Robert E. Powell is a specialist in metals, marketing and management. A Chicago native, Bob spent 34 years with Inland Steel Company where he had a variety of management assignments including Vice President, Sales, Vice President, Strategic Planning, Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Director, Ryerson Tull Company.

Bob introduced the marketing discipline as the strategic link to sales at Inland Steel, and then led Inland’s sales to historic record levels of revenue, income, unit sales and average price per unit sales. He was generally acknowledged as a focused manager willing to challenge the status quo and excellent in matters of recruiting, hiring, training and leading. Numerous former associates are in key leadership positions throughout the metals industry today.

Following Inland, Bob formed Powell, Woodward & Associates, a metals consulting company known for its work in over 50 assignments with over two dozen companies. In addition to steel producers and users, PWA has consulted with the Metals Service Center Institute, World Steel Dynamics, McKinsey and Company, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and served a committee of equity holders in a major steel company bankruptcy proceeding. Bob has personally led four separate sales organizations from loss to profitable results.

Bob believes passionately that the people side of the business equation is the most important component of a successful management. He has proven this throughout his long and distinguished career.

Bob and his wife Caryl graduated from Denison University and raised four children, who today are all successful adults. Bob also attended the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and Harvard’s Advanced Management Program.

Bob and Caryl are residents of downtown Chicago.