University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The Grainger College of Engineering

G. Thomas Castino

[title]
27 To G. Thomas Castino for his lengthy service and significant contributions to the field of standards and conformity assessment.

Vice Chairman and Trustee, Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Northbrook, Illinois

  • BS, 1960, Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

 G. Thomas Castino has spent his entire professional career with Underwriters Laboratory (UL), an independent, not-for-profit company that is the world’s foremost product safety testing and certification organization. He rose through the ranks and was elected president and CEO in 1990. For the next ten years, he led UL through a period of tremendous growth that promoted the UL safety mission on a global scale and that doubled the number of UL marks placed on products.

Today, UL tests more than 18,000 types of products each year at its five facilities in the United States and 27 international subsidiaries. The growth in UL’s standards activities paralleled global economic growth and the increased use of standards as a tool for making decisions and facilitating trade in business and commerce. In 2002, UL marks were placed on 18 billion products.

Castino set UL on a global course, which led to the formation of more than two dozen subsidiaries around the world. He was a major force behind the creation of a state-of-the-art facility in Washington state that specializes in the testing and certification of technology equipment, audio/visual equipment, medical and dental equipment, and wire and cable. In recognition of his contributions to public safety and to the organization, UL has announced that the facility will be named for Castino.

In 2001, Castino was named vice chairman of UL and held this position until he retired from the UL Board of Trustees in 2002. He has served on the board of directors of industrial, academic, and governmental associations. His contributions have been recognized with a number of professional awards, including the prestigious American National Standards Medal and the Hollis Award from the National Industry Defense Association. He has been active in a variety of professional organizations. In 1997, he received the distinguished alumni award from the University of Illinois Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.

Current as of 2003.