Tom Kieffer - CEO Virteva: End with a Miss
Tom is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and built eight plus companies and served on ten plus boards of directors including a stint as Chair of the High-Tech Association. Tom has a BS in Engineering from Iowa State
where he also lettered for the track and field team which he joined as a walk-on and earned a partial scholarship after a year. Tom met his wife at Iowa State and they both accepted positions at Honeywell. After about a year
they were both laid off and while his wife obtained another engineering job, Tom embarked upon a career as an entrepreneur.
where he also lettered for the track and field team which he joined as a walk-on and earned a partial scholarship after a year. Tom met his wife at Iowa State and they both accepted positions at Honeywell. After about a year
they were both laid off and while his wife obtained another engineering job, Tom embarked upon a career as an entrepreneur.
Tom shared his story and his mantra of “Ending with a miss”. Just like entrepreneurs, high jumpers keep raising the bar with each successful jump until they miss. Mistakes will be made and not all endeavors are successful, but entrepreneurs keep trying. Tom’s started his latest venture (Virteva) in 2005 and it currently has 150 employees.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- 10/6/2018 - Vino Classico planning is approaching fast. Sell those raffle and attendance tickets and turn in wall of wine and silent auction contributions. Volunteers are still needed for setup and working at the event.
SPOTLIGHT ON JANE MCGINTY
Jane grew up in LaCresent, MN. Jane’s father is a member of LaCrosse, WI Rotary and has forty years of perfect attendance. Jane was a Rotary Youth Exchange student in Germany. Jane has served as our club President (2012-13) and traveled to Kenya with a District mission trip. Jane and husband Chris have two daughters and a son. Jane manages strategic accounts for Donaldson Co.HAPPY FINES
- John Goergen just got back from two-week trip to Alaska.
- PG celebrated 46th anniversary in US on 9/19.
- Suzanne Kutina announced that Conn McCartan is the new executive director for Foundation for EP Schools.
- Laurie Pryor proud of husband honored as one of top ten most admired CEO’s.
- Josh Swanson closed on new home and EP Schools enrollment up for first time in nine years.
- Dan O’Brien spent a week in Tahoe and they celebrated their seventh grandchild.