REV Group announces new Vice President of Sales

by People

REV Group has announced the appointment of George Petropoulos as Vice President, Sales for REV Ambulance Group. Overseeing the sales teams for Horton, American Emergency Vehicles (AEV), Leader, Wheeled Coach, Road Rescue, Frontline and McCoy-Miller, George reports into Anoop Prakash, Ambulance Division President, REV Group.

Prior to joining REV Group, George spent nearly 20 years at Harley-Davidson Motor Company where most recently he was the Manager, Police & Fleet Sales, increasing the company’s municipal market share from 40% to 75% over an 11-year period. George is a retired Major and Transportation / Logistics officer in the U.S. Army and serves as a part-time police officer for the Town of Mukwonago Police Department in Wisconsin.

“We are integrating our sales organisation to optimise our sales process and commercial execution,” said Anoop Prakash, Ambulance Division President, REV Group. “George’s extensive municipal sales experience will allow us to continue to advance our service and support to our dealers, partners and customers across the REV ambulance brands.”

George has received the distinguished service award from the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund and is on the Board of Directors for the USO in Wisconsin.

www.revgroup.com/

Pelican Products names Phil Gyori as Chief Executive Officer

by People

Pelican Products, Inc. announces the appointment of Phil Gyori as the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Gyori has served as Group President of Pelican since joining in 2016. He succeeds Lyndon Faulkner, who becomes Executive Chairman after serving as Chief Executive Officer since 2006.

Grant G. Behrman, Managing Partner of Behrman Capital, said: “We are delighted that Phil Gyori will serve as the new CEO of Pelican Products. Phil is a distinguished and outstanding executive who has been instrumental to Pelican’s success through his leadership of the company’s multiple divisions worldwide. Promoting Phil is both a well-earned and natural step.”

“It is also fortunate that Lyndon Faulkner will continue with Pelican as Executive Chairman. Pelican’s exceptional performance throughout Lyndon’s tenure as CEO is a testament to the strength of his leadership. The company has realised a 400% sales increase during this period through an aggressive business strategy, including acquisitions and international expansion through which we now operate in 26 countries across the globe. We are grateful for Lyndon’s innumerable contributions and pleased that he will continue to share his wisdom and experience with Pelican.”

Mr. Gyori said, “I am honoured to lead Pelican Products at this very exciting and critical time. Our company is ideally positioned to capitalise on our market leadership in the coming years with an exceptional global team that is dedicated to meeting and exceeding the needs of our customers worldwide. We will build on the incredible foundation established by Lyndon to take Pelican and our operating divisions to new heights.”

Mr. Faulkner added, “I am very proud of what we have accomplished at Pelican over the past several years. Together with Behrman Capital, our very supportive and insightful owners, we have built Pelican into a truly global leader with many exceptional growth opportunities in the coming years. Phil is an outstanding choice to lead Pelican through its next chapter, and I look forward to supporting him in my new role.”

About Phil Gyori

Phil Gyori has over 30 years of executive and management experience and a proven track record of driving rapid business growth. He has a rich background in marketing, business development and brand management, and his expertise also extends to other cross-functional areas including sales, product development, purchasing and overseas sourcing. As Group President of Pelican since 2016, he has had responsibility for all three of the company’s divisions: U.S. Commercial / Government / Consumer, International and Pelican BioThermal.

Prior to Pelican he spent 16 years as an executive at Bushnell, a global leader in Sports Optics & Outdoor Recreation, where he was the general manager for the $400 million North American Division and where he helped grow the overall business from $100 million to $600 million. Before joining Bushnell, he served in leadership roles at Nike, Procter & Gamble, and The Quaker Oats Company.

Mr. Gyori holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University and an MBA from The Wharton School of Business.

www.pelican.com/

Patol announces Iain Cumner as new Sales Director

by People

The next stage in the development of Patol as the leading specialist in industrial fire safety equipment and systems has been announced with the appointment of Iain Cumner as Sales Director.

52-year-old Iain joins the business with extensive experience in security, fire and BMS (building management systems). Starting out his career with an apprenticeship in electronics with Marconi, Iain moved into integrated security systems in 1989 with Card Key Systems, one of the first large scale manufacturers of access control systems in the UK. Since then he has worked for companies ranging from Caradon Trend and Control Systems International (CSI) to G4 Technology and Frontline Security.

In his roles he has been involved in sales, both end user and through the supply chain, with notable contracts which included blue chip projects for companies such as Coca-Cola, Lloyds of London, Amazon Web Services, DPD and Motorola. For Motorola, Iain was responsible for a project which saw an integrated solution rolled out through the company’s whole portfolio across18 countries.

Iain joins Patol from Johnson Controls (JCI) where he most recently worked in developing framework agreements with Tier 1 construction companies for specification of fire, security and building management systems. The focus was on integrated system solutions, with a particular emphasis on data centres and tall buildings.

The timing of the appointment is part of Patol’s commitment to succession planning, with current Sales Director Kelvin Miller retiring from the business later in the year.

Commenting on his appointment, Iain said – “I am delighted to be taking on the position at an exciting time for the company. While the Patol name is well established worldwide, with its linear heat detection cable providing reliable fire detection in many diverse applications, developments in other areas are also raising the profile of the Patol brand. I see particular growth potential in the thermal imaging technology offering from the company. Throughout my career I have seen the focus on integration increase, with intelligent solutions now developing exponentially through the opportunities afforded by the IoT (Internet of Things) to deliver significant benefits in terms of AI and analytics.”

Kelvin Miller comments – ‘We are delighted to be bringing Iain on board. I will be working closely with him over the coming months to ensure he has a good understanding of the nuts and bolts of the business to enable him to take Patol forward. Given the worldwide nature of our markets, it was important that Iain had experience of both UK and overseas projects. In addition to prestigious contracts here, he has also worked extensively in Europe and the Middle East. He will be able to build on the momentum we have gained as a business and also identify new opportunities through his particular experience with system integrators.”

www.patol.co.uk/

Melinda Williams promoted to new role at Telgian

by Americas - Featured NewsPeople

Telgian Engineering & Consulting (TEC) recently announced the promotion of Melinda Williams to Director of Government and Business Affairs. In this role, she will be responsible for business development and sales, with a focus on fire, life safety and security technology and requirement trends within federal, state and local government entities.

“Melinda is an invaluable member of the TEC team,” says Telgian Engineering & Consulting President Leonard Ramo. “As TEC continues its rapid growth providing service to the government sector, her innovation and vision, as well as the depth and breadth of her experience in the fire, life safety and security industry will prove essential for our government clients.”

In addition to a diverse background, which includes work as a policy advisor and educator, Williams brings over 14 years of fire, life safety and security experience to the new position. She will partner with executives and officials, providing innovative solutions to the specific challenges faced by government entities. “Melinda’s proven ability to communicate a clear understanding of the various challenges in the industry is one of her greatest strengths,” continues Ramo.

Melinda Williams holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Brown University and completed post-graduate studies at National University.

www.telgian.com/

Potter appoints new President of Fire & Security Division

by People

Potter, US-based manufacturer of sprinkler monitoring devices, fire alarm systems, and corrosion solution products, has announced the hiring of Jeff Klein to the position of President of Fire & Security. Klein is joining Potter after previously working at Chamberlain Group in Chicago as their Vice President/General Manager of Commercial Business. Klein will be taking over for Dave Kosciuk, who will be moving into the role of Senior Vice President of Business Development before retiring at the end of 2020.

Klein received his BS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and his MBA from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. Prior to his time at Chamberlain, Klein held multiple roles at Honeywell Security and Fire’s North America division, including Vice President of Marketing and Senior Director of Integration.

Gerry Connolly, Chief Executive Officer at Potter said: “We are grateful for Dave Kosciuk’s 12 years of dedication to Potter. He grew our Fire and Security division exponentially and put us in a great position to continue as a leader in the industry. While we will miss Dave, I am very excited to have Jeff as our next President for our Fire and Security division. His extensive experience in both the fire industry and the commercial building technology sector will be a great asset to Potter as we continue to grow.”

www.pottersignal.com/

Telgian’s Russell Leavitt named NFPA 1st Vice Chair

by Americas - Featured NewsPeople

Russell B. Leavitt, Executive Chairman of Telgian Holdings, Inc. was recently elected 1st Vice Chair by the Board of Directors for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). NFPA is a global, nonprofit organisation devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The organization focuses on fire codes and standards, as well as public education for fire safety, outreach and advocacy, training and essential research.

NFPA Board Members are selected based on fire industry experience, as well as the respect of peers in the safety community, a proven commitment to the association’s goals and an appreciation for the relationship NFPA must maintain with society as its needs evolve.

As NFPA 1st Vice Chair, Leavitt will work with the association as it delivers information, knowledge and training nationwide. In addition to this leadership position within NFPA, Leavitt also serves as chair of the NFPA 13 Sprinkler System Discharge Criteria Technical Committee, on the NFPA 13 Installation Technical Committee, as well as NFPA 3, NFPA 4 and the Cultural Resources (NFPA 909 and 914)  Technical Committees.

With almost four decades of industry experience, Leavitt has long been recognised for his expertise, which he shares as a sought-after speaker and presenter. Leavitt is a senior instructor for AFSA and Fire Smarts and conducts fire and life safety seminars nationally and internationally on a variety of related subjects. Examples include Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office fire sprinkler training events, such Fire Sprinkler Systems – Plan Review and Acceptance Testing for AHJ’s, Marketing for Contractors in Fire Protection for Expo Fire Protection Mexico & International Congress and NFPA 25 Step-by-Step Testing Procedures for FireCon, among others.

During the course of his career, Leavitt has also authored numerous industry training materials and informational articles including “Fire Safety Codes and Standards: What You Need to Know,”  “Understanding Fire Protection Classifications,” “International Fire Sprinkler Opportunity” and AFSA’s ITM Inspector Development Program.

Leavitt will hold the position of NFPA 1st Vice Chair for two calendar years.

www.telgian.com/

Johnson Controls appoints Phil Clement as Chief Marketing Officer

by People

Johnson Controls announced earlier this year the appointment of Phil Clement as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer. Clement is now responsible of all global activities related to conceptualising and implementing market strategy and demand generation, including achieving marketing targets through in-depth market development, research and planning.

Clement most recently served as global chief marketing and communications officer for Aon. As Aon’s first ever global CMO, Clement was responsible for developing the company’s global CRM systems, common sales processes and a single global brand. Prior to joining Aon, Clement was the founder of a management consulting firm specialising in growth strategies.

Clement will report to Mike Ellis, executive vice president, and chief digital & customer officer. “Phil brings a wealth of strategy, brand and marketing experience to Johnson Controls and he will play a critical role in making sure our teams can successfully support our growth goals and our customers,” said Ellis.

Clement attended the University of Southern California, and has a Master’s of Business Administration and Public Policy from the University of Chicago.