James W Owens

James W. Owens is chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Caterpillar Inc., a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. He is a member of IBM's Audit Committee. Mr. Owens joined Caterpillar Inc. in 1972 as a corporate economist and subsequently held various management positions, including chief financial officer. He was named group president in 1995, vice chairman in 2003 and to his current position in 2004. He is a director of Alcoa Inc. Mr. Owens serves on the boards of the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C. and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is chairman of the International Trade and Investment Task Force of the Business Roundtable, vice chairman of The Business Council, a member of the President's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations and the Global Advisory Council to The Conference Board in New York. Mr. Owens became an IBM director in 2006.