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Coe College: The Stead Department of Business Administration and Economics

Jerre and Mary Joy SteadThe Stead Department of Business Administration and Economics

In 2008, Coe's Board of Trustees named Coe's business and economics depaJerre and Mary Joy Steadrtment the Stead Department of Business Administration and Economics, recognizing both the repeated gestures of support provided to the College by Jerre and Mary Joy Stead and Jerre Stead's achievements in the corporate world. 

Jerre and Mary Joy Stead are both natives of Maquoketa, Iowa, and have a long history of giving back. They are currently co-chairs of the Stead Foundation, which has granted over $400 million to organizations that make a societal impact in areas such as healthcare and education. Jerry is also chair of Stead Impact Ventures, with a mission of investing in early-stage companies committed to positively affecting health and well-being.

Mary Joy Stead has devoted her life to family and community. She has been a dedicated volunteer for decades, generously giving her time and energy to charitable organizations, particularly in the areas of education and healthcare.

Jerre Stead has had a long and very successful career as a corporate leader, serving as CEO and/or chair of ten public companies, most recently Clarivate PLC. Prior to leading Clarivate, he served as chairman and CEO at IHS Markit Ltd and previously as Executive Chairman and CEO at IHS Inc. Other companies he led include Honeywell-Phillips Medical Electronics, Square D, AT&T Global Business Communications Systems, AT&T Global Information Solutions (NCR Corporation), NCR Japan, Legent Corporation and Ingram Micro.

Jerre has served on more than thirty corporate boards and more than twenty nonprofit boards during his career. He has received numerous accolades for this work, including the Kenneth B. West Lifetime Achievement Award, which he received in July 2017 from the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). 

Jerre attended Coe College and graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor's degree in business administration and from the Harvard University Advanced Management Program in Switzerland.