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Ron James
President & CEO
Center for Ethical Business Cultures

Ron James serves as President and CEO of the Center for Ethical Business Cultures (CEBC) at the University of St. Thomas. The Center assists business leaders in creating ethical and profitable business cultures. The Center, an independent nonprofit 501 (c)3 organization, has an Academic Partnership with the University of St. Thomas College of Business and provides research, public programs, case study, governance and leadership development services.

Ron James formerly served as President and CEO of the Human Resources Group, a division of Ceridian Corporation, from 1996 to 1998, which served more than 40,000 Human Resources organizations in companies in North America and Europe.

Prior to joining Ceridian, Ron served as Minnesota’s top executive officer for US West Communications, Inc. and regional vice-president for US West, which included responsibilities for Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska. Ron joined US West Communications, Inc. (formerly known as Northwestern Bell Telephone Company) as a management trainee in Des Moines, Iowa in December of 1971, rapidly rising through the sales, marketing, operating, and general management ranks.

Ron is currently active as a member of both corporate and civic boards. Corporately, he serves as a member of the boards of the Best Buy Corporation, Tamarack Funds (an Investment Fund of RBC Dain Rauscher, Inc.), Bremer Financial Corporation, and Allina Hospitals and Clinics.

Civically, he serves on the boards of the Greater Twin Cities United Way, having chaired its Minneapolis board in 1998 and served as Minneapolis campaign chair in 1992, and the Guthrie Theater, a board he chaired from 1992-1994.

In addition, James has served on the Advisory Group of the United States Sentencing Commission with a task of reviewing the 10 year Federal Sentencing Guidelines that apply to Organizations. James also participated in President Bush’s Economic Forum focusing on Corporate Responsibility and restoring trust and integrity into the American Business System.

Ron was appointed Co-Chair of the Governor’s Action for Children Commission from 1992-1995, serving jointly with the First Lady of the State of Minnesota. Together, they led an effort to develop the Governor’s blueprint for children’s issues in the state.

Ron James received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Economics in 1972 from Doane College in Crete, Nebraska and completed the Bell System Advanced Management Program through the University of Illinois in Champagne, Illinois. He was named an Outstanding Young American in 1983, inducted into the Doane College Hall of Fame and named as one of the Top 25 Black Managers by Black Enterprise in 1988, cited as a Fortune Magazine rising star in 1989, inducted into the Twin Cities Volunteer Hall of Fame by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine in 1992 and awarded the KARE-11 Board of Governor’s Award for Volunteer Leadership in 1992.

Ron James was born in Port Arthur, Texas in 1950. Ron, his wife Renee, an early childhood educator, and their two sons, Joshua and Jordan, students at Clark Atlanta University and Howard University, respectively, reside in Plymouth, Minnesota. Ron’s interests include spiritual development, civic engagement, golf, skiing, and reading.

For more information, please contact:

Ron James
President & CEO
Center for Ethical Business Cultures
1000 LaSalle Avenue, TMH331
Minneapolis, MN 55403-2005
USA

Phone: (651) 962-4123
Fax: (651) 962-4042
E-mail: rjames@cebcglobal.org