Bill Berkley is President and CEO of Tension Corporation, a Kansas City-based company with sales and manufacturing facilities across the United States and around the globe. Under Bill’s leadership, Tension has grown from a domestic, envelope-focused company to a diversified business with three divisions: Envelope, Packaging & Automation and International. Bill is the fourth generation of the Berkley family to lead the 127-year old privately-held company with more than 1,000 associates.

Joining Tension in 1977 as a summer intern and sales trainee, Bill has held positions of increasing responsibility from sales representative, to General Sales Manager for the Midwest region to General Manager of Tension’s Memphis operations, and Vice President of Sales Nationally. Bill was named President and CEO in September 1988.

During his tenure, Tension has grown to become the third-largest domestic envelope manufacturer, known for its innovative envelope solutions and services and environmentally responsible options, owning more patents than all of the other envelope manufacturers combined. In addition, Bill established the Tension Packaging & Automation division, which serves customers in the internet order fulfillment business, and builds and equips mail order, central-fill, and specialty pharmacies.  This division provides automation solutions, software, consumables, and support services.

Bill is the past chair of the Envelope Manufacturers Association (EMA) and chairs the EMA Public Policy Committee. The association is dedicated to providing a voice for paper-based communications and is closely involved in postal affairs.

Active in business, civic, and community organizations, Bill serves currently on the Board of Directors of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, BioNexus KC and the Hall Family Foundation. He is the past-chair of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation and the Heartland Civic Collaborative; the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, Kansas City Consensus, The Genesis School, and The Learning Exchange.  He is also a past president of the Board of Trustees of the Pembroke Hill School.  Bill previously served on the Board of Directors of Hoover’s, Inc.

Bill earned an MBA at the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.  He graduated cum laude from Colorado College in 1978 with a BA in History. He and his wife, Maureen, have three children and reside in Kansas City, Missouri.