Berea College alumnus Kevin Messer, spoke at the 17th annual Caudill Luncheon about “Innovations that are driving business…what skills do you need to participate?” The annual Caudill Luncheon is made possible through the generosity of a grateful alumnus, Don Caudill, in honor of his parents, Alfred and Shirley Wampler Caudill. A program of the Economics and Business department, the Caudill Luncheon provides students opportunities for professional development outside the classroom. Thirty-five Economics and Business students and faculty were served a 5 course meal in the Skylight Room of Historic Boone Tavern while Messer provided information about current business trends and how to prepare to address them.
Messer, Berea Class of 1986, has a 29-year career working in the creation and management of technologies that have transformed the way people work. Starting as a programmer, he has served in progressively responsible roles with large global companies such as NCR Corporation, AT&T, Accenture, Lockheed Martin and as the leader of his own executive advisory firm. His experience spans a variety of cross-functional and global executive management roles, including product development, marketing, re-engineering, technology governance, cyber-security, and the very large scale data analytics now called “big data.”
Messer has deep roots in Appalachia. He is also an award-winning visual artist, frequent guest speaker, and volunteer with a number of community and nonprofit organizations.

Kevin Messer, a Berea Alum, Speaks at the annual Caudill Luncheon