Electrical Marketing's LiveWire » People on the Move

Ramsey takes on senior V.P. role at Schneider’s U.S. Industry Business

Jim Lucy — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:02:20 +0000

Schneider Electric (Palatine, Ill.): Mary Ramsey is now senior V.P. of Schneider Electric’s U.S. Industry Business, one of the five core U.S. businesses of the $26 billion multi-national corporation. She replaces former U.S. Industry Business senior V.P. Andy Gravitt, who announced his retirement effective Feb. 1 after nearly 20 years with Schneider Electric.
Ramsey will report directly to Clemens Blum, Schneider’s global industry business executive V.P., and will be responsible for spearheading the overall sales and growth strategy of the business.
She previously served as the senior V.P. of sales of Schneider Electric’s Europe Industry Business. Ramsey first joined the company while serving at Pro-face America, which was acquired by Schneider Electric in 2004, as the general manager and V.P. of sales for North and South America. With more than 20 years of experience in industrial automation, Ramsey has held various positions in sales, marketing and business development at UBS Financial Services, Matrikon International, Instrinsyc, Intellution, GE Fanuc – Industrial Automation Division and Cincinnati Electrosystems, among others.

Ramsey earned her B.A. in electrical engineering from the University of Kentucky, as well as her MBA from the Loyola University Graduate School of Management in Chicago.

WESCO’s Heyse leaves CFO post

Jim Lucy — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:01:17 +0000

WESCO (Pittsburgh, Pa.): Richard Heyse is no longer V.P, CFO, for the company. Stephen Van Oss, who had previously served as WESCO’s CFO, has been appointed as interim CFO in addition to his current responsibilities as senior V.P., COO. Van Oss had served as WESCO’s CFO from 2000 to 2009 and will serve in this role on an interim basis while WESCO engages in a search to replace Heyse, who is expected to serve as a consultant to WESCO on transitional matters over the next few months. Details

Thomas to lead GE Industrial Solutions sales in Canada

Doug Chandler — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:39:51 +0000

GE Energy’s Industrial Solutions business (NYSE: GE) has appointed Adrian Thomas as the new regional sales leader for Canada. Thomas has overall responsibility for sales of GE Energy’s electrical distribution products and services in Canada, including switchboards and panel boards, uninterruptible power supplies, metering products, circuit breakers, motor controls and capacitors, as well as electric vehicle supply equipment. He is based in Montreal but will oversee sales operations at key facilities across the country, including Calgary and Toronto, GE said in a release.

Thomas began his career at GE Canada as a large-motors designer in Peterborough, followed by a transition to a marketing role for GE Energy in Montreal that featured a combination of sales and commercial operations. Later, Thomas held various positions with TMEIC, an industrial systems, drive and motor manufacturer, in Roanoke, Va., where he developed international sales experience covering growing markets in Taiwan, India and North America. He is a graduate of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, with a bachelor of science in engineering.

Buche to retire from Stanion Wholesale Electric

Jim Lucy — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:47:48 +0000

Otto Buche

Stanion Wholesale Electric Co. (Pratt, Ks.): Otto Buche, executive V.P., will retire Jan. 31. He started with the company as a purchasing agent in the Lawrence, Ks., branch in 1978, and subsequently served as Lawrence branch manager, regional manager, vice president of purchasing and vendor relations and finally as executive vice president. Prior to his employment at Stanion, Buche spent seven years teaching high school history and coaching football, basketball, track and baseball.

Western Extralite’s John Isenberg takes on new role in government sales

Jim Lucy — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:44:16 +0000

John Isenberg

Western Extralite (Kansas City, Mo.): John Isenberg, executive V.P of sales and marketing, has announced his role will change within the organization. On Feb. 1, 2013, Isenberg will become V.P. of government sales and report to his replacement.

Isenberg decided to move to his new role in order to focus on working with government buyers. “The government market continues to offer significant top line growth opportunities,” Isenberg said in a press release. “Focusing on the government market will enable Western Extralite to grow that portion of our business. We are seeking the ideal candidate to replace me as Executive Vice President of Sales and are allowing a significant period before I step into my new role in order to provide for a smooth transition,” Isenberg said. “The company plans to use a search firm as part of the process.”

