Kettering University alumnus Paul Bascobert

“Being a part of commencement at Kettering is very personal. It brings together the incredible gratitude I owe to my alma mater with the deep empathy I have for all graduates who have endured so much over the past few years.”

Paul Bascobert (’87 Electrical Engineering), President of Reuters

An entrepreneur and executive who has led some of the world’s largest media companies, Kettering University alumnus Paul Bascobert (’87 Electrical Engineering) will deliver the 2023 Commencement address at 10:30 a.m. June 17 at Atwood Stadium. Bascobert is president of Reuters, one of the world's largest news organizations, reaching billions of people worldwide every day.

Celebrating the class of 2023 begins with the Academic Honors Banquet at 6 p.m. June 16. The invitation-only banquet recognizes several groups of graduates.

  • President’s Medal winners: Students who have demonstrated excellence in cooperative employment, scholarship and community engagement.
  • Sobey Scholar awards: Students who were elected to an academic honor society and the Robots Society. 
  • Summa cum laude awardees: Students who earned a grade point average of 3.90 or higher.
  • The Outstanding Thesis Award: Determined by the awardee’s thesis adviser and faculty on the Senior Thesis Committee.

"I am both humbled and excited to return to Kettering, a place that fundamentally shifted the direction of my life,” said Bascobert, who earned his degree when Kettering was known as GMI. “In those five years, I discovered my passion for entrepreneurship, took on my first role as a supervisor and met people who helped me see a much broader view of what my life could become. The academics were excellent, but in reality, Kettering was preparing me for so much more."

In his current role at Reuters, Bascobert leads an organization that includes more than 2,500 journalists in 200 locations around the world, delivering first-person reporting from the front lines on business, financial and world news. Bascobert is no stranger to media on a global scale. He helmed Bloomberg’s BusinessWeek and Bloomberg Media from 2009 to 2014 and served as CEO at Gannett from 2019 to 2020. 

“Paul is a shining example of the entrepreneurial spirit and passion for leadership instilled in Kettering students,” Kettering University President Dr. Robert K. McMahan said. “As we come together to honor the driven, determined, Kettering-built class of 2023, Paul’s story resonates. He has achieved hard-earned success in every one of his many endeavors. Like him, our graduates will leave Kettering prepared to be the visionary leaders, innovative thinkers, and problem solvers of tomorrow. I can’t wait to celebrate their achievements and see what they will accomplish throughout their careers.”

This year’s Commencement is the fourth ceremony at Atwood since the completion of a $5 million refurbishment in 2015. The University hosted double ceremonies for the classes of 2020 and 2021 at the historic venue in 2021. Last year, the class of 2022 graduated in the 11,000-seat stadium.

In addition to his media experience, Bascobert has established himself as a successful entrepreneur. While a junior at GMI, he launched an automation design business out of his dorm room, and after business school, co-founded a business that used data and analytics to model complex business decisions. They sold the business to Fair Isaac Corporation 12 years later.

“Being a part of commencement at Kettering is very personal,” Bascobert said. “It brings together the incredible gratitude I owe to my alma mater with the deep empathy I have for all graduates who have endured so much over the past few years.”