Steelcase president and CEO Jim Keane announced on April 19 that he will retire on January 7 next year, after 25 years with the company. He will remain president and CEO until October 4, at which time he will become vice chair and serve in that role until his retirement from the company.
Keane will be replaced by Sara Armbruster, who has been appointed executive vice president and a member of the Steelcase board of directors. She will take over as president and CEO on October 4, the first woman to lead the company in its 109-year history.
Keane, 61, felt it was the right time to retire, after more than a quarter of a century with the company. “I have never been more excited about the future of Steelcase, Still, after 25 years, it’s the right time for me to move forward, and with the crisis ending, the recovery taking shape, and a number of innovative new products ready to go, it will be the perfect time for the company to welcome a new CEO,” he said.
The Steelcase board of directors began planning this CEO transition approximately two years ago, with a final assessment process taking place over recent months. The evaluation included a series of discussions and presentations from multiple candidates. “I want to thank our board for their attention and commitment to this important decision. Sara excelled through the assessment process, demonstrating her thoughtfulness, collaborative design-thinking capabilities, and inclusive mindset,” said Rob Pew, Steelcase board chairperson.
Armbruster expressed her gratitude to Keane, and her eagerness to start this next phase at Steelcase. “I am truly honored to accept this new role, and grateful for the 14 years I worked closely with Jim Keane. I’m proud to work alongside our strong senior leadership and incredibly talented, committed teams around the world. This is an important moment of growth for our company, as the places where people work and learn are being reimagined. Thanks to Jim, Steelcase is tremendously well positioned at a time when leadership in shaping the future of work is critical,” she said.
Since joining the company in 2007, Armbruster, 50, has led corporate strategy and acquisition activities. She has additionally led multiple businesses at Steelcase, including Steelcase Education, Steelcase Health, and PolyVision Corporation. Her responsibilities include leading information technology, global design research, new business initiatives, and the company’s COVID-19 global crisis response team.
Armbruster currently serves on the board of directors of Winnebago Industries, and sits on the board of advisors of the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology. She is also actively involved with numerous non-profit organizations in West Michigan. Before joining Steelcase, Armbruster worked at McKinsey & Company and served as vice president of business development at Banta Corporation, where she led strategy development and managed all merger and acquisition activity.
Armbruster holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College, a master’s degree in international relations from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, and a bachelor’s degree in Slavic languages and literatures from Yale University.
Armbruster’s credentials and vision for the company have earned her praise from colleagues and competitors alike. “I’m delighted Sara has been chosen by the board as our next CEO,” said Keane. “All along, I’ve relied on Sara as my partner in developing strategy, and more recently I turned to her to lead us through crises. She is a well-respected people leader with a deep commitment to the values that make Steelcase a great place to work.”
Keane’s own accomplishments are just as impressive. He joined Steelcase in 1997, and during his tenure held a number of positions including chief operating officer, chief financial officer, president, and chief executive officer. He led global teams responsible for corporate strategy, IT, research, product development, design, engineering, manufacturing, sales, and distribution. Appointed to Steelcase’s board of directors in 2013, Keane also serves on the boards of Rockwell Automation, IDEO, the Economics Club of Grand Rapids, the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association (BIFMA), and is on the board of trustees of Grand Valley University Foundation. He is both an at-large member and board member of the Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers from America’s leading companies.
Keane transformed the company into a globally integrated enterprise, curating a strong organizational culture of rapid and decentralized decision-making. He established the Steelcase Learning + Innovation Center in Munich—a global hub where employees, dealers, and guests come together to learn and innovate the future of work. His ability to foster creativity and drive innovation has enabled Steelcase to lead the transformation of the office landscape from places designed solely around efficiency, to dynamic places that support the changing nature of work.
Keane’s belief in using business as a force for good is evidenced by the company’s continued commitment to sustainability. Steelcase was also recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of “The 100 Most Sustainably Managed Companies in the World.” Last year the company achieved carbon neutrality and set ambitious targets to move beyond net-zero emissions by 2030.
Keane’s notable contributions were highlighted by the Steelcase board. “The board of directors and I would like to thank Jim for his incredible leadership as CEO these past seven years, and dedication to Steelcase the past quarter of a century. Under his leadership, the company has experienced tremendous levels of innovation and growth. Jim led the business through the recent global crisis and leaves Steelcase in a strong strategic and financial position,” noted Pew.