Western Extralite Company is a full-line, full-service electrical and datacomm products distributor with 17 locations, more than $10 million in inventory, and on-demand access to more than 13,000 electrical and datacomm products.

Yves Lesaicherre appointed CEO at Philips Lumileds

Jim Lucy — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:59:49 +0000

Yves Lesaicherre

Philips Lumileds (San Jose, Calif.): Pierre Yves Lesaicherre is the new CEO
of Philips Lumileds, which focuses on LED development for the company. Lesaicherre
suceeds Michael Holt and will report directly to Philips Lighting’s acting CEO Frans van Houten. He was most recently with NXP Semiconductors as senior V.P & general manager of the Microcontrollers & Logic business lines.

Schroeder joins Prime Devices to cover Chicago metro & Rockford

Jim Lucy — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:05:45 +0000

Prime Devices Corp. (Glenview, Ill.): Gary Schroeder joined the company on Dec. 5, and is now covering the city of Chicago, its north suburbs and the Rockford area. He brings more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience with SimplexGrinnell, McDaniel Fire Systems and LaMarCo Systems. He has a BA in marketing management from Aurora University.

Rexel announces executive appointments

Jim Lucy — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:12:45 +0000

Jim Hibberd

Rexel (Dallas): Mitch Williams has been promoted to senior V.P. Rexel Asia-Pacific reporting directly to the CEO and chairman of the company’s management board in Paris, France. Williams was previously senior V.P. and CEO of Rexel’s Gexpro division. The company also announced that Jim Hibberd, V.P. global sales and business development will replace Williams, and was named senior V.P. and general manager of Gexpro Electrical Distribution reporting directly to Chris Hartmann, executive V.P. and CEO of Rexel Holdings USA.

Williams, who has spent 21 years with GE Supply/Gexpro starting in sales in 1990, quickly advanced through the organization, and was named to the top position at Gexpro in 2007. In addition to his new and broader role across Rexel, Williams will continue responsibility for Gexpro Asia creating greater collaboration and synergy across the company’s business units in that region.
Jim Hibberd joined GE Supply/Gexpro in 1988 as a college hire through the company’s Distribution & Services Leadership Program (DSLP). He held positions within Gexpro through 1998 when he joined GE Industrial Systems as president of GE Team Controls. Later, he held various management roles throughout several GE divisions and returned to GE Supply/Gexpro in 2004 where he most recently served as V.P. global sales and Business development. In a related announcement, Bob Connors, V.P. of Gexpro Services, will now report directly to Chris Hartmann.

Oldfather promoted to president of AD’s Electrical Divisions

Jim Lucy — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:10:55 +0000

David Oldfather

Affiliated Distributors (AD) (Wayne, Pa.): David Oldfather has been promoted to president of AD’s Electrical Divisions. Oldfather’s promotion to president is part of AD’s establishment of fully empowered, fully resourced strategic business units for each AD Division; Electrical, PHCP, Drywall and Industrial. In addition to Oldfather’s promotion, Pam Erickson, V.P. of marketing, Electrical Divisions, will focus solely on Electrical Division Marketing, reporting to David Oldfather. In a move to further augment the Electrical Divisions’ marketing resources, Laura Dendyuk was also promoted to senior executive assistant and marketing coordinator.

Pessina name president of Lutron

Jim Lucy — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:03:25 +0000

Michael Pessina

Lutron Electronics (Coopersburg, Pa.): Michael Pessina has been appointed president of the company. In his 35-year career with Lutron, Pessina has acquired broad experience in the engineering, quality assurance and manufacturing areas. After being promoted through several management positions, he was appointed to senior vice president in 2000, to executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2002, and to president, office of product development in 2009. Pessina is also a member of Lutron’s executive board and Lutron’s advisory council. He holds a B.S.E.E from Lafayette College and an MBA from Lehigh University.