Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Profile

Joseph M. Welsh, 71BBA, 72MA, has outdistanced his peers among the population of industrial relations professionals from schools across the country. As division vice president for personnel and industrial relations for Consolidated Aluminum corporation in St. Louis, Mr. Welsh directs the industrial relations program for some 5,000 employees in ten plants spread across the eastern half of the country. In addition to the daily management of all phase of employee relations, he serves as the corporation's chief negotiator with the Steelworker's Union at both the company and nationwide levels.

Welsh's outstanding business career is a reflection of his industrious nature and educational preparation. In 1976, Welsh joined Consolidated Aluminum, one of the top 400 corporations in the country, as the youngest corporate manger of labor relations, an in 1980 he was the youngest corporate director of industrial relations in the company. At age 32, Welsh became division vice president for personnel and industrial relations. Again, he was the youngest individual in the company ever to attain that position.

In less than ten years, Joseph Welsh has risen to a level of managerial achievement which is realized by only a small fraction of professionals in industrial relations over a lifetime.