of Design.

Lizbeth S. O'Shaughnessy is senior vice president, chief legal officer and secretary at Steelcase Inc., the global leader in the office furniture industry. Steelcase delivers a better work experience to its customers by providing products, services and insights into the ways people work. Its portfolio includes architecture, furniture and technology products.

Named to this role in April 2011, Lizbeth expands on her previous role as vice president, chief legal officer and secretary (2007-11) with global leadership responsibility for all legal services and consultation advice necessary to support the company's global business and to provide research, review and active involvement in legal matters for various groups within the company. She also has responsibility for import/export customs compliance; corporate environmental performance; and corporate governance as the secretary of the board of directors.

Previously, Lizbeth was assistant general counsel and assistant corporate secretary. Appointed assistant general counsel in 2000, she was responsible for providing legal services and consultation advice necessary to support the company's global business, and to research, review and be actively involved in various legal issues, including global antitrust/competition law and distribution matters, and all legal matters for parts of Europe, the Middle East and all of Latin America and Central America. She also had responsibility for corporate governance as the assistant secretary of the nominating and corporate governance committee of the board of directors during 2005 and 2006.

Lizbeth joined Steelcase in 1992 as corporate counsel and was promoted to senior corporate counsel in 1995 and then to assistant general counsel in 2000. She also spent two years as an expatriate in the Netherlands for Steelcase (August 2001 – August 2003), during which time she was focused entirely on providing legal services to Steelcase International.

Prior to joining Steelcase, Lizbeth was employed from 1987 to 1992 at The Dow Chemical Company as an antitrust attorney.

Lizbeth earned her juris doctor degree from Indiana University at Bloomington in 1987. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Michigan State University in 1984.

Lizbeth is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the American Bar Association.

David C. Sylvester is senior vice president of Finance and chief financial officer for Steelcase Inc., the global leader in the office furniture industry. Steelcase delivers a better work experience to its customers by providing products, services and insights into the ways people work. Its portfolio includes architecture, furniture and technology products.

Named to this role in April 2011, Dave expands on his previous role as vice president and chief financial officer (2006-11) handing the broad responsibity for financial planning, reporting and analysis across Steelcase Inc., as well as treasury and tax functions, and Steelcase Financial Services, Inc.

Previously, Dave was vice president, Operations Finance (March 2005 - October 2006), responsible for operations finance in North America and internationally. He also worked closely with the Supply Chain organization on product and process placement decisions and on implementing supply chain strategy.

Dave began his Steelcase career in 1995 as manager, Financial Reporting and Planning. In 1998 he became director and assistant controller, Corporate Finance, for Steelcase Inc., primarily responsible for all internal and external financial reporting and analysis. During this time, Dave helped Steelcase Inc. with the transition to becoming a publicly traded company in 1998.

Dave then served as finance leader for Steelcase International (2001-2005), responsible for all finance related activities outside of the United States and Canada, including profitability analyses, EVA measurement, accounting and reporting, acquisition integration, as well as a variety of special projects.

Before joining Steelcase, Dave held several audit positions with PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Chicago, Ill. He graduated from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's of business administration in finance. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He also serves on many of Steelcase's subsidiary and joint venture boards of directors.