Keith Krach
United States Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment (E)
Expertise
Links
Biography
A two-time recipient of the Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Keith Krach draws upon his extensive business acumen and leadership experience in his role as Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment. As America’s preeminent economic diplomat, Keith Krach is responsible for leading economic statecraft initiatives to expedite economic growth, improve energy security, and protect the environment. He was unanimously confirmed to the position by the U.S. Senate on June 20, 2019.
Krach was selected for the position after a 42-year private sector career in which he spearheaded transformations at companies in the engineering, technology, and business-to-business commerce fields, as well as at academic institutions. Krach most recently served as chairman, CEO, and president of DocuSign, which became the industry leader in electronic signature and digital transaction management solutions under his leadership. He earned one of his two EY Awards with this company.
As Former Chairman, CEO & President of DocuSign, Krach spearheaded its transformation from a startup to the category leader and global powerhouse it is today. Under his leadership, DocuSign became a verb, went public and was awarded Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work. Krach co-founded Ariba and as Chairman & CEO took Ariba public, ultimately achieving a market capitalization of $40 billion. In recognition of creating the category of B2B e-Commerce, Ernst & Young named Krach the 2000 National Entrepreneur of the Year and the World Economic Forum honored him with the Technology Pioneer Award.
Krach served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Purdue University, Chairman of Angie’s List, International President of Sigma Chi Fraternity and was the youngest Vice President in General Motors’ history. Krach’s alma mater, Purdue University, has honored him with an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering, and the Harvard Business School Alumni Association has named him Business Leader of the Year. Additionally, Krach and his wife, Metta, were recognized with the distinguished City Year 2018 Citizen Leadership Award for their service, dedication and impact to philanthropic causes. Krach is dedicated to paying it forward—by mentoring a new generation of transformational leaders in the public, private and social sectors.
Keith Krach and his wife, Metta Krach (B.A. UCLA; J.D. Georgetown), have 5 children between the ages of 32 and 6, and reside in San Francisco.
Endeavors
DOCUSIGN
- Former Chairman and CEO
- Created:
- DocuSign Global Trust Network
- Global xDTM Standard
- Digital Transaction Management Category
- #3, Forbes Top Cloud Companies
- 2016 EY Entrepreneur of the Year
- 2015 Bay Area’s Most Admired CEO
- Glassdoor Award- 98% Approval
ARIBA
- Founder & Chairman/CEO
- Created:
- B2B eCommerce Category
- Ariba Network- $1.3 Trillion/yr
- Market Cap of $40B
- 2000 EY Entrepreneur of the Year
- Technology Pioneer- World Economic Forum
PURDUE
- Chairman, Board of Trustees
- Hired President Mitch Daniels
- Initiated New Models:
- Student Affordability
- Global Online Learning
- Retraining the Workforce
- Krach Leadership Center
RASNA
- Chief Operating Officer
- Created Category:
- Mechanical Design Synthesis
- #3, Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Co’s
- Acquired, Parametric Technology ($500M)
GENERAL MOTORS
- Youngest VP Ever (26)
- Cadillac, Production Foreman
- New York Treasurer’s Office, Financial Staff
- GM Tech Center, Engineer
- GM/Fanuc Robotics, General Manager
- Largest Robotics Co., Today
SIGMA CHI
- 64th Grand Consul (President)
- 260 Universities
- 300,000 Lifetime Members
- Chairman, Leadership Training Board
- Transformed Mission, Leadership Development
- Horizons Leadership Institute
ANGIE’S LIST
- Chairman of the Board
- #1 in On-Line Consumer Reviews
- Initial Public Offering
- Philanthropy
- DocuSign Impact Foundation, Chairman
- New Story, Chairman Ad. Board
- Opportunity International, Governor
- Children’s Autistic Network, Co-Founder
- Krach Family Foundation, Chairman
- Founder, Virtual Mentor Network
EDUCATION
- Purdue, BS Engineering, GM Scholar
- Harvard, MBA 1981, GM Fellow
- Ohio Northern, Honorary Doctorate
- Purdue, Honorary Doctorate
Videos
Under Secretary Keith Krach Exclusive Interview with CNBC
Under Secretary Krach on CNN Brazil: Trust and the Clean Network
Read about executive education
Other experts
Popular Courses
The Positive Leader: Deep Change and Organizational Transformation
Stephen M. Ross School of Business
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Dec 1
Private Equity: Investing and Creating Value
The Wharton School
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Feb 2, 2025
Leading People and Teams
ESMT
Berlin, Germany
Nov 19
Looking for an expert?
Contact us and we'll find the best option for you.