Central College welcomes Clay Thompson, retired vice president of Caterpillar Financial Services, a member of the Central Board of Trustees, and a 1990 Central graduate, as an executive in residence for the Fall 2023 semester.

Thompson is teaching the course Leading a Problem-Solving Organization and is working with faculty and students as a guest speaker in other courses across campus. He has a particular passion for leadership and continuous improvement. Thompson’s knowledge and inspiration to teach Central students stems from his professional career. He began working in a private legal practice in Davenport, Iowa. Four years later, he accepted a position as a lawyer for Caterpillar Inc., and eventually left the legal department to lead multiple other business functions. Thompson’s 25-year career with Caterpillar took him to China and Japan before retiring as the vice president of Caterpillar Financial Services responsible for sales and operations in Latin America.

After graduating from Central in 1990 as an English major, Thompson earned his Juris Doctor degree at the University of Iowa College of Law and an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

While on campus, Thompson is working with students on professional development, resume building, career counseling and law school planning as well as developing a podcast called “On Leadership”. The first episode of the podcast was released November 16th and features an interview with the president and CEO of Vermeer Corporation Jason Andringa.