James P Hackett

JAMES P. HACKETT President, CEO and Director of Steelcase Inc., a manufacturer of office systems. Trustee of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. James Hackett, who played for legendary Wolverines coach Bo Schembechler in the 1970s, spent 19 years as CEO of Steelcase, a Grand Rapids-based maker of office furniture, retiring earlier this year. He is serving a one-year stint as vice chairman and remains a board member. He also has been a member of the board of directors for Ford Motor Co. since September 2013. In addition, Hackett serves on the board of trustees for Northwestern Mutual Life in Milwaukee and Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati. He is a member of the executive committee of the board of directors for the National Center for Arts and Technology, as well as the boards of advisers 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. Hackett received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in 1977.