U. S. Steel Worldwide Marketing VP to Retire
08/10/2009 - United States Steel announces the retirement of Vice President-Worldwide Marketing Richard M. Efkeman effective Aug. 31, 2009, after 38 years of service with the company.
United States Steel Corp. announced that Vice President-Worldwide Marketing Richard M. Efkeman has elected to retire effective Aug. 31, 2009, after 38 years of service with the company.
The company said that a successor for Efkeman's areas of responsibility would be named at a later date.
The company said that a successor for Efkeman's areas of responsibility would be named at a later date.
“Rick has dedicated most of his 38-year career to working closely with our customers, helping them with current needs through our commercial groups and determining what their future needs will be as a member - and ultimately Vice President - of our marketing organization,” said Chairman and CEO John P. Surma. “His commitment to ensuring that steel was, is and will continue to be the material of choice in the markets we serve has aided our company's efforts to remain on the leading edge of steel product usage and trends."
Efkeman, 60, joined U. S. Steel in 1971 as a service correspondent in the company's Baltimore sales office where he progressed through a series of positions in the commercial organization. He was later promoted to manager in the marketing department (1983), spending the next eight years overseeing marketing activities across a range of products including bar, rod, wire and tin. In 1991, he was named Director—Mill Marketing and Business Planning for sheet products with responsibility for production scheduling activities at the company's flat-rolled product facilities. He advanced to Director—Industry Marketing for sheet products in 1993 with responsibility for pricing activities and marketing strategies for flat-rolled products.
In 1996, Efkeman was promoted to General Manager of Tin Mill Products with responsibility for the product's sales and marketing activities. In 1999, he was named Director—Raw Materials Planning, Procurement, Distribution and Sales, which included managing the planning, procurement and distribution of coal, coke and taconite pellets as well as sales of coke and taconite pellets produced at U. S. Steel facilities. He advanced to General Manager—Marketing in 2003 with responsibility for pricing, marketing strategies, trade issues and commercial market research for the company's North American flat-rolled products.
Efkeman was elected to his most recent position in March 2008, with responsibility for all marketing activities across the company, including pricing, market research and strategies, and trade issues.
Efkeman was elected to his most recent position in March 2008, with responsibility for all marketing activities across the company, including pricing, market research and strategies, and trade issues.
Efkeman served on the board of directors of the American Iron and Steel Institute's (AISI) Steel Market Development Institute and was Chairman of AISI's Automotive Applications Council. He graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He earned a master's degree in business administration from Loyola College in Baltimore in 1974.
