Robert L. (Bob) Zielsdorf is an accomplished business executive, community leader, author, and singer/songwriter with a career marked by significant achievements in industry, philanthropy, and public service. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame in 1965, followed by advanced seminars at various universities.

Bob’s professional journey spans over three decades as Chairman, CEO, and owner of Peerless Machinery Corp., now known as Peerless Food Equipment, which was acquired by Illinois Tool Works in 2008. Before this, he held key marketing and creative leadership positions at Mead Paper Group and E.F. MacDonald Company.

His dedication to community service is demonstrated by his role as trustee for the Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital Foundation, and many others. He has led numerous fundraising campaigns and served as chairman of the Sidney/Shelby Public Art Foundation.
Bob has served as finance chairman for the campaigns of Ohio Governor George V. Voinovich and Congressmen Michael Oxley and John Boehner, as well as acting as Master of Ceremonies during President Ronald Reagan’s Whistle Stop Tour in Sidney, Ohio.
In the industrial sector, Bob has held leadership roles with the Bakery Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (BEMA) and various baking industry organizations, including the American Bakers Association (ABA) and the American Institute of Baking (AIB). His corporate governance experience extends to directorships at Bank One, French Oil Mill Machinery Company, and Sprint North Central.

His entrepreneurial and community contributions have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Dayton, 1994), the Sidney/Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Zenith Award for Community Service, and multiple Governor’s Awards for Exporting. He was inducted into the Sidney City Schools Hall of Honor in 2005 and the BEMA Hall of Fame in 2010.

Bob is also an author, having published Sealed With a Kiss: An American Love Story in Letters in 2014, a memoir. In addition, he has written and recorded over 30 songs
Married to Frances Jordan since 1965, Bob is a devoted family man with five children and ten grandchildren. His personal interests include boating, sailing, golf, fly fishing, and shooting sports. He currently serves as President of The Robert L. and Frances J. Zielsdorf Foundation, and on the Advisory Council of The Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame.