[4] From 1992 until 2000 Mead was president, chairman and CEO of Tenneco, Inc., a large conglomerate, operating in 50 countries, in oil and gas pipelines, farm and construction equipment, shipbuilding, auto parts, industrial and consumer packaging, chemicals and minerals.

Following this, Mead served as deputy director of the White House Domestic Council focusing on desegregation, community development, revenue sharing, and transportation from 1972 to 1974.

He was also a member of the boards of directors for Cummins (1993–1996), Zurich Financial Services (1997–2006),[10] Pactiv (1998–2000), the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Textron, Center for Creative Leadership, and Pfizer.

[7][2] Mead was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,[11][12] the Council on Foreign Relations,[13] the advisory board of the George C. Marshall Foundation,[14] and the Pardee RAND Graduate School.

[15] Mead co-authored High Standards, Hard Choices: A CEO's Journey of Courage, Risk and Change, published in 2000.