Doug Oberhelman served as chairman of the board of directors and as chief executive officer (CEO) of Caterpillar Inc. beginning in 2010.  After a 41-year career with Caterpillar, he retired as CEO on December 31, 2016, and as executive chairman on March 31, 2017.

Oberhelman joined the Caterpillar treasury department in 1975 and worked in or led a wide variety of businesses across the company. He was elected a Caterpillar vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) in 1995; and from 2002 to 2010 was a group president with responsibility for many of Caterpillar’s core businesses. Over the course of his career at Caterpillar he lived in North America, South America and Asia, and travelled extensively throughout the world.  

Oberhelman serves on the board of directors of Peter Kiewit Sons’, Inc., Bombardier Inc. and is Chairman of the Board of The Shaw Group Holdings LLC.  He is the former Director of Exxon Mobile, the former chair of both the Business Roundtable and the National Association of Manufacturers. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Wetlands America Trust and is a director on the board of the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation.  He is also chairman of DDI, a family investment firm, as well as chairman of the board of trustees for the Easter Seals Foundation of Central Illinois.  He previously served on the boards of Eli Lilly and Company and Ameren Corporation. 

Oberhelman is married to Diane Cullinan Oberhelman. Diane is the Founding Partner of Cullinan Properties, based in Peoria, Illinois, with offices in Chicago and St. Louis. Diane founded Cullinan Properties in 1988 after being in the real estate business since 1981 and is currently the Chairman.

They have four grown children: Kathleen Cullinan Brill, Maureen Cullinan Bennett, Alison Cullinan Unkovich, and Allen Cullinan. They also have thirteen grandchildren.