Southern Vermont College (SVC) will honor Nicholas T Pinchuk, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Snap-on Incorporated, at the College’s 91st Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 12. In April 2007, Pinchuk became president and chief operating officer, as well as a member of the board of directors, at Snap-on Incorporated. In December 2007, he was elected as chief executive officer and was named chairman of the company in April 2009. Pinchuk joined Snap-on in 2002 as senior vice president and president of Snap-on’s Worldwide Commercial and Industrial Group.
Before Snap-on, Pinchuk was president of global refrigeration operations, a multi-billion dollar business unit of Carrier Corporation, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation. Prior to that, he served in executive, operational, planning and financial capacities within Carrier and United Technologies, including: president of Asia-Pacific air conditioning operations; global vice president of strategic planning; and chief financial officer of Carrier International Corporation. Before joining United Technologies, he was with the Ford Motor Company, where he held various financial and engineering positions.
Pinchuk is an outspoken leader on workforce development and technical education and careers. Recognizing his role in the formation of our nation’s technical education agenda, the Career and Technical Education Foundation named Pinchuk National Business Leader of the Year in 2011. SkillsUSA named him Champion of the Year in 2012, recognizing his extensive support for the growth of a skilled American workforce. He was inducted into the 2014 Industry Week Manufacturing Hall of Fame. More recently, the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association recognized Pinchuk in 2015 for his far-reaching professional contributions.
“It is a genuine honor to have Nick Pinchuk as our commencement speaker,” said SVC President David R Evans. “He is an extremely influential business leader, and heads a company that is one of the most respected brands in the United States, one that has developed multiple strategies to help young entrepreneurs get their start and gain success in business. His sincere interest in higher education and in fostering a strong economy makes him an ideal speaker for our community.”
Pinchuk served in Vietnam as an officer in the United States Army. At JP Morgan Chase & Co’s ongoing series of conversations with influential leaders in business, Pinchuk responded to how his military service had influenced the way he ran his business. He said, “My time in the Army taught me the value of teamwork, the importance of skills and the power of confidence and belief. It’s guided how I serve my company and how I think about any issue, including the up-skilling of our youth.”
Pinchuk received a Master in Business Administration from Harvard Business School and master and Bachelor of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He currently serves on the board of directors of Columbus McKinnon Corporation and the National Association of Manufacturers. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Manufacturer’s Alliance for Productivity and Innovation, on the Senior Advisory Board of the Syracuse University School of Management, and on the Board of Trustees of Carthage College.
Founded in 1974 but with roots extending to 1926, Southern Vermont College is a small, liberal arts college located on a 371-acre campus overlooking the Green Mountains. The College aspires to be a model of an enlightened educational community: diverse, supportive, environmentally respectful and socially responsible. Through its career-focused, liberal arts curriculum, SVC transforms students into engaged citizens with a broad perspective of an ever-changing society. Classroom learning is combined with real-life, real-world experiences in the study of business, humanities, nursing and health services, natural sciences and math, and the social sciences. SVC’s athletic teams are part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III and the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC). The College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and has been designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a Community-Engagement Classification Institution. For more information, visit svc.edu.