Kretschmer’s varied career has taken him from Korea’s DMZ to the White House to Wall Street. After graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Wentworth Military Academy, Keith served as an Army ranger in Korea from 1956-58. For six years beginning in 1970, he served on the White House advance staff under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. He went on to have a 30-year international career in financial services. He was a General Partner of Bear, Stearns & Co, in Los Angeles and a Senior Managing Director with the firm in Boston. In 1994, he joined Oppenheimer & Co. in New York, where he was responsible for starting the firm’s Australian business. Prior to his investment career, he was CEO of a computer company and helped start a life insurance company. He also authored the 1978 book Your Option, a guide to understanding and utilizing stock options